Interview: Jennifer Clavin from Bleached

If you haven’t heard of Bleached by now, are you really a true punk? The trio, consisting of two sisters and their best friend, began in the City of Angels in 2010. Their 2013 debut album ‘Ride Your Heart’ was undeniably Hollywood, emanating images of rebellious trendy women riding down a filthy Sunset Boulevard in a Cadillac full of secrets. This years’ ‘Welcome The Worms’ saw them find their loudest voice and lay all their cards on the table, ironically written during enduring unhealthy relationships and near-homelessness. We spoke to frontwoman Jennifer Clavin about the ladies’ musical influences, pop culture crushes, and what you can expect from their upcoming Australian festival appearance!

You’ve probably been asked this so many times but we just have to know, how did you girls go from being just sisters and friends to being a punk band?

Well, Jessie and I were both living in the Valley in junior high and high school, and Jessie decided she wanted to learn the bass. I picked up one of my Dad’s guitars and decided I should be the guitar player, since she was the bass player. We would go to punk shows every weekend…we both ended up getting into punk kind of on our own. So that was the thing that really created our bond, we both liked the same music and wanted to go to the same shows. We would just go to so many shows and finally we were like, why don’t we have our own band? So that’s when Jessie was already learning bass and I decided to pick up one of my dad’s guitars and teach myself guitar, and we’ve been playing music ever since!

Your most recent album ‘Welcome The Worms’ has a distinct fem-punk kind of sound. What inspired you in making this album?

I think the thing that makes it “fem” is just that all three of us are female, so that kind of makes that vibe. But with the punk side, I think we’re just inspired by so many punk bands, from really early punk stuff to like, The Ramones, The Clash and The Buzzcocks… most of the punk music we like is older music. It’s really hard for me to like newer bands that inspire me. I love Blondie and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but that’s all really old too. So I just think we’re really inspired by a lot of older punk. But lyrically, I’m really inspired by Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, and even The Cure and Morrissey. Those bands really inspire me musically and lyrically!

‘Welcome The Worms’ sounds a little more emotionally deep than your previous album ‘Ride Your Heart’, where did this more emotional sound come from?

Well I think when we first started Bleached I was experimenting with even the thought of being honest with my lyrics ‘cause in past bands I’ve never done that. I would sing about something totally inanimate and make it sound like something important. And with Bleached I was like, “I’m gonna start singing about things that I actually care about”. I wanted sing about stuff that affects me because I feel like other people, when they’re listening to your music, if you have a voice, you should use it. I’ll be honest with what I’m singing about and hopefully it’ll help other people out.

I know with Bleached that did start happening. People were like, “Oh my god, this song got me through this, this song got me through that”. I never really got negative responses to Bleached lyrics, so with this album I was like, “well now we’re putting out a new record and I’ve gotta step up my game…I’m just gonna be even more honest”. I mean it helps that I was going through a really rough time so I had a lot to sing about. So I just kind of laid it all out, I didn’t really hold anything back!

You ladies have a really grungy and eclectic style. Do you have a certain kind of fashion in mind with what you wear, or do you just let it come together naturally?

I think all of us have little things we’re inspired by, that stick with us. Like, I love Brigitte Bardot… and when I think about the 90s I think about Drew Barrymore or Alicia Silverstone, and famous photos of them from the 90s so for me, I kind of think a lot of my style is inspired by them. So if I’m in a thrift store and I’m looking for a shirt, if something looks like something one of them would wear I’m like, “oh my god yes, I found the perfect thing at the thrift store today!”, and sometimes I think about Jodie Foster in Taxi. I think her style in that movie was so good, where she wears the platforms and the short-shorts and she looks super 70s.

Then Jessie and Micayla have their people that they’re really inspired by… like, I know Jessie really likes The Runaways’ style, like a glam meets 40s kind of look. And another thing I thought about was when we were kids we were obsessed with the Spice Girls! They were such fashion icons and you wanted to be like them when you were a kid. I think that really sticks with you, y’know? When you watch the Spice Girls, you’re like “I wanna be that one” and everyone has their favourite Spice Girl because of whatever their style is, and their hair and everything. So I feel like we think about that still.

You’re touring at the moment. What city has been your favourite so far and why?

Well we just got back from Europe and our last show before we flew home was Gothenburg, Sweden, and it was so cool! The club was totally packed and everybody was singing along to Wednesday Night Melody, it was just crazy! I’ve never played a show like that before, where everyone’s singing along. I felt like I was in a hardcore emo band!

We’re really excited to have you at the Yours and Owls Festival in October. This will be your first time in Australia, what are you most looking forward to when you come down under?

I think I’m just really excited to see how beautiful it is. I really don’t know much about Australia because even with all our friends that are in bands, not everybody gets to go. So I think it’s one of those things that I have to experience for myself to understand what it’s like. I know a few bands from Australia and we have some friends, so I know some people but I really don’t know what it’s like to be there personally. I feel like I’m just so excited to see how beautiful the beaches are and to eat what food is popular there, like I have no idea what it’s gonna taste like and what kind of shopping is there, I’m just so excited!

For all the Aussies that will be seeing you perform for the first time, what can we expect from your live shows?

Just that we like to have a good time and we love when people have a good time with us and everyone’s giving a lot of energy, and just making a special experience – an unforgettable experience! We’re really excited to come over!

Finally, what should you always use bleach on and what should you never use bleach on?

Always use bleach on your hair… never use bleach on your dog’s hair!

Bleached Live Dates 2016

WED 28 SEP
Mojos, Perth
FRI 30 SEP
Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
SAT 1 OCT-SUN 2 OCT
Yours and Owls Festival, Stuart Park NSW
SAT 1 OCT
Newtown Social Club, Sydney
MON 3 OCT
The Brightside, Brisbane

Get Tickets HERE