Syracuse noise rockers Perfect Pussy, are picking up momentum all over the world with their high energy shows and unique female fronted sound that is full of frenetic energy and reverb. As part of their upcoming Australian debut at Laneway Festival in January 2015, Happy had the chance to chat with guitarist Shaun Sutkus about how Perfect Pussy reflects the model of the punk movement in the 70’s and 80’s. The result was hilarious and developed into some casual banter about the current status of kangaroo riding in Australia.
Happy: Hey Shaun. How is the weather in New York?
SS: Where I am it’s not so bad. It’s very cold and it’s like snowing. But in Buffalo New York, which is two and a half hours away from here, they have gotten like five feet of snow in the past few days. Basically their snowfall for the entire year in one day they’ve received! I’m glad I’m not there but I hope everyone is safe!
Happy: Do you think there will ever be a point when someone doing a Google image search for Perfect Pussy will actually be able to find pictures of your band?
SS: Well it depends where you do your Google image search from! Every place that you search from is different. If I did a Google image search on my phone right now I guarantee it comes up with band pictures.
Happy: It must just be the Australian Google filters then.
SS: Well maybe but I’m sure it would be similar in America too. Doesn’t Google go off of what your location and your search preferences are?
Happy: Perfect Pussy formed when Meredith was asked to contribute a song to the film Adult World from director Scott Coffey. I know you didn’t jump on board until later on but I was wondering if you could tell us what that song was called and whether it is still in your live repetoire.
SS: The song was called The Secret and it actually is on the split 7” that we did with Joanna Gruesome. I think you can order it online right now via Captured Tracks. We actually got some in the mail today too so they’re going be going up on our Bandcamp very soon for sale. We don’t perform it live.
Happy: What do you think it means to be a punk band in 2014 and how do you compare Perfect Pussy to the original punk movement of the 1970’s, or the hardcore movement of the 80’s?
SS: I have no fucking idea.
Happy: I have seen some online criticism, claiming that Perfect Pussy are not true punks, especially when lined up against the hardcore kid junkie anarchists who characterised the original movement. What is your response to these kind of claims?
SS: I don’t fucking care.
Happy: Do Perfect Pussy embody an anarchic anti-establishment message?
SS: I don’t think Perfect Pussy is a political band, no.
Happy: Who are Perfect Pussy’s influences? These can be punk influences or otherwise.
SS: Oh my god there’s so many. There’s a million, there’s a million influences. I can only speak for myself. I can’t really speak of the band as a whole I don’t think. It’s always changing. I don’t know! The whole future movement, the art of sound, Beethoven along with Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage. Minimalist music. Then throw in Miley Cyrus or something, you know? That’s not even the band, that’s just me. Life is an influence too, taking walks in my neighbourhood stoned… or not stoned!
Happy: What is the biggest preconceived notion you have about Australia?
SS: I’ve never been to Australia. My biggest preconceived notion is completely unreal, I know it’s not real, but I want to be able to ride kangaroos around! I know that doesn’t happen, maybe just hang out with them or something. I know that’s not real, but that’s what I want!
Happy: Kangaroos are actually really shy. You do see them around and about if you’re far enough away from the city, but they’re really shy, and they run away. They aren’t very talkative.
SS: There’s no domesticated kangaroos?
Happy: There are some in wildlife parks, but you wouldn’t come up to them and pat them as much, they get a bit timid.
SS: Oh I was looking forward to riding one maybe, though I know you can’t ride kangaroos. I haven’t heard too much. The only other thing is that your spiders are fucking huge!
Happy: What are you looking forward to most about touring here in 2015?
SS: Besides that it will be our first experience I’m really looking forward to playing some more shows with my friend Todd. He and I are doing a split cassette tape and it should be here by the end of the year and I’m going to be playing some shows with him in Australia when I get there. I’m very very excited about it.
Happy: Now you guys are still touring in support of Say Yes to Love, which is a great record, but what is the next step sonically for Perfect Pussy?
SS: We have no qualms right now. I hope to write another record. I’m not sure yet. We haven’t talked about it!
Happy: Finally, what makes you happy?
SS: Life makes me happy, but not all the time. I think that’s a good answer.
Perfect Pussy will be performing at all legs of St. Jerome’s Laneway festival, as well as two sideshows – one at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne on January 29th and another on that 4th of February in Sydney at the Oxford Art Factory. Tickets from Handsome Tours
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