INTERVIEW: POOLGIRL: PUNK IS FOR EVERYONE
*This interview was conducted on May 11, 2025. Sorry for the formatting issues! I did my best!
Male-dominated environment? Honestly, things are visibly changing and Poolgirl is one of the bands we have to thank. It sounds cliché to say, especially in 2025; representation does matter. The band said it themselves, and they couldn’t be more right: someone younger or older, a girl, a woman, a trans woman, or a gender non-conforming individual will see Poolgirl and might get inspired to start a band of their own. Enjoy my conversation with these gifted, badass yet caring Montreal musicians who do their best to make their shows a safe space for everyone! Thank you, Randy (vocals), Rachel (drums), Laura (guitar), Gwenna (bass), and Manya (guitar) for this chat full of hope.
Manya: I would pick Frank Iero as the guitarist!
Randy: I want either Donna Summer or Courtney Love. Queen of Disco or queen of Grunge! Actually, let’s have the two of them on vocals together!
Rachel: Daniel Fang from Turnstile!
From playing your first show in January 2024 to now, what kind of changes and
improvements have you noticed? What is one thing you still want to work on?
Rachel: Oh my god! The difference is crazy! We sound so much better and so much
tighter. Also, we know more about how to put on a show. We have more of an
interesting stage presence to look at. Before, we were a bit more stiff. I think that’s
something we are always trying to work on. We are always trying to move around
more. We make sure to add more live elements to our set such as transitions
between songs. We are always working on making our show a live show and
not just us playing songs.
Have you looked at any old footage of you playing shows?
Laura: We actually filmed (with my iphone) our practice before our first show just to see how we look from an audience perspective. I sent the video to our chat a few months ago. We sound and look more comfortable.
Randy: We are at the point where we have fun on stage. During our early shows, I wasn’t necessarily in the moment having fun.
Having played many shows at all kinds of venues such as Bâtiment 7, Brasserie Beaubien, and even the Van Horne Underpass, what has been the most memorable show you have played so far?
Gwenna: Ottawa is up there.
Rachel: The show itself was not the most memorable but going there together was.
Randy: When we played in a basement and people moshed! That was memorable because it was the first time I saw people start a moshpit at our show. That was really exciting. I remember texting you guys; “There were so many people really moshing!”
Gwenna: Ever since then, people have only been moshing at our show.
Rachel: There was that one show and people were like: “Okay, we can mosh at Poolgirl.”
Randy: Before then, people were like: “Is this a band I can mosh to?”
Do you go in moshpits yourselves?
Manya: I got a concussion once so I don’t do it anymoreI used to do it a lot. I have a lot of injury stories (bloody noses).
Rachel: I don’t go in. I go around, at the edge of it. Some people get shoved into me
from time to time. I don’t go inside of it.
Gwenna: I have been punched in the stomach once. That was not fun! Other than
that, I love it! I want to get tossled!
You have a music video out for your song “Charity”. What was the most fun part of the process? Is there anything that made the experience challenging in any way?
Gwenna: The stakes were a little bit higher. It was at Van Horne. We were having a lot of fun. We were more focused on the show than on the fact that we were being filmed.
Rachel: We brought inflatable beach balls and stuff like that and it was super muddy.
People were throwing them at us. Sometimes, we would get a muddy beach ball to the head. That was a little bit special. The actual shooting of the music video, we were not really part of it. Our friends did the acting.
Can we expect any music videos in the near future?
Randy: Probably a few visualizers or Instagram reels. We definitely hope to do more music videos in the future. We have a lot more songs recorded. We actually have a
lot of free time this summer. We might try to get something going. No promises though.
For the past few months, you have been working on new music. Are there any
elements from your first and latest EP “I Can’t Swim” that you absolutely want to keep and perhaps other elements you want to work on?
Rachel: I really like the variety on "I Can't Swim" . There is a big range of styles. I think that’s
one of the characteristics of Poolgirl. “Pool Party” is such a different song from “P.O.S”.
The contrast is so interesting to us. On future projects, I would want to keep that
instead of having an EP that consists of the 4 songs that sound the same.
How does your sound as a band reflect every member’s personal music taste?
Do you have a common favourite artist or band? Who is your (or one of) favourite
artist or band (individual response)?
Rachel:We aren’t necessarily a clear reproduction of anyone’s taste in the band individually.
We are a hybrid of everyone’s taste.
Manya: We all have inspiration when it comes to our instrument. When I say I’m inspired by
Frank Iero’s or Johnny Marr’s playing, I don’t think I very clearly take that to Poolgirl
necessarily. We all shaped our own sound together.
Randy: I feel like I get inspired when people tell us what we sound like. “Oh, that’s interesting!”
Then, I’ll listen to it. I think it’s interesting how we don’t have an intentional sound
going in. I think it just comes out sounding like something and then, people will
relate to that. I think it’s cool. It’s like learning what you’re like. It's like a mirror.
Is there a band or artist everyone in Poolgirl loves?
Randy to Rachel: I like everything you guys like but I don’t love it. You LOVE Turnstile. I LIKE Turnstile.
Randy: Manya, Gwenna, and I are really into Bikini Kill.
Having been a band for a year and a few months, are there any aspects
(playing shows, booking shows, doing interviews, promoting your music) that
surprised you so far whether it’s in a positive or negative way?
Laura: I had never been in a band before this. I didn’t realize how fun playing
shows is. It’s all this hard work so you don’t fully realize how fun it is until you’re
actually on stage playing.
Randy: I realized I didn't know anything about the recording process. There are so many
technical elements I wasn’t comfortable with. These elements really impact how
songs will sound. I think the recording process has been one of the biggest surprises.
Also, I was surprised by how many things you get to do because you’re in the band.
We just did a swimming themed photoshoot for a magazine. We modeled jewelry.
We get to do random cool stuff, things that I would want to do in my regular life
anyway. No one would ever ask me to but because I'm in Poolgirl they ask us to do
these cool things.
Rachel: I have played in other bands so all of the technical stuff wasn’t particularly surprising or anything. All of the other projects I played for have always been more lowkey than Poolgirl, not necessarily having a fanbase. We would play a one off show here and there, subbing for someone or playing in someone’s live band for their solo project. I was surprised to realize we have a following (not in terms of Instagram followers). I might talk to someone and mention being in a band. They’ll ask what my band is called. Next thing you know, this person has been to one of my shows. This has happened multiple times. I have multiple people who have been to Poolgirl show but just didn't know I'm the one sitting at the back of it. It’s really weird to encounter people in the wild who know about our music.
Gwenna: One time, I was in Burbank, California and someone recognized my Poolgirl shirt. "Woah, how do you know Poolgirl?"
You mentioned having done photoshoots, is that something you all enjoyed?
Rachel: Some more than others (in terms of photoshoots and people in the band) It depends on what the content is. It depends on if it’s something that feels comfortable. For example, I wasn’t able to be there for the swimming-themed one cause I was flying home from Newfoundland and I was like: “Ahhh, I got to do that.” It’s not always the most comfortable thing. Bathing suits and stuff like that, I felt a bit awkward about it. We did the jewelry shoot with Toothwurld and I thought that was sick! It also depends if the people doing the shoot make it comfortable. Having a laugh with the person shooting helps a lot. I think we are just glad we get the opportunity to do stuff like that anyways.
Randy: This is unrelated but I feel like performing (and doing it so often) and having people taking pictures of me so often has actually really improved my relationship with how I see myself. I have no control over it. It’s going to happen all of the time. When I was a bit younger, I would see a bad photo of myself and be like: “Oh my god, no one can ever see this!” Now, I’m like: “People are going to see it. It doesn’t matter. Nobody cares.” I don’t even care.
Do you have any advice especially for girls and gender non-conforming individuals who want to start a Rock band?
ALL TOGETHER: DO IT!
Rachel: The people who end up going to your shows are people who want to see you and be part of the space you are creating. I feel like the audience at our shows, the people who come back regularly are people who get it, enjoy our music, relate to us, and want to be there. They take us how we are, you know. It’s always an accepting space with good vibes. People often tend to talk about how it’s a male-dominated space but at our shows, it doesn’t feel that way at all. We create an environment that is welcoming to everyone. I think that’s possible for anyone who does want to do that.
Randy: If you don’t book bands that are diverse with girls, women, gender non-confirming people, you are not going to see these people at shows.
Rachel: The other really cool thing is you get the choice about who you want to play with. We seek out who we want to share the stage with; bands who aren’t just a bunch of dudes. We have been pretty intentional about that.
Gwenna: If you are someone younger who is gender non-conforming or doesn’t fit the standard mold, I think it’s safe if you find the right people. We make an effort to make our shows a safe space that everyone can enjoy. I hope younger people coming to our shows see that and get inspired to do it and pick up an instrument.
Poolgirl playing at Traxide (now Trashcan) in June 2024, photo taken by me, Music Breather/Ariane
Speaking of shows, are there any Montreal bands you haven’t played with yet that you would love to play with?
Gwenna: I would like to play with Taxi Girls . They're a really cool Riot Grrrl band. I would really love to play with Mulch.
Randy: Birds of Prrrey, again.
Rachel: It would be sick to do a collab like Mulch did with Population II (Mulchulation).
If you could choose any of your songs to be featured in a movie, which song would it be and for what movie?
Rachel: I feel like “Pool Party” could be in some sort of Coming-of-Age movie.
Gwenna: “Lucy” could also work in a Coming-of-Age movie.
Laura, I know you are playing your last show with the band on May 29, what is your favourite memory you've made?
Laura: Honestly, the Ottawa trip as a whole!
Thank you for reading the interview in its entirety! It always means the world to me! I hope this conversation with Poolgirl has made you realize that things can and do change! Punk shows CAN be safe! Everyone can play their part, whether it’s by being on stage or being in the crowd. Now, whoever you might be, please give Poolgirl a listen! That band is slowly but surely changing the world.
Your favourite interviewer who believes Punk shows are for everyone,
Girlllll, this interview with Poolgirl is amazing!! Loved it and please don't worry about the formatting issues, it is still perfect 🥺
ReplyDeleteGiiiiirl, thank you so so much!
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