6 minute read
TemperMental
from Highwire Daze #146
by highwiredaze
The Fierce Sounds of TemperMental
Interview by Ken Morton - Photo by Jack Lue
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TemperMental is a fierce rock and roll band quickly gaining notoriety in the L.A. music scene. The founding members of the band were brought together by circumstance while spending several months filming the Netflix Comedy TV Series Wet Hot American Summer, Ten Years Later in Malibu. During this time, they found that they all had a common bond in music and spent their breaks singing together. A few months after filming wrapped, the girls got together for fun and decided to form what would become TemperMental. Recently joining up was drummer Miles Elze, completing the current lineup. TemperMental recently did a photo session with Jack Lue at Dystopian Studios in Downtown LA. Highwire Daze caught up with TemperMental right after the shoot to find out more about their dynamic music. Read on…
Introduce yourself and tell me what you do in TemperMental.
Kristina: Hi, I’m Kristina and I’m the singer of TemperMental. Ruby: I’m Ruby and I’m the bassist of TemperMental. Marilaine: Hey, I’m Marilaine and I’m the guitarist of TemperMental. Miles: I’m Miles and I’m the drummer of TemperMental.
What do you think of the local Los Angeles and Riverside music scenes?
Kristina: It’s awesome! It’s really awesome! I feel like, especially now, it’s just been growing and growing. Maybe I’m just getting out more and going to more shows, but I feel like everyone is there for each other. Marilaine: We’ve been making a lot of different friends with other bands and going out to shows – and it’s been really cool seeing everybody play and kind of developing this little community we’ve got going on.
Let’s talk about your recent single Get Out and the inspiration behind it.
Marilaine: That song is about intrusive thoughts. I was up at 3AM, kind of messing around with my guitar, and came up with the guitar riff – and then I wrote the lyrics, because I was kind of going through a hard time at the time. So, I brought it, and everyone wanted to do it – so that’s the song – all about intrusive thoughts and mental health and kind of advocating for that.
Come With Me – let’s talk a little bit about that song. Kristina: So, Come With Me we wrote quite a while ago, and that song is meant to be an F’you song about getting back and coming back better.
And then let’s talk about one more song called How Could You Want Me.
Marilaine: That song is actually kind of funny, because that song I wrote when I was 13 about somebody I was dating at the time – and I was being really dramatic because “I was such a terrible girlfriend” and all of this stuff. And it was all just because I wasn’t calling him enough. He doesn’t even know this is about him, but it’s really stupid. Kristina: He’s gonna know now! Marilaine: Yup, he’s gonna know now. Sorry dude. But it was funny, because I was just being a dramatic 13-year-old. I brought the song in, we changed up some words, and we’re doing it like 4 years later now.
Let’s meet the newest member of TemperMental - Miles! What is your background, and how did you wind up in TemperMental?
Miles: I just moved to LA from San Francisco to pursue drumming, and TemperMental were one of the first bands I came across that needed a drummer. So, I saw it as a great way to get my foot into the Los Angeles music scene.
Since we are all part of the LA Rock Collective, let’s talk about what it was like performing at their show and how it feels to be an LA Rock Collective band.
Kristina: The LA Rock Collective is really cool. Maybe that’s part of why I feel like the community is getting stronger and coming back stronger after the pandemic. Really everyone is there for each other, everyone gets to see each other every time – and you get to meet a lot of new people and a lot of new bands. And playing there was really, really fun. Funny story – we had an awesome time and all the bands there were amazing. Joker’s Hand, The Toxhards, Monty Xon. It was pretty toasty in there! Marilaine: I passed out onstage. Kristina: She passed out onstage and everyone was like, “Whoa, what a sick new move!” Marilaine: I get rowdy onstage and I throw myself on the ground all the time. So, when I actually passed out, nobody realized that I was unconscious. Kristina: That’s how hard we perform on the stage – we pass out! (Laughter)
That kind of segue ways into our next question. What could one expect from a live TemperMental show – besides girls passing out. (Much laughter)
Everyone: A lot of fucking around onstage. A lot of jumping around. A lot of energy and loud noises – good loud noises. And a lot of dancing. Headbanging too!
If TemperMental could open for any bands either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Kristina: I would say Sleeping With Sirens. I really like Kellin Quinn’s energy onstage. I don’t know why, but I feel like I can relate to him. I feel like that all the emotions that we put into our songs really resonates with them. Ruby: I would say Ice Nine Kills because they’re such a great band and the way they perform with their theatrical stuff. Marilaine: I would choose My Chemical Romance because I’ve been obsessed with that band for a while now. I love Gerard, Frank, Mikey, Ray – I have a guitar named after Ray Toro – it’s called Toro. (Laughs) It’s the red guitar. I would want to open for them because their music means a lot to me and I feel like we go a long with them. We take a lot of influence and inspiration from them. I went and saw them three times – their last show was phenomenal. I love them! Miles: There’s so many bands that would be great for this band to go on tour with. Like Slipknot, Paramore – that’s the cool thing about TemperMental – you don’t have to be into one genre to love it. Whether it’s rock, metal, or hard rock – it’s all good. I think any band that makes good music we would be a good opener for.
I saw on your credit an appearance on Wet Hot American Summer – 10 Years Later. Tell me about that and what the experience was like.
Kristina: Back in the day when we were 11-14, we were part of the main campers on Wet Hot American Summer – 10 Years Later. You can see us in the background of things, braiding each other’s hair. (Laughs) But we got to know each other and became friends on there. We all figured out we played music and wanted to jam together.
What’s up in the New Year for TemperMental.
Ruby: A lot of shows… Kristina: …and an album is coming in 2023! Marilaine: We’ve been working on it for a while and it’s been a long time getting there, but we’re going to release that. And the three singles that we released will be off of that album too.
