Women In Freakout: Part 1

Ushering in its 11th year with the same DIY garage punk ethos from which it first arose, Freakout Festival returned last November to the neighbourhood of Ballad, Seattle to once again welcome a mix of independent and mainstream performers.

A record label based in Seattle, Freakout provides music opportunities for all while supporting artists locally and internationally. Their four-day festival featured a wide array of global artists and bands, ranging from garage rock to psychedelic, punk and electronic music. Headliners this year included Allah Las, The Gories, Son Rompe Pera and Lola Kirke.

We headed down to capture some of the festival’s up-and-coming female artists in their element, and spoke to them about their creative process, and what attracted them to the west coast music scene in the first place.

DARK CHISME

Freakout Bio: “Dark Chisme is a dark wave band started by DJ Gold Chisme, a Latina artist from Chicago now residing in Seattle.”

Where are you from?

I’m from Chicago and moved to Seattle 6 years ago. Living in Chicago, I grew up with a Latino community from the metal punk scene. We had parties in garages, where we charged like what, five bucks? Very DIY. I was in a metal band. We had garage shows in literal garages and then we would perform.. A lot of Latinos, but a lot of BIPOC in general and that was our space. To try to show like, hey, there's a bunch of BIPOC here in the metal scene and punk scene too. 

That’s so important and so fun! How old were you when you started joining the scene? What instrument did you start with? 

I was so young. I think I was maybe 14 when I started. I played the drums and then I did guitar for a little bit.  Then I started singing, kind of like metal with very deep and high notes. A  good example is the band Black Dahlia Murder, they did the highs and lows which inspired me. It was from the metal, the punk and the dark wave scene that I got inspiration. I always loved singing but I was always too shy to do it.

What made you get into music to begin with? 

It’s because I always wanted to get into it, but I always felt that I was fighting with these two identities. One was the culture I was brought in from Chicago. I don't have the best vocabulary, I'm a college dropout and I have a certain way, persona about me. I really love both of my cultures. I love my Puerto Rican culture and my Mexican culture, I love that side of me and there's an amazing richness to it. Sometimes I felt that side had to hide a lot, but not so much now. Because now that I'm older, I actually feel like no, I'm using this. This is my voice, and I'm going to use it and if you don't like it, bye. 

Music helped get through so many things. When I was young I went through foster homes, a lot  of shelters and a lot of group homes. I'm not gonna lie, I was a troubled kid through all this stuff. 

I feel like our Latin community has a hard time reflecting back on mental health and addressing trauma. A lot of our parents, I think it is generational trauma or internal difficulties, don’t know how to navigate those conversations since no one taught them. It’s cool you were able to do that for yourself!

There is this one foster mom that is still in my life that took me in my junior year. I wasn’t doing well.  I had been struggling with being misunderstood by foster parents because I listened to punk and was in my hot topic/alternative era. They didn’t see it as healing for me. So I ended up hanging out a lot with my friend and her step mom. She could tell I was going through a lot and offered me to stay with them. From there I was able to do really good in school. I felt safe and not judged. 

No, that makes sense. We don’t give credit to a lot of these kids. Your brains aren't fully developed yet you're going through all this change and not having a stable home.

Definitely. A lot of them were abusive. It was also around the time of music where if you listen to nu metal or punk, and I started getting into that music, it was seen as negative. I still love my hip hop, I still love my Latin music and stuff like that. But all of a sudden I started gravitating towards nu metal. It showed me about politics, for example System of a Down. I didn't know what the hell about politics. My family wasn’t telling me shit and then I listened to System of a Down like oh shit oh, wow. This is like talking to me about politics and I understand what it's saying. And Linkin Park was my first album that I could have when I was at a shelter. They let me have it because it didn't have cursing in it.

I feel like Linkin Park kind of summarizes a lot of teenage angst.

It does. Like everything in that damn songs I have been through and it was so cool. Because I couldn't really talk to my family about it. If you talk about those things you're thought of as weak, or like that never happened. 

During this time were you still in the music scene and performing? What was your first band? How did you meet them?

Yup! I was in a black metal band, indie band and doing whatever. My first band was called Beyond Tranquility, which was beyond metal. It was puro latinos, from the suburbs and I’m not from the suburbs(laugh). Through craigslist! They needed a singer and I tried out and joined. I always loved singing. My mom was into new wave and house music, and that’s why I love both of those things.

What were the bands that you were listening to?

It went from nu metal to then grindcore. Grindcore is very trashy, very hardcore, you do very hardcore dancing. And then I started just asking people at the vinyl/cd stores what they liked, so I got into underground music. 

Would you say music was your saving grace?

Hell yeah! It means so much to me and why I’m into a lot of stuff. I have always been into the darkwave scene and I thank my mom for getting me into that music.For my music I want it to be dancy, you can dance to it at a nightclub and I can dj that music, I can mix it and add artists that inspire me. I love mixing different music. For me a good dj is someone who can blend and mix music, you keep everyone intune to what you're doing, you're keeping them surprised. If you’re just pushing play and letting a song play for a long time their energy goes down because of the repetitiveness but if you keep them surprised all the time, I live off of that. I love that so much.

How did you get into DJing?

I started Djing in Chicago. I started Djing when I left the band scene, I was still prominent in the music scene, I always loved house music, I love techno. I was surrounded with my music friends and we built a really cool community that was really diverse, we all hung out and supported each other. And then we started throwing these house parties and in warehouses. In these warehouse parties I would see these guys djing and was instantly inspired. I would hangout at these parties and see what they were doing, I’m not going to lie I was a little creep(both laugh). In the corner I would be- what is this, what are they do it? I would go the parties, dance or ask the dj- are you comfortable with me being next to you, I really want to learn. Some would be nice about, others would be like nah, which I totally respect. Since they are on their game. I remember one night talking and eating tacos with a group and saying- I want to be a DJ. And there was this one who was like- you really think you will be a DJ? Well let me tell you, girls aren’t that great at DJing. I remember throwing my plate at him and going to the restroom, and I did cry. From there I was like if you are going to tell me I can’t do something I will do it. And from there, surprising there were some great guys that were like- I see what you are trying to do do you want to open up, I can pay you this. Do you want to practice before anyone is here, since we have the room. From there I just started saying hey if you need somebody to fill in I can, I swear I can do it. I started doing mixes online and stuff, and really got into it. I didn’t know I could count music like that or beat match with my ear. 

It really cool that you did that, and it speaks to your character. You were like I can do this and you could easily do that!

Yeah! If you tell me I can’t fly a plane I’m going to learn and it is going to happen. If you tell me I can’t do something, baby I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it because I’m passionate about it and just because of my gender, my culture and my background, you are not going to tell me. If anything I’m going to work 10x harder.

You started DJing in Seattle, when did Dark Chisme come out? 

Like a few months ago(both laugh). Dark Chisme happened because I wanted to make my own music and I wanted to play my own music while DJing. I enjoyed DJing but I enjoyed sampling, mixing and making music. I like to get really intricate and nerdy with it and I think people are really receptive to that. That is why I've been getting booked a lot, which makes me happy that people are noticing that I'm doing something with the DJing. Dark Chisme happened as an alter ego, I love dark music, dark techno, I love dark rave.

Whats your inspiration for Dark Chisme?

Sextile! Which I ended up playing with, at San Francisco and I don’t know how all that ended up happening. It's wild for me! It comes off as nerdy or gitty. It should be! They’re SUCH AN INCREDIBLE BAND! I know! No literally, in my basement like I want to make music and this is how I want it to be. And then to be here listening to Sextile and VR Sex, another band I’m obsessed with, and then being able to open for one of them during PSYCHED! Fest in a matter of months is crazy, especially since it was only my second show! Especially if they are your inspiration, making music and listening to them and then being inspired by them. And then you meet them and them being super cool and supportive. 

How did that opportunity motivate you to do more projects?

I’m excited! These next two weeks I’m going to work on these really cool, hopefully it is really cool, songs. One is in spanglish. Which I love and we need more of. For me I love spanglish! For me it screams survival, a lot of us didn’t choose to be here. A lot of our parents came here out of survival. For me to go to bilingual classes, I’m proud of that. And proud of the people who had to go through something similar and they tried to fit it. That is trauma. I do think there is amazing power to learning about your culture and being proud of who you, does that mean having the spanish language follow you, I don't think so. I think it means the willingness to learn something about your culture and being proud of where you came from. And some people eliminate that completely and I cant blame them and I don't blame them. Some people want to be safe and so people want to fit in.

What has been one of the challenges in the music scene?

A lot of it was fitting in. Sometimes people doubt you and stuff like that. There will be friends supporting you and there will be friends that are intimidated by it, which sucks. Because I am so proud of everyone. And could understand it to a certain extent when some people feel like they want to do the same thing and they are not there from what they think. But I'm always happy to share what I’m doing, in terms of community I think it is important for us to lift each other up, especially since we have a rich background. 

With your music and performances, what are you trying to invoke? What do you hope to see from your audience?

I want the spanglish energy. I’m going to continue with the spanish dark wave route. Somos latin in the garage scene, we are latinos in the goth scene and we are here. It is booming in mexico and it is booming in other places, we have been alternative in a long time. We have always been here but now people are starting to notice. I want to grungy, I want to be wild, I want to have a raspy voice and be who I am but be proud of my roots.

Dark Chisme will be playing at Barbosza on February 19th. You can listen to their music on Spotify and follow them on Instagram @dark.chisme

choke cherry

Freakout Bio: “San Francisco shoegaze grunge pop”

How did you individually get into music? 

Izzie: I got into shoegaze more in college, I listened to bands like Cocteau Twins. Those bands really informed what we do now, as far as ethereal vocals and really lush guitars. But before that, I always loved rock. I did have a techno phase when I was 10, that was tough we don't have to talk about that. But when I was 15, 16, I got into VOCs and Ty Segall and the LA, SF garage rock scene. I was super into thrashy punk. I started a punk band with my friend and did not know what I was doing, but it was just really fun. We practiced playing shows and being part of a live audience and writing songs.

 When I moved to San Francisco, I transitioned into a more grunge direction. This is the first band that I felt like I have matured into an adult who has found their voice. It’s really nice to move with that authenticity and music, I love that shoegaze shit. Turnstile is a big recent one, I love hardcore music so much.

Scarlett: I grew up training as a classical singer, so I sang a lot and I went to the public art school in San Francisco - shout out SODA. There are other people here from SODA tonight who were playing wild shit. But I always really, really struggled with the rigidity of it, I felt that I couldn't really perform, I couldn't enjoy it. It actually made me really not love music, and I wanted to not be a part of it anymore. My dad was always a really big influence on me - he's a big rock and roll sort of dad, I grew up listening to a lot of rock and roll heavy music. When I was a teenager, I got really into The Doors, and that sort of music - I just loved it. When I got to California, I was still doing classical music and had so much anxiety around it - and then I found the DIY scene. I found house shows and became really obsessed with going off the doors in the way people scream, like Jim Morrison, and act totally fucking crazy. I became really obsessed with more experimental noise rock sort of stuff like Sonic Youth etc.I realize that when you are in a DIY band, you’re sitting on a washing machine, it doesn't matter if you don’t sing the right notes. You can scream into the mic and lay on the floor for 45 minutes and that’s a perfect set. And I love it.  It made me fall in love with music and performing again. 
I started doing that with the first incarnation of Fauxes in spring 2020. Then of course, everything shut down. When everything reopened, I kept going with Fauxes and I became a part of Psych Radio San Francisco and some other radio stations. I listened to a lot of everything. Just like Izzie, Ty Segall, VOCs, absolutely love that kind of garage LA, SFC scene and I love shoegaze, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive. I think that there's something so wonderful about music that can be loud and heavy but also ethereal and gentle. A lot of the singing in these shoegaze bands is actually pretty classical. It's pretty beautiful and melodic. I fucking love Mitski. I'm obsessed with Mitski. Japanese breakfast, Lana Del Rey, all that sort of stuff. I think that Choke Cherry it's really amazing, because it's very honest. Our music is very honest, it ranges from screaming at you, to singing you into a trance, which is super cool.

How did y’all meet?

We are based out of San Francisco and we met on a dating app. We immediately hit it off. We became incredible friends and started jamming together. We felt like we both really understood each other and could play off of each other’s sound and have a lot fun creating music together. 

Seeing y’all perform and talk about Choke Cherry, it seems like the band has given both of you a sense of freedom and it seems like you both have found that freedom with each other. Which is super sweet!

Izzie: It is really nice. Yeah, definitely. When there are more eyes watching  when you do your own music, you do feel that pressure. But we really want to embody the not giving a fuck thing.We want our music to be- this is us, not every song is going to sound like the last. We have this weird concept EP that is really thrashy and fun. 

Scarlett: That’s the kind of thing I love, borders on it being a bit. Music is about having fun and joy and channeling all that shit we go through, and it all comes from the silliest of places, sometimes very silly ones.

When you're performing what do you want your audience to just feel? What are you trying to evoke from them? 

Izzie: We want them to move. 

Scarlett: Yeah, I want them to  dance. 

Izzie: And honestly be respectful. But like you know fuck it up a little bit. I don't know, I believe I became a musician because of how much fun I had in pits.

Scarlett: VERY TRUE. So real. The 711 Jesus pit on Halloween changed my life. 711 Jesus doesn't exist anymore, but please listen to 711 Jesus. 2019 dude, I miss her, God I miss her. So for our music we want you to feel moved to the point where you maybe move physically that'll be really sick.

Izzie: Or if the really sink into the feeling. 

Scarlett: Or really absorb it. That’s one of the cool things about Choke Cherry shows, people are super present. 

Izzie: I want them to go on their phones and play Tetris(all laugh). I want them to play Candy Crush and Casino games on their phones. 

Scarlett: We actually had a really fun show the other night in Bend Oregon, where the audience was really participating in like our dumbass comedic bits. We were having the most fun Comedy Hour ever.

Izzie:They were being so funny. And we had so much fun just like interacting with them.

That’s crazy, y’all started in February and now you have a full set. How did y’all do that? 

Izzie: I was working at a hotel, a Marriott. I was a supervisor for AV, so in corporate meeting, like biotech firms would come in. I had to be there at 6am and was completely zombified. But I don't know, we were writing a bunch of stuff. 

Scarlett: We just hit it. We were working on developing ideas for sure. And I was teaching in the mornings. So we both would work in the mornings

Izzie: We would meet up a lot.

Scarlett: We would rehearse like six times a week. We would try to practice and develop these songs and we would get really excited. The releases were all written in one night. And on a Friday night, we just locked ourselves in the studio and had a mental breakdown together, but with microphones, and it was really cool. And we were just saying silly stuff over and over until something stuck and we kind of ran with it.  I think locking ourselves in the studio for a while and being away from distractions, really helps us develop stuff. We're really jam based. When we're writing sometimes we'll jam on something and we'll instantly be like “that's it that's the song”. Sometimes we'll sit there and we'll come up with different parts and we'll try to figure out how we are going to puzzle pieces but yeah, it's really fun developing ideas. I learned bass for this project to write with Izzy style.

What have been the challenges y’all have faced in the music scene?

Honestly, as a femme person feeling like you're not good enough. Because of patriarchy and shitty beauty standards that affect literally everyone. Also having to work twice as hard. I think the beauty industry is very fucked up. I love what's happened recently, in terms of differently bodied, differently abled people having platforms and being able to be representative in the beauty industry and the music industry, but those pressures still very much exist. And I think that it's hard when you are in the public eye its tough to feel to measure up. 

Scarlett: Yeah, that’s very real. I think, going off of that too the toll that it takes on your mental health, that level of attention and scrutiny. And it doesn’t happen the same way for men, the industry is dominated by men. It’s a unique sense of pressure.

Izzie: You just gotta look at yourself in the mirror and be like- I’m enough.

What is your goal with your music? 

Izzie: A huge goal of mine for my life is just like, you know, if there is a platform to use it to call attention to the fucked up shit that's happening in the world. To advocate for people for being fucked over by the government, governments of other countriesin injustices that are happening. Like, the genocide that is happening right now. Obviously, music is such music, during times of war, we're able to carry messages of peace and protest. And I think that is so important now. And I think that, you know, a lot of the music that's manufactured today, kind of is a distraction from that kind of protest. So, it's kind of like, being able to be a part of positive change in the world, like. And obviously, being informed and being educated about the issues before you speak on them is very important.

Scarlett: I think the thing for both of us, we want people to have a space that they can come and enjoy being at a show, cultivating that because it had such an impact on both of our lives. Like going into a show where you can forget about problems or have a space that you feel you get to exist in for a little while. So making that happen for a little while.

You can listen to Choke Cherry on Spotify and follow them on Instagram @chokecherry4ever