Clementine Creevy from Cherry Glazerr is today’s modern iconic punk figure, who has been touring worldwide since her teenage years. The band’s latest album, Stuffed & Ready, was born out of a need to write more political songs – Daddi locates that feeling with biting satire, “Where should I go, Daddi? What should I say? Where should I go? Is it OK with you? Who should I fuck, Daddi? Is it you?”
Signed by Burger records after releasing some lo-fi demos on SoundCloud, the Los Angeles band has since rocketed in success. Producing relatable tracks like Trash People (Apocalipstick), “My room smells like an ashtray” Cherry Glazerr reminds us we’re all a bit gross and grungy and that’s fine because we’re not alone. Clem’s latest album is an amalgamation of exhaustion, anger and honest self-doubt, driven by purred or shouted lyrics and droning riffs.
The band, since I started following you in 2014, has seen quite a few changes – Clem always holding centre-stage with drummers and keyboardists coming and going. Can you introduce to us the current form of Cherry Glazerr?
Yes! Currently, Cherry Glazerr is Clem on guitars and vocals, Tabor holding it down on the drums and samplers, and Livvy as our touring bassist. We are a beefy three-piece.
Congrats on the release of Stuffed & Ready. In your albums Papa Cremp and Haxel Princess, the song Teenage Girl seems to capture a moment in life where you might’ve felt that your opinions were discounted – “Don’t make us feel belittled, world”. Your latest album seems to have grown in confidence; do you feel like Cherry Glazerr has ‘grown up’?
I do! I think Cherry Glazerr has grown in a lot of ways, and obviously, I am a very different person with very different thoughts and feelings than when I was 16. But I think it’s more sub perceptual than I can articulate. But yes, Stuffed & Ready is a lot about growing pains.
You have previously talked about DIY music giving a voice to those marginalized in society, particularly women. The feminist writer Virginie Despentes (King Kong Theory) cites punk as a way she established her identity outside of the stereotypical, constructed idea of femininity. Do you agree that there is something punk about the feminist movement?
Yes, to me, punk is about community. Fostering a community where the marginalized ones can freely say ‘fuck you’ to their oppressors and be supported in that. It is extremely healthy for society to have those types of communities. Feminism is the push towards economic and social equality between men and women, which does not exist yet and therefore is punk and brave.
The music industry appears to be still heavily dominated by men backstage as well as onstage. Does your touring team reflect this, and what can we do to evolve the industry’s seemingly sexist reality?
No, it does not. I hire women. For example, a woman as FoH/TM (Front of House/Tour Manager), and it’s been a joy to have her as our crew. We’re currently still a small operation and generally are only able to afford one crew member. What we can do is hire women, it’s easy. We also have a woman merch person, so we have a two-women crew.
Can you recommend us some up-and-coming artists – who should we be listening to right now?
Amyl and The Sniffers, Nickelus F and Helado Negro are all things we’ve been jamming.
Your styling is rebellious and punk. In your recent music video for Wasted Nun (off the most recent album), you claim a sexier aesthetic. Musicians can influence fashion and vice versa. Are there any famous artists that have influenced your wardrobe, and what was the concept behind the video?
The video was partially influenced by Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria, a film that we as the band and the director Jess both really loved. It had just come out a few months before and we thought it would be cool and fun to go for it with the frenetic colours and contortion-style dancing. Right now, I feel influenced by Bunny Michael, both in manner and in style. They’re the coolest.
In this digital era, do you think the industry is putting more emphasis on photography, videos and imagery surrounding artists, or has a non-conformist image always been part of punk?
The industry definitely has an unhealthy obsession with aesthetic and imagery surrounding musical artists. It can be frustrating, especially for a group that has an always revolving cast of musicians. But all that matters is having fun making music and playing the shows. That is the reason we do this, because it feels good to make music.
After a recent interview, you played a live version of Told you I’d be with the Guys (off the album Apocalipstick). Clem is topless and explains, “Music is the queen, y’know. And we are just here to serve the queen, whatever that may entail”. This is a pretty iconic moment, and a ‘fuck you’ to censorship of female bodies, whilst the camera slightly awkwardly shoots the song to fit into YouTube guidelines. What do you think about the #freethenipple movement?
#freethenipple movement is an amazing and very necessary thing. I support it wholeheartedly. A friend of mine in high school tried to put together a staged protest in our neighbourhood where we would go topless by the freeway and hold #freethenipple signs. Back then, I was too afraid to be a part of it because of my ingrained fear about the laws that prohibit me from showing my nipples, as well as the deeply ingrained sexism within me. I was too ashamed and scared of getting arrested. The fear and powerlessness surrounding this is real and something we should absolutely be raging against. So going topless at shows, where I feel I have created a safe atmosphere to do that, has been extremely liberating for me.
