Eyeliners: whole band
interview by Tim Krysko

So, you're three sisters, and you've been playing together since you were how old?
Gel: Lisa and I started to play the guitar at the same time about 10 years ago. Around 1995, Lisa and I decided to form a band and Laura was going to be the singer. One day we were borrowing a drum set and Laura starting messing with it. We taught her a simple beat and she started singing over it! We hadn't been able to find a drummer that fit our style, so we decided we would be a 3-piece band. We played our first show a couple of months later. We always loved music though, since we were really small!

When did you absorb the punk rock lifestyle, get your first pair of stiletto shoes, leather jacket, leopard print and all the other Eyeliner trademarks?
Laura: Our style kinda progressed. We always used to wear jeans or capri slacks, converse shoes, stilleto shoes, anything leopard print, leather jackets, etc because we were always very interested in the kitchy side of 50's and 60's culture. That's why we like leopard print so much as well as stuff from the 50's that looks futuristic. They had a great sense of style in the 50's.

Did all of you listen to the same kind of music, adopt the same fashion, etc, growing up? All the girls I know with sisters can't agree on ANYTHING. How did you coordinate who would play what?
Lisa: I started out listening to punk first when I was about 14 and Laura and Gel got into it soon after. When we decided to form the band, Gel and I both played the guitar. Eventually I decided I would play bass and Laura was going to sing. Once we found out that Laura could drum and sing at the same time, she became the drummer. It just kind of fell into place and worked well that way. We do have our disagreements sometimes, but nothing too serious!

Do you have any other siblings?
Gel: No. Its just the three of us.

Here Comes Trouble is your first Panic Button release, right? How did you get hooked up with them?
Laura: We recorded Here Comes Trouble with Mass Giorgini at Sonic Iguana. We had recently left our old label, Sympathy For The Record Industry. When the record was finished, Mass played it for Ben when Ben was at the studio working on Screeching Weasel's new album. Ben loved it and wanted to put it out!

What's Albuquerque like, as a hometown and as a punk scene? I've never been that far south, but I don't think I could survive the heat this time of year. I live on the coast where I can see glaciers from my house and I still complain about the heat.
Albuquerque is a nice place to live. It does get too hot in the summer but its nice in the winter. We have beautiful mountains outside the city and its much cooler there. As for the punk scene, there's lots of good bands, but there is only one place to play so the scene isn't as good as it could be.

Do you play cover songs live?
Gel: We don't usually play cover songs live. If its around Halloween or we get a request for it, we play She's Fallen in Love with a Monster Man(Revillos cover) which is the b-side on our Do the Zombie single.

What non-punk music do you like that may surprise others?
Laura: We also love 50's rock n roll and New Wave.

Does the "sellout" mean anything to you, or is it just a word for people who complain too much when bands become really successful?
Lisa: A sell-out means someone who compromises what they believe in for success. I think that most of the time though, people use it to complain when bands become really successful. It is great to see a band achieve success by hard work and perseverance. Its too bad that some people that are into punk try to keep punk bands down. All the punk bands that most of them like , such as Sex Pistols or Ramones were successful or nobody would have ever heard of them and punk wouldn't have been much of a movement. When a punk band gets big, it gives young kids who wouldn't have an opportunity to be exposed to punk music a chance to get into it.

What keeps you busy when you're not on the road and recording?
Gel: Write music, go to see touring bands, go to thrift stores, movies, etc. plus we all work part time jobs.

What do you think of mainstream music these days? Do you have a secret affection for boy bands? Is there anything good on the radio?
Laura: None of us are into mainstream radio because it all sounds the same. I think the boy band thing as well as the Britney Spears clones have gotten way out of hand. I think that people are going to get tired of being fed the same fabricated stuff and be ready for something new.

Originally posted: http://www.punkinternational.com/inteyeliners.html

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