Image courtesy of warpaintwarpaint.com
A little bit late to fill an article about Warpaint now, because it's so difficult to imagine a suitable words for this amazing band. If Nirvana having an affair with Siouxsie and the Banshees then the childrens will be Warpaint. Apparently they are singing like the two little girls from The Shining, it 's thrilling and haunting.
Hailing from LA, the band consists of Emily Kokal (vocalist/guitarist) and Theresa Wayman (vocalist/guitarist), Jenny Lee Lindberg (vocalist/bassist) and the piston-like drummer Stella Mozgawa. The original line-up of the band was formed in 2004 with childhood friends, Theresa, Emily, Jenny Lee, and actress Shannyn Sossamon. As the girls battled through the L.A. rock scene for three years, the group eventually parted ways with Shannyn and went through a string of line-up changes before they found Stella Mozgawa.
The band weaves intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving post-punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between the soundscapes of psychedelia and intimacy. In 2009 the band released their debut EP titled Exquisite Corpse, followed by their full length album, The Fool, released on October 2010. Exquisite Corpse produced by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the EP successfully captures the band’s sonic textures and playful dynamism that they’re notorious for creating in a live setting. "The Fool itself is a reference to a state of innocence, to push yourself to see who you are, with the potential of falling on your face to reach liberation, The risk of laughing at the wrong moment or to choose not to act like you know everything," Kokal explained. Recorded in LA, The Fool was produced by Tom Biller (Beck, Karen O, Liars), with further mixes from Andrew Weatherall (New Order, Primal Scream, Bjork) and Adam Samuels (John Frusciante, Daniel Lanois).
Soon they will performing live in Jakarta on July 21, watching the live version is beyond compare, cause the group playing consistently impressive. In Live, each one is in her own zone, often with eyes shut and head loose, It's almost like watching them make up songs in real-time at every show. Warpaint has toured incessantly over the last couple of years with standout performances at CMJ, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella, as well as the Leeds, Reading and Laneway festivals. They have also shared the stage with The xx, Band of Horses, Yeasayer, Akron/Family, Javelin, and The Walkmen. But so should the fact Kokal and Wayman were raised in hippie communes, but sound like the sky has slightly caved in. Come smash yourself against their song and performance, you won’t regret it.
Official music video for "Stars" by Warpaint, taken from the Exquisite Corpse EP (Manimal Vinyl). Filmed in the ashes of the Angeles National Forest.
Shot by Adam Harding, edited and directed by Burke Roberts and Adam Harding © 2009
Shot by Adam Harding, edited and directed by Burke Roberts and Adam Harding © 2009
Watch their amazing live performances at Coachella 2011.
