Q&A: Bask in the ‘Goddess Energy’ of Who is She?
THE ENERGY OF A JAM SESSION CAN BE SO DIFFICULT TO CAPTURE — but on their new album, Goddess Energy, Seattle supergroup Who is She? does just that. Made up of members of standout bands from Seattle’s vibrant indie-rock scene, Robin Edwards of Lisa Prank, Bree McKenna and Emily Nokes of Tacocat, and Julia Shapiro of Chastity Belt came together to create an endlessly enjoyable listening experience.
With scratchy guitar, driving bass lines, and vocals that range from shouty to conversational, it feels as though the band has let listeners into an impromptu garage performance. The tone of the songs shifts from comedic to political, like a meandering late-night conversation between friends. Iconic goddesses mentioned include Shania Twain, Anne Hathaway, Marianne Williamson, and the concept of the now-defunct MoviePass (a goddess who is so truly missed).
A high-energy ride through inside jokes and movie references, Goddess Energy seamlessly combines post-punk with the internet age. In one highlight track, Who is She? remimagines Le Tigre’s post-punk classic “My My Metrocard” as “My My Orca Card.” The song also reminds listeners that Who is She? is not just any supergroup — they’re a Seattle supergroup. The influences of past Seattle alternative rock titans can be felt all throughout the record.
The cover of the album features the members of the band posed together as the three of cups tarot card. The card represents community and putting creative collaborative energy toward a singular goal, and there could not be a better way to describe this record.
Luna got the chance to sit down with Edwards and McKenna to chat about the new album, post-punk influences, and, of course, Anne Hathaway. Read the interview below.
LUNA: Congratulations on the album! How are you feeling now that you are only a few weeks away from the release?
EDWARDS: I’m excited to have our silly little songs out in the world, I love this record!
MCKENNA: We are so pumped to have it out!
LUNA: The =three of cups in tarot represents celebration and creativity in a group setting. It's referenced on the album and on the cover, so I want to ask: What is your collaborative process like?
MCKENNA: We have had a fixation with the three of cups for years in regards to this band, because it was the card we would always pull whenever we were doing anything together. So it was an early idea for the visuals and cover of the record. The band is very collaborative and joyful, like the card itself.
EDWARDS: I feel like the collaborative process is a little different every time. Some of these songs came from song-a-day challenges we did during the lockdown, some came about when we were jamming together in our practice space in our house. Bree and I always talk about how the improv thing of saying yes is important in collaboration, and I think we all say “Yes” to each other's ideas a lot. It’s an extension of our friendship.
LUNA: The reimagining of Le Tigre’s “My My Metrocard,” now “My My Orca Card,” is such a standout on the album, and it obviously brought some attention to your band earlier this year. What was it like opening for Le Tigre for those three dates on tour?
EDWARDS: It was a dream come true! They are one of my favorite bands, and getting to see them play every night was incredible. Bree and I had both bought tickets to the Seattle show before we got asked to play, we are such big fans.
MCKENNA: Le Tigre’s show is so amazing to get to experience, and also wildly relevant to 2023. I feel so honored to get to play with those legends!
LUNA: Are there any other artists or bands who were influences for the sound on the album?
EDWARDS: The Canadian band Cub was a big influence when we were starting this band. I’m also very influenced by all my friends’ bands! Every Rose Melberg band ever and All Girl Summer Fun Band are a few that I love.
MCKENNA: Some of our songs, like “96 Ghouls,” “See Monkeys,” and “Please Don’t Kick Us Out,” have more post-punk influences, for sure. Bands like Lilliput and ESG were more of an inspiration for those songs.
LUNA: I laughed out loud a couple of times listening through the record for the first time — I could never have expected who “Bitch for God” is an ode to. When you were making the record did you set out to make something funny or did you find it along the way?
EDWARDS: I think we are all pretty silly people, especially when we get together. This album was definitely meant to be pretty fun and light. Even when I think I’m writing a sad song for my other band, people are always like, “That song is so funny!”
MCKENNA: Most of the songwriting process is so collaborative, and making each other laugh with song ideas is a huge motivator.
LUNA: The overall message I got from this record was “Don’t take everything so seriously.” Is that what you were going for, or is there an overall message you want fans to get when they hear this album?
MCKENNA: The purpose in life is to probably have as much of a great time as you can, so taking everything seriously doesn’t really work for that. The band is an extension of us, so that’s a nice conclusion to get off the record.
EDWARDS: Yeah, I think this band is definitely about having fun. We definitely had fun making it so I hope that people have fun listening to it.
LUNA: The album is filled with film and movie references, so for my final and my most important question: What’s everyone’s favorite Anne Hathaway performance?
EDWARDS: Ooh, good question. How do you choose a favorite star in the sky? I’m gonna go with The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada.
MCKENNA: Ocean’s 8 is maybe the best Anne Hathaway movie. I wish I could say the same for The Witches, but she doesn’t quite measure up to the Anjelica Huston performance, sorry Anne.
