INTERVIEW: Red Blooded Women

Yes, you read correctly. I got the fab opportunity to interview one of my favorite new groups, the trio of incredibleness that is Red Blooded Women. They are one of my Artists You Should Know, and this is hardly the first time I've gone on and on about how great they are.

However, this is the mack daddy of all RBW posts, as I got to ask them a few questions. The girls each answered separately so you can get a feel for how each member would respond. What I love is these are three real girls, who are down to earth, funny and ridiculously talented and adorable. Can't I be the fourth RBW?

This interview comes on the heels of the announcement that RBW's next single will be a cover of Depeche-Freakin'-Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". It's nice and lengthy and I ask them about covering their namesake Kylie Minogue and Lady GaGa, comparisons to The Satz and Girls Aloud, and their new single, available March 29th, 2009! You can listen to "Enjoy the Silence" (Designer Drugs Remix) of the song on their MySpace, along with several other hot tracks...

If you live in the London area, be sure to check out RBW live (and if you do, let me know -- and take pictures! ). They will be performing at Electroqueer @ Underbelly (March 6th), Oxjam2009 @ 93 Feet East (March 12th) and EY4 @ Queen of Hoxton (April 17th).

Thanks so much and supreme love to Candy, Carly and Liz for taking some time out of their super busy sched to answer my questions! You know I love you -- and will rep you forever!

NOTE: This interview was published about a month before the lineup change with the exit of Carly and the introduction of Katie.

>>>Tell us a little bit about yourselves.

Liz: I'd say we're a band who just has fun!! We write songs we wanna dance to, we joke around on stage with the audience, and have fun choosing outfits and posing!! We take what we do seriously but we also have a riot, we're 3 ladies who play hard and want to bring something new to the music industry.. inspired by everything 80s!!! I'm the Crazy one, Candy is the Party Animal and Carly is the little sweetie!

Candy: Red Blooded Women - it doesn't do what it says on the tin (that would be ghastly!) We're not scary but we are feisty! We are 3 young gorgeous girls who love to sing and adore performing electro pop!

Carly: We are Red Blooded Women,a 3 piece electro/pop girl band.- Candy, Carly and Liz.

>>>How did you all get together?

Liz: Candy and myself met at another girl band audition, I LOVED her voice and we just clicked! We both didn't get through and had taken time off work so thought we'd grab a coffee, chat and enjoy our day off. We both had really similar interests in music and got talking about doing a band together. So we sifted through myspace to find producers, photographers and a manager who liked the sound of what we wanted to do and then we put an add out and found our little Carly, she had a great voice and just seemed to fit in perfectly with me and Blondie :) and that was it!

Candy: We met through the audition process really. Liz and i met at another girl band audition and then decided to do it ourselves as we really felt like after a few meetings, we were heads and shoulders above the other "talent" We then auditioned Carly a few months after. We instantly knew the rapport was brilliant and our voices and personalities matched like we had known each other for years.

Carly: Well, I joined the band a bit later than the other girls. They were already formed a few months before I joined. I saw an advert in the STAGE newspaper that they were looking for a new member and so I auditioned and that was it!

>>>We know you got your name from the Kylie Minogue song, "Red Blooded Woman." Any chance we could hear you do a cover of that song (or any Kylie song for that matter)?

Liz: Ohh what a cool idea, we LOVE Kylie and hope she doesn't mind us using her song name as our Band name. She's such an amazing artist, and a great role model for all ladies out there. I love slow so much.. if we get to play Radio 1's live lounge I'd wanna do that!!!

Candy: Well Kick Me In The Crotch, Spit On Your Neck Fantastic!!!! I would love to do a version of that track! It is clearly one of the best Kylie songs. Count me in peeps!

Carly: Thats quite a good idea actually to cover that song!!! I love Kylie, especially her early stuff! If we got the chance to, id like to cover "BETTER THE DEVIL U KNOW".

>>>Do you write any of your own music?

Liz: Yes- thats what we are most proud of.. we're gals with brains and are very particular with our style. We have a couple of songs people have written for us that we just loved and had to have, but the rest is all us. We met producers through Myspace like Trademark and John Myers who are 80s through and though, they give us the beats and we go off and write the melody and lyrics. It's a system that works and we're sticking to it!!!

Candy: We write every last syllable. We get tracks sent to us, but we compose the melodies and lyrics. Every track we have ever recorded / been given - has been Red Blooded Women certified!

Carly: Yes we write all our own music. Liz is the master of it though, I like to sort out the harmonies!!! lol we work with some great producers too " TRADEMARK" in particular, they are amazing!!!

>>>What three adjectives best describe your musical style?

Liz: FAB, FAB, FAB (haha how big headed am I right now)

Candy: Powerful, Pretty, Meaningful (can i have more please? I could go on for ages!)

Carly: Creative, Wild, Playful

>>>What is the process like in the studio? Are you all more of studioheads or a live show girls?

Liz: Theres nothing like live for me.. I LOVE IT!!! you get to jump around and sing your heart out, I really buzz off the crowd and aim to have each person leave with a smile on their face!! The studio is great for experimenting and pushing yourself, but as a singer you always wanna prove you can do the real thing.. NO AUTOTUNE!!! hehe

Candy: Studio time is amazing! Its where all the magic happens behind the scenes. We have been in cool East London studios where its all massive and high tech, and we have also recorded in a mansion in West London where Natalie Imbrulia records too, but North London is where we have settled! Everywhere we look there is musical instruments. The feeling in there is unreal. But i am definitely a live show girl! I love being on stage - its what i was born to do.

Carly: I enjoy going to the studio, it's exciting when all of our ideas come together and then to see the finished product it's really uplifting! But I am for sure more of a show girl, that's all Iv ever wanted to do is to perform to people, and thats were I feel most comfortable to! nothing can beat the adrenalin you get from performing!

>>>My favorite song is "Colour Me Dirty". What's your favorite song of yours?

Liz: We have a newbie we haven't put on the Myspace yet called "Electric Fantasy", it's quite dark but really synthy and I'm really excited about it!! Also I'm in love with our new single “Enjoy The Silence” we r big DM fans and it's our tribute to them and some of the remixes are Dance hits in the making!!

Candy: I have a favorite track but we haven't used it yet. It one of our ballads called "Teardrops". It means a lot to me. There hasn't been 1 time that i played it to people and they haven't got goose bums. Its the most incredible song. I cant wait to get a chance to sing it at a gig. Other than that, "Headache", "Colour Me Dirty", oooh, i love "Don't Wanna Be Lonely".

Carly: I love "Synthesizer"! I love the rocky edge it has to it, and it's always a crowd pleaser!

>>>You recently announced you will be releasing a cover of "Enjoy the Silence", a song that was originally recorded by Depeche Mode and released in 1990. The song has been covered by many different rock bands, so it'll be interesting to hear your electro take! How did you come to the decision to cover the song?

Liz: Like I Said we are massive DM fans and we'd toyed with the idea for a while. We were scared we wouldn't do it justice so we were going to scrap the idea. Then we were invited to headline a gig called EY3 at Industry and it had a DM theme, so we thought we'd do it for a laugh and the response was AMAZING.. I've never heard so much cheering, so that was that.. 3 days later we were in the studio recording it!!!

Candy: I love Depeche Mode. My sister was a big fan when i was growing up - so it was always on in my house! We sang a version at EY3 in November and the reaction from press and the crowd was that of amazement and pure joy. It seemed silly not to release it.

Carly: We all love Depeche Mode, so it wasn't a hard decision to make to cover one of there tracks. I think enjoy the silence is an epic song, and when we recorded it in the studio we just knew straight away that it was a potential single!

>>>The Saturdays have recently covered "Just Can't Get Enough", another Depeche Mode song. Do you feel pressure to compete with extremely successful UK girl groups like The Saturdays, Girls Aloud and Sugababes? What are your opinion of them?

Liz: You know what I'm a girl band girl through and through I love them all!! I was a massive Spice Girls and All Saints fan and am now very much waving the Girls Aloud Flag. I don't really feel we need to compete with other bands, there is room for everyone and we all bring something different to the table. The only thing that is a lot harder for us then the likes of The Saturdays is getting recognition. We don't have a massive label behind us, getting us in every Mag or TV show, we do it all ourselves and it's hard!! We'd love to get big recognition someday and play massive stages and tours, but right now we are happy with our lot; Great fans, great songs and we still get to call the shots and love every minute of it!

Candy: I love them all. Sugababes, GA and The Saturdays are role models for girls and aspiring musicians. For the record, we have wanted to release this Depeche Mode track for nearly 4 months so there was no copying going on thee!!! I own albums of all 3 of these bands. Lets all stick together, theres room for all talented bands out there. Just so happens we are SUPER TALENTED!!!!!

Carly: I don't really see it as pressure, if anything it's good to see them doing so well, it's all about girl power! I really like Girls Alouds' music, I sing to their songs when I hear them on the radio!! I loved Sugababes earlier stuff, and The Saturdays are doing really well, so in my eyes it's promising for us that they are successful!!!

>>>For the average RBW fan, what album(s) do you feel they should absolutely have in their collection?

Liz: Madonna - Ray of Light, Bananarama - True Confessions, Lady Ga Ga - The Fame, Michael Jackson - Bad and Dangerous, Abba - the Greatest Hits, and AS MANY best of 80s albums you can get your hands on ( Wham, Aha, etc).

Candy: Erm, Madonna The Immaculate Collection. I have nothing more to say!!!!!

Carly: Oh well, all kinds of stuff - Roisin Murphy, Yazoo, Lady Gaga, Mgmt, Madonna, Abba, Bananarama, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson.......

>>>Is there a song on the radio right now that you've heard, love, and wish you could have recorded for yourselves?

Liz: I'm becoming a MASSIVE Lady Gaga Fan. “Just dance” is infectious and also "Single Ladies" by Beyonce... Legend of a song!!!

Candy: Oh my god - your questions are amazing!!! Song on the radio that I have heard that i wish i recorded? Lady Gaga, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", Rhianna "Disturbia" oh and i love Lily Allen's new track. "The Fear".

Carly: hhhmm at the moment, probably Beyonce "Single Ladies"!!!

>>>How do you decide on outfits for your live shows? Is it more important to look like a group, or show off your own style?

Liz: It's so hard, we all have different body shapes and individual styles, but we all have to kinda match!! We usually start with an idea like “wet look leggings” and then find tops that suit each one of us, and show each personality. We might used similar colours to make it matching, but it's all about wearing what feels good and says something about us as a band and as individuals.

Candy: Its a mixture of us and our manager. We all have the same ideals so we always make decisions on what to wear quickly. I do love to show off my pins, so if i had my way, id be in high heels and a cool skirt all the time, but it varies!

Carly: We try and keep the style similar to each other, it can get a bit tricky sometimes. We all throw in ideas together, but it's important that we feel comfortable, we cant look uncomfortable on stage and we've got to be able to dance in them too!

>>>For people like me who live outside the UK, what's the RBW live show experience like?

Liz: Fire work night!!! haha We Love performing, that's what it is all about!! To get up there and give it your all feels so good.. it's like a gym work out sweat, heels and glitter!! We aim for our fans to remember each performance and leave on a buzz. We love to joke with the crowd and have a good time, but we also prove we can sing live, so may artists rely on auto tune or lip sink at gigs so they can do dances etc, we just jump around on stage and scream out the notes!

Candy: An RBW live show is fun fun fun! We sing completely live all the time, we banter in between songs and really interact with the crowd. We love it and so will you! We stop and chat to everyone after every gig and generally lap up the great atmosphere.

Carly: Well, it's fun, energetic, sexy, live vocals, what more do u want!?? lol

>>>Perfect World Scenario: You can tour with ANYONE as a double headliner bill. Who would you most want to go on the road with?

Liz: Michael Jackson, he is my hero, an amazing performer and think with his demands we'd all be sat on velvet chairs being fed grapes or something.... Amazing!!!

Candy: Oh my god, there are so many. Here we go: Aerosmith, Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, Pussycat Dolls, How about Girls Aloud? Can i get back to you on this question....there are too many influences!!!!!

Carly: Michael Jackson would be pretty cool!!

>>>What's a random little known fact about you that most people don't know?

Liz: I hate Asparagus ewwwww!!!!

Candy: Red Blooded Women are in fact all men!!! Hahaha - no really, we're not!

Carly: I don't keep secrets, what you see is what you get :)

>>>As young female artists, do you feel its important to be a positive role model to young women?

Liz: Yes, completely. We are 3 normal girls; we eat, we don't look like pop stars first thing in the morning and we are hard working and career driven. So many girls in the industry are so thin and perfect looking all the time (usually due to plastic surgery) it's so hard for young girls, they want to be that and it simply isn't possible without being unhealthy. A girl should enjoy being a girl, get dressed up, go out for cocktails, eat chocolate and work hard to get the job she wants. I still believe in being fit and going to the gym but live is for living and it's important to love yourself and respect yourself.

Candy: Being a positive role model in this day ad age is essential. I would like to think that i could have a good influence on someones life through music. Its very important to have friends and family that you can trust and goals to achieve. Thats where i think RBW come in well. We are 3 solid, young dreamers who are doing all we can to make our lives richer. If that emulates into others, then cool!

Carly: Absolutely, young girls are under so much pressure nowadays to look a certain way. So it's important for us to show that we are confident in the way we look, and show we are mature and independent women, that young girls can look up to!

>>>What do you think is the biggest problem in the music industry right now?

Liz: Not enough pop acts breaking through. I like indie bands as much as the next person but Pop is where my heart is, good honest 'sing into your hairbrush' pop!!!

Candy: Biggest prob is that there aren't enough hot men around at the moment! I mean, Justin - sure, but he's taken! Ok, on a serious note, probably downloads. STOP ILLEGALLY DOWNLOADING PEOPLE! It prevents hard working musicians from getting the credit we deserve!!!!

Carly: I'd say probably piracy, and the lack of respect some people have for artists.

>>>Message to the fans?

Liz: THANK YOU!!! Thank you for taking the time to write us messages and buy our music. As an unsigned band it's so hard to get noticed and your kind words and support make us fight harder for that dream. Thank you for believing in us and spreading the RBW love, sending love right back at ya!!! If you like our music please check out our myspace www. myspace. com/redbloodedwomenmusic and if you have a few bucks to spare please buy our new single “Enjoy The Silence” March 29th 2009. MWAH MWAH MWAH!

Candy: My message would be thank you for all your support. 2009 is a very exciting year for us and watch out!!! Oh and always brush your teeth at night, erm, don't smoke and always chill white wine (it makes it taste much nicer!) Love Candy xxxxx

Carly: We love u and thank u for all your support!!! BIG RBW love! xxxx