The Big Apple has an impressive punk pedigree. In fact, some punk theorists would point to the city as the place the punk movement started in the first place with the likes of New York Dolls, Ramones and Patti Smith serving as early foundations to a punk scene. In the 1980s, hardcore and youth crew subculture thrived in NYC and as we drift into the 1990s, riot grrrl had spread from its original Pacific Northwest starting point right over to the other side of the country to nurture a vibrant scene on the East Coast.
It is in New York in 1996 that Lalena Fisher (calling herself Suzi Blade) and Holly Ann Jacobs (known as Princess) came together to create their own 60s-inspired, dreamy pop punk under the moniker The Hissyfits. Forming in a city with as vibrant a musical tradition as New York, The Hissyfits soon found themselves playing some legendary venues and getting their name and music known.
Punk Rock Philosophy caught up with founding members Lalena and Holly to talk about the origins of the band and the significance of curating the band’s history and telling their story on their own terms…
Picture it… it is 1996. You’re at the cinema watching explosive blockbusters like Independence Day, Twister and Mission: Impossible. The Billboard Charts are packed full of divas like Carey, Houston and Dion who all had wildly popular songs that year. And amongst that cultural backdrop, in a café in St Mark’s Place, two young musicians meet and decide to start a band in the city that never sleeps- surely the perfect place to realise your punk dreams?
Lalena: “We had both recently moved to New York (I was there for art school) and like many New York musicians at the time, Holly and I met through a classified ad in The Village Voice”.
Holly: “I placed an ad in the Voice seeking “girls who want to play music and have fun.” Lalena responded, and The Hissyfits were born!”
Lalena: “I had played bass and sang with a Houston band called Catbox, and had written some new songs since then; Holly had taught herself guitar and had some songs ready to go too. After I saw her ad, we met at an outdoor café on St. Mark’s place (across from Coney Island High and Brownie’s, and around the corner from CBGB…at all of which we’d soon perform). We hit it off right away”.
And was 1990s New York as conducive to making awesome sounds as we all might imagine?
Holly: “The music scene there was thriving, and all-girl bands were becoming more popular as female-focused bands got together and put on music festivals around the U.S. and eventually in the U.K. and Europe”.
Lalena: “It was super exciting. I mean, the energy of New York is exciting anyway. But the Lower East Side especially was booming with energy but at the same time was still kind of scrappy and accessible. Ludlow Street was the heart of it, was Luna Lounge on one side of the street and Max Fish on the other, then Arlene Grocery down the block. We had a rehearsal space right in the heart of it on Stanton Street, and we shared it with a few other bands”.
By 1996 riot grrrl had proven itself as a formidable and galvanising movement for many young women and girls, increasing feminist consciousness and inspiring them to pick up instruments, microphones and placards and get their voices heard. Did that supportive rhetoric equal camaraderie in real life? Can it sometimes be difficult to distinguish yourselves as a band when there’s a scene already a few years in place? Or can it help to learn from those who have entrenched themselves in the scene and worked out where to play and where to record?
Lalena: “It was a very welcoming time for women musicians. When we first started playing, though, our main band buddies were Holly’s boyfriend’s band Egghead. We played a lot of shows with them and shared fans, and it was really fun.
As time went on, we met more women bands just by playing around, and they became our good friends and colleagues. Moxiestarpark, Bionic Finger, Zia, the Lunachicks’ solo projects…who else?”
Holly: “Galvanized, Lava Baby… And around that time, Ladyfest started, with multiple venues on multiple nights with whole lineups of women musicians!”
Lalena: “Around 1999 or 2000, the festival reached New York City and was called Ladyfest East. By that time, I had split off and formed The Color Guard, and both bands played in the festival. It was a great time. From my experience, the scene was helpful and supportive; there was room for everyone. I don’t remember any trends of competitive backbiting or jealousy in the scene…but maybe I just didn’t want to see it!”
Holly: “Well, I did write ‘Bloodsugarsister’ on the way home from playing a women-oriented festival where I felt there was some animosity toward women musicians who didn’t fit a certain mould. Unfortunately.”
The Hissyfits were often compared to bands like Sleater-Kinney and the Go Gos in reviews, but their musical tastes and influences were wider:
Holly: “Sleater-Kinney were inspirational and a favourite to rock out to and see live“.
Lalena: “Hole were also very important to us. In fact, I submitted an audition recording when they were looking for a new bass player! We also loved The Breeders, Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey, Cibo Matto, Bikini Kill, Slant 6… and I was also getting into heavier stuff like Melvins“.
The Hissyfits straddled various formative punk subgenres such as riot grrrl and pop punk- forming as they did right smack dab in the middle of these two goliaths of punk scenes. The 90s feels like it was a good time for female musical artists across the genres but once pop punk, emo and numetal and the like got big, the vibes shifted toward a very ‘macho’ scene- did that trajectory affect Lalena and Holly in their NYC punk enclave?
Holly: “Some guy bands in our scene did start to seem resentful as our popularity grew and we got cool opportunities, saying we were only popular because we were girls”.
Lalena: “Because of that, I was a little disappointed that Sleater-Kinney didn’t sign with a major label when it was offered! I understood their decision from an artist’s point of view, and it was theirs to make. But as a lesser-known fellow musician, I felt like they would have put a foot in the door for the rest of us women bands, kind of like what happened with labels rushing to sign grunge bands after Nirvana hit big. Besides, ‘I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone’ should have been on the radio everywhere!”
From their formation in 1996, Lalena and Holly were writing and performing their own brand of infectious melodies, confessional lyrics and fuzzy guitars and went on to play some majorly cool venues such as Coney Island High, Brownie’s, Arlene’s Grocery and CBGB armed with their self-released cassettes.
Often compared to bands like The Go Gos and The Runaways, their first 7-inch single ‘Something Wrong’ was declared “Pop—when it’s perfect!” by legendary rock critic Greil Marcus. The single was included on their first full-length album ‘WISH’ (Orchard Records) which compiled their vinyl releases with new drummer P-Girl, including ‘All Dolled Up’. Their sophomore album ‘Letters From Frank’ was released in 2001 and demonstrates a maturing knack for composition and a confident, dynamic sound that brings together intricate bass lines, punky guitars and mesmerising vocals.
The Hissyfits are certainly keen to stake their rightful claim in the story of pop punk and independent music that made the 90s so vibrant. In an age of social media, there are now the tools, opportunities and means to act as one’s own archivist and curator and take ownership of the story of the band whilst reaching new fans.
Holly: “We’d love to reach new fans as we’re part of the history of pop-punk music, and because the themes are so classic. I’d like to remind those that loved us back in the day how much they loved us, and treat them to never-before heard music from our early years. We definitely want to document our legacy and place in female bands’ history”.
Lalena: “I sense that now is the time when a lot of us Generation Xers are wanting to recount our stories. From Stranger Things to Kathleen Hanna’s memoir, we’re at an age when we are reflecting on some pretty intense times (good and bad) and thinking they’re important to document and share. Holly and I are very proud of our music, and don’t want it to be forgotten. That period should not be a blip. It was important and groundbreaking and vibrant and inspired, and a lot of great music came out of it…music that is still out there!”
As well as their standard releases, the band have been painstakingly uploading other recordings, live versions and videos to make as much of their material available online as possible, in celebration of their strong back catalogue. The Hissyfits’ stellar final album ‘Goodbye‘, recorded in 2003 and of which four songs were released in the U.K. and Europe under the title ‘Can’t Keep Waiting‘, is also now available for streaming. You can go their official website or their Bandcamp to have a listen and immerse yourself in these 90s releases!
Are there any plans for The Hissyfits now in terms of music or shows? Or Is it more about preserving the legacy of the band and making that available?
Lalena: “We’ve talked about possibly collaborating again, but we have no firm plans. Holly lives in Pennsylvania, and I live in Texas, and still have a teenager at home. In fact, my daughter and I have a band called The Mothermold, and our album ‘Flesh of My Flesh’ is out there for streaming! If Holly and I ever get it together to make new music, we will let you know!”
Holly: “I have some never-heard solo music that I would like to make available for streaming in the near future. I will keep you posted!“
Punk Rock Philosophy would like to thank Lalena and Holly for their time and making this interview possible!
