Church Moms follows their own set of rules, fostering an environment of experimentation, open communication, and creative collaboration that transcends genres and empowers their unapologetic self-expression.
Adelaide’s self-prescribed Queercore powerhouse, Church Moms, is riding the wave of their debut self-titled EP, delivering an electrifying and genre-bending sonic journey.
Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of artists spanning from Placebo to Lil Nas X, this enigmatic group, consisting of Laura Brown on keys, synth, and vocals, Andrew Goulding on drums and vocals, and Bridget Hodder on guitar and vocals, fearlessly explores a vast musical landscape.
Guided by their own set of rules, Church Moms fearlessly ventures into uncharted musical territories, adhering to a couple of key guidelines: a commitment to experimentation, a welcoming atmosphere for all members’ ideas, prioritizing enjoyment and open communication.
These principles create a space where creative collaboration flourishes, allowing the band to explore, test, and push the boundaries of their sound with remarkable freedom and camaraderie. With a deep passion for music and a shared drive to break free from the constraints of traditional office life, Church Moms embodies a sibling-like bond, engaging in humorous banter, playful arguments, and a genuine love that shines through their music.
With their relentless and investigative approach, Church Moms challenges conventions, sharing insights into their creative process and discussing the significance of Queercore.
Bridget’s notes on the Moms:
We have a couple of guidelines in the Moms: Never be afraid to experiment, Don’t shoot down members ideas, Make sure you enjoy yourself, and if that’s not happening talk about it.
Recording this ep was so easy. There was no judgement or ego, just creative collaboration. We were allowed the wiggle room to test and the freedom for trial and error which is more than most artists get on a budget.
I have never had as much fun working in a full band then with these two. Our drives match up and our passion for music and to not work in an office is equally high. I’ve never had siblings, so I’m a little unfamiliar with the concept, but I’m pretty sure Andy and Laura are it.
We have stupid, funny arguments, we rib each other well and we fuck around but ultimately we love each other to bits.
Creative collaboration
Andy on the production and recording:
We recorded ten songs in my spare room and these are the six that made the cut.
There are some moments on this EP that I’m really proud of. For the opening track, Fight Me, I took a lot of inspiration from the Black Keys’ ‘Lonely Boy’ – not so much the feel, but the vibe and the sounds of the guitars and the instruments.
I love the claps and the WOO! in the bridge as well. I’ll never forget throwing on a pair of headphones to record the shaker, and realising at the end of the song that Bridget and Laura had been laughing the entire time at how seriously I was taking this part.
Track three, Cigarette, is the song that made me want to join the band. I saw Laura playing it solo on acoustic guitar, and felt like I instantly knew I wanted to record it and what I wanted to play on the drums, especially the big build up about halfway through the song.
I took a lot of inspiration from early 2000’s pop for the vibe, and I love the way the melodica and gang-vocals sit in the mix.
I’m also stoked how track five, Kool Aid, turned out. To be honest, the recording of this one could have been written off. My drumming was terrible, and the whole track just wasn’t sitting right.
So, I decided to experiment with beat-matching, and programming the drums and synths, and it turned into a proper dance track. Young me would have turned his nose up at that much programming. Present-day me loves that we were able to save a song!
Why queercore?
Laura on the construction:
It’s so brilliant to see the beginning and completion of this. I felt so excited to finally have years of blood sweat and tears turned into something we could really be proud of.
The band on the sounds:
Since Church Moms conception 6 years ago with our first drummer Amy, we’ve always been very transparent and proud of who we are. We’ve also always had a shift in genres and sound which fits under the queercore umbrella.
A lot of people ask us what queercore sounds like, which can leave punters baffled because there’s multiple sounds to the genre. For instance Big Joanie from Britain is a great example, then again I’d add Placebo, X, Peaches, KD Lang and Lil Nas X. It’s a sense of “you don’t like it? Not my problem.”
Wrap your earholes around the jam that is Church Moms.
