ACL Artist Interview: Girls

Austinist: First of all, how did you guys meet? And how did Girls come to be?

Owens: Well, we met in a pretty uninteresting way. When I moved to San Francisco, Jr [White, the other founding member of the band] was friends with the first group of people I met and so we would see each other a lot. We were friends but only became close and started working together after about three years. Once I started writing songs I asked him to help me record because I heard he'd been to recording school.

Girls has a recognizable, timeless sound that seems nostalgic for 50s pop and doo-wop. And Christopher, your lyrics deal with those age-old issues of heartbreak and yearning and just wanting to have fun. But in addition to the pop sensibilities, Album sounds heavy and raw to me. Was that something you guys were going for intentionally, or was it more a byproduct of recording circumstances. What groups and/or sounds would you guys say have been an inspiration?

There are elements of our sounds that were dictated by our lack of good equipment and resources, but we were ultimately trying to make a classic record, and yes our influences are classic. I would have to argue that they are pretty wide and diverse too, though, like, can't you hear the 90's shoe gaze influence and the modern influences as well?

Every article I've read about Girls asks about your upbringing in the Children of God cult and how that influenced (or didn't) your music. So I won't ask you about that, specifically. But can you talk about what your life was like after you left? I've read that your family was in Slovenia when you ran away. What were your expectations upon coming back to the U.S., if "expectations" is even the right word? And what kind of discoveries (musical, personal) were you making at the time?

A lot of people just think this a casual question that can be answered easily, but it really isn't. An experience like that sticks with you for the rest of your life and influences everything you'll ever do. The main thing that I try to do is channel it all into something positive and something that people can relate to and be comforted by. The music I'm making now is a reaction to a lifetime of confusion and frustration. But yeah, coming to America and taking freedom as a 16 year old was about as wild as you could possibly imagine; punk music and sex and drugs were my main interests. I did everything that Christian parents tell you not to do. To be honest I'm lucky to have made it this far.

What did you do to get by after making it back to the U.S.?

I worked, full time jobs, whatever I could get. My first job was stocking shelfs over night at a grocery store. After a while I got sick of working and turned to hustling. But eventually I met a man who really loved me and helped me out and I don't think I would be here without him. He's the closest thing to a father that I've ever had and the only person to truly care about me and want to see me fulfill my potential. Until recently. I'm surrounded by a lot of great people now.

I've read that when you first moved to California, you were a painter. How did you get started doing that, and what led you to start playing in bands in lieu of painting?

I was a painter in Texas for years, but music has always been the love of my life and once I started to write songs I didn't care to try to paint anymore. I found I could express myself much better by writing songs.

I remember the hugely positive online reaction to "Lust for Life" when it was first posted. Is that when you first thought, maybe Girls could be a full-time job?

Yes. And I really appreciate the support of our fans. Everything I do is for the now.

How and when did you and JR know that you wanted to make music?

Really, when we started this band.

I've read that you are a huge Michael Jackson fan. Can you talk a bit about his influence on your life and music?

He's the most dynamic artist of our lifetime, he's larger then life, he's a phenomenon. What has influenced me the most is his passion, his desperation and his love and courage. This is a cruel world, and he always followed his heart, despite ignorant people's ridicule of a love he had that they couldn't understand.

One aspect of your music that I think doesn't get talked about as much as it should is how it toys with traditional notions of gender/sexuality. The first line of the album is "I wish I had a boyfriend," your band name is Girls, there's the MJ influence. It seems less like gender-bending and more like, I dunno, an interest in universal, platonic love. I don't know that there's really a question to ask here, but am I on point? And if so, could you talk about where that's coming from?

You're on point. I just think that if you let love in, you will find it. I think people shouldn't be afraid to be passionate about their feelings and not be inhibited by what society approves as normal. I think a lot of people lose a lot of beautiful relationships by being afraid to open up.

Five favorite albums of all-time?

Dangerous by Michael Jackson
Joyride by Roxette
Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles
The Bodyguard Soundtrack by Whitney Houston

Finally, Christopher, I've seen you mention in interviews that you've written literally hundreds of songs since recording Album, and I saw the band perform several new tracks when you were here in January. So I have to ask you: how is the new album coming along? And can you give us an idea of how it will be different/similar to the first record?

It's a surprise, we won't talk about that yet. So stay tuned. We wont let you down.