This week Roni Glasthal is joined in the studio by Short Straw.
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00:00I'm Ronnie and this is the show that introduces you to original music artists from around
00:22the county.
00:23Each artist will be here with me in the studio talking about and performing their own music.
00:28Today I'm joined by members of Short Straw, a female fronted punk rock band.
00:32Thanks for being here guys.
00:33Hi, nice that you invited us over here today.
00:36No, I'm glad you could make the journey.
00:37So female fronted punk rock, I want to dive right into it.
00:42It's a very, in my opinion, underestimated genre, not as common as it should be.
00:48Where did you find your start with it?
00:50The start of the band, I was always inspired by female artists.
00:56One was obviously The Runaways back in the 70s, they performed all girls.
01:01So I thought, yes, this has got to be what we've got to do.
01:03We've got to have a female fronted punk rock band.
01:07And what better way to do it than what we are doing now.
01:10We're doing it.
01:11Yeah.
01:12So that was it.
01:13Yeah.
01:14And I've been playing guitar for a long, long time.
01:17And I saw an ad that Alicia had posted on Facebook and I responded to the ad for a totally
01:23different reason.
01:24And I spotted that my little picture had a guitar on there.
01:29So she contacted me and was like, is that a bass guitar in your picture?
01:33Would you like to join a band with me?
01:35And I went, yeah, all right then.
01:38So that was the beginning of Short Straw.
01:40Very nice.
01:41Some investigative skills there.
01:43Definitely.
01:44Should get you involved in the news team.
01:47Short Straw, name like that.
01:49Where does that come from?
01:50I always love the story of band names.
01:52Right.
01:53It's not a good story, I'm afraid.
01:54I just thought of it.
01:57So what do you think of this name?
01:58And they both liked it, so.
02:00We was in rehearsals and we were just chucking out names at each other, just chucking out.
02:05And then Olivia said Short Straw.
02:06I thought, oh, that sounds quite nice.
02:08But me being small as well.
02:09I thought, yeah.
02:10And I thought, also, you can look at the other end is that they're stuck with someone like
02:14me pulling the short straw.
02:16That, you know, that could be another way of looking at it as well.
02:19Maybe like a good story.
02:20Yeah.
02:21We realised we were stuck with you and got the short straw.
02:23So that was it as well.
02:24So, yeah.
02:25The love of bandmates.
02:26Yeah.
02:27The love of us.
02:28Yeah.
02:29We love them.
02:30Amazing.
02:31So your first song, Jake, Poisonous Mind.
02:32Very strong title there.
02:33Tell me a little bit about it.
02:34OK.
02:35So that one is, when I was writing these lyrics, it was to do with everything that was happening
02:39in the world at that time, because I think it was probably just after the pandemic and
02:43I think everything was just like not the way it was.
02:46And it was like just the governments at the time.
02:49So really, that's just general of how the governments were in all different countries,
02:53having that poisonous mind of just like trying to, obviously, like, you know, kind of influences
02:57other people to do certain things and to act in a certain way.
03:00That's how that song actually got made up, was from that, really.
03:03Well, I can't wait to hear it.
03:05Take it away.
03:06OK, thank you.
03:19We destroy the hearts and souls that lie, Undermine unholy charms that lie,
03:38Intimidating a personality, Destroys the life from out of me.
03:50Poisonous mind, you're poisonous kind, Contortionist swine,
03:57Deceitful and lies, you're being unkind, You're poisonous mind.
04:03Poisonous mind, you're poisonous kind, Contortionist swine,
04:09Deceitful and lies, you're being unkind, You're poisonous mind.
04:14We'll get to you in time
04:16🎵
04:28Hard to follow where the puppets align
04:32🎵
04:35They don't know the horrors that unwind
04:38🎵
04:41Always want to sneak a step out of line
04:44🎵
04:47Be devious all the time
04:53🎵 You're poisonous mind, you're poisonous kind
04:56🎵 Contortionist swine
04:59🎵 Deceitful and lie, you're being unkind
05:02🎵 You're poisonous mind
05:06🎵 Poisonous mind, you're poisonous kind
05:09🎵 Contortionist swine
05:12🎵 Deceitful and lie, you're being unkind
05:15🎵 You're poisonous mind
05:16🎵 We'll get to you in time
05:50🎵
05:51Poisonous mind, you're poisonous kind
05:54🎵 Contortionist swine
05:56🎵 Deceitful and lie, you're being unkind
05:59🎵 You're poisonous mind
06:02🎵 Poisonous mind, you're poisonous kind
06:05🎵 Contortionist swine
06:08🎵 Deceitful and lie, you're being unkind
06:11🎵 A poisonous mind
06:14🎵 We'll get to you in time
06:17♪ We'll get to you in, we'll get to you in time ♪
06:25Amazing, what a strong start to the show.
06:27I love that one.
06:28And you mentioned earlier that, you know, you're a group.
06:33So tell me a little bit more about who we're missing
06:35on the couch today.
06:36Okay, so we've got a drummer.
06:39It's a male drummer.
06:41He's my partner as well.
06:42And we've also got a new member to the band as well.
06:45He's a student at the moment.
06:47He's at university and he's a second guitarist.
06:50So his name is Brody and the drummer's name is Paul.
06:53So that's the two that we're missing at the moment.
06:55Amazing, and so how does that dynamic work
06:59being a female fronted band?
07:01You know, maybe there's some conflicts, some riffs,
07:04anything like that, any drama to share?
07:06Actually, no, there's not.
07:09And normally they say that I'm the diva,
07:11but am I a diva?
07:13Sometimes, I don't think it's.
07:16No, you're not.
07:17You're not enough of a diva.
07:17We constantly have to say to turn your guitar up.
07:21We need to hear you.
07:21They want me to be a real diva.
07:23Yeah, so normally we're fine.
07:25You're not enough of a diva, actually.
07:26Yeah, so normally.
07:27Not one to encourage that sort of behaviour, but you know.
07:30And that's what you want from a band.
07:31Yeah, I mean, I must admit, I do think,
07:33I think everyone has their back in this band.
07:35I think that's what's really nice about it.
07:38I have so much support from Olivia and my partner,
07:41the drummer, and we're trying to get, you know,
07:43Brody more involved in it.
07:44Obviously, he's got a lot on at the moment
07:46at the university, but we're trying
07:47to get him more involved in it.
07:48But yeah, support all the way.
07:50And that's really good.
07:50That's what's good about this band, yeah.
07:52Yeah, because too often you hear those stories
07:55of bands of just going at it, knocking it along.
07:58It's like, okay, I get creative, you know, differences,
08:02but why?
08:03Why do you think you're all in the same boat?
08:04You know, you don't want that, exactly.
08:05It makes things too complicated,
08:07and you don't need that.
08:08You just want to enjoy it, don't you?
08:09You just want to play music and have fun
08:10at the end of the day, really.
08:11That's it, really.
08:12Absolutely.
08:13Yeah.
08:14Speaking of playing music, your next song, Faded.
08:16Tell me a little bit about it before we get into it.
08:18I can't let Livia talk about that one.
08:19So that was the one I wrote lyrics for.
08:22And one of the key lyrics is,
08:24I found your memory today and held your image in my eyes.
08:28And it's all about the friendships
08:29that you lose along the way,
08:31and you sort of wish you hadn't,
08:32and you find a photograph of somebody,
08:35and you think, oh, I wonder where you are now.
08:37I wonder, do you ever think of me?
08:39And that's the whole sort of premise of the song.
08:41Yeah.
08:42I can't wait to hear it.
08:43Take it away.
08:44♪♪♪
08:52♪♪♪
09:00♪♪♪
09:03♪ Sometimes life keeps me standing there ♪
09:07♪ At the edges of my vision ♪
09:11♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
09:15♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
09:21♪ Always knew that you'd leave one day ♪
09:24♪ And now you left a hole inside my head ♪
09:28♪ And I said ♪
09:29♪♪♪
09:38♪ Do you ever think of me wherever you are now? ♪
09:41♪ Do you remember the best of times? ♪
09:43♪ Can you hear me cry aloud? ♪
09:45♪ Now the fire has gone out, you're like a mirage in the smoke ♪
09:49♪ And I'm trying to keep my eyes shut so I can dream you never spoke ♪
09:54♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
09:58♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
10:04♪♪♪
10:14♪ Sometimes I can see standing there at the edges of my vision ♪
10:21♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
10:25♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
10:31♪ Twisting like a knife in me, and now you left a hole inside me ♪
10:38♪ And I said... ♪
10:40♪♪♪
10:47♪ Do you ever think of me wherever you are now? ♪
10:51♪ Do you remember the best of times? ♪
10:53♪ Can you hear me cry aloud? ♪
10:56♪ Now the fire has come out, you're like a mirage in the smoke ♪
11:00♪ And I'm trying to keep my eyes shut so I can dream you never spoke ♪
11:04♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
11:08♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
11:15♪ Trying to forget just how it used to be ♪
11:19♪ Like the song you once wrote that meant so much to me ♪
11:24♪ All I want to do is forget about you this time ♪
11:31♪♪♪
11:40♪ Do you ever think of me wherever you are now? ♪
11:44♪ Do you remember the best of times? Can you hear me cry aloud? ♪
11:49♪ Now the fire has come out, you're like a mirage in the smoke ♪
11:53♪ And I'm trying to keep my eyes shut so I can dream you never spoke ♪
11:57♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
12:01♪ And I said, hey, yeah ♪
12:06♪♪♪♪
12:14Hello and welcome back to Vasting Kent where I'm joined by members of the female fronted punk rock band, Short Straw.
12:20Thanks for being here, guys.
12:21Thanks for having us.
12:22Hi, Ronnie.
12:23So next is my favorite section of the program. It is our quickfire question round.
12:28We're going to get to know you guys a bit better as musicians, as people.
12:32You're real. It's fun. No pressure.
12:34No pressure.
12:35The timer is going to come up on the monitor behind us.
12:37It'll start counting down when I ask the first question.
12:40We're just going to get through as many of the questions as possible.
12:42Good.
12:43And it's going to be fun.
12:44So.
12:45Good.
12:46Live or recorded music?
12:48Live.
12:49Live.
12:50Live all the way?
12:51All the way, yeah.
12:52No question. I like it.
12:53Tea or coffee?
12:54Tea.
12:55Tea.
12:56Tea. Okay.
12:57Coffee.
12:58Writing or performing music?
13:01Performing for me because I can't write.
13:03Performing.
13:04Performing, definitely.
13:05Oh, okay.
13:06Yeah, as well. Yeah, definitely.
13:07Oh, we'll have to circle back to that one.
13:08Winter or summer?
13:09Summer.
13:10Summer.
13:11Yeah.
13:12I hate the winter.
13:13Few and far between in the UK.
13:14It's true.
13:15Favorite song you have written so far?
13:19Oh, Punching Bag.
13:21Okay.
13:22I think possibly, yeah.
13:25Yeah, I think Punching Bag too.
13:26I like that one.
13:27It's a punchy one.
13:28Yeah.
13:29Fun.
13:30It's good fun.
13:31It's good fun.
13:32Really fun.
13:33I think I like that one as well, so.
13:34Yeah.
13:35Yeah, that was good.
13:36I'll have to look into that one.
13:37Yeah.
13:38Morning or evening?
13:39Morning.
13:40Evening.
13:41Oh, okay, a little contrast there.
13:43Finally, yeah.
13:44Finally.
13:45First song you learned to play?
13:46Oh, that's difficult.
13:47Do you want me to go first?
13:50Yeah.
13:51I think mine, properly all the way this is, is from a band called Skid Row, and it was
13:58I Remember You.
13:59It was a ballad.
14:00And I just loved that song so much.
14:01much it really wants me to pick up the guitar and just play those nice shape
14:04chords which I don't even like playing, I like playing bar chords but that had all
14:07shape chords in it and it was just, oh it's lovely. It's a beautiful song. I love it
14:11yeah I love it. Yeah so now you've said that I've thought, thank you, Basket Case by
14:14Green Day. Oh okay. Interesting, yeah. Bit of a mix there. Yeah. Sweet or savory? Savory.
14:20Savory. Okay. Yeah. First artist to inspire you? Aerosmith. Okay. Mine is definitely
14:28The Runaways, the all-female band back in their 70s. I had Joan Jett in there so
14:34yeah. That's alright. Time alone or time with mates? With friends. Oh yeah, friends.
14:40Yeah, definitely. Social butterfly. Yeah, definitely. And very quickly, favourite
14:46Fellow Kent musician? The Unready. Oh yeah, right, so I've got, can I say two? Yeah, go
14:52for it. Oh, excellent. There's a band called Zara and a band called Rites of Hadda
14:57because they've been so supportive of short straw and I just love them to bits, yeah.
15:01Amazing, great, okay. So your next song, very, very aptly named, This Song, very to the point,
15:08I like it, no questions asked. Yeah, you see that song, or should I say this song, it's
15:14just a joke really. It was just a really simple, easy, fun kind of song to write. I've just
15:19put a little bit of me in there every now and again like, when I say I'm not classy
15:23I'm just plain messy. That is me, I'm not classy, I'm just plain messy, I love all that
15:26and it's just simple little lyrics of just having fun basically, so yeah. And I thought,
15:31what better way than to put a simple title, just call it This Song, and that was it. I
15:35love it, let's have some fun, take it away. Alright, thanks.
15:38I'm not cool, I'm just a fool, oh hey, I don't care. I'm not classy, I'm just plain messy,
15:54hey hey, is that not bad? Making up stuff as I go along, keeping it real, don't get
16:01me wrong, I hope I get to finish this song. I can cook, I can fix a hook, oh hey, believe
16:17that you will. I'm not young, and I'm not that old, oh hey, who really cares? Making
16:24up stuff as I go along, keeping it real, don't get me wrong, I hope I get to finish this
16:31song. I'm not smart, but I'm razor sharp, oh hey, I got that right. Can't be a star,
16:45but I can play guitar, now I know that for sure. Making up stuff as I go along, keeping
16:52it real, don't get me wrong, I hope I get to finish this song.
17:15I'm not smart, but I'm razor sharp, oh hey, I got that right. Can't be a star, but I can
17:37play guitar, now I know that for sure. Making up stuff as I go along, keeping it real, don't
17:44get me wrong, I hope I get to finish this song. Hey hey, don't get me wrong, hey hey, will
17:54you sing along, I have finally finished this song.
18:01Amazing, you're right, that is a fun song, I enjoyed that.
18:05Thank you, thank you so much, because it was, it's just a bit of fun.
18:09So we touched earlier during the Quickfire about the writing of the songs, that process,
18:14tell me more about that for you as a group.
18:17We actually don't really write together, the lyrics as a group, we all write them separately,
18:22like I will just go and think of a project or something or a theme and it will come to
18:27my head or something that relates to me and I'll write that way. I don't know how you
18:31would write songs?
18:32Yeah, so Faded was something I wrote years and years ago, but I have written a song recently
18:38and I suddenly felt, you know, slightly inspired by something that was happening, so it inspired
18:43me to write the lyrics, but as far as the actual composition is concerned, you sort
18:49of start that off and then we fill in.
18:51We do that in rehearsal, the music part, yeah.
18:54Around you, don't we?
18:55Yeah, and then the drummer as well, he writes quite a bit, so yeah, he also does it, he
19:00again does it on his own, he has an idea, but he normally gets it from, I think, what's
19:04happening everywhere and in the world and he kind of writes stuff like that.
19:08So yeah, we do all jump in the studio and just get it in there, get the music down together
19:12and that's it really, that way, so yeah.
19:14No, it sounds like a great process, you know, and someone has the idea, but it seems very
19:19collaborative, which is great.
19:20Very much so, yeah, definitely, definitely, and it's really nice, because if there's a
19:24certain riff that they don't like, they'll say it and then we'll change it, you know,
19:28it's really nice, yeah, they are really helpful.
19:31It was fun the other night as well, when I had a bass riff I really wanted to put in
19:35and suddenly it worked, it was very exciting.
19:38Yeah, it was nice when that happens, you know, it really, you don't think at the time it's
19:41going to work, but when we were just messing about, it was all jamming and she put that
19:43in, it really felt nice, because we are writing new material at the moment, so yeah, quite
19:47a lot.
19:48Nice, thank you.
19:50How long have you guys been short-straw, just because, you know, it's a tough industry.
19:55Oh, definitely.
19:56Tough, tough out there.
19:57Yeah.
19:58How do you guys find the path you've been on?
20:02So, we've been together, what do we say, about seven years, so our first gig was at a pub
20:07called The Cavendish in Stockwell, and since then we've played live at places like The
20:12Bird's Nest in Deptford, The Swan in West Wycombe.
20:15Yeah, did a couple of festivals as well, one in Petswood and another one in Deptford,
20:18so yeah, it's been really good, and a lot of the other bands that we play along with
20:23actually do say, you know, do you want to come and play again to support them, but they're
20:28probably headlining and they will just start up that day, so yeah, it's been really nice,
20:32yeah.
20:33Amazing, got a lot of the local support.
20:36Yeah, that's what's really, I find, quite surprising, you get a lot of that out there,
20:41but there's quite a lot of bands that will support back, which is nice, yeah.
20:46Maybe you can return the favour one day to the next female fronted pub.
20:50Oh, that would be amazing, yeah, definitely, definitely, we hopefully can do that.
20:54That would be great.
20:55Yeah.
20:56So, your final song today, I hope this isn't a telling title, A Waste of Time, tell us
21:01a little bit about that.
21:03Right, okay, this song, it is basically about exes that were a waste of time, really, it
21:10is, it is definitely that, that's exactly what it is, it's about the exes that I had
21:14in the past that I realised were a waste of time, and the person that I'm with now is
21:19great, and I'm glad I'm with him, so yeah, so he's not a waste of time at all, so yeah.
21:24And the riff for that was actually inspired by an old 70s kind of riff that I've always
21:29wanted to put into a song, and that just happened to fit in this one.
21:33And can I just say as well, this one is actually, was on YouTube, and it got such a great response
21:37from so many people, and we're really proud of that, so yeah.
21:40Amazing, I can't wait to hear it, take it away.
21:43Thank you, okay, thank you, will do.
22:08You said it all before
22:13Ignorance
22:17And fancy debates
22:21Your love for me
22:25You wasted it away
22:31A waste of time
22:38Your recklessness
22:42Put love onto your flame
22:46Your thoughtfulness
22:50Like your uncle Drake
22:54Selfishness
22:58You know it to be true
23:02You self-destruct
23:07You know it's what you do
23:13A waste of time
23:37Your recklessness
23:41Put love onto your flame
23:45Your thoughtfulness
23:49Like your uncle Drake