Her Girl Friday
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Her Girl Friday

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"Band of the Month: Her Girl Friday"

Reminiscent of a refined jam session, the L.A. band is poised to win fans of avant-garde and minimalist rock

By Britt Julious

WHO IT IS
Lead vocalist Dawn Dator, guitarist Ariel Fujita, and drummer Nico Turner.

LOCATION
Los Angeles

FILE UNDER
Slow, methodic tunes to transport you to another world of obscurity.

IN A NUTSHELL
Like any great band, Her Girl Friday began with a dream. Vocalist, keyboardist, and synth-player Dawn Dator and guitarist Ariel Fujita started playing music together in 2005. Drummer Nico Turner, a friend from high school, soon joined the two after moving back to the city. The band’s name originated from a poster in a dream Turner had after the first time playing together. What began as a few jam sessions led to a house party and the format stuck.

An ethereal, otherworld quality extends far beyond the origins of the band’s name. In songs like the moody “Neighborhood,” the girls’ smooth harmonies invoke an atmosphere of despair. Her Girl Friday makes music that is “in your face” and “shadow forming” Turner says.

“It sounds like a dream state,” Dator adds. “It’s always something different, sometimes completely opposite.” Trying to pinpoint any specific genre is difficult, but the group cites Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead, and Electrelane as influences. A “droning, trance-like” element is evident in each song, like “Duplex,” a gloomy gem reminiscent of later Blonde Redhead, or the guitar-driven “What Remains Chemistry,” not unlike the spark of an early Sonic Youth.

Turner says she’s inspired by the streets and scene of Los Angeles, while Dator is influenced by her daily life. “I work at a mental hospital and when I come home, I try to direct all of my stress and crazy energy into songs,” she says.

For Her Girl Friday, the songwriting process is just as organic. “We go into a room, lock ourselves in there, and we jam, and the magic happens,” Turner says. “It’s just the chemistry we’ve had, a language that we speak.” The process is a collaborative effort, Fujita says, rather than a collection of individual projects, an experience evident in former bands. “In the end, it sort of felt like the sound was two to three different bands within one,” she says.

Like the origins of the band, their songs are built without any preparation and pre-conceived notions in their heads. “It’s a little scary,” Fujita says. “But it allows you to really develop a collaborative sound.” All of the songs they currently perform, the band says, began as jam sessions and have, over time, developed into a more refined sound. Their songs, however, are not just built within the studio. Newer songs are also tested during performances, with adjustments made from show to show. Fans can follow the progression from week to week and, according to Fujita, “hear those gems mature.”

Although the band’s material speaks of experience, Her Girl Friday has only played a handful of shows. Their first official show was at The Smell, an all-ages DIY venue in downtown L.A. According to the band, that first performance was one of their most important. The sound guy from that night ended up recording their first demo. The headlining band during that performance, All Neon Like, has continued to play with Her Girl Friday at most of their shows. The group was asked to perform during The Smell’s Ten Year Anniversary Series in December 2007. Although they have played other venues around the area, performing at The Smell is like coming home. “Anything goes,” Dator says. “We feed off the energy from the audience at The Smell and vice versa.”

GOALS
After a short break, Her Girl Friday will debut a new drummer during a show on March 30. The band also plans to incorporate more performance art into their shows. During their last show at The Smell, a friend of the band took to the stage, interacting with the audience, and interpreting the music through miming and blowing bubbles. “It was perfect,” Dator says. As the group continues to write more songs, Ariel notes, they will be experimenting with different sounds, such as the ever-popular electronica movement in the underground scene. In the end, though, the band wants to continue to connect with others through their songs. “Our mission is to play music, to share our music with other people and to make some sort of connection with them,” Fujita says. “If someone listens to one of our songs and experiences something they haven’t imagined before, then I’ll know it was worth it.” - Venuszine.com


"Her Girl Friday is your new favorite band"

This photo alone should definitely grab your attention, but the Los Angeles-based queer trio Her Girl Friday also supplies some pretty sweet Tattle Tale-esque jams (”Neighborhood,” especially). Their totally indie (as in, no label at all) album only has three tracks on it, it’s worth a listen, even if it’s a complete tease, but with photos like these, you’re surely be hearing more from them soon! - girlfriendisahomo


Discography

"Self-titled"
December 2007

Photos

Bio

Reminiscent of a refined jam session, the L.A. band is poised to win fans of avant-garde and minimalist rock . . . A “droning, trance-like” element is evident in each song, like “Duplex,” a gloomy gem reminiscent of later Blonde Redhead, or the guitar-driven “What Remains Chemistry,” not unlike the spark of an early Sonic Youth." -Venuszine.com

"The three blended guitars, keys and drums into a dark, droning pop sound. At times they reminded me a bit of Electrelane and other songs were a bit tipping towards bands like the Warlocks. Heavy, melodic, occasionally screaming tunes." -Paving my own way

"This photo alone should definitely grab your attention, but the Los Angeles-based queer trio Her Girl Friday also supplies some pretty sweet Tattle Tale-esque jams (”Neighborhood,” especially). Their totally indie (as in, no label at all) album only has three tracks on it, it’s worth a listen, even if it’s a complete tease, but with photos like these, you’re surely be hearing more from them soon!" - My Girlfriend is a Homo

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The eerie romance put forth by dissonant chord progressions paired with complimenting two part harmony sets the stage for this indie/experimental rock trio. The band blends elements of experimental, indie, noise, and theatrics as they invite the audience to truly experience another realm. With only a couple of shows under their belt, Her Girl Friday has managed to turn heads in the underground scene. Their growing fanbase has often compared them to the likes of Blonde Redhead, Sleater Kinney, Kaito, Tattle Tale, and Sonic Youth.