Interview: U.S. Girls

Wicked Cool and Fighting Back

By Rachel Rivenbark

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Girls Website

Sometimes in life, there are people and groups that you will have the great fortune of encountering who have this seemingly undefinable, magnetic energy about them. This is particularly applicable in the music industry, where blood and tears and loss and ecstasy intertwine and breathe life into otherwise unnameable emotion... Falling under the wicked cool musical genre of experimental pop, U.S. Girls is one such group. 
 
Founded in 2007 by Illinois native Meghan Remy (born Meghan Ann Uremovich), U.S. Girls has risen to stardom through their beautifully surreal, deep-cutting performances that just earlier this year earned them a spot at Coachella, where they positively shone. And just earlier this week, I was extremely fortunate to get the opportunity to interview the esteemed Ms. Remy herself, about both the formation of U.S. Girls and her upcoming plans for the group. 
 

So, it’s been a very, very exciting year for U.S. Girls, already… Earlier this summer, you’ve performed for the very first time at Coachella - and from what I’ve heard, the show was nothing short of spectacular. You’ve also just recently concluded a larger tour, overall. Are there any other big plans for this year?
 
Actually (thankfully), we are winding down for the year. We have two summer festivals left to play and then a hiatus in the Fall. It’s time to get off the road for a bit, allow the blisters on our feet to heel. 
 
 
What exactly was the driving idea or motivation behind starting U.S. Girls? What was the vision that you had in mind, and what made you decide to finally take the leap and pursue it? 
 
The motivation behind U.S. Girls was a desire to stay alive. I was able to make the leap because someone gave me a 4 track tape recorder. I was trapped in an unpleasant living situation and the 4 track offered me somewhere to go, something to focus on within my house that was MINE, that was productive and that made time disappear.
 
 
Do the current results differ at all, from what you originally envisioned? 
 
No, I still use U.S. Girls as a life raft.
 
 
When you first started U.S. Girls, did you have any idea of the level of success that it would reach? Did you have aspirations that it would come this far, or did it just gradually reach this point?
 
I never had any concrete aspirations or assumptions. But I’ve always had ideas and energy. I saw early on that ideas are better than money because they are more like dreams. Any "opportunity" that comes along, I greet it like an old friend, confident we will meet again and again.
 
Who were and are some of your biggest inspirations, both in and out of the music industry? Are there any particular artists or types of music that you feel have influenced your own music? 
I’d say the single most lasting influence on me as a musician and performer has been the band Suicide. Their singular music, their unwillingness to compromise, their lack of fear, their ability to communicate outside (OR inside) any system or industry or genre.

But I could truly spend pages listing inspirations. In no particular order:

Inca Ore, Irma Thomas, Glass Candy, Riot Grrrl, Emma Goldman, Cindy Sherman, Sleater- Kinney, Dolly Parton, Hortense Ellis, Caryl Churchill, Betty Davis, Laura Davis, Alice Coltrane, Ben E. King and all the “oldies but goodies”, CRASS, Simone Schmidt aka Fiver, Anne Carson, Nicholson Baker, Basia Bulat, all the zine makers, all the DIY/collective spaces around the world that present music and ideas and facilitate community…
 
The music of U.S. Girls is very unique, falling under what I would call “existential rock, with a funky cool beat.” In one sentence, how would you describe the particular genre that your music style falls under? 
 
Intentional Music.
 
Now, clearly you’re going to have a very personal connection to each and every one of your songs… but is there one in particular which you would call your favorite, whatever the reason?
 
Mothers shouldn’t play favorites. Ha!
 
What are some of the biggest challenges that you’ve had to overcome, in order to get to where you are today? Are there any issues within the music industry that you feel need to be addressed more often? 
 
The biggest challenge I have faced is myself, my brain, my perception. I wouldn’t say I have “overcome” but rather adapted/evolved/incorporated. I think the music industry itself is a giant issue that needs to be addressed. The music industry needs to go to therapy.
 
I’ve heard U.S. Girls lovingly described by others as a “fight the patriarchy” band. As a woman and a musician with very strong feminist ideals which come through in your music, how do you respond to this? 
 
Hell yeah!
 
You’re getting ready to release a new album early next Spring, yes? I’ve heard that there’s going to be something very special about this one, even right off the bat. Rather than pursuing the typical path of digital recording, instead you’ve sought a much more traditional recording style, using full-group live recordings and tapes, like the musicians of old. What drove this choice, and what do you hope the album will take away from it? 
 
The choice was made for a myriad of reasons: time, vibe, the fact I had never recorded live before, the desire to challenge myself and others. You never know if the record you are making will be your last so I think it’s important to push, to be uncomfortable, to operate outside your ability and in turn transcend your ability.
 
What is one thing that you would most like our readers at Quail Bell, and your fans overall, to know or understand about U.S. Girls?
 
It is not a joke, but you can laugh at it. 
 
What lies ahead for you?
I look forward to downtime this Fall. I have many books to read and friends to catch up with.
 
Do you have any final words for our readers?
Keep reading!

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