boca femme fest the zine
issue one
contributors cristina valencia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 mary ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 sophia lopez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 candice maritato . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 indigo gaiolini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 kris lane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 rachael kfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 turtle grenade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 lisa lapenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 jenny gruber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 dani bianco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Cristina Valencia What is one thing about you, you wish more people took notice of? “I’ve been writing since my tween years. I used to literally write novels which turned to short stories, to poetry, then finally to the lyrics of the music I put out. Lyrics have truly become my forte when it comes to music. I pour my heart out and try my best to make it intimate and I’d love for people to pay closer attention, relate to and interpret my writing!”
You seem to be really into astrology. What interests you most about that? “I was introduced to astrology by my cousin when I was a child. I don’t take signs too seriously, I just think it’s interesting and really fun! I personally have always really connected with my signs, my sun sign being a Leo. Now that I think about it, it could very well be what started my fascination with the space aesthetic!”
What are your passions?
“I’ve mentioned my writing but singing tops my writing any day. I’ve been seriously practicing my singing for 12 years! Many of those years singing for hours in my room or singing a little for my friends. My voice is the sole thing I’ve never lost motivation for and has consistently made me happy. Strawberry Sounds is the first time I’ve put my voice out into the scene!”
Why do you believe representation (female, POC, etc.) is important?
“Oh my gosh, I could go on and on about this but I’ll try to make it short. When I was little, I was exposed to girls in rock and emo like Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams. I remember thinking to myself that I could never show my face on a stage the way they did because I simply didn’t look like them! I’m overweight, a woman of color, and I have big, kinky hair! I went so long thinking I had to be a little white girl to even have a chance amongst a sea of male artists. Representation is SO important. People need to know they can do what they love no matter how they look like or how they identify.”
What inspires you to create and why? “Expression is an extremely important aspect of my life. When I haven’t created anything in awhile I just start to feel really bad. I want to express my feelings towards my relationships and life experiences and I feel the only way I can get that across properly is through music.”
When do you feel most confident? “Most definitely when I’m singing My Chemical Romance songs at the top of my lungs!”
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mary ether
sophia lopez
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CANDICe MARITATO Aside from music, what are your passionate about?
“Cleaning. I am super passionate about cleaning.. Lmao. A little less weird.. I love fitness on all levels. I was a competitive swimmer for 8 years and I have always helped/wanted to help others achieve happiness through physical activity! I am getting certified to become a yoga teacher this year and I couldn’t be more excited!”
Where did the idea for Glime Candy stem from? Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind products like the “Soy Fuerte” patches. “Starting up Glime Candy was super random. I wanted to make some extra cash on the side making pillows and stuffed animals and it ended up me making designs. I wanted to make designs that people would like and ones that I would want to wear. Natalia and Christina (Shop Destruya and Girl On Tour) were super supportive and pushed me to start up my own shop! The Soy Fuerte rose design I drew up as a reminder that through all the bad I am still strong. I’ve been through a lot of heartache most of my life and in the last few years it has been magnified with personal life experiences. I find it important to encourage and remind myself and others of the strength that is in them.”
You talk a lot about your time at the Talent Farm. Why do you believe creating a community within our scene is important? “Yes I do! Creating a space for all ages where people can express themselves and be free to be who they are is vital for one’s self. Having a community that supports those things and helps encourage creativity with one another is so important. If it wasn’t for The Talent Farm and the people I met from that space I would not be where I am today and I would have never came out with playing music. TTF is where I played my first show when I was 18 and the first local show I had ever been to when I was 14. All of my best friends and I met within this south florida music community and that is something really special.”
You’re an advocate for mental health; why do you believe it’s important to be vocal? “It’s not talked about enough. Mental health is this super taboo topic that no one ever wants to talk about. There are people out there who don’t suffer from mental illness and give advice to those who do to start exercising or to just go outside. I mean sure that could help make someone feel a little bit better for a moment but that is not the answer for a lot people. It goes so much deeper than a walk outside. For goodness sake we are talking about people’s mental health here! Humans’ minds are so complex and we all have different experiences and ways of going about things. So many of us suffer in silence about our mental state because it has been brushed aside and not taken seriously. It is very serious and it comes in different forms and intensity. Talking about it (for me) makes it less lonely and I’d like to think it plants a seed in those who might be struggling with finding help. For those who don’t deal with this struggle it’s important get educated on the topic and to check and love on your friends and family. Being someone who struggles with this darkness I know a simple text goes a long way.”
Woolbright has some of the most genuine lyrical content in our scene. How do you make the distinction between sharing too much and keeping these situations close to you? “First of all that is really kind! I can wholeheartedly say that all that I write is genuine and very honest and for people to notice without me saying anything means a whole lot so thank you. When I write lyrically I like to put it all out there. I write in really dark places and let me tell you it’s of hell of a shape shifter. It takes different shapes at different times. Sometimes it comes in paragraphs of everything that I’m feeling and I pick out what I want to share. At times I put myself in a literal sense of what I am writing about. There have been times where I dissociate and it’s like this feeling of not existing in reality and I feel like I’m floating or something and I’ll write in that state. Other times I am just extremely blunt without naming any names. I can be a very vulnerable person and it has broken my heart quite a few times. It’s hard not to keep these things close when it’s the reality I live in. Everything that I write is a part of me. “
What do you want people to take away from a Woolbright song? “It’s okay to be honest. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to feel unsure and scared. It’s good to question yourself and your behaviors that’s how you grow. It’s okay to start over. It’s okay to admit defeat and to ask for help. And fuck yeah it’s okay to be happy and not feel guilty for being so. People are going to screw up a whole lot. I know I have. I don’t regret anything. All I can do is try to be better every day even though I won’t always be better than the day before. You are strong and resilient, my friend.”
Was there a point where you realized you didn’t have to label your band ‘femme fronted’? “It’s funny because I never thought of our band as a “femme” or “girl” fronted. It wasn’t until people told me it was that I really even cared to notice and even then I didn’t pay any mind to it. Woolbright is a project we created because we love each other as musicians and people. At no point did we ever think “yeah oh hey we are a girl fronted band”. I think we all have some great musical traits and to label all of that talent as a gender instead of what it is we are actually creating is pretty silly.”
In 3 words, tell us who are you. “Riffs. Hangs. Brews.”
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indigo gaiolini
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kris lane In this day and age, it’s important to be vocal about the issues that are important to us. What do you believe in? “I’m a bi, white woman, so while I experience oppression, I also benefit from it. I believe in learning from that and working to become a better person. I believe in speaking out against injustices and not turning a blind eye when people, especially the people we love, treat others unfairly. We all have a responsibility to make our community safe for everyone in it.”
What are you passionate about? “I’m passionate about technology! I’m going to UCF for computer science, and I love it. Coding is another outlet for me.”
Do you struggle with keeping a private personal life and putting your art into the hands of others? How do you make the distinction? “It can be terrifying to give my art, which is very personal, to other people. I’m generally a very quiet, private person, but sometimes it’s can be freeing to write something you wouldn’t normally talk about and release it into the world so that it isn’t just yours to carry anymore.”
Has being in a band changed how you approach consuming music? “Knowing all that it takes to put out music, I think I’m more willing to give something a chance if I don’t like it at first. We’re all out here just trying to make art, and I respect that a lot.”
Going on tour can be an arduous task. Did you learn anything while you were on the road? “I learned that I need to ask for taco bell gift cards for Christmas, the travel size dry shampoo isn’t big enough, and I can listen to Woolbright’s discography on repeat for weeks and never get tired of it.”
In 3 words, tell us who you are. “Trying my best!”
“Julia” Caught myself up in an infinite loop Too many years spent steady sippin’ king’s soup I talk to my computers looking for some validation I bought a new friend, I think she thinks I’m the simulation I’m reanimating my entire past I found some taxidermy that’s as lonely as my laugh I brought him home so we could be empty together But we don’t have much in common and I like the silence better A garden variety Tuesday night This is fodder for the memoir I’ll inevitably write If we’re comparing scars, just wait til you see mine I’ve never lost a bet ‘cause it’s so tragic when I cry I’m so obsessed with recreating myself, I’d rather die than get to the core of what keeps me up at night I’m spending every waking hour forging my own reality If nothing matters to begin with, who can tell me anything? I’ve got a preoccupation with my end of times It’s always looking so much brighter on the other side
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rachael kfare
turtle grenade
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Lisa LAPeNNA
What came first; music or illustration? “Illustration. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. I mean, I’ve been a fan of music since as long as I can remember too, but I only started actually making music a couple of years ago.”
What is your most personal piece of work? “Currently, I think my most personal piece of work would be the album art I created for BM’s EP Personal Space. The whole painting is in direct relation to my (unhealthy) coping mechanisms while surviving mental illness. Skin picking in particular has been a physical consequence of my anxiety disorder. It’s an image that really seems to make people uncomfortable, but in actuality the only part of the painting that’s responsible for people’s repulsion or visceral reaction is so small in comparison to the whole picture. It’s kind of like my mental illness in a way, it’s such a small part of me but sometimes it seems to overcome my entire self.”
What is your greatest accomplishment? “Being able to be in a band with my best friends, touring, and connecting with so many people from the music we create! “
Why bass? “I live for funky bass lines!! Also, I really look up to Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. She’s my mom, I think.”
The music industry is predominantly male. Do you feel any pressure to fit into the mold of the few successful female musicians in your genre? “Never!!! I’ve never felt like I needed to be anyone but myself. There’s so few women in this industry (and almost every other industry) and I feel like it’s really important that we stay true to who we are and not be defined by our gender or try to fit into whatever “idea” people think women are supposed to be.”
How do you believe we can combat sexism and misogyny within our own scene? “Education, definitely! If you’re in a position of power, use that privilege to your advantage. Speak up against sexism and misogyny and don’t take shit from anyone (as long as it’s safe, of course). And this goes for all prejudices; racism, transphobia, homophobia, etc. People need to know that being a disgusting bigot will NOT be tolerated.”
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“Labor”
Push. Push. You poor, tired girl.
Always grinding your teeth against the hottor they slipped under your tongue when no one was watching. Not that they see it as a crime. This is vigilante justice against your birth. Push. Push. Crying, small and soundless in the night, you turn plaster stalactites across the ceiling into constellations. This would be easier if the bed wasn’t shaking with such force. Push. Push. No one will trust you with respite. As long as you are heavy with the grief of others, you can be moved with ease. And if you’re already heavy with one man’s grief, what’s two or three more? You don’t mind, do you? Why don’t you say something? I’m sorry, did you say something? I wasn’t listening. Stop screaming at me and just speak up. Push. Push. One day you’ll thank me for what I’ve given you. Push. Push. You poor, tired girl. jenny gruber
dani bianco
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