We caught up with Le Butcherettes for an exclusive Q&A following from the release of their 4th studio album 'A Raw Youth'. Also catch Le Butcherettes's brilliant new music video for 'My Mallely' below!
Hey Teri, how are you? Can you start off by
telling your English fans what ‘Le Butcherettes’ means literally and what
it represents?
I’m very
jet lagged but in life I am great. Thank you for asking.
Le
Butcherettes means The Butcher Women… women with power…hence the “ettes”. It
could represent many things but in my head the band name has been a sort
of inner mantra to get me through rough patches…
Having
control within your hands, having the power and the strength to be able
to cut the scum up, butcher it up, motivated by love, of
course, by resilient untouched love.
Your 4th studio album ‘A Raw Youth’
came out in May earlier this year, whats your favourite track off the
album?
I love
all of the album. You can’t just listen to one track without wanting to listen
to the whole album………
Said not
a voice inside of me ever. Hahaha! Nah… I really don’t know which one is a
favorite because they all cause me a certain distress because they were
inspired by pretty gruesome human-world experiences. Even the poppiest and
sweetest child like sounding one is about a very dark issue. (Sold Less Than
Gold).
What was the thought process behind the new
record?
You know
it’s funny that you ask because sometimes you never really are 100 percent
aware of what your actual thought process is. Sometimes my thought
process would be completely contaminated by self doubt, and in bringing out old
songs that I had written years before, (two to be particular “They Fuck You
Over” and “Reason To Die Young”) would reawaken old memories of situations I
was going through when having the songs re-played, re-worked for the record.
The feelings that would get invoked (which felt like reopening old wounds
instead of old songs) were feeling of burning youth, of what it first felt like
to feel passion over any matter that life has to offer you…
My
process was all too fleeting…went by too fast. Actually wish I could be back in
there, recording A Raw Youth, go back to the past, because that is the one true
moment were you feel like you are in the womb, and it’s okay to feel that
disconnection from the world. Because you need that focus to connect the dots
in the process of writing and recording.
I like to
linger towards one general concept for a record. A knot that will hold the
world that you want to build with music as a tool. It’s all about finding that
focal point for me, like photography or like with cinema.
Overall I
think my process in general is essentially a very solitary one. Sometimes I
just can’t let my band mates go in with me, it’s a very vulnerable place but then
you come off like an asshole…
It’s clear that Iggy Pop has been a massive
influence on your music and you did a collaboration with him on your new
album! What’s it like to work with someone who’s such an iconic name in
music?
It’s so fantastic that it’s normal for me… I
say that at the fear of sounding arrogant, but it's about the spiritual
fact that is just makes perfect sense. It didn't feel forced. The
situation led to this miracle,
It just
feels like this encounter was just supposed to be…
There are
very limited number of true artists in this industry,
it’s only
natural that we gravitate towards one another. So it feels like I’m at one with
myself when I work with people that know what they are doing and that at the
same time treat me with respect and acknowledge a good song when it’s a good
song.
You’re coming to the UK in October, is there a
certain date you’re especially looking forward to?
I’m
looking forward to Cardiff., Wales. I’ve never been there before and it’s
history fascinates me. Have always wanted to go and visit when I was little,
wanted to drink the salts of the ocean there once when I was twelve, because of
my obsession with Roald Dahl's books.
You’ve played countless gigs across America
and the whole world since forming 9 years ago, but what the best concert
you’ve ever played?
Recently
we played a show in Las Vegas and it was one of the most emotionally giving
crowds I have ever witnessed.
I’ve been
warned by friends that play in bands that Nevada is a hard place, because
either people don’t show up to shows or because people are too drunk… Luckily
for me, my experiences with the state of Nevada have been very, very good
ones.
Tokyo was
also a great city to play…I don’t know. So many great places… some very low key
places like Syracuse was a great and magical place to play in (with The
Melvins) from Guadalajara to Toronto are also very lively, people that go
to a show to see us are very passionate art lovers, so our fans are very
creative and loyal. They have helped keep this band rolling on it’s feet.
In
between gigs and when you’re on the road, what’s your favourite pass time?
I love to
sleep and to be able to dream. The mind is a slobbery little animal, it likes
to roam around the four corners of the world… at the end of day, inspiring me
to write more.
We’ve already established what influence Iggy
Pop has had on you, but what other bands have influenced you on a personal
level as well as musically?
The
Melvins, Bratmobile, Otis Redding, Spice Girls, Violeta Parra, Selda Bagçan,
Omar Rodriguez Lopez, The Beatles and over-all the hysteria that is exploding
from the the jar we like to call life.
Have you seen any bands recently that have
really impressed you on stage?
Kim &
The Created, L.A Witch and Deap Vally. Word of mouth has flown into my ear
making me hear really great things about the European band The Picturebooks’
live show. They will be our special guests for the upcoming month long A Raw
Youth Tour.
And finally, after travelling the world and
meeting so many people, what’s the most important thing you learned and
what messages would you give to your fans?
Always be
nice to people. The least thing you can do is is give 5 minutes of your time to
people who go see your show. But I get it, not many people can do it… lots of
artists are introverts…etc but I feel that at the end of the day introvert or
not it’s important to be kind, not just to the people that go to your shows and
support your dream but also to every person that crosses your path. Believe me,
I’m an introvert and that doesn’t get in the way of shaking somebody’s hand.
Could you
please choose 10 songs for our Spotify playlist?
Vanessa-
(Album: Darkbloom-EP) Grimes
Impossible
Tracks - (Album: Ash & Ice) - The Kills
Love &
Anger- (Album: The Sensual World)- Kate Bush
Scream
Feat. Aristophanes (Album: Art Angels) Grimes
Zapatos
Viejos (Album: Mis Favoritas: Gloria Trevi) Gloria Trevi
Honey
Bucket (Album: Houdini) The Melvins
Goldmine
(Album: The Golden Echo)- Kimbra
Vowels=
Space and Times (Album: Visions) Grimes
Dear Nora
Feat. Meshell Ndegeocello (Albums: Language Barrier)- Shirlette Ammons
El
Cristal (Album: Mon Laferte Vol. 1) - Mon Laferte
My
brother got me into Grimes recently. The video for 'My Mallely'