Newcastle four-piece Maids have released their new song ‘Girl Power’. The song, available to stream and download on triple j Unearthed, has already received strong attention around the country. Including a play on triple j and probs given by presenters Dom Alessio and Dave Ruby Howe.
‘Girl Power’ is a subversive take on the regular “boy meets girl” story. But Maids are a band that always aim to be subversive; from their grungy guitar tones and dual vocals, to a sound that aims to mesh together as many genres as possible.
Check out our Q&A with the band, and have a listen to their new track below:
Newcastle Live: You just released your new single ‘Girl Power’, how has it been received?
Maids: Girl Power has been received really well so far. The song has been picked up by most leading music blogs/websites and got a spin on triple j recently. I don’t think we really expect much more than that at the moment. Although we are really proud of the song, it probably doesn’t have quite enough integrity or uniqueness to stand out in the really noisey and saturated music industry. This is the last single before we release an album – our last chance at experimenting and observing feedback/audience reaction before we create something to push music and culture to a new level.
The song tells the story of a man hitting on a women in a bar, can you tell us the story behind it?
A lot of music by male artists can be pretty misogynistic…Blurred Lines/most rap songs etc. Females tend to be sexually objectified and men are usually represented as these almighty creatures that women should submit to without question. I wanted to poke fun at that idea a little bit by telling the story of a guy getting turned down by a girl. The verse is used as a “call” from the the guy (he hits on a girl) and the chorus is a response from the girl with “No way, tonight isn’t your night”.
Where was the song recorded? How was the recording process?
I tracked the drums at Novotone in Newcastle. The rest of the recording was done at my parents’ house. This was the first attempt I have had at writing, recording and mixing a song myself. Although I am happy with the result, I still think I have a long way to go and am set on creating a much better sonic quality for Maids when we produce our album.
What should we do while we listen to ‘Girl Power’?
Other than just having fun, I would encourage a listener to analyse the song and see the potential in what we are trying to offer. Most music at the moment obeys a pretty strict set of “genre rules” to serve an audience that are generally pretty frightened of experiencing something new…or maybe its the artist that’s afraid? What we are trying to to do in Maids is forget these boundaries, and merge things like metal, 60’s rock and Katy Perry style pop to offer something fresh. We may not be succeeding yet…but yeah, I think the potential is pretty promising.
Maids hit Melbourne and Sydney earlier in the month in support of the single? How were the shows
Melbourne was great. Sydney was just ok. I think we were on our game in Melbourne and the crowd really responded to our vibe. Sydney rarely works for us. I don’t think Sydney has much room for live bands lately, it is pretty full with electronic music. I’m hoping that changes soon but who knows.
Your hometown show on the tour is stacked with local names, do you think there has been a resurgence in the Newcastle music scene recently?
I don’t think there has been a resurgence yet, but I think it is just around the corner. People are starting to get excited and there seems to be a little “band culture” happening…almost a rebellion to clubs/edm/electronic shit. Maids are super keen to contribute to this resurgence as much as possible and it is a total pleasure to have Split Feed, Raave Tapes and Pals on the bill – all great bands from Newcastle working really hard.
What is next for Maids?
I think I have decided that even if it kills me, for the rest of my life I am going to work as hard as I can to bring something new to the music industry. I have noticed that I am extremely unsatisfied and annoyed with almost all music at the moment, and that rather than expecting something amazing to pop up, it is actually my responsibility to myself and my peers to produce something game changing and special. Maids will release an album within six months and this will be the first serious step that Matt, Nath, Dyl and myself take towards achieving this goal.
Who: Maids
What: ‘Girl Power’ Launch Show
When: Sunday, April 24
Where: The Small Ballroom
With: Corpus, PALS, Split Feed, Raave Tapes
