Skating Polly

I see other kid bands singing ‘Oh I’m in love,’ and I’m like ‘you’re not in love, you’re 12.’”

-Kelli Mayo

I called Skating Polly on a sunny afternoon from the deck of an apartment in a quiet neighborhood outside of Paris. The hoarse voices of Peyton Bighorse and Kelli Mayo, originating in Oklahoma and rising from the speakerphone into the day, are content to be back home–they had a show last night.

Since an impromptu halloween party jam session in 2009, stepsisters Kelli–13–and Peyton–17–have been making music as Skating Polly. When I ask about the name Kelli’s first response is: “We wanted something kind of ironically juvenile.” I can’t help smiling as she goes on to explain how the name Skating Polly is meant to evoke an ironic tension between the girls’ stature and the sincerity of the music they write, “we are little, but we try not to act cutsie or little whenever we’re actually making our music. It was just this image in my head, like, skater girls are all tough or whatever and that clashes with the idea of Pollys being princesses.” Also, she tells me, the K in ‘Skating’ is for Kelli, and the P in ‘Polly’ is for Peyton.

Skating Polly is not a kid band–they don’t write songs about getting put down at school, or about love, which at this age they admittedly know nothing about. They don’t seem to have an age, actually, or to address a particular age group; their music speaks to everyone and is laced with universals. Halfway through one of their songs, you might notice the stinging of an impending tear welling in your eye for no particular reason, and then you realize that there’s just something innately beautiful about the phrase “lost wonderfuls,” something that coaxes powerful emotions to the surface. And I can’t say for sure what that something is, because it’s different for all of us.

Yet apparently “Lost Wonderfuls” is about a stranger’s encounter with a secret government agency–Peyton and Kelli don’t take lyrics too seriously. They don’t worry about making sense given their propensity for choosing a repeated lyric like ‘Placer’ because “the word sounds interesting with the music.” What is Placer supposed to mean? Even Kelli couldn’t tell you, but that’s of little importance because the lyric makes sense exactly where it is. The track is one of the purest, most evocative pieces of punk rock you’ve heard since the last time you listened to “Debaser” by the Pixies. Skating Polly covers a host of genres without losing that unique signature, the timbre in the voice that can always be traced back to the musician–a musical fingerprint, however subtle. “I always try to write music that sounds like it’s coming from the same person” Kelli says of their multi-genre setlist. They’ve listed artists like Johnny Cash alongside Nirvana and Babes in Toyland as influences. A Beirut-esque ukulele track, a simple, plodding piano piece, and the scorching scream-filled chorus of ‘Placer’ are artfully crammed into their latest disc.

For a pair of teenagers whose mentors have included Exene Cervenka of the ‘80s punk rock group X and Kliph Scurlock of the Flaming Lips, Peyton and Kelli are admirably modest when it comes to discussing their musicianship, “I always kind of think, at least of myself, that I can’t play anything” Kelli admits. Between the two of them, they play guitar, drums, keys, bass, and a homegrown instrument called a bassitar–a guitar strung with two bass strings tuned a fifth apart–that their father made for Kelli when her fingers were still too small to play all six strings of an actual guitar. Small, yes, but the levelness of their voices, the assuredness that buttresses their statements–it’s evident that time spent in this brutal business where judgement and taste are the primary arbiters of success has taught valuable lessons in self-confidence, faith and perseverance. Peyton is telling me about the time they opened for Band of Horses, ”I didn’t notice that people in the crowd were booing until our family told us after, and then people up front looked like they were annoyed and bored out of their minds. If I ever thought I started looking like I was bored I would look at them because I thought it was pretty funny that they looked so bored,” to which Kelli adds: “Yeah, whenever I see people plug their ears or look like ‘this is just noise, I don’t like this’ I just kind of get humor out of it and play harder. I throw a music tantrum.” What the members of Skating Polly just described is every artist’s worst nightmare, except the fans are twice their age–yet these two are completely unfazed.

Skating Polly is a duo of unfailing optimists. In between the answers they offered me–answers more honest and thoughtful and unburdened by ego or pretension than those most adults in their position could have given–they giggled. They talked about being booed on stage and they giggled. Skating Polly is not a kid band, but they remind us what it’s like to be kids, unaware of age, delivered - La Blogoteque

Like humble pie? Skarf on Skating Polly, an Oklahoma City-based duet with a cumulative age of 30. Comprised of two stepsisters aged 13 and 17, Skating Polly has already shared the stage with punk legend Mike Watt and opened for indie heavy-hitters Deerhoof and Band Of Horses; their sophomore release, "Lost Wonderfuls," was produced by X's Exene Cervenka and mixed by Flaming Lips drummer Kliph Scurlock.

And it's good.

The record dropped on Tuesday and it's definitely not a kids' album. As far as sister acts go, they're already showing signs of the complexity of The Breeders, power-pop leanings of Tegan and Sara and a touch of the guitar-aggro of Heart. (Although their dad is their tour manager, they do not sound like The Shaggs.)

Give the record a whirl and Skating Polly's influences come through loud and clear: the heaviness of L7 of "In My Head," the Hole/Pixies/Nirvana trifecta in "Mr. Proper Englishman" and early Sleater-Kinney in "Blue Oblivion." But to hear them at their best, give the title track and first single, "Placer," a listen.

Some of the success of the new record can be attributed to the assistance of the rock-and-roll royalty who helped with it -- relationships that developed organically. The duo met Cervenka when the X frontwoman was out on a solo tour. They exchanged email addresses and they started building a friendship. Skating Polly was recording demos at the time and would email them to Cervenka for feedback. She liked the songs so much, she flew to Oklahoma to produce the new record.

"She's sweet; she's fun to work with because she's really honest, smart and creative," says Kelli Mayo, the younger of the sisters.

Cervenka's primary responsibility was enabling the pair to do their thing and delivering the hard truths when necessary. Part cheerleader and part tough-love czar, Cervenka listened to every track during the weeklong recording process, and if she thought the duet could do better, she would say so.

While their first record, "Taking Over The World," is a collection of songs that's raw and rough around the edges -- but not without promising glimmers like the Regina Spektor/Fiona Apple-like vocal flourishes on "Seeing The World" -- "Lost Wonderfuls" marks a monumental shift. Maintaining the same urgency, the songwriting, overall chops and production have graduated.

"Our music is still the same in some ways. We still have interesting lyrics, but our musicianship is getting better and better," explains Mayo. "When we first started, we had a lot of two- and three-chord songs. Now we're better at writing bridges and we're better at playing our instruments. We're tighter musicians. If you ask us to play a song, we can actually play it."

Less than four years old, the band was formed during an impromptu jam at a Halloween party in 2009. Although music and musical instruments were always around when they were growing up, the two were not wunderkinder.

"We weren't really good musicians," explains Mayo. "We taught ourselves and we would play with instruments instead of play instruments."

Now a high-school senior, older sister Peyton Bighorse has been seriously exploring music since middle school. She took lessons for a bit and stopped after she learned as much as she felt she needed. She picked up guitar as a freshman and now also plays ukulele, drums and piano.

Some of Mayo's earliest memories are directly related to music; she recalls listening to The White Stripes as a two year old. Mayo now plays a guitar/bass hybrid called a basitar as well as drums and piano and listens to a lot of different stuff. She attributes her diverse taste in music to her father's huge iTunes library. A quick look at songs they've covered offers a peep into how well-rounded their music collection is. Skating Polly has covered Kimya Dawson, the Dead Boys, Spacemen 3, The Left Banke, MIA and Ol' Dirty Bastard.

The stepsisters' strong relationship, plus their shared love of music, translates into an ideal situation for the band.

"We're really close. I feel like most sisters don't get along, but we do," says Bighorse. "It's really cool being in a band with her because we practice whenever we need to since we live together. I wouldn't want to be in a band with anyone else."

Touring, however, is a family affair. When the stepsisters hit the road, the entire family often joins and the stepsisters optimize their travel time by making up songs on their ukulele, having secret conversations in sign language and, most recently, studying Mandarin in hopes of touring in China within the next year.

Bighorse graduates this spring and is off to Oklahoma University in the fall. With school being only 45 minutes from the girls' home in - ESPN

The best thing to come out of Oklahoma City since the Thunder is a two piece rock/pop duo called, Skating Polly (read interview). The band consists of step-sisters, Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse, and since it’s just the two of them, their music isn’t over produced or excessively polished. They like to keep it simple, and for the most part, what you hear on the album is what you get live.

Check out the new video for the title track off their album, The Lost Wonderfuls. The video not only compliments the band’s unique sound, but it also captures the energy of their music. Watch it now…
- Mental Swag

3. “Oh Well, We’ll Win” by Skating Polly - Punk duo Skating Polly know how to rock but Kelli Mayo, 11, and Peyton Suitor, 15, threw me for a loop with this non-album acoustic jam. A couple months after The Spy left its 105.3 FM frequency, the pair released this protest song via Facebook. The track questions the actions of broadcast juggernaut Citadel. At Skating Polly’s age, I was afraid to defy the Easter Bunny. Kudos to the brave rockers.

- The Daily Oklahoman

Monday, April 11, 2011
CD Review: Taking Over the World
Title: Taking Over the World (Nice People)

Artist: Skating Polly (Itunes, Band Camp, Facebook, MySpace, Last.fm)

Skating Polly is an Edmund based duo that plays a mix of indie and punk rock with a dash of riot grrrl for good measure. The best part about this band is that they are kids. Literally. These girls are 10 and 15 (as of the writing of this piece last August…not sure if either has had a birthday since then). On top of that, they write all of their own music and, amazingly, that music is pretty good. Yes it is simple and it sounds like it is played by kids, but it shows such great potential that I am really looking forward to watching this band grow.

According to the previously linked story, Peyton Suitor and Kelli Mayo are fans of “Nirvana, The Beatles, Hole, and Neutral Milk Hotel” and it shows in their music. These kids sound like they were weaned on Pavement, Sonic Youth, Bratmobile, and Guided By Voices records. My hats off to their parents for supporting them in this musical endeavor and I’ve also got to give huge props to whoever introduced these young ladies to such great music! If you like any of the aforementioned bands, then do yourself a favor and check out Taking Over the World. You’ll be supporting a young local group and a local record label in the process. Oh an my personal favorite song on this CD is “Seeing the World” with the lyric “Growing up tall and growing up small and sometimes not even growing up at all.” That is great stuff, especially when sung by a ten year-old. - Oklahoma Lefty

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

10 Questions with Skating Polly

Skating Polly is a kick ass duo made up by 15 year-old Peyton Suitor and 10 year-old Kelli Mayo that play a mixture of riot grrrl indie rock, pop, and punk. The girls have released their debut album, Taking Over the World, late last year on Nice People Records and are in the process of writing material for their second record (you can read my review of Taking Over the World here).

This interview was conducted via email April 22 – 27, 2011.

(For more information on Skating Polly check out Itunes, Amazon, Band Camp, Facebook, MySpace, Last.fm. The Oklahoma Daily also did an excellent piece on the band which can be found here.)

Dave: How did the band get together?

Peyton Suitor: We were just playing music together at our Halloween party. I was on drums and Kelli was on her basitar, and we were just making stuff up. We played a version of a song that Kelli wrote when she was younger, which is Mars.

Kelli Mayo: Our parents met in law school and ever since then we've been hanging out and we've always had instruments laying around an one day on Halloween we just started playing.

Dave: You released your debut CD, Taking Over the World, through Nice People Records. How did you get hooked up with the label?

Peyton: David (Kelli's dad) called Chris Harris to have him come over an help him out with his recorder and learn about microphones, so we gave him one of our cards that we made on notecards. He listened to some of our demos, and that how that happened.

Kelli: We had Chris come over to help us with our home recorder and we just got set up with him there.

Dave: It’s been said that you have either met or corresponded with Kimya Dawson (The Moldy Peaches), Kelly Ogden (The Dollyrots), and Exene Cervenka (X). How’d all of this happen?

Peyton: We have met everyone by going to their shows and just introducing ourselves. We would tell them about Skating Polly and show them some songs that we recorded on a phone. We got email addresses from them and they've helped us out a lot.

Kelli: Kimya Dawson was at a show and we met her there and we met Exene and Kelly Ogden at the Conservatory.

Dave: If you could record a record with anyone (i.e. any producer or recording studio) who would it be?

Peyton: Jack Endino or Calvin Johnson, would be so cool, and recording with Chris Harris is lots of fun, also.

Kelli: Subpop

Dave: Have you ever thought of adding an additional member to the band or do you prefer the dynamic of working as a duo?

Peyton: We don't think that we would want another band member. It might get too complicated with someone that doesn't live with us, and we like the simplicity of it.

Kelli: No.

Dave: Who are your favorite bands to play with, what are your favorite venues to play? Are there any specific shows that stick out in your mind as being extremely memorable?

Peyton: Some of our favorite bands to play with are The Boom Bang, Broncho, Feel Spectres, and Gang Starr Museum. We've played lots of shows with The Boom Bang, and it is always so much fun, and our most memorable show is the one with The Boom Bang and Broncho because Broncho and The Boom Bang was great, and some guy broke his ankle. It was cool.

Kelli: The indie craft bazaar was extremely memorable because everything went wrong at first but then we fixed it.

Dave: Being so young, do you feel that the folks in the Oklahoma music scene have accepted you? (I ask because it’s not always the nicest place in the world. No offense to anyone out there, but sometime folks in the scene, especially the punk end of the spectrum, can be jerks.)

Peyton: I think that most people have accepted us. Everyone we've played with has been so cool to us, and the people that come to the shows really like us. The only people I can think of that had some sort of resentment toward us were the one's at Edmond Music, but that was because we were asking for guitars that were out of make. And it wasn't resentment as much as they thought we were ridiculous or even asking about mosrites and jacaranda. (Editor’s note: I have no idea what those are. Now I feel dumb.)

Kelli: Yeah

Dave: This is a High Fidelity inspired question. What are your top 5 favorite bands, albums, movies, TV shows, books/authors?

Peyton: Currently bands are Nirvana, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith, Starlight Mints and Best Coast; Albums are Etiqutte (Casiotone for the Painfully Alone), Crazy for You (Best Coast), Album (Girls), What the He'll Do I Know (Illinois), and Antics (Interpol); Movies: Goodfellas, Scott Pilgrim, American History X, Dog Day Afternoon, and Scharamoushe (The spelling is probably wrong on that); TV shows; It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Parks and Recreation, SNL, The Office and 30 Rock; Books: The Outsiders, Please Kill Me, Exit Here, Rumble Fish, Tex. S.E Hinton is my favorite author.

Kelli: Luis Satcher, Harr - Oklahoma Lefty

In this interview series, we ask famous free thinkers to recast the Oscars in their own image. Please direct your attention to today's presenter, speaking to us via e-mail: Los Angeles music-scene great Exene Cervenka (X, Knitters, Original Sinners).

Which performers and films are going to win the Academy Award this year?

I don’t know who will win, but why can’t they all win?

Which films and performers from the past do you feel deserved the Oscar but didn't receive one?

“Galaxy Quest” and “Idiocracy.” Also, Bill Murray for all of his movies, but especially “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”

Which award categories would you add? Which need deleting?

Best animal in lead and supporting roles. I’d also add strangest performance.

What part of the telecast would you remove? And what would you replace it with?

I’d replace all of it with a cartoon about self-esteem so people would watch it.

Which part of the Oscars would you never change?
Best song.

Do you have a favorite song nominee from the past?

Elliot Smith for “Miss Misery.” He was up against Celine Dion for “My Heart Will Go On.” I read an interview where he said how gracious she was to him.

The fashion parade on the red carpet seems to have become as important a part of the ceremony as the awards themselves. What dress code rules would you mandate there?

Put everyone on an even playing field. Give them each two hundred dollars. They have to get their outfit and jewelry from either a thrift store or an independent designer who is out of work or broke.

Who would be your dream host or dream presenters? Musical performers?

Dream host: Lewis Black. Presenters: Josh Freese, Phil Alvin and Bristol Palin. Musical performers: Frank Fairfield, Skating Polly, Jimmy Webb, George Jones and Hazel Dickens.

Who would receive your honorary Oscars for lifetime achievement?

Viggo Mortensen.

Do you have a favorite (good or bad) Oscar moment from the past?

Streaking in the '70s and Michael Blake’s win for best screenplay for “Dances with Wolves.” All good.

And lastly, Exene, let’s give you an Oscar for all your hard work this year. Let’s hear your acceptance speech.

“Thank you. I accept this award on behalf of free thinkers everywhere. Sí se puede!"

Exene Cervenka will perform songs from her new album, “The Excitement of Maybe” (Bloodshot Records), on March 9 at the Redwood Bar & Grill.

-- Paul Gaita
- Los Angeles Times

NORMAN — Edmond punk rock duo Skating Polly’s Kelli Mayo (keys/basitar/vocals) and Peyton Suitor (guitar/drums/vocals) have learned a lot about being rock stars in the less than two years they’ve been playing together.

“Don’t forget to tune your guitar,” Suitor said during an interview last weekend.

“Don’t forget to bring any instruments or amps you’re going to need at a gig,” Mayo said. “Once, we had to go all the way back home from Oklahoma City because we’d left gear behind.”

Skating Polly will demonstrate their performance fundamentals at a show tonight at the Opolis with BRONCHO and the Boom Bang.

Skating Polly started playing out in 2010, and the response has been tremendous. They’ve had an interview with the Spy 103.5 FM indie rock radio station and received local press. Friends in the business include Exene Cervenka (X), Kelly Ogden (Dollyrots) and Chris Harris (founder Nice People label).

“We made an album, which was lots of fun,” Suitor said. “And we played shows at the Conservatory, the Opolis and the Deluxe Indie Craft Fair.”

For this year, another recording and mini-tours outside the state are in the cards. Skating Polly’s first out-of-state concert is in Hays, Kan. at Café Semolino on Feb. 26.

“We get free food,” Suitor said. “I’m so excited.”

None of the band’s accomplishments may seem particularly noteworthy, until you consider Mayo is 10 years old and Suitor 15.

“Playing out for audiences isn’t as scary as I thought it would be,” Suitor said. “It was at first, but then it was really fun.”

Both girls had attended shows at the Conservatory, so they’d observed the atmosphere.

“It was cool being the band instead of seeing a band,” Mayo said.

Skating Polly are quick to credit their parents for their sophisticated taste in music. While many in their demographic listen to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, more likely you’d hear Dirty Pretty Things and Chairlift hanging out with Skating Polly.

“In our families, listening to music is our favorite thing to do,” Mayo said. “We listen to our iPods and go to concerts a lot.”

Skating Polly said they like most of the music their parents enjoy.

“Except for the Danielson Family, because they’re annoying,” Mayo said. “My dad listens to them all the time. I liked them at first, but after about the 30th time, it was annoying.”

Their folks have taken them to see performances by the likes of the Dandy Warhols, Joanna Newsom and Joan Jett.

“I went to the Toadies, which was scary,” Mayo said.

“Kelli wanted to start a mosh pit, and when she got in there, she realized it really was a mosh pit,” Suitor said with a chuckle.

When asked what artist they’d bring back from the Great Beyond for one more concert, the girls were of one voice. “Kurt Cobain,” they said in chorus.

“I love Nirvana,” Suitor said. “That’s my favorite band ever, because there was so much energy in their shows.”

Sometimes Skating Polly’s own songs reflect what they’ve been listening to, but they’re striving to create a sound that can’t be easily categorized.

“We don’t want to be a band that makes just one type of song,” Mayo said. “All punk songs we just couldn’t do because we like too many different things.” She described going through phases where their writing takes its inspiration from each other and new sounds they’ve discovered.

Mayo made one aspect of their outfit’s reputation crystal clear.

“We are not a novelty band,” she said emphatically.

Mayo went on to remind that she’s in fifth grade and some of her classmates are skeptical that Skating Polly even exists.

“People at my school say, ‘You’re not really in a band,’” she said. “I’ll show them our album and they’ll say, ‘That’s not really your work. Your parents must write your songs for you.’”

Mayo sets them straight with newspaper articles about her band.

When Suitor said that she doesn’t have that problem, Mayo observed that it’s the difference in maturity levels between grade school and junior high. - Doug Hill



- The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Edmond punk rock duo Skating Polly’s Kelli Mayo (keys/basitar/vocals) and Peyton Suitor (guitar/drums/vocals) have learned a lot about being rock stars in the less than two years they’ve been playing together.

“Don’t forget to tune your guitar,” Suitor said during an interview last weekend.

“Don’t forget to bring any instruments or amps you’re going to need at a gig,” Mayo said. “Once, we had to go all the way back home from Oklahoma City because we’d left gear behind.”

Skating Polly will demonstrate their performance fundamentals at a show tonight at the Opolis with BRONCHO and the Boom Bang.

Skating Polly started playing out in 2010, and the response has been tremendous. They’ve had an interview with the Spy 103.5 FM indie rock radio station and received local press. Friends in the business include Exene Cervenka (X), Kelly Ogden (Dollyrots) and Chris Harris (founder Nice People label).

“We made an album, which was lots of fun,” Suitor said. “And we played shows at the Conservatory, the Opolis and the Deluxe Indie Craft Fair.”

For this year, another recording and mini-tours outside the state are in the cards. Skating Polly’s first out-of-state concert is in Hays, Kan. at Café Semolino on Feb. 26.

“We get free food,” Suitor said. “I’m so excited.”

None of the band’s accomplishments may seem particularly noteworthy, until you consider Mayo is 10 years old and Suitor 15.

“Playing out for audiences isn’t as scary as I thought it would be,” Suitor said. “It was at first, but then it was really fun.”

Both girls had attended shows at the Conservatory, so they’d observed the atmosphere.

“It was cool being the band instead of seeing a band,” Mayo said.

Skating Polly are quick to credit their parents for their sophisticated taste in music. While many in their demographic listen to Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, more likely you’d hear Dirty Pretty Things and Chairlift hanging out with Skating Polly.

“In our families, listening to music is our favorite thing to do,” Mayo said. “We listen to our iPods and go to concerts a lot.”

Skating Polly said they like most of the music their parents enjoy.

“Except for the Danielson Family, because they’re annoying,” Mayo said. “My dad listens to them all the time. I liked them at first, but after about the 30th time, it was annoying.”

Their folks have taken them to see performances by the likes of the Dandy Warhols, Joanna Newsom and Joan Jett.

“I went to the Toadies, which was scary,” Mayo said.

“Kelli wanted to start a mosh pit, and when she got in there, she realized it really was a mosh pit,” Suitor said with a chuckle.

When asked what artist they’d bring back from the Great Beyond for one more concert, the girls were of one voice. “Kurt Cobain,” they said in chorus.

“I love Nirvana,” Suitor said. “That’s my favorite band ever, because there was so much energy in their shows.”

Sometimes Skating Polly’s own songs reflect what they’ve been listening to, but they’re striving to create a sound that can’t be easily categorized.

“We don’t want to be a band that makes just one type of song,” Mayo said. “All punk songs we just couldn’t do because we like too many different things.” She described going through phases where their writing takes its inspiration from each other and new sounds they’ve discovered.

Mayo made one aspect of their outfit’s reputation crystal clear.

“We are not a novelty band,” she said emphatically.

Mayo went on to remind that she’s in fifth grade and some of her classmates are skeptical that Skating Polly even exists.

“People at my school say, ‘You’re not really in a band,’” she said. “I’ll show them our album and they’ll say, ‘That’s not really your work. Your parents must write your songs for you.’”

Mayo sets them straight with newspaper articles about her band.

When Suitor said that she doesn’t have that problem, Mayo observed that it’s the difference in maturity levels between grade school and junior high. - Doug Hill



- The Norman Transcript

December 29, 2010

Skating Polly "Taking Over the World": Skating Polly could very well make good on the album's titular promise. - Oklahmoa Gazette

December 29, 2010

Skating Polly "Taking Over the World": Skating Polly could very well make good on the album's titular promise. - Oklahmoa Gazette

December 29, 2010

1. O Fidelis
2. The Boom Bang
3. The Non
4. Skating Polly - Oklahoma Gazette

The duo performs “Number 4? in a green 1977 Vanagon as they drive around Oklahoma City. The song can be found on their recent album, Taking Over the World. - Fowler Volkswagon

By George Lang
Published: December 21, 2010
Since its inception in February 2009, Static has showcased some of the most talented musicians in the area, including The Flaming Lips, Maggie McClure, the Pretty Black Chains, Jabee, Graham Colton and Colourmusic, but with the Static Holiday Sessions, the music series takes a new turn in time for Christmas.

Taped at Urban Roots in Deep Deuce and sponsored by Fowler Volkswagen, the Static Holiday Sessions features inspired duet pairings between past Static guests and a few future performers, as well. These performances include Jabee and Dr. Pants on the Run-DMC classic “Christmas in Hollis,” Daniel Walcher and Skating Polly on John Lennon's “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” Matt and Joe Stansberry doing “White Christmas,” Sherree Chamberlain and Brine Webb on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” K.C. Clifford and Jami Smith on “Draw Near,” and Cami Stinson, Cara Black and Jeremy Thomas on “Silent Night.” This special debuts Wednesday in the video section of NewsOK.com and at static.newsok.com. In addition, audio files can be heard on Ferris O'Brien's thespyfm.com.
- Daily Oklahoman

December 22, 2010: Feel free to check my math.

In 2010, Oklahoma bands created about 90 albums, EPs and singles. Incredible.



Trying to choose five of the best releases was probably one of the most grueling challenges I’ve surpassed this year.

Surviving a heredity class and a legislative processes class at Oklahoma State University was hard too, but this was especially difficult.

Here are the top 2010 local albums living in my IPod until they release a cooler IPod.

5. Skating Polly “Taking Over The World” (Nice People) – The first time I saw punk duo Peyton Suitor, 15, and Kelli Mayo, 10, was at The Opolis in Norman. The two were scooting around the venue with more enthusiasm than the headliner’s performance. This excitement bled over to Skating Polly’s debut album. It’s messy, noisy and everything a good punk album can be. It shows about 2 million times the promise of a kid who thinks playing “Guitar Hero” counts as making music.

4. Johnny Polygon “Rebel Without Applause” (Invasion Records) – People listen when Polygon performs. The Tulsa hip-hop artist played at Free Tulsa! this summer and was able to make the festival feel like DFest for an entire set. Fans swarmed his stage and knew all the words to this album’s songs. Polygon’s slow-burning style and genuine coolness ooze all over “Rebel.” With growing crowds and three album releases this year, Polygon is in good shape to make it big.

3. DEERPEOPLE “DEERPEOPLE EP” (Self-Released) – Is it any surprise that a band named DEERPEOPLE is full of party animals? Singer Brennan Barnes crowd surfs at shows, guitarist Alex Larrea bangs on kitchen pots for percussion and Kendall Looney never waivers on flute. The Stillwater-based indie band hooked up with Trent Bell this year and gave Oklahoma a taste of the band’s potential. The EP contains five songs but it’s enough to be the most fun I’ve had listening to music all year.

2. The Non “Tadaima” (Self-Released) – From its birth, this album was meant to rattle the state. The Non released “Tadaima” during a two-night stint at The Conservatory, and the instrumental rockers packed the venue with hundreds of fans each night. That enthusiasm for music is refreshing and so this sophomore album. Experimental guitar sounds swell and grow on “Tadaima.” No song begins and ends with the same feeling. That’s a good thing.

1. Samantha Crain “You (Understood)” (Ramseur Records) – I want to how many more soulful and exciting folk albums Crain can craft. Nobody keeps improving as much as she does. This album sent the Shawnee native touring across the country singing songs so personal that they belong confined to a notebook. Other tracks make her sound big enough to punch Mike Tyson in the teeth. Even with national attention, the folk singer performed alongside local songstresses Sherree Chamberlain and Penny Hill this year. That’s a balance that deserves attention.

Honorable Mentions: Brother Gruesome “Morphine Makes You Comfortable” (Nice People), The Pretty Black Chains “Ceremonies” (Self-Released), Ali Harter “No Bees, No Honey” (Little Mafia)



- Daily Oklahoman

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
By Joshua Boydston
Skating Polly with Yellow Fever and Luna Moth
8 p.m. Monday
Opolis
113 N. Crawford, Norman
www.opolis.org
447-3417
$7 door
$9 under 21
A lot of people tout Nirvana and Neutral Milk Hotel as their favorite bands, but not many of those people are 10-year-old girls.

Nirvana, The White Stripes, Regina Spektor and Hole were the names Kelli Mayo rattled off. Her 15-year-old friend and bandmate, Peyton Suitor, added Neutral Milk Hotel and Elliott Smith.

“We’ve always had good taste ... or at least I’ve always had good taste in music,” Mayo said with a giggle.

The girls are very close, despite their five-year age gap. Mayo and Suitor are practically sisters, bonded through a love of listening to — and making — music at an age where most of us were still getting a grip on the ABCs.

“I think when I was in kindergarten, I already knew about The Beatles,” Mayo said. “I remember we had this fake, learning song called ‘Seven Days,’ and I asked, ‘Did The Beatles rip off this song — or did they rip off The Beatles?’”

The girls’ parents are largely to be thanked for the duo’s immense knowledge and impeccable taste. They got them into music lessons at a young age. Suitor picked up the violin, while Mayo learned music theory on the piano.

Mayo and Suitor have since learned — and are still in the process of learning — how to play a handful of instruments each. Both can sing, play the drums and basitar — a normal six-string guitar laced with only a few bass strings — along with several other instruments. They are both self-taught and somewhat limited to the basics of each instrument. But the pair is eager to learn, and now have the perfect outlet for practice: Skating Polly.

Suitor had tried on several occasions to form bands with classmates, but they never came to fruition. Mayo and Suitor finally seemed to have things in place to form a band with a friend, but when she didn’t turn up for practices, they decided the two of them would be enough.

Since that Halloween evening, they’ve been practicing nightly, in a makeshift space in Mayo’s living room.

“This ... ” Mayo said, pointing at the setup. “Not every 10-year-old girl has this.”

Skating Polly’s music has taken on a rowdy, grungy girl vibe, in the vein of Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. The girls alternate instruments, vocals and writing duties with each song. And yes, Mayo and Suitor write all of their own songs, and they stays true to their punk roots.

“The song ‘Banana Blitz’ came from me being really mad at (Suitor’s) brother one day,” Mayo said. “I told her to write a song about a big jerk. It turned into a song about bleeding and car dealers.”

Last month, Skating Polly got its first chance to step out of the garage, er, living room, opening for local indie four-piece Feel Spectres. The duo hopes to book more shows and will finish recording its debut album by year’s end.

“Right now, we are recording with Dad,” Mayo said.

Of course, the girls do get some mixed reactions from people when they tell them they are in a punk band. Mayo said some people assume there must be an adult doing the work for them, while others they tell have nothing but words of support and advice.

But when the girls told their friends about the new band, most of them were in disbelief.

“Some people don’t believe me at my school, but they believe this one kid who has played a show with Lady Gaga, talks to Green Day on his cell phone every day, apparently, and flames shoot out of the bottom of his guitar every time his strums it ... which would be annoying, I think,” Mayo said.

“When I told my friends, they didn’t believe me at first, but now they think it’s really cool,” Suitor said. “They were most surprised that I was in a band with a 10-year-old.”

Still, some of the kids think it’s odd for them to play in a band together, and listen to the music they do.

But they tend to think the same of them.

“They think it’s weird. Normally, kids our age listen to stuff like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry,” Suitor said, to which Mayo made a big, exaggerated gagging sound. “Yep, that pretty much sums my feeling up, too.” —Joshua Boydston
- Oklahoma Gazette

Wednesday, July 21, 2010
By Joshua Boydston
Skating Polly with Yellow Fever and Luna Moth
8 p.m. Monday
Opolis
113 N. Crawford, Norman
www.opolis.org
447-3417
$7 door
$9 under 21
A lot of people tout Nirvana and Neutral Milk Hotel as their favorite bands, but not many of those people are 10-year-old girls.

Nirvana, The White Stripes, Regina Spektor and Hole were the names Kelli Mayo rattled off. Her 15-year-old friend and bandmate, Peyton Suitor, added Neutral Milk Hotel and Elliott Smith.

“We’ve always had good taste ... or at least I’ve always had good taste in music,” Mayo said with a giggle.

The girls are very close, despite their five-year age gap. Mayo and Suitor are practically sisters, bonded through a love of listening to — and making — music at an age where most of us were still getting a grip on the ABCs.

“I think when I was in kindergarten, I already knew about The Beatles,” Mayo said. “I remember we had this fake, learning song called ‘Seven Days,’ and I asked, ‘Did The Beatles rip off this song — or did they rip off The Beatles?’”

The girls’ parents are largely to be thanked for the duo’s immense knowledge and impeccable taste. They got them into music lessons at a young age. Suitor picked up the violin, while Mayo learned music theory on the piano.

Mayo and Suitor have since learned — and are still in the process of learning — how to play a handful of instruments each. Both can sing, play the drums and basitar — a normal six-string guitar laced with only a few bass strings — along with several other instruments. They are both self-taught and somewhat limited to the basics of each instrument. But the pair is eager to learn, and now have the perfect outlet for practice: Skating Polly.

Suitor had tried on several occasions to form bands with classmates, but they never came to fruition. Mayo and Suitor finally seemed to have things in place to form a band with a friend, but when she didn’t turn up for practices, they decided the two of them would be enough.

Since that Halloween evening, they’ve been practicing nightly, in a makeshift space in Mayo’s living room.

“This ... ” Mayo said, pointing at the setup. “Not every 10-year-old girl has this.”

Skating Polly’s music has taken on a rowdy, grungy girl vibe, in the vein of Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. The girls alternate instruments, vocals and writing duties with each song. And yes, Mayo and Suitor write all of their own songs, and they stays true to their punk roots.

“The song ‘Banana Blitz’ came from me being really mad at (Suitor’s) brother one day,” Mayo said. “I told her to write a song about a big jerk. It turned into a song about bleeding and car dealers.”

Last month, Skating Polly got its first chance to step out of the garage, er, living room, opening for local indie four-piece Feel Spectres. The duo hopes to book more shows and will finish recording its debut album by year’s end.

“Right now, we are recording with Dad,” Mayo said.

Of course, the girls do get some mixed reactions from people when they tell them they are in a punk band. Mayo said some people assume there must be an adult doing the work for them, while others they tell have nothing but words of support and advice.

But when the girls told their friends about the new band, most of them were in disbelief.

“Some people don’t believe me at my school, but they believe this one kid who has played a show with Lady Gaga, talks to Green Day on his cell phone every day, apparently, and flames shoot out of the bottom of his guitar every time his strums it ... which would be annoying, I think,” Mayo said.

“When I told my friends, they didn’t believe me at first, but now they think it’s really cool,” Suitor said. “They were most surprised that I was in a band with a 10-year-old.”

Still, some of the kids think it’s odd for them to play in a band together, and listen to the music they do.

But they tend to think the same of them.

“They think it’s weird. Normally, kids our age listen to stuff like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry,” Suitor said, to which Mayo made a big, exaggerated gagging sound. “Yep, that pretty much sums my feeling up, too.” —Joshua Boydston
- Oklahoma Gazette

"There's a really cool band from Oklahoma City called SKating Polly; these two girls who write these awesome songs. They're ten and fourteen--sisters--and they're awesome."

Exene Cervenka, April 21, 2010 - Sunbreak

"Skating Polly. These girls are going to take over the world:"

Kelly Ogden, Twitter, April 27, 2010 - Kelly Ogden (lead singer of The Dollyrots)

Skating Polly

“Taking Over the World”

Self-released

Releases: Friday

6.8/10

If you’ve gotten sick of Taylor Swift’s relationship problems or Ke$ha’s obsession with being a hot mess, Skating Polly’s debut album, “Taking Over the World,” is a perfect antidote.

The adolescent riot-grrrl duo from Oklahoma City shows strong potential on its first album, which evokes the angst of grunge while including childlike lyrics about rainbows, dolls and living on Mars. It clocks in at just under 30 minutes; each song is a quick, compact burst of energetic rock ‘n’ roll.

The two singers trade off singing lead, with the other usually providing some kind of background vocals. Both members of the band have a distinctive vocal style. Kelli Mayo, the younger of the two, definitely sounds like more of a child, but she uses this as an asset rather than trying to hide it.

In the chorus of “Ira,” a song about a cool best friend, Mayo sounds like a pissed-off little kid, which is actually powerful. Peyton Suitor’s voice is more mature and more conventional, and she has adopted a sort of grungy wail.

“Taking Over the World” doesn’t include any songs that could really be classified as love songs, perhaps with the exception of “Number 4,” a sweet little number about going on a trip with someone. The total contrast to “Number 4” is the album closer, “When We’re Apart,” which is about how being apart from someone is much better than being with them. The anti-romance is refreshing.

In fact, Skating Polly covers a range of topics in their 14 tracks, like “Sammy Was a Psycho,” which is about a crazy person who has imaginary pets, or “I Am Sam,” which expresses a desire to be super-cool while paying homage to other musicians.

The instrumental parts leave something to be desired, but for a band in this vein, too much intricacy isn’t exactly expected. They switch from guitar to piano fairly frequently, and incorporate vocal rhythms and other noises into songs, which distracts from the somewhat rudimentary quality of their playing.

The album stands on its own merits, despite the ages of the band members. It is remarkable that a pair of pubescent girls displays the ambition, talent and confidence to venture into a scene that is dominated by adult males. But novelty should never outshine quality, and fortunately it does not on “Taking Over the World.”

Skating Polly could be the future of rock ‘n’ roll, or they could burn out before they can legally drink. Either way, this debut album is light, exciting, angsty and anything but predictable.

Skating Polly will release “Taking Over the World” at an album release show 7:30 p.m. Friday at Guestroom Records in Norman.

— Annika Larson, professional writing junior

- Oklahoma Daily

Skating Polly

“Taking Over the World”

Self-released

Releases: Friday

6.8/10

If you’ve gotten sick of Taylor Swift’s relationship problems or Ke$ha’s obsession with being a hot mess, Skating Polly’s debut album, “Taking Over the World,” is a perfect antidote.

The adolescent riot-grrrl duo from Oklahoma City shows strong potential on its first album, which evokes the angst of grunge while including childlike lyrics about rainbows, dolls and living on Mars. It clocks in at just under 30 minutes; each song is a quick, compact burst of energetic rock ‘n’ roll.

The two singers trade off singing lead, with the other usually providing some kind of background vocals. Both members of the band have a distinctive vocal style. Kelli Mayo, the younger of the two, definitely sounds like more of a child, but she uses this as an asset rather than trying to hide it.

In the chorus of “Ira,” a song about a cool best friend, Mayo sounds like a pissed-off little kid, which is actually powerful. Peyton Suitor’s voice is more mature and more conventional, and she has adopted a sort of grungy wail.

“Taking Over the World” doesn’t include any songs that could really be classified as love songs, perhaps with the exception of “Number 4,” a sweet little number about going on a trip with someone. The total contrast to “Number 4” is the album closer, “When We’re Apart,” which is about how being apart from someone is much better than being with them. The anti-romance is refreshing.

In fact, Skating Polly covers a range of topics in their 14 tracks, like “Sammy Was a Psycho,” which is about a crazy person who has imaginary pets, or “I Am Sam,” which expresses a desire to be super-cool while paying homage to other musicians.

The instrumental parts leave something to be desired, but for a band in this vein, too much intricacy isn’t exactly expected. They switch from guitar to piano fairly frequently, and incorporate vocal rhythms and other noises into songs, which distracts from the somewhat rudimentary quality of their playing.

The album stands on its own merits, despite the ages of the band members. It is remarkable that a pair of pubescent girls displays the ambition, talent and confidence to venture into a scene that is dominated by adult males. But novelty should never outshine quality, and fortunately it does not on “Taking Over the World.”

Skating Polly could be the future of rock ‘n’ roll, or they could burn out before they can legally drink. Either way, this debut album is light, exciting, angsty and anything but predictable.

Skating Polly will release “Taking Over the World” at an album release show 7:30 p.m. Friday at Guestroom Records in Norman.

— Annika Larson, professional writing junior

- Oklahoma Daily

Energetic 10 and 15 year old girls, Kelli Mayo and Peyton Suitor hold their personalized guitars covered with stickers of their favorite artists and other items the girls say are just plain cool.

Mayo and Suitor form a two-girl band from Norman, Okla.
named Skating Polly and are making their music known
throughout the music industry.

On Sept. 3, 2010 at the Conservatory in Oklahoma City, Skating Polly was the opening act for Euclid Crash and Gang Starr Museum.

“They have some ambition about them,” Amber Bighorse, mother of Suitor, said.
Skating Polly was created on Halloween Night 2009 after a jam session. With an idea and a guitar Suitor asked her mom if they could just go downtown to play some of the songs they had written.
Suitor’s mother saw their desire to be heard so she loaded
them up with a hat for tips.

On Martin Luther King Day 2010, in front of the Red Cup cafe was the first time the girls performed a few of their songs in front of the public.

“We were just walking around playing our guitars for tips,” Mayo said.

Suitor is a Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal member. Mayo’s dad, David Mayo is a musician and all around music geek. The girls credit him with exposing them to the music they love. In
addition, Suitor’s mother can often be found strumming songs on an acoustic guitar.

“Music is all around us all the time,” Mayo said.

Both girls sing and play drums, piano and guitar. Mayo also plays a guitar/bass combination called a basitar. Without formal instruction, they play their instruments, writing their own lyrics and gaining knowledge every day.

“I wrote my first song actually when I was
two,” Mayo said.

Suitor said there’s not a lead member of the
group. “Usually, whoever writes the song sings it, but sometimes we write songs for each other,” Suitor said. “Whatever sounds good.”

Still in the early stages Skating Polly has already received lots of support from national artists such as Exene Cervenka of X, and Kelli Ogden lead singer of The Dollyrots. The young girls started recording their first album in April 2010 with Chris Harris head of
Nice People recording studios out of Norman, Okla.

“Chris Harris came over to our house and helped us set up equipment so we could record our album. He has helped us all along,” Mayo said.

Skating Polly’s first album will be released in Oct. 2010.

“We are going to send it to a bunch of people we've met at concerts,” Suitor said. - Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribual Tribune

Skating Polly isn’t your typical band, but Peyton Suitor and Kelli Mayo aren’t your typical girls.

At 15 and 10, respectively, they would much rather visit a record store than a mall; they listen to Nirvana instead of Justin Bieber; and they’d opt for Coachella over Disneyland any day.

All that shows on the duo’s debut disc, “Taking Over the World,” which is far more studied than you’d expect from students who haven’t reached high school yet.

Suitor and Mayo hold a dense library of music history close to their chests, and “Taking Over the World” plays like a encyclopedia of all they know, ranging from Pixies (“Don’t”) and Neutral Milk Hotel (“Sammy Was a Psycho”) to Regina Spektor (“Seeing the World”) and Pavement (“Rainbows”).

That’s Skating Polly’s greatest weapon: a rich, deep appreciation for good music — most of it made before they existed — that the duo uses as a basis for its own surprisingly well-formed ideas. Those come paired with unexpectedly mature, involved lyrics. While the music itself is still pretty simple, when (not if) Suitor and Mayo’s musicianship catches up to the ideas, Skating Polly could very well make good on the album’s titular promise.

From local label Nice People, this isn’t a record that is good for coming from a pair of pre-teens — it’s a good record made all the more impressive because they were born into a post-Kurt Cobain world.

Skating Polly will release “Taking Over the World” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Guestroom Records, 125 E. Main in Norman, with The Boom Bang. For more information, call 701-5974. - Oklahoma Gazette

Peyton Suitor and Kelli Mayo are cooler than you.

They sport asymmetrical haircuts and oversized band T-shirts, and they’ve played charades with Kimya Dawson. But the real reason these girls are so totally excellent is that they’re 15 and 10 years old, and they play in a rock band (a good one).

Suitor, 15, and Mayo, 10, formed their band Skating Polly on Halloween 2009 after an impromptu jam session.

“I kind of was playing, just messing around, and I told Peyton to give me a beat on the drums,” Mayo said. “After that, we decided we should be a band.”

Both girls sing and play drums, piano and guitar (although Mayo plays a guitar/bass combination called a basitar). They are essentially self-taught on their instruments, and learning more every day.

Suitor was proud to report she recently learned how to play barre chords (a type of guitar chord where one or more fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the fingerboard) and has written two songs with them.

The girls write all their own music, though they have different methods and styles.

“Whenever I write songs, I get a song stuck in my head and I just change lyrics to it,” Suitor said. “But then I change it to my own tune.”

Like when she came up with a piano melody that sounded too much like Beethoven and showed it to Kelli’s dad, David. They ended up calling it “Sunlight Piñata.” While she calls Kelli’s songs more childlike — citing the difference in age and vocabulary — she classifies her lyrics as a bit darker than her bandmate’s.

“Instead of love songs, I write hate songs,” Suitor said. “Like, ‘I hate you and I’m gonna sing a song about it.’ They’re not about anybody actually; I’m just good at writing those kind of songs.”

A 10-year-old writing full-length songs is impressive enough, but Mayo said she actually wrote her first song at age 2.

“I have a recording of me and Kelli,” David Mayo said. “We saw one of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, and she wrote a song called ‘Harry Potter, Your Parents Are Dead.’”

At this point in the interview, Mayo started singing her first composition, and the girls erupted in giggles, which happened many times throughout the conversation.

They have a strong friendship rooted in their love for making the kind of music they want to listen to: a youthful brand of riot “grrrl” punk. Not exactly what you might expect from, well, kids.

“It’s kind of shocking to most people, I think,” Kelli said. “They don’t know if we’re any good at playing our instruments, it’s just kind of weird to them.”

They like Nirvana, The Beatles, Hole and Neutral Milk Hotel. They have correspondence with Kelly Ogden of The Dollyrots and the support of X’s Exene Cervenka and Dandy Warhols’ Zia McCabe. They’ve opened for Feel Spectres, recorded with Depth & Current’s Chris Harris and seen some great groups live.

Thanks to a lot of ambition, talent and some very cool parents, Skating Polly’s two members have had the opportunity to be a part of a musical landscape before even learning to drive.

It’s a part of their lives that eludes their peers for the most part though.

“My friends know that I’m in a band, but they can’t ever listen to us because their parents don’t like me,” Suitor said.

Kelli said she sometimes faces hostility or outright disbelief.

“Some people know that I’m in a band, and they think that I think I’m all that, and then they’re just mean to me,” Kelli said, laughing. “Some people try not to believe me ... and then they tell other kids that I’m faking it.”

Skating Polly’s appeal may be lost on a few fifth graders and concerned parents, but its members certainly don’t care. They refuse to accept mainstream mediocrity — except for “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club, which Suitor deemed her “favorite ’80s pop crap.”

She added that her friends at school try to get her into the music they like, but she simply can’t like it.

She can’t like it because she, along with Kelli, is not the kind of pubescent girl who cries along with Taylor Swift or dances to Lady Gaga.

They are the girls who go to New York City, stay in the Chelsea Hotel where Sid killed Nancy and break a table while they’re there. They are the girls who dream of playing Austin City Limits, and love being in control of their band and themselves.

They are too cool for anything less.

- Oklahoma Daily

Peyton Suitor and Kelli Mayo are cooler than you.

They sport asymmetrical haircuts and oversized band T-shirts, and they’ve played charades with Kimya Dawson. But the real reason these girls are so totally excellent is that they’re 15 and 10 years old, and they play in a rock band (a good one).

Suitor, 15, and Mayo, 10, formed their band Skating Polly on Halloween 2009 after an impromptu jam session.

“I kind of was playing, just messing around, and I told Peyton to give me a beat on the drums,” Mayo said. “After that, we decided we should be a band.”

Both girls sing and play drums, piano and guitar (although Mayo plays a guitar/bass combination called a basitar). They are essentially self-taught on their instruments, and learning more every day.

Suitor was proud to report she recently learned how to play barre chords (a type of guitar chord where one or more fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the fingerboard) and has written two songs with them.

The girls write all their own music, though they have different methods and styles.

“Whenever I write songs, I get a song stuck in my head and I just change lyrics to it,” Suitor said. “But then I change it to my own tune.”

Like when she came up with a piano melody that sounded too much like Beethoven and showed it to Kelli’s dad, David. They ended up calling it “Sunlight Piñata.” While she calls Kelli’s songs more childlike — citing the difference in age and vocabulary — she classifies her lyrics as a bit darker than her bandmate’s.

“Instead of love songs, I write hate songs,” Suitor said. “Like, ‘I hate you and I’m gonna sing a song about it.’ They’re not about anybody actually; I’m just good at writing those kind of songs.”

A 10-year-old writing full-length songs is impressive enough, but Mayo said she actually wrote her first song at age 2.

“I have a recording of me and Kelli,” David Mayo said. “We saw one of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, and she wrote a song called ‘Harry Potter, Your Parents Are Dead.’”

At this point in the interview, Mayo started singing her first composition, and the girls erupted in giggles, which happened many times throughout the conversation.

They have a strong friendship rooted in their love for making the kind of music they want to listen to: a youthful brand of riot “grrrl” punk. Not exactly what you might expect from, well, kids.

“It’s kind of shocking to most people, I think,” Kelli said. “They don’t know if we’re any good at playing our instruments, it’s just kind of weird to them.”

They like Nirvana, The Beatles, Hole and Neutral Milk Hotel. They have correspondence with Kelly Ogden of The Dollyrots and the support of X’s Exene Cervenka and Dandy Warhols’ Zia McCabe. They’ve opened for Feel Spectres, recorded with Depth & Current’s Chris Harris and seen some great groups live.

Thanks to a lot of ambition, talent and some very cool parents, Skating Polly’s two members have had the opportunity to be a part of a musical landscape before even learning to drive.

It’s a part of their lives that eludes their peers for the most part though.

“My friends know that I’m in a band, but they can’t ever listen to us because their parents don’t like me,” Suitor said.

Kelli said she sometimes faces hostility or outright disbelief.

“Some people know that I’m in a band, and they think that I think I’m all that, and then they’re just mean to me,” Kelli said, laughing. “Some people try not to believe me ... and then they tell other kids that I’m faking it.”

Skating Polly’s appeal may be lost on a few fifth graders and concerned parents, but its members certainly don’t care. They refuse to accept mainstream mediocrity — except for “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club, which Suitor deemed her “favorite ’80s pop crap.”

She added that her friends at school try to get her into the music they like, but she simply can’t like it.

She can’t like it because she, along with Kelli, is not the kind of pubescent girl who cries along with Taylor Swift or dances to Lady Gaga.

They are the girls who go to New York City, stay in the Chelsea Hotel where Sid killed Nancy and break a table while they’re there. They are the girls who dream of playing Austin City Limits, and love being in control of their band and themselves.

They are too cool for anything less.

- Oklahoma Daily