Interview — THE DOLLYROTS

by Marcia Taylor

The Dollyrots have just released their second record, BECAUSE I’M AWESOME, on Blackheart Records, a spot they gained after meeting Joan Jett while playing a slot on the 2006 Warped Tour. Founded by bassist/vocalist Kelly Ogden and guitarist Luis Cabezas, while they were finishing up their biology degrees in Florida, the two moved to Los Angeles in 2002 and eventually added Chris Black on drums to complete its current line-up. The band plays pop punk music with lyrics that pay attention to gender and politics in a witty way.

I spoke to Ogden, who has an upbeat outlook and a lively sense of humor.

SKRATCH: How did SXSW go for the band?
OGDEN: It was so awesome. I think we had TOO much fun. We got to play a couple of showcases. The second one was at Emo’s, and Joan Jett was the emcee. We got to play with her on “Do You Wanna Touch Me” and “I Love Rock ‘N Roll.” I couldn’t believe that I was really onstage and singing those songs with her. We also got to see Against Me, Strange Boys and The Trucks, and they [The Trucks] totally rock. The grand finale was Iggy Pop. That show was only for people who had paid, not for the musicians. We tried walking into the place, pretending we were supposed to be there, but that didn’t work. We found a way around the back of the amphitheater, and we snuck in. That guy is amazing.

SKRATCH: What are some of the bands that influence you in creating the band’s music?
OGDEN: I think for me, a lot came from when I was younger. I listened to a lot of hippie music—Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens. That’s why we do a cover of Melanie’s “Brand New Key” on the record. Luis was always into punk rock. But it works—punk rockers and hippies were both looking to change things.

SKRATCH: How do you like being on Blackheart Records?
OGDEN: Our first time meeting our label mates—Girl in a Coma and The Vacancies—I was so worried. The Vacancies are working class and tough, and Girl in a Coma, they’re so cool. I didn’t think they’d like us. But it was like a bunch of cousins getting together, a lot of fun.

SKRATCH: How would you compare the Florida scene to the L.A. scene?
OGDEN: It’s [the L.A. scene] definitely more balanced. There are only two different types of music in Florida—lots of metal and country. There is no indie or punk. When we played a show, it was always billed as “punk & metal night,” and we’d be the only punk band.

SKRATCH: Yeah, metal seems to be very big in the south. I think it’s because rock has always been so big there, particularly the kind of rock that had guitar solos, and so does metal. So L.A. was quite different for you?
OGDEN: Most of what I heard growing up was on radio and TV. My mom had Burt Bacharach and Carly Simon. We listened to oldies radio. As far as punk rock, I heard the normal, mainstream stuff; that’s what we could get our hands on in the small town where I lived. Even six years ago when I first moved out to L.A., I was thrilled to be getting to see and hear bands like X and Black Flag for the first time.

SKRATCH: Do you find it at all difficult being the only girl in the band?
OGDEN: Not really. I feel like there’s always enough people around . Plus the guys are goofballs, and they look after me. And Luis and Christ aren’t “guy-guys”, like “get out [of the van]; I’m gonna park it.” I’m equal as far as they’re concerned. And it was only recently that I became the only girl. Our former drummer was a girl, but she didn’t want to tour any more. She has a puppy and an apartment and plenty of studio work. We have a rat and a van [laughs].

SKRATCH: When will you be back in L.A.?
OGDEN: In the very near future. Saturday is our record release party. The Donnas will DJ. And we’re going to have an all-girl Kiss band. It will be a cool show that degenerates into a crazy dance party, which is how I like it.

SKRATCH: It’s really neat how many all-girl cover bands there are these days, like the Iron Maidens, and the AC/DC group. But it makes sense, because when a lot of girls were growing up, the only bands available to model themselves on were all-guy bands.
OGDEN: Well, there’s a Ramones cover band, The Ramonas, and that’s the one I’d like to play in. Oh my god, have you ever heard of the ice cream man?

SKRATCH: No. Is it a band?
OGDEN: No, he’s a guy who drives to all the festivals and has free ice cream. He just pulled into the truck stop where we are now. I’m going to have to go get an ice cream soon!

SKRATCH: What’s next on the agenda for The Dollyrots?
OGDEN: We just finished shooting the video for “Because I’m Awesome.” It’s a close spoof of AMERICAN IDOL. We’ll probably get sued, but that’s okay. All of us play people who dress up and audition for the show, and the judges are all mean to us. Then I go to the audition dressed up as our bunny in the gas mask [the band’s icon], and a whole lot of punk rock kids go in and tie up the judges and burn the place down. I really hope that song means something to people. I met one dad, when we were doing an interview, and we did an acoustic version of the song. The guy was so excited. He said, “I hadn’t heard the lyrics before, and I have a 12-year-old daughter going through a lot of changes, and I’m going to get it for her and make her listen to the words." I could have used a song like that when I was that age. One thing that I’m very happy about with this record is that it’s different from the first in that we’re more secure about the things that we care about. We’re not worried about being accused of hypocrisy or being too political or not political enough. The songs here are fun.

SKRATCH: Speaking of the bunny, tell me about The Dollyrots’ bunny in a gasmask.
OGDEN: We used a bunny for the first record. We’d already written “A Desperate S.O.S.,” and we’d been watching a lot of CNN, so we thought, “How is this bunny feeling right now?” And we decided it was feeling kind of paranoid and trying to protect itself, which is how we feel compared to the last time we did a record. We called an artist who did work for the White Stripes and The Raconteurs and asked him to design a bunny we could spray paint. We used wheat paste to stick up the posters of the bunny. They come down so fast, though. I think we might need to make thicker wheat paste.

SKRATCH: What’s next now that the video is done?
OGDEN: We’re leaving for a U.S. tour in mid-April for two months. Then we’ll be back to L.A. for two weeks, then we’ll go out for the Warped Tour.

SKRATCH: Is there anything else that you’d like to say before we finish this up?
OGDEN: It means so much that Joan Jett respects us and our music.

SKRATCH: Yes, I can see how it would. There aren’t that many women in rock, although it’s way better than when I was young, in the ‘70s. At least now girls can see other girls in bands. Back then, you really couldn’t. And that is one of the things I admire most about Joan Jett. She was one of the first women who played rock ‘n’ roll and didn’t have to just sing and dress like a ho.
OGDEN: A lot of women get to a certain point in a band, but to make it your living. I don’t know if it’s the biological clock, but a lot of women stop short.

To learn more about The Dollyrots, visit http://www.thedollyrots.com or www.blackheart.com.

If you would like to comment on this interview or anything else in SKRATCH, please e-mail us at www.speakupatskratchmagazine.com.

» BACK TO TOP

Interview Archives