MILKYMEE via email, March 2006

The first time I heard about Milkymee was through the Toxic Girls compilation Tsanami Addiction released in 2002. But after that nothing.
Nothing until the Femmes s'en mêlent Festival revealed this year's programme and I saw her name pop up. A quick search and we got in touch through her myspace profile. It was too good to be true, and I wanted to know more...through email first, before we finally meet in Paris on April 20th to carry on with the little chat.

BabesinBoyland : How come a French girl ends up in Sweden, huh?
Milkymee : That's a long story....When I was 17, I had a best friend who had a swedish penpal. It was summer and we were really bored at Maisons-Alfort (94. That's where I grew up), so we decided to hitch-hike to Gothenburg. It took us 3 days, or something like that. There I found friends for life. Some years later I decided to go back for 6 months, I needed to take a break of some kind. I fell in love. It's almost three years now. I learn Swedish and I live in Stockholm with my girlfriend.

Bib : How did you get to meet Gloria and Tsunami Addiction?
Milkymee : Originally, Gloria is a friend of my big brother RudDe. But now she's friend with the whole family. She's known me for years, since I was a shy, weird 8 years old little girl. She saw me grow up so to speak. Our relationship goes way beyond our working together.

Bib : Can you tell us a bit about your musical past present and future? Was your track on TA’s Toxic Girl your first?
Milkymee : When I was 15 I learnt to play guitar, then I was in a couple of punk/grunge bands. I was playing with friends in a band which name changed at every concert: Mum mis drunk, puis Mum is dad, Mum is Gay, Mum mis Gone. Then I sang on my brothers' second album (dDamage) and finally; yes, I think that Snowballing (released in 2002 on the Toxic Girls compilation) was my first, real solo work. I worked on it with my brother JB. We've been working together since then, on stage as well as in the studio. Snowballing is the first hours of Milkymee, in a way.

In the beginning, Milkimee was a trio, and the music was more electro/punk oriented. I was working with Sasha and Florent. Florent is an exboyfriend, from when I was 17, he's now a very good friend. I met Sacha through Florent. I think we started Milkymee because Gloria asked me to play at the Pulp for the release of the Toxic Girl compilation.

Bib : Who is this herr nicke your album is named after?
Milkymee : I am really sorry, but I cannot answer this question

Bib : You'll be performing at the Femmes s'en mêlent in Paris in Paris on April 20th, does it mean something special to you? What's your take on this festival? Have you played at some Ladyfest events (I know you have ;-)...) How did you feel about it? Did you get something from it?
Milkymee : I have always liked the LFsm very much and it is great to be part of it this year. The most important part of this kin of festival is to present and promote women artists who belong to the alternative, both by finding new talents and by involving some important women in rock, such as Kim Gordon, some years ago . I did take part in the LF Sweden in 2005. LF is never like just any other concerts for me. It represents a platform, a guests of expression and exchange, a direct heritage, and a vivid one, of the riot grrl/D.I.Y. movement. The very concept of LF is free and copy left, everyone and anyone can start one.
There, all kind of feminisms, queer theories and forms of activisms are discussed and practiced. Generally speaking, I think that feminism and the very perception of feminism are different in Sweden: with 45 per cent of the members of parliament are women, a feminist party, Sweden seems to be THE country of equality. In practice it is far from true. Anyway, I do claim a certain form of feminism and playing at this kind of event is crucial for me. I only do it in Stockholm, though, the scene is very active there.

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