Interview: Getting in the Van with Perfect Pussy
In Toronto, it’s very easy for a band to make an impression: good, bad, or otherwise. On Saturday, June 21, Perfect Pussy blasted 
through a 20-some-odd minute North by Northeast (NXNE) music festival set at The Great Hall, a venue that could easily be converted into a low-lit restaurant for artsy types.
There was a certain command and chaos to the set brought forth by the Syracuse, NY noise punk collective on this afternoon. Meanwhile an explosive, yet controlled circle pit had gotten excitable, but not to the point where any bouncers needed to intervene. It was perfection comparison to the evening before.
Parked in an alley beside the venue is Perfect Pussy’s glistening red van filled with members Shaun Sutkus (keyboards, effects), Greg Ambler (bass), and Ray McAndrew (guitar), along with the Riffyou.com team. Frontwoman Meredith Graves had previously taken off with some fans, while drummer Garrett Koloski was briefly seen abandoning sweaty clothes outside of the ride.
With everyone thrilled by the set they had just completed, discussion quickly turned to the night before and an appearance at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. During NXNE, the venue was temporarily co-branded as the Budweiser Music House.
“It was just the House of Budweiser and there just happened to be bands there as well,” quipped Ambler, who according to reports reacted to sound issues within the venue, and lack of support after his bass amp crapped out, by smashing his bass in half and exiting the stage prematurely. No big deal, he didn’t think the bass would last the weekend anyways.
What Perfect Pussy discovered, and was seemingly a bit surprised by, was that their rough night at the ‘Shoe had become a big story the following day. Understanding is soon found when we explain the history tied to the venue and its place within the Toronto music community.
That said, the band can’t help but recall the shitty nature of that night. They explain Budweiser’s overwhelming corporate presence, to the point where just two out of seven bands on the Friday night bill were able to find a spot to sell their merch. As for beer, Ambler – who doesn’t drink – notes that the seven bands were handed a 12-pack to split. At an event sponsored by a mega beer company, those performing allegedly had to use their own touring funds to buy over-priced Budweiser from the bar.
This, perhaps fortunately, just about does it for Perfect Pussy’s touring obligations for the year. One-off shows are happening here and there, but after jaunting from gig-to-gig for the past six months in support of their debut album Say Yes to Love, the group will be able to take a much-needed breather.
“There’ve been ups and downs. We learned a lot,” admits Sutkus from the passenger seat. “I think if we knew what was going to happen, we would’ve d
one it differently.”
“I wouldn’t recommend any band go on the road for six months of back-to-back dates,” interrupts Ambler as he casually slumps behind the steering wheel. “It doesn’t matter who you are or who you are friends with, it’s going to fucking kill you. Everyone has their ups and downs, and, I mean, I’m the biggest asshole in the band.”
Interjects Sutkus: “I think for some of us [touring] is helping us understand what makes other people not like you, or what makes people think that you’re nice, or mean.”
For the membership of the band, touring is a relatively new thing. Both Sutkus and Graves have done extensive road work, while McAndrew states that his longest tour prior to this one was a week. Ambler had never done it.
“We used to give Shaun shit a lot because he came from a [DJ] world that was way different and kind of above what we were doing…and beyond what we were striving for. It turned out that his assistance was the most valuable because we ended up crossing over,” offers Ambler. “We still do a lot of DIY shows, but the opportunity to do bigger venues is there now and a lot of times we didn’t know how to accommodate ourselves properly.”
Accommodating themselves properly was a trick at first. As soon as music site Pitchfork publically embraced the band’s demo cassette, I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling, the demand for them, and on them, increased. Bandcamp music orders became terribly delayed; arranging interviews became overwhelming; and of course a proper album would eventually need to be made, followed by a supporting tour.
Soon enough, the group met with Captured Tracks, a label in which the band quickly found themselves on the same page with. And by quickly, we mean quickly…
“I was on [a DJ tour] for two months and we had a deal. Greg’s calling me and going, ‘you have to come home because we have to sign this deal and record,’” recalls Sutkus. “I was like ‘we don’t even have any fucking songs! We have two fucking songs right now! What the fuck do you want me to do? You want me to come to rehearsal? I’m in California all week!’ I got home and we locked ourselves in a room and made the record.”
“Some people have made the critique of saying that [Say Yes to Love] felt rushed. Well, that was our thing and that’s our style so far,” adds Ambler. “Maybe with the next album we’ll take our time making it, but we’ll absolutely still record it the same way. We’ll record it in a day and master it within two weeks. You can’t start second-guessing yourself or you lose that spark. It’s very natural. You can’t just sit and fucking hold onto it. You have to enjoy it while it’s there, and then kiss it the fuck goodbye.”
Relishing the moment is something Perfect Pussy has to do. They’ve now gotten a taste of what it can be like to make a living with a band. Needless to say, finding a unique spot in the music market has been of great assistance, but so has the insane amount of hype that’s been pushed their way.
At one point, it got so strange for Graves, that Ambler recalls her questioning just about every business person that had interest in her band: “She would just say, ‘tell me why this is happening. You tell me what the fuck is so cool about us.’”
Let’s face it: Perfect Pussy’s sound isn’t the easiest to embrace. Live, it runs at you like a screaming freight train. You either stare it down and prepare for impact, or you jump out of the away. Thus far, many have embraced the impact. This, one has to believe, only fuels the hype machine.
“If the hype wasn’t out there, people wouldn’t be calling us [for shows],” says Ambler. “On one side, you almost feel as if you’re tricking people into [the band], but then you find out they’re really good people that are actually into the music and lifestyle. It’s 
not all about music: it’s about promoting a positive lifestyle, because there are plenty of shitty people out there who make good music. We want to spread that message, so the hype helps.”
At this juncture, Perfect Pussy is at an interesting point. Their road commitments are just about finished for now and the thinking will slowly turn to when and how the next album should be made.
Ambler sounds interested in taking a similar, rapid approach to the band’s future offering, while Sutkus is considering the possibility of plotting it out a little more methodically. He’s considering a two-week camping/writing excursion, before returning to the studio and turning “all the knobs to the right.”
That said, on this day, nothing is imminent. But nothing is quiet either.
“We’re all looking to the future,” relays Ambler. “We all have other things in mind with life, [but] we don’t have any plan to ditch the band…we have devoted a lot of time to it. That is strange because all of us are used to having multiple projects going on at once. So by just having one going on…there’s a lot of extra stuff brewing. There are a lot of good things coming.”
-Adam Grant
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