Minneapolis trio The Von Tramps are riding high after the release of their sophomore LP GO, out 11 Mar 2022 via SBÄM Records. TGEFm was able to get in touch with guitarist/vocalist Jenna Enemy for the round of Roll of the Dice. We rolled a SIX.
1) Your sophomore album Go came out recently on SBÄM Records. Can you talk to us about your influences on this record?
For this record we were more influenced by an idea than a particular sound. We wanted to make a highly-motivational album that would get people revved up for life after the pandemic. I listen to just a little bit of everything and I think it finds a way into my work. I definitely opened myself up a little more to pop for this record than I typically would. Our mantra with this album was if we liked the song, we would put it out. We didn’t concern ourselves with genre. In GO I think you’ll hear a little bit of Pop, Punk, Post Punk, Showtunes, Pee-Wee Herman, Ska, Metallica, Tom Delonge’s Left Hand, Dancehall, and it’s all just in this blender called The Von Tramps.
2) I don’t want to fall into the trope of asking the stupid question “What’s it like being in a girl band?” But at the same time, you’re very much a feminist band. So I want to ask: do you find any challenges being a feminist and femme band being taken seriously in ways that male bands don’t have to deal with?
The short answer to your question is of course. The very example of the question shows that it is different for bands with men and bands with women– people don’t ask The Foo Fighters or The Red Hot Chili Peppers what it’s like to be in a male-fronted band*. In fact, if I said that they would probably laugh at me like it’s a joke, yet people say this all the time to bands with women in them as a descriptor, and worse sometimes as a genre. I could go on about the shortcomings of sexism in the music industry, but instead, I’d rather talk about some of the positive changes that we are seeing. We’re very fortunate we have a label that has put every effort possible into opposing sexism and re-writing punk culture in a way that is more supportive to female artists and fans. We feel very supported under SBAM’s wing and the awesome people that encompass the SBAM brand.
*but you know what? maybe we should? – editor
3) One of my favorite songs on the new record is “Fake It ‘Til You Make It.” Is there any way that you feel like you’re faking it until you make it?
Being in a band, or going for your dream whatever it may be, has so much “fake it til you make it” mentality on the pathway to success. And when I say this, I don’t mean being disingenuine or lying about what you do or who you are. Fake It ‘Til You Make It is about the hustle of chasing a dream and keeping your mind positive while getting knocked down. It’s knowing that what you see in your mind may not be what they see yet, and that’s okay because if you can see it you can do it. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me “no” or that I can’t do something. If you think you can do it, the truth is you can. I wrote the chorus to the song in the first-person narrative so whoever is singing it can sing it to themselves and get pumped to go get what they want. It’s a sing-to-yourself-in-the-mirror type of anthem and I’m so glad you like it.
4) You named your first album The Future is Female. Can you explain what that title means?
The Future is Female was a collection of songs based on issues that women face. It was about surviving domestic abuse, starting over, friendships that are great, friendships that are not so great, betrayal, broken hearts, whole hearts- basically the whole kit and caboodle of the human condition. We had no idea the #MeToo movement was just about to happen and it was pretty amazing that a huge feminist movement happened during the Album’s release. The Women’s March in Minneapolis played our song “Bitch” on the stairs of the capitol. That was an incredible moment to see. I am grateful that I was able to connect and lend a voice to help assault survivors know that they are heard and supported.
5) By the same token, your new album is called Go. That’s very enigmatic in its simplicity. What made you choose that album title?
GO is all about momentum. When we wrote it we were forced into this pandemic stagnant lifestyle and all we could think about was what we were gonna do as soon as we could. We knew so many people probably were feeling the same as we were so we wanted to support them as soon as the pandemic was over. We wanted to encourage them to GO when the time was right.
6) What are some of the best bands right now that our readers need to check out that they might not have heard of yet?
I love our friends in Space Monkey Mafia and Something To Do. Great Ska bands! We love all of our label mates on SBAM as well!
GO is out now, and you can hear it via Spotify, or pick up physical copies via the SBÄM webstore in the EU, or Say-10 webstore in North America.
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Julie is punk rock, lesbian time lady from the future. The greatest things in the world are punk rock and science fiction. Check out her website JulieRiver.com!
