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SOUNDTRACKING: Seven Minutes With The Rockin’ Clavin Sisters Of LA Band “Bleached”

by Daniel Colussi | Sometimes I fear that the unruly spirit of rock and roll has been totally subsumed by a more measured, careerist approach to making music. There are just too many bands today that look like accountants. Like, what’s with all the elbow pads and sensible footwear? What happened to the kind of search and destroy ethos of Iggy and Patti? Who’s gonna kick out the jams? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

I’ve catching my z’s just fine since discovering the sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin and their badass bubblegum punk gang Bleached. These two gals are true blue rockers, fully willing to shed blood and break bones in the name of rock and roll. As Bleached they channel the swagger of Keef, the bounce of the Ramones, and the filthy LA spirit of Black Flag. The sisters Clavin recently gave me the lowdown on all things chill, East vs West, and Project Runway-related. Read on!

Jennifer, I’ve read that you were kind of disillusioned with music after your old band Mika Miko ended. But then something changed and you started playing with Cold Cave and now Bleached. So what happened there? Did you just need a little downtime before you could be psyched on playing again?

Jennifer: Yeah, exactly. I just got super burned out so I needed a break. But doing that reminded me how much I love playing music. It’s all I wanna do but I also know I need to chill sometimes so I don’t get sick of it.

Also, Bleached is a slightly mellowed affair compared to the bombast of Mika Miko. Are you guys mellowing out a bit as you get older? Was it getting to be a drag to play to moshing crowds, or is this just a natural musical evolution for you two?

Jennifer: We started Mika Miko when we were super young. Since then, we have evolved majorly in our instrument playing and vocal abilities. I mean, the last thing we recorded with Mika Miko was in 2008 so we have grown a lot in 4 years. With Bleached we are writing music we would want to listen to. I guess that has to do with getting older.

Also, Jennifer, I know that you studied fashion design. How much of a Project Runway fan are you? Do you think you could make it to the Top 3? Any preferred contestants from season’s-past whose work you liked?

Jennifer: Haha. I watched that show a couple times and it would piss me off because it seemed like no one actually knew what they were doing or how to sew. I think I would drop out before even getting close to the Top 3.

After having lived in NY, do you feel like there’s a different vibe between West Coast and East Coast rock bands? Because Bleached often gets written up as this true-school LA/West Coast band…

Jennifer: I think so, in a way. Its weird though, because to me Blondie and The Ramones seem west coast even though they are east coast. I guess it has a lot to do with lyrics and style. Singing about being in love and dreaming seems really west coast. When I lived in NY, it was hard to write music and when i did I would just sit in my kitchen and play depressing guitar melodies and write depressing lyrics.

Why do you think rap music has such distinct geographical scenes (East, West, Crunk, ATL, etc), whereas indie rock music sort of sounds the same no matter where it comes from?

Jennifer: I think a lot of rap bands make it a point to establish where they are from because of pride. I feel that way about LA and growing up in the valley. It made us who we are. It’s also where porn started. So tight.

You guys have been on the road a fair amount. Any notable tour stories? Is it cool to tour with your sister because you two can look after each other? Or does it become a thing where you dare each other to get more wild and fuck shit up?

Jessie: Jen and I have been touring since we were teenagers. A good portion of our life experiences are from being on the road with different challenges, but keeping it fun. Man, so many stories. One time I was sitting in the back of the tour van trying get the seatbelt stuck in the bench seat. I was like pulling on it so hard it flew up and the metal part hit my forehead and I started gushing blood, so Jen turned around, gave me her towel and took some nice photos! That’s what sisters are for! We totally look after each other. We know each other the best out of everyone so we go to each other for consulting and we seriously never fight on tour.

I feel like there’s a definite old school punk thread in Bleached, and maybe even a touch of early hardcore. What was the vision for the band when the two of you started writing together? What were the touchstones that interested you?

Jessie: We totally grew up listening to punk. Our first band was like a thrash band. Our second band, Mika Miko, started in, like, highschool. Then Bleached during the end of Mika Miko and by that point we were listening to bands like The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, so the writing style and process changed a lot. Jen really took her singing and song-writing to another level, but keeping that punk background. I started listening to some country, really enjoying the sounds of the slide guitar, so I kind of envisioned doing that on my guitar. It really hit home since we grew up with our Mom who wanted to be a country singer and our Dad who plays blues and country guitar.

You guys have a rep for badass live shows. What makes for a good Bleached set?

Jessie: A good Bleached show is when people start crowd surfing and dancing. We just want people to have fun since that’s what we did growing up going to punk shows. The Smell is our hometown venue that we know anyone can come to since it is all ages and go crazy in the pit!

What do you guys do when you’re not doing the band? What’s the day job scene in LA these days?

Jessie: Driving along Mullholland Dr. is always fun. You get both views of the Valley and Hollywood. Eating at In N Out. I love walking around Echo Park and shopping at the 99 cent store. Eating at taco trucks. Going to house parties!

Jennifer: I love lighting so many candles and watching a movie. Or hanging out and playing music with friends.

Bleached and Veronica Falls play the Media Club Monday February 20th. Tickets at Zulu and Red Cat.

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Zulu Records veteran and tunage aficionado Daniel Colussi is the Music Editor of Scout Magazine.