The Shotguns Blast Girl Power from the Eighties into the Present: ‘Glam is a Party Too’
EINDHOVEN – The renewed interest in the 1980s has been echoing through today’s music for some time, but with The Shotguns, the Netherlands now has a band where the visual extravagance that defined the era plays just as important a role as the sound.
Through their journey on YouTube and Spotify, bands like Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses led the members to the music and fashion that ultimately brought them together: glam metal.
Their first live performance is on Tuesday, July 15, at dB’s in Utrecht. This newspaper spoke with lead singer Kimberley, the twin sisters from Eindhoven Isis (guitar) and Caitlin (bass), guitarist Lieke, and drummer Frances.
Have you ever heard the comment, “You were born in the wrong era”?
“Plenty of times!” laughs Isis. “When we walk around in full outfit, people sometimes ask to take pictures with us. We were at a concert by Europe here in Eindhoven recently, and afterward we went to Café The Jack, where they were playing ’80s music. People kept coming up to us. One woman said, ‘You look exactly like I did back then.’”
Your first gig, and you’re immediately opening for an Australian band that’s shared the stage with Kiss…
“We were simply asked,” says Caitlin. “And of course, that has a lot to do with the way we look. dB’s has both a venue and rehearsal spaces, and we always rehearse there. The guy behind the bar told us that the band Battlesnake didn’t have an opening act yet and asked if we were interested. He took our email and passed it on to their booker. That’s how it started.”
“We’ll be playing a seven-song set on Tuesday, including two original songs,” Kimberley adds. “Eventually, we want to focus entirely on our own material.”
You look like you’ve been pulled straight out of the ’80s. How do you make it your own?
“I think we’re the only all-girl band in the Netherlands – maybe even in Europe – that plays glam metal,” says Frances. “We’re pretty deep into the scene, and if there were another band like us, we would’ve heard about it.”
“We’re often in the rehearsal room from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.”
– Frances, drummer of The Shotguns
Still, the band works to add their own signature to both their sound and performance. Isis explains: “We’re bringing back glam metal, but with a modern twist. There’s definitely something of us in it – our personality shows through.”
“The original songs we’re working on also reflect our personal experiences and stories,” adds Caitlin. “But glam is also supposed to be a party. I think our stage presence will be really fun to watch – which is more important than playing everything perfectly.”
“Even the best guitarists make mistakes,” Lieke notes.
Twins in a band – did that make for instant chemistry?
Caitlin: “We’ve had a strong connection from the beginning. Sure, there’s some bickering now and then – that’s just part of it. But we immediately understand what the other means, without needing to explain. That’s different with other musicians.”
What’s the next step?
Lieke: “Booking more gigs and recording demos of our original songs. We also want to record live videos and share them on social media. And we’re hoping to connect with other up-and-coming bands so we can perform together.”
“We definitely want to keep rehearsing a lot,” says Frances. “For the past month and a half, we’ve been practicing three times a week. We’re often in the rehearsal room from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. We’re now working hard on choreography too, because that’s also a big part of the kind of show we want to put on.”
Source: Eindhovens Dagblad – Joris van Laarhoven
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.
Plato
