We chatted with the girls from La Luz before their show at 191 Toole on Friday. Their first full-length record, It’s Alive, was one of the most-played on KAMP Student Radio during the fall. The Seattle foursome talk tour van smells, road-trip games and recovery.
*
How do you feel about the term “girl band”?*
Shana Cleveland (Guitar/Lead Vocals): On one hand, we’re almost asking for it because we are intentionally an all-girl band. It’s not like it’s an accident. We could have let a guy into the band, but we didn’t want to. It is annoying when it’s like “all-girl surf rock band.” The first thing is all-girl.
Alice Sandahl (Keyboard): There isn’t a genre of all-male band.
SC: Boy bands don’t even play. When you hear the term boy band you usually think they probably don’t play instruments. They sing and dance.
AS: [A] girl band can be a whole range of style.
Marian Li Pino (Drums): You just have to be girls.

We read that your EP was recorded in a trailer park. Did you guys have any unique experiences creating your full-length album It’s Alive?
SC: We recorded it at the same place, but it was much less hot. It was kind of the same situation, but we took more time with it. Are there any interesting stories?
MLP: Yeah! We’re in there trying to record and we hear this racket outside.
SC: Just screaming and revving of engines.
MLP: Then we look out the blinds, I don’t know why we didn’t just look outside, and how old were they even?
SC: Pre-teens.
MLP: Girls riding around on ATVs. Just screaming. I loved it.
SC: All around the trailer park, just running loose. We would be trying to record and we would be like, “Oh wait, it’s just two pre-teen girls on their ATVs just screaming their brains out.”

*Did the car accident in November bring you closer as a band? *
MLP: Yes and no. I think everyone was dealing with traumatizing personal things anyway. I felt like for a while we were really close, and then we just needed to get into our heads and figure out what happened to us and what it meant. It’s been nice to be back on tour because I feel like we’re reconnecting again and rebuilding.
SC: I feel like personally I came out of it with more resolve to keep doing it.
*
Do you guys play any road trip games? *
MLP: Today I forced Abbey to play this game “Bird or Dog.” Someone will draw a scribble on a piece of paper and the other person has to either make a bird or a dog out of it. Usually it ends up looking really ridiculous.
Abbey Blackwell (Bass): I was reluctant at first because I had just woken up from a nap, but it was great. The last one I didn’t do a bird or dog, but I did a deformed platypus.
MLP: It was a good one to end on. That is so ugly we can’t go any further.

Describe the smell of your tour van.
AB: Banana-y.
MLP: Coffee.
SC: Just a little bit like trash.
*
What’s been your most “This is Spinal Tap” moment?*
SC: Every time we get a sort of confusing back room, I think about the scene where they get lost backstage because I’m really bad with directions anyway.
AB: Sometimes I feel that way about the amp scene. I’m kind of learning about amps right now. I just bought a new amp.

What’s next for La Luz, especially now that Abbey is leaving the band?
SC: We’re touring down to SXSW, and we’re playing shows down there and on the way back. When we get back, we’re home for just a couple days and then we go to Europe for almost a month. Then we hopefully start recording an album in the fall.