Irish feminist alt-rockers The Amniotics have released their second single, HMPB. We asked front woman Rebecca Walsh the BIG questions . . .
The Amniotics are a four-piece alternative girl band inspired by everything from Pavement and Le Tigre to more contemporary artists such as Courtney Barnett and Taylor Swift.
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HMPB is the follow up to their debut single, Boomerang, and speaking about the new track, they say, "The song is about immaturity. From the ages of 15 to 20 I followed every good and bad impulse I had and got used to some aspect of my life always being in chaos.
"I wrote HMPB in the middle of one of those chaotic episodes, when I realised I wasn't just a kid who played gigs on school nights anymore, but someone whose actions had consequences and was wildly out of her depth.
"Also, I was sick of dealing with lads who thought taking inspiration from both Megadeth and the Sex Pistols was groundbreaking."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
We are an alternative girl and non-binary band who all had initial careers as solo artists before we met. One time when Cat (our lead guitarist) was driving Katie (our bassist) and I back from rehearsal I closed the boot too hard and broke a taillight clean off. In the middle of Covid I met Sally Rooney while my mam was giving me driving lessons. I yelled at her from a passing car, and I felt so embarrassed I made my mom drive us back so I could apologise, and we ended up having a nice chat.
How would you describe your music?
Slightly unhinged guitar music for the teenage girl in all of us.
Who are your musical inspirations?
There's a wealth between the four of us. Katie and I both love Fiona Apple, Loeka (our drummer) loves jazz and neo soul, and Cat loves classic pop-punk. Obviously we’ve been hugely influenced by the recent influx of Irish female-fronted punk bands, like Girlfriend, Sprints and Mhaol as well.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I went to see Lisa Hannigan when she played in my hometown, I was about 16. Cat’s was Good Charlotte in Milan, Loeka’s was One Direction, and Katie’s was the X Factor 3Arena tour.
What was the first record you ever bought?
At like seven I begged my mom to buy me the Mamma Mia soundtrack, Katie’s was a Hannah Montana CD, Loeka’s was Take Me Home by One Direction, and Cat’s was Tutto e Possible by Finley, an Italian pop-punk band.
What’s your favourite song right now?
From a Motel 6 by Yo La Tengo.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Loeka wrote one for a song we haven’t played in a while: "It’s just nothingness that leaves/but you’re not nothing to me". I remember hearing her mutter it in rehearsal one time and feeling like my heart had been stabbed a million times in a nice way and making an "Oh wow that's beautiful" face at Katie when I heard her sing the full verse.
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Patti Smith’s version of Gloria by Them. Cat introduced me to the song, and it's become a staple of our live set- something about it is so primal and tangible I always end up screaming my head off to it.
Where can people find your music/more information?
We released our second single, HMPB, on Spotify last week, and you can find us on Instagram and Twitter, and Instagram.
Alan Corr
