Hussies (née Girls Pissing) are moving forwards into an area which strongly suggests, dare I joke it, they are not pissing around. Band name badass and Sharpie Crows wingman Jackson Hobbs discusses escapism, flying nun, gambling… and most importantly, Hussies.
When did you start out?
Hey. This project started in the winter of this year when Casey and I were working in confined, badly lit kitchen which boasted the everlasting odour of burning cheese and pork stew. It was a form of escapism more than anything else because our lives were quite dull at the time.
Who’s in the band?
Before I replace everyone with two sixteen year old girls the current line up is Casey Latimer and myself with a few friends phasing in and out of the recordings. We were going to call this project 'Triggercut' but found that it had already been used by some college children.
Who’s affiliated with the band?
MUZAI were kind enough to take a gamble with Hussies. They're a snappy little label with a love for corn chips and salsa, so we have heaps in common. They've been doing some wonderful things with a handful of Auckland bands and I have much respect for their ethic.
Tell us about the signing to MUZAI…
I propositioned Benjii and Martin about the idea of selling out via email, and they were all like “maybe”, and then I was all like “wanna sign ma band?” and they were all like “why not?” and then I said “you should probably listen to it first” and they responded “send it to us dick” then I said “k”. The rest of the correspondence was about xbox and photoshop which doesn't really contribute to the topic. Bottom line is they signed us because they're really polite. The record will be released on the 29th of November online and on CD because it's retro.
Who are your influences, local and otherwise?
Native Cats are a wonderful pop band from Tasmania, they're probably the only contemporary local band that I really look up to in this genre, but I'm looking forward to hearing some of the new NZ bands live next year. At the time we were binging on a lot of The Clean, Blur, The Chills, The Stone Roses, Psychic TV, Tall Dwarfs and so forth, so you can see how our rough and tacky sound came about. In fact if you play records from all bands above simultaneously you'll find it'd be an uncanny resemblance to Hussies.
Relation to Sharpie Crows? Is this a side-project? Lower on the priority list?
Grey Headed Ghosts was slapped together haphazardly within two months, there was very little planning involved, and it gave us a chance to do all of the 'no no's' we didn't have the stomach to do in Sharpie Crows. We were aiming for a feel good album of the summer. It's more than just a pop album by a pop band, it's a pop album by people that don't know how to play pop music, and in that vein I think it works. I've liked the idea of having a side-project that holds a completely different audience, and that's what Hussies is to us.
How would you describe your sound?
Like eating a Fanta and vanilla spider and really enjoying it, and then you realise that you've got aching cavities in your teeth, but you can't throw it away because you suffer from poverty mentality.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Serge Gainsbourg, J.A. Seazer and other theatrical garbage.
Tell us about your upcoming album release...
Every session would start off with a Youtube party in my green loft where Casey would blast Pet Shop Boys and Tears for Fears. Usually there would be a bottle of cheap cleanskin wine of which we would indulge ourselves and proceed to chuckle at each other and at the fact that we were really enjoying Pet Shop Boys. We recorded the whole thing on a two channel interface and multi-sessioned the life out of it (like any try-hard pop outfit should do) Casey and I recorded all of the music and we sent tracks to Thom Brown (who recorded vocals on his laptop in NZ on the last track on the album) and Sam Bradford (who features on Grey Headed Ghosts and Game Hen) via drop box. The whole recording experience was very different to that of Sharpie Crows primarily because we were writing the songs as we were recording them.
Your favourite NZ venue?
I really like playing at the Wine Cellar, but I hear it's going to be amalgamated with Whammy soon which, I'd assume, wont change much at all.
What’s the best concert you have ever been to?
Melt-Banana, but closely followed by The Clean.
Best or most memorable gig you have played?
We haven't played a show yet because Casey escaped back to West Auckland right after we finished recording. We'll be making a band in January when we're both living in Auckland.
Most overrated band at the moment?
There are so many in Melbourne where actual money can be made in the music industry. As a result the popular bands tend to be watered down imitations of other bands to appeal to a broad audience. I won’t even begin to vent my frustration.
Most underrated band at the moment?
Elliot Brown and his traveling circus of vagrants.
The state of music in NZ is…
By the murmurs I'd assume it's going quite well. New Zealand will always have an edge when it comes to blaring guitar music. It's in our blood, maaaaan.
Michael McCelland
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You can download a track from Hussies on the new Muzai records compilation - Fuck These Bands 3 - click HERE for more info.
