(Photo Credit: Marissa Carroll)
Church Girls are an indie/post-punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They feature Mariel Beaumont - vocals, guitar, Michael Liszka - drums, Vince Vullo - bass, vocals, and Joseph Wright - guitar, vocals. Their sound is a bit reminiscent at times of The Breeders and Dinosaur Jr. They have a fun and unique sound that you definitely need to listen to, also check out what they had to say in our interview!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
"I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember and began playing trumpet at age 9 and guitar at age 12. It was a huge passion of mine in high school -- I played bass in a band and was a trumpet section leader in the marching band :) -- but I drifted away from it a bit in college and post-graduation as I moved into my full time job. Around 2013 the musical void became unbearable and I started writing songs and playing open mics around Philly -- before I knew it, I had a band, which eventually became my main pursuit."
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
"I typically start with a theme or idea I’ve been mulling over. I try to get some words down for a hook, then pick up a guitar and start working on chords and melody. Then I structure out the themes of the verses and toil over the lyrics to make sure they fit right. Lately, our guitar player Joey has been sending me pretty substantial sketches of songs, so I’ll pull those into ProTools, record vocals and guitar, cut things up, and send back to him, and we go back and forth. He’s an incredible musician and it’s been really fun to have him to bounce ideas off of."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
"The first band I fell in love with was Against Me! Their shows felt almost transcendent and drove home the power of live music for me. I was always moved by Joni Mitchell’s songwriting and loved how raw and honest her lyrics were. The Mountain Goats were a huge obsession for me and I’ll always be in awe of John Darnielle’s ability to turn a phrase. Recently, PUP inspired me in all the ways -- I’ve seen them live four times and they always blow me away."
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on it?
"I’m not a huge gear person, but I love my OCD pedal and Reverend Buckshot guitar. They’re reliable and hassle-free. I recently splurged on an OP-1 and have been having a ton of fun with that -- I’m playing with some samples that we’re putting on the next EP.
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you play a show?
We’ve been getting a little wilder and more interactive with the crowd. I’ve been working on being fully present. Lately, I’ve loved a small room without a stage where the audience can be close and we can all get sweaty and have a good ol’ time.
6. What is one thing that you want fans to know about your music?
We work really hard on it, and everyone in the band is a true music fan.
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about?
On Sept 7, our new EP Home comes out on Chatterbot Records. We’re recording another EP this month that should come out before the end of the year. We’ll be touring the UK and US in September & October.
FMI on Church Girls visit their Bandcamp page.