On an episode last year of talk show podcast You, Me, Them, Everybody, Fan Death Records’ Sean Gray named Phonic Riot as one of the few bands in D.C. worth listening to. Admittedly, if we agreed with him on this point, the Three Stars column would not exist. Still, we very much respect the opinions and taste especially when they’re regularly repeated amongst other reputable sources.
Washerwoman, which is the new name for the work of Phonic Riot’s Angela Morrish and Nathan Jurgenson, is a haunting mix of the angry and the beautiful. Morrish’s dissonant riffs complement her evocative howl for a sound that is at once disturbing and entrancing. The songs take notes from no wave and shoegaze but sounds more like a wake up call than a call to rest.
We sent a few questions to Angela Morrish about the name change from Phonic Riot, the evolution of her personal style and what she hopes for D.C. music.
Find them online: http://washerwomanband.com/
See them next: Tonight at Comet Ping Pong with Yellow Dogs and Dangerosa. $10, 10:00 p.m.
You seem to be the center of most of your music projects over the past couple of years. Was going by Washerwoman rather than Phonic Riot due more to a stylistic change or a personnel change?
It was just a new name for a new year. I’m still the songwriter as of now, so that’s remained the focal point for sure.
Any reason for picking that particular name—Washerwoman—for your new material?
Nathan and I originally had a song titled Washerwoman as Phonic Riot. That song held some meaning for me and it just stuck.
One of the most telling things that I saw you say recently was actually on Facebook — that people who keep comparing you to PJ Harvey need a crash course in Sexism 101. Seeing as how you developed your style before you discovered Harvey — can you give us a crash course as to the musicians and moments that actually helped play a part in the development of your personal style? I’m particularly interested in what inspires your very intense live performances. Also — is that a question you’ve actually received a lot?
Yeah, but I haven’t gotten that question as much as the PJ comparison and it’s a lot more valid. I grew up on a lot of mediocre stuff (and we didn’t have the internet) so it wasn’t until I started getting compared to artists like PJ Harvey that I got into them. Nick Cave, Maynard James Keenan, Sonic Youth, Jonsi…witnessing their live performances really affected me. But good music (like anything) is one big mess of sounds and expressions you’ve pulled from throughout the years. I might mix a little Joy Division with some Sisters Of Mercy, throw in some Killing Joke, Swans… then watch a Jean Rollin film and get crazy. Of course my songs sound nothing like any of these. But if I were to make daily playlists they’d be pretty schizophrenic. Joni Mitchell to Amebix…I’ve got it and it’s probably shaped the style.
Sadly, I missed the podcast streaming on WNYE — is that still something we can track down online? Can you tell us more about that?
Our friend Jenna Emens set all that up. She’s a killer recording engineer/DJ and we love New York so that whole thing was a blast. B-Sides WNYE is a way to discover new music you’ll actually want to listen to. Our performance is still streaming at http://www.nyc.gov/html/media/html/radio/radio_bsides.shtml, but after that we’ll see where the recordings find a home. Again, her mixing/mastering was fantastic so they will definitely resurface.
Am I correct in remembering that one of your first performances as Washerwoman was in conjunction with an Occupy D.C.-related protest? How did that show go?
Yeah, we set that up with our friend Pat Walsh literally the night before we played. We figured why not. At this juncture however I’m not into mixing politics with music. There is a lot of gray area.
Were you at all familiar with the Iranian band that you’re playing with tonight prior to joining onto the bill with them?
No actually…My friend Sasha put the bill together. We’re looking forward to the show though.
What do you like about being a musician in D.C./What would you like to see more of?
D.C. has been super supportive of everything musical I’ve tried to do, and I don’t take that for granted. Admittedly I’ve found myself falling into the trap of complaining about the lack of energy here, but that’s a catch 22. As artists we feed off energy, but the fans feed of the energy from the artist. Someone has to bring it first or you end up with an awkward set and blank stares. If there’s something good happening people will come out, but I guess it’s up to the musicians to raise the bar. Bands from Screen Vinyl Image to Ilsa (and too many more to name) are doing that. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of crap here too… but that’s anywhere. It stands out more because there aren’t many people moving here to do music. The scene is still relatively small. I hope that changes.
