stream The Regrettes' "Hot" ++ tour dates with Thin Lips, Allison Weiss, Sleigh Bells

I like that you have a humorous approach to the issues you address in your lyrics—like body image, gender stereotypes, and not being taken seriously because of your age.

There have been countless times, and there are songs on the record about this, where I’ve been talked down to because of the fact that, one I have a vagina, and two I am 15 and I’m making rock music. So I think that for a young girl in high school, or however old I’ve been, I’ve always had honest lyrics, and I think that people are kind of freaked out about that. I was watching this documentary about Kathleen Hanna, and she was talking about how people are scared of angry girls and a girl yelling. [Not only are people scared] because I’m a girl, but because I’m really young. I try not get offended, but it’s hard not to when people talk down to you because of how old you are.

That can feel like there are two strikes inherently against you.

It’s kind of when you go from being like “Lalala, I’m this little girl, oh how cute,” and then being like, “fuck you”—there’s some shock value there that I get some entertainment from. I like that. I think it’s funny. [Rookie]

The above quote is from an interview on Rookie that Bryn Lovitt did with Lydia Night, singer of teenage LA band The Regrettes. They’ve got a sound with roots in riot grrl but also some major-label polish (they’re signed to Warner Bros), and it’s catchy, appealing, confrontational stuff. They’ve toured with feminist punk vets Jack Off Jill as well as newer leaders of the genre like Tacocat, and their upcoming tour schedule includes the NYC stop of the Allison Weiss / Thin Lips tour and a run with Sleigh Bells. There’s a record slated for release in January, and ahead of that, we’re premiering their new single “Hot.” It’s a grungy pop punk banger that brings back some memories of The Distillers, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Listen:

Lydia also tells us the following about this song:

This song is super important to me because it was written at a time where I was starting to feel sorry because I stopped liking someone and then i finally realized that wasn’t my fault. I used all those built up emotions of feeling bad for something that wasn’t my fault inside the song.

That NYC show with Allison Weiss and Thin Lips happens Wednesday (9/21) at The Studio at Webster Hall and also has Josiah And The Bonnevilles on the bill. Tickets are still available.

—

The Regrettes — 2016 Tour Dates
Wed 9/21 – New York, NY Studio at Webster Hall with Allison Weiss, Thin Lips
Sat 9/30 – Los Angeles, CA Non Plus Ultra
Tues 10/4 – San Francisco, CA Brick & Mortar
Fri/Nov-11 San Diego, CA North Park Observatory *
Tue/Nov-15 San Francisco, CA The Independent *
Wed/Nov-16 San Francisco, CA The Independent *
Fri/Nov-18 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom *
Sat/Nov-19 Seattle, WA Neumos *

* with Sleigh Bells