There are several reasons why we love the four LA women who make up Warpaint. Above all, their music. With chilling vocals that glow like a crystal ball, and a flood of ambient, space-rocks sounds, we've been spellbound by their latest SELF-TITLED ALBUM since it was released in January. Second, they do it all with a messy-haired, no-makeup insouciance that reminds us of our own high-school best friends, eating cereal in a kitchen at 2 AM after driving around town trying to (unsuccessfully) find that house party.
Regardless of the music industry's standards for female artists, these girls do their own thing. Next up is a round of shows on the West Coast, including one this Sunday at the Ace Hotel in DTLA for SUNDANCE NEXT FEST, where they'll play alongside a screening of Ana Lily Amirpour's Iranian vampire-noir flick, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.
Here, we chat with singer/guitarist Theresa Wayman about style, skateboard culture, and being "fun and dorky." And check out the movie-inspired playlist the quartet made especially for OC!
AUSTEN ROSENFELD: You and the other three girls have been friends since childhood. What were you like as kids?
THERESA WAYMAN: We were fun and dorky. We liked to make up songs and dances and make each other laugh. At some point, we got into boys and buying our clothes at second-hand shops and smoking pot. We started making up songs in a more mature way, but we're most definitely still making each other laugh!
Where does the name Warpaint come from? Have you ever performed with warpaint on?
We haven't performed with Warpaint on but… that's not to say we won't one day. It could have a nice dramatic effect. The name came from a lot of brainstorming. It feels powerful and important and strong which seemed necessary for an all-girl band. I like that when people hear the name and they don't know us, they think we're going to be a metal band.
The new music video for DISCO//VERY AND KEEP IT HEALTHY is beautiful. I love the nighttime skateboarding shots. Did you skate?
No I didn't, but skateboard culture was always close by. I had lots of friends that did. It's just such an incredibly beautiful, elegant, but brutal sport and we wanted to connect ourselves with those qualities. Something that felt carefree and reminded us of our youth.
At Next Fest, Warpaint's performance will be paired with Iranian-American filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour's indie film about vampires. Do movies influence your sound, and vice versa?
Yes, when I was younger the movie Untamed Heart turned me on to Suzanne Vega's Tom's Diner, and I got really into her for a bit. Also, both the old and new Romeo and Juliet films turned me on to music. The old one being WHAT IS A YOUTH love theme from Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. And then the way Baz Luhrmann used modern music to create a new mood for an old story was really powerful and eye-opening. Plus, I was in love with Leonardo Dicaprio so... you know.
Your Billie Holiday COVER is brilliant. Any other covers you dream of doing?