BiB/Oa:What do you do when you do not play music?
Allison: Well, I live in Washington DC and I work part time at the Washington Post newspaper, I am a secretary, basically, in the style section... (she laughs at looks at her dress) I am bringing a little style to the style section. And I also work at Sculpture magazine, which is a smaller magazine, and I do basically the same thing: administrative assistant work. It is good, it is part time, I can take time off to do other things, like go on tour...


BiB/Oa: There seems to be a quite active Riot Grrlz scene in DC....
Allison: It is fine, it is a very nice city, although it is a bit conservative, socially speaking, which bothers me sometimes. I am a west coast person at heart.

Bib/Oa: Is the sense of community as strong as in Olympia, for example?
Allison: In some ways, yeah. It is a pretty small punk community there, but it is strong. It is more boys oriented and boys dominated than Olympia. I think Olympia is great because it is more creative and original there, and it is more queer and female fronted, and DC is much more of a boys town, but it is also fun.

Bib/OA: Can you say something about your Bratmobile style, staying really hum, Bratmobile amateur style... I mean, if you compare with music that Kathleen Hannah is doing now, it is very different from what she did with Bikini Kill. Is it important for you to keep this direct punk approach?
Allison: well, i just kind of believe in punk. I just think that what is really unfortunate about the end of the 90s and the new millenium is that are not any punk bands anymore. Maybe it is sounds old-fashion, but I just want more bands that are real punk one and I really want to play in one. But I guess it is also because I do not know how to play instruments and things like that, and I am not interested enough to learn. Plus, I like lead-singerness, you know, bands with a lead singers that jump around and do there thing. I am more into the performance aspect of being in a band that anything else to tell you the truth. We are going to try something different, though, on our next tour we are going to bring a keyboard player along with us. She is also going to sing back-up. It is the girl Audrey, who was in Mocket. I think that would make the sound a little bit different. But then it makes me a bit angry when people start to talk about your sound being this and this, and why not t hat... You know, when ar e you gonna coopting, what are you gonna give in to what people say what is modern, or what is cool, I just do not want to be trendy, just do what everybody else is doing. It is just not my thing, I do not want to be like that, I just want to be in a punk band. (laughs)

Bib/OA: You did you listen to when you were a kid? Did you dream about being in a band?
Allison: No, I was in a kind of singing group, called the music kid, when I was little. I listened to whatever my mum had around, like you know Fleetwoodmac, Romeo Bod, the Eagles... and later, it depended on the phases. I was this kind of New Waver, but I went to punk rock soon. But yes, I was into Duran Duran and blah blah blah, all that stuff. I did not start playing in a band before I was like 20. And even a month before I started playing, if you had told me I was gonna sing in a band, I would not have believed it I never liked the sound of my voice when I was little, and I still struggle with it. That is why I don not listen to what we have recorded right away. Since we do not live close to one another, we do not get to practice much, and sometimes, just to practice, I would listen to the CD, like the day before the show or something, but that is it, basically, and I only do it if noone else is around... and you know, it is punk rock.

Bib/OA: Do you hav any problems with sound engineers when you record? Do you have problems imposing your views sometimes?
Allison: No, we usually work with people who know what we are doing, our sound and stuff. But the problem with me is that, as I say, I come from a New wave, teeny boper style, so I really like things to sound kind of spacy, and I think I am kind of the only one who wants it that way... We usually record with people who do nt understand that, and there are never enough effects on my vocals... I need to get some special equipment on stage (laughs)

Bib/OA: Do you have any story behind the songs on your last album?
Allison: Well, I spent the whole summer in the Bay area. There was this guy that I really liked but I think he never really catched on.... He was kind of lame, because he would never come and meet me. He was some kind of San Francisco snob, you know, they would never go to east bay to see anyone or go to shows, or anything. They never want to leave the city. I thought that was really stupid, cause I lived in the east bay whole summer...So I just got frustrated with that guy and wrote a song. Also because he started going out with this girl who was just really plain, and I do not understabd why guys always go out with really plain girls. I mean, don t you want a crazy person like me instead? (laughs) I jut think guys are wimps, they only go out with someone that is easy, they want it to be easy... and I am not, that is for sure.

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