Project Description
Interview with
DONITA SPARKS
from
L7
Interviewer – Karen Lowe
.
.
“one of grunge’s most fierce and uncompromising bands.” – ABC
“the legendary women’s rock team” – Alt Press
“L7 return as a bloodthirsty gang and live up to their legacy.” – Rolling Stone
.
L7 exploded onto the scene in 1985. They were pre-grunge, unapologetically themselves and weren’t out to impress anyone but their fans. For L7 – it was never about gender and only ever about the music that they wanted to play. Karen Lowe spoke to Donita Sparks about touring, their latest album Scatter The Rats and just playing what you want to play.
.
.
You guys are about to tour Australia and bringing with you, your latest album Scatter The Rats. Are you looking forward to the tour? And what are some of your favourite memories of Australia?
We are very much looking forward to the tour and this time we get to go to New Zealand as well. We didn’t get to go there last time we went to Australia.
We have great memories of Australia and the crowds are always friendly and beaches are beautiful and the water is beautiful and we’re just looking forward to it. Hopefully getting to hold a koala.
With Scatter The Rats that was released last year, it was your first time back in the studio as a band. Was it good being back? And how much different was the recording process compared to your last album Slap-Happy?
We were actually in the studio before this album. We did two singles – Dispatch From Mal-a-Lago and I Came Back To Bitch so we kind of stuck our toes in the water with those couple of singles and then decided to come back and make a full album.
The process was a little similar only this time, we were at our producer’s house so we were in his living room recording. He had a really good vibe; there’s a studio dog… it was just a little more of a laid back thing rather than a full time studio.
Being on tour can be tough on mental health and general well being. How do you guys go with touring and do you have any strategies to keep each others spirits up?
Oh that’s a good question. I’ve never heard that before. We all get respiratory problems and just about every tour, we all get sick and then we all make each other sick but we keep our spirits up.
We have each other’s’ backs as a band even if we’re not the best of friends. We’re band mates. We made each other’s dreams come true and we couldn’t have done it without each integral piece of this puzzle. We just let each other know that as much as possible.
.
.
The industry has undergone many changes since you first started. What are the some of most negative changes that you have seen? And what some of the most positive changes?
We’ve been on our own for so long that I don’t even feel we’ve been a part of the industry since 1997. The major label we were on – Warner Brothers – dropped us. We ended up making our own record after that (Slap Happy) so once you get dropped, you don’t even really feel a part of it as far as the big industry.
You just feel that you are an independent thing but thank goodness we had our fan base. We have a very strong, very loving fan base and they’ve stuck with us for all these years which is just amazing.
I would say that social media is great and powerful though it takes up a lot of time but it’s a wonderful way to be in direct contact with your fans and let them know when you are coming and what the dates are and all that stuff. It’s amazing in that you can just do that directly without having to take out an ad in a magazine or anything like that.
It was International Women’s Day on 8 March. As a woman in the industry, have you ever felt like you had to fight harder and fight longer just to earn respect and get where you are today?
I don’t know because I’m in it. I can’t answer that question objectively, you know what I mean? I’m in it too much. I don’t know if some of our obstacles have been because of our gender. Probably. We’re a hard working band along with a lot of other hard working bands – male and female and it’s just not really easy to be in a rock band for many years, It’s a hard road. It’s just the nature of being in a rock band so I can’t really tell you the answer because I don’t know.
And what advice would you give to young women who are just starting out in the industry?
I would say to be yourself and be brave. If the kind of music you want to play is not popular right now, it will be by the time you get good. If you get good; you are going to set the trend. Don’t worry about what people are playing now if it’s not your scene or it’s not the kind of music you want to play.
Don’t worry about what people are doing now. Do what you want to do because in a couple of years when you get good, you’ll be right there.
.
.
You are no stranger to controversy. Has there ever been a time that you regretted your actions or wish that you hadn’t spoken out about something? And what do you say to those who do want to speak out about something but are too afraid to do so?
I don’t think I’ve ever regretted anything I’ve ever spoken out about. I think I’ve behaved badly a couple of times in private but publicly, I’m not really embarrassed by anything. I would say that I self-censor. I don’t have a Twitter account. I’m very careful about what I post on my social media. I try not to be reactive and comment on what’s going on with other people’s business because sometimes, you don’t have all the information to comment on it yet.
I try to be careful but that comes with age, that you start to watch what the hell you’re saying. I would say that if you’ve got a temper, do not have a Twitter account.
L7 has been around since 1985. What are some of your greatest moments from the early years?
The first time we ever toured was very exciting – getting the van and going to another city was incredibly exciting. That’s the thing about being a band. We didn’t think that we were going to be famous. We didn’t think that we were going to get a record deal or anything like that.
We were just doing it because it was cool you know what I mean? (laughs) We were like this is cool. It’s a cool experience. That’s why we were doing it and then things just started to move along where we saw possibilities that maybe we could do it for longer than something to do that was just cool and that’s what happened.
You guys have toured a lot of different places. Has there ever been a time where you’ve felt your safety was at risk?
I felt our safety was at risk when we played in Brazil in 1993. I could really see how that kind of constant attention with people following you everywhere you go – I could see how that could turn you into a freak.
These mega stars that hide behind walls all the time… I could totally see why they would do that because it’s crazy. It’s super fun at first and then it’s just like wow! Jesus – leave me alone!
Then at certain times, people have barged into our dressing room – like, a lot of people – that we felt threatened so yeah; just things like that.
.
.
Is there any genre that you just can’t get into?
I really don’t like prog-rock. At all. I don’t think I have any prog-rock on my playlist. I like all kinds of genres of music. I don’t like everything but I’m very specific within any genre but I don’t like any prog-rock. That’s why punk rock was invented so I’m going to stick with that.
Are there any bands that you just didn’t get until you saw them live?
Are there any bands that I just didn’t get until I saw them live? Huh. That’s a good question too. That’s a good one. Shit. I’m going to have to think about that one. I’ve been seeing rock bands for 40 years. That’s a looong way to go back. I don’t know. That’s too hard of a question. I will probably think of like, five bands in about half an hour or so.
For example, my band that I didn’t get is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Oh, I like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on record. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them live but I like them on record.
Nope – I’m drawing a blank.
All good. Thank you so much for talking to me today.
Thank you so much and I’m sorry that we’re not playing Perth this time. It is out of my hands. Thank you so much for the interview and I really appreciate the interest.
.
.
Check out L7 below
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
.
.
L7
Australia And New Zealand
May Tour 2020!
Grunge rock legends, L7 are set to unleash their live force when they return to Australia and New Zealand in May 2020!
Unmistakable in their own unique sound, L7 pioneered the grunge movement with their furious music and feminist ideals. Following their breakthrough 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy, L7 became one of the most highly regarded grunge acts of the era with hits like “Pretend We’re Dead” and “Shitlist”, while their live sets were infamous, fuelled by high-energy, slamming, dancing and stage-diving.
L7 make their comeback to Australia and New Zealand May 2020, gracing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Wellington and Auckland stages with a snarl, a wink and a new album Scatter The Rats in tow.
Tickets are on sale now HERE
On L7’s new album Scatter The Rats they remain a raucous, subversive, and vital voice in rock. Back with their trademark distorted, heavy riffs, headbanging rhythms and indelible melodies, L7 are taking on society’s biggest dickheads, the fakers and liars, and everyone who doubted them.
No one collective has rocked harder and rejected cultural conformity with more of an edge than the combined forces of Donita Sparks, Suzi Gardner, Jennifer Finch and Demetra “Dee” Plakas. With a career, highlighted by healthy activism and a revolutionary spark, rock music can’t escape the influence of L7.
L7 are raw, chaotic and enduring pillars of rock music – catch their ferociousness live when they return to Australia and New Zealand in May 2020!
.
L7
AUSTRALIA AND
NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2020
WEDNESDAY 20 MAY – METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY
FRIDAY 22 MAY – FORUM, MELBOURNE
SATURDAY 23 MAY – THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE
SUNDAY 24 MAY – THE GOV, ADELAIDE
WEDNESDAY 27 MAY – SAN FRAN, WELLINGTON
THURSDAY 28 MAY – GALATOS, AUCKLAND
Tickets are on sale now HERE
PRESENTED BY SBM PRESENTS
.
CLICK THE PIC TO SEE THE NEWS
.
