A short interview with Amanda, ex Bis, right before the release of 'Foreign Objects' , the debut album of her new project"The Kitchen"with husband Ryan.
I really want to thank her cause she answered asa she got the questions.

Bib/Oa : I read you had a former band, before joining Bis, called " the
girlboppers", what did it sound like? Can you tell us more about that band?
Amanda : It was myself and 2 friends when I was 14. So it wasn't very good to be honest!

Bib/Oa : Have you had any female figures that were inspiring and empowering for
you to get on stage and make music?
Amanda : Definitely. Kathleen Hanna, Huggy Bear and Sleater-Kinney are all very inspiring. They are so talented and great woman to aspire to be.

Bib/Oa : Do you call yourself a feminist?
Amanda : I would, as I believe in still fighting for equality. Sexism is still and issue and needs to be addressed.

Bib/Oa: Was it important for you to get married? Who proposed?
Amanda : Marriage wasn¹t important but something we both wanted to do. I had never really thought I'd find someone to marry but you just know when it's right. It's also handy to be married if we want to be in the same country (ryan's american!). He proposed but pretty poorly!

Bib/Oa : Is it more difficult or easier to work with your husband or John & Steven ? Was it difficult for you to find a place between the two of them, since they are brothers?
Amanda : Both are very different people to work with. John and Steven are all I've ever been used to, and it was 10 years doing music with them. I didn¹t really find it strange to work with brothers as they felt like my own brothers. We are very close and they do feel like family. With Ryan I think he's a lot more open and complimentary with me writing music. The experience of working with different people is good though.

Bib/Oa : Can you please explain how you ended up making music for the Power Puff
Girls?
Amanda : The writer of the cartoon was a fan of Bis and asked us to do it. We watched a pilot episode and liked it, so we agreed to do it. He was ultra happy with the result.

Bib/Oa : Are you a video game addict? A manga addict?
Amanda : Oh both! I love my playstation, and I'm well into my Ranma and manga cartoons. It's great as I'm learning japanese and the subtitles help.

Bib/Oa : It seems like there is a DIY electro scene in Scotland, speaking of you, or Motormark for instance (whom we adore the Pop Up album), is that true / effective? Would you say the community is supportive?
Amanda : The Scottish Œscene' is weird. You think everyone would be friends and be supportive when another band does well, but it's not always like that. There's a lot of bitching and jealousy which I don't understand. I don't feel like I've ever been part of Œthe scene as maybe I've never been cool enough. Motormark are the same, and absolutely amazing people!

Bib/Oa : How would you describe The Kitchen forthcoming release?
Amanda : Fast! It's a mix of pop, rock, punk and electronics. Its definitely more rock that previous stuff and the live drums and bass make a great difference. It's been a good thing for me to try out, and a wonderful experience.

Bib/Oa : What do you listen to when you're at home?
Amanda : YMO, Miss Kitten*, the Pixies, Gravy Train, Erase Errata, Franz Ferdinand, Multiplies.

Bib/Oa : You seemed to be a bit obsessed by Drew Barrymore, is it getting any better ?
Amanda : Oh that passed a few years ago. I still like her but don¹t really follow what she does anymore. A slight obsession that¹s definitely gone now.

Bib/Oa : Anything else you would like to talk about? anything to be noticed?
Amanda : Don't think so guys. We want to get to France to play or do festivals though, so hopefully we'll see you at some point.

* : I think she was referring to "mis Kittin"

More Info & Sound : http://www.ilovethekitchen.com/