Lunachicks’ Gina Volpe | Interview | New Album, ‘Delete the World’
Gina Volpe, renowned as a founding force behind the punk rock legends Lunachicks, now steps boldly into her solo journey with the release of her debut album, ‘Delete the World’.
The album, a testament to her decades of musical prowess, is a captivating blend of soaring riffs and magnetic vocals, expertly captured by producer Barb Morrison. Following closely on the heels of Lunachicks’ resurgence, marked by the premiere of the documentary Pretty Ugly: The Story of the Lunachicks at DOC NYC in late 2023, Volpe’s solo venture is a testament to her enduring influence on the punk scene. With the support of industry icons like Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, Volpe’s legacy shines brightly. ‘Delete the World’ introduces a new dimension to Volpe’s sound, incorporating brooding textures and experimental elements. For Volpe, ‘Delete the World’ is more than just an album; it’s a journey of self-discovery and creative liberation. Through introspective lyrics and genre-bending compositions, she explores the complexities of human existence. In a world defined by boundaries, Volpe’s music transcends limitations, inviting listeners to embrace chaos and uncertainty.
“I approach songwriting much like I do a painting”
‘Delete the World’ marks your debut solo album after your tenure with Lunachicks. How does it feel to embark on this new phase of your career as a solo artist, and what inspired you to pursue this direction?
I had always intended to record a full-length album. It just took a little while to find the time and come up with the funds. I started releasing my solo stuff in 2017 with a 5-song EP followed up by several singles over the past couple of years. An LP was a long time coming, so I’m excited that I’m now finally able to release a full body of work. I had always written and recorded music outside of Lunachicks; I just never released any of it until 2017. I had even started recording some tracks with Barb back in 2001 after Lunachicks broke up, but that same year I had also just started my band Bantam. I found myself having to choose between trying to develop a career as a solo artist under my name or continue with the more familiar band format. I chose the latter but always knew I’d come back to realizing my solo work someday. Just took a little longer than anticipated.
The album was produced by Barb Morrison, known for their work with various notable acts. What was the collaboration process like, and how did Morrison’s production style contribute to shaping the album’s sound?
Barb is a master at fully realizing an idea and bringing it to life. The songs would usually start with me in my home studio compiling the music bed, recording the guitars, bass, and synths and getting the arrangements loosely figured out. Then I’d head into the studio with Barb and their engineer to redo my vocals and work out the drums. Barb takes the track to the next level by suggesting sounds and textures and adding more layers and backing vocals to fully flesh out the track and make it sound HUGE. And if I’m stuck spinning in a vortex of overthinking a lyric or chorus in a song Barb knows exactly what to do and how to land the plane. I appreciate having that guidance and feedback when needed. It makes me a better songwriter. Also Barb is awesome and hilarious to work with, and they tell the best stories so there’s a lot of snacking and laughing that happens in the studio too.
‘Drink Me’ is the lead single from ‘Delete the World.’ Can you share more about the inspiration behind this track and how it sets the tone for the rest of the album?
The song is about obsession, addiction, and escapism. It relates to the vices we use to check out. Maybe it’s the use of a substance or maybe it’s an addictive relationship with someone who is no good for you but you can’t let go of. It’s a trip down the rabbit hole of self-destruction, then coming out through the other side only to go through the whole process all over again. The secondary reference is to Alice In Wonderland. ‘Drink Me’ is labeled on the bottle she drinks in order to make her small enough to go through the door, which is clearly (to me at least) a metaphor for exiting the world and entering into another portal of consciousness.
The song came to be all because of a synth sound I came across while going through sounds on a new plugin I had just downloaded. This is how a lot of my songs come about actually. I pick up a whiff of a sound and it inspires me to build a song around it. The opening synth in this track was the sound I heard and I became obsessed with it and knew I had to use it for something. I’m still crazy about that synth sound. It’s so retro futuristic and new wave.
“Delete the World is opening that door behind the mind’s eye”
‘Delete the World’ showcases a range of influences and styles. How did you approach the songwriting process for this album, and were there any particular themes or motifs that you wanted to explore?
I approach songwriting much like I do a painting. It’s a collage of all the things I’ve found inspiration in. I try not to be too attached to the outcome and instead allow the song to come together on its own terms. It’s kind of something like a ball of tape rolling around inside my head growing larger by picking up little threads and pieces of all my favorite songs, sounds, experiences, pain, and joy. It’s all in that ball and my job is to figure out how to find the right balance of my different musical sensibilities and make them work together in one album.
The title track encompasses my punk roots and melds it with my love of a good pop song. I got my chunky guitars in there to work alongside a sugary vocal melody and ethereal harmonies but still kept some darkness lurking in the background to give it contrast. The running theme of the album is escapism. The title refers to my lifelong habit of perpetual daydreaming. ‘Delete the World’ is opening that door behind the mind’s eye and taking a walk off of the Earth’s surface into imaginary spaces. As an artist, this is the journey I need to take daily in order to create. I have to block out the world, the noise, the news, the constant traffic in my head and find a clearing. Get to the nothingness in order to create something.
As a solo artist, how do you see your musical identity evolving compared to your work with Lunachicks? Are there any new elements or directions that you’re excited to explore in your solo career?
My solo stuff is different in that it’s more diverse stylistically and not as easily categorized into one particular genre. Sometimes it’s pop, sometimes it’s punk, indie, retro, or rock. Sometimes it’s more singer-songwriter. I have the freedom to shape-shift and experiment. I use synthesizers, acoustic guitars, and samples – along with heavy guitars when called for, so I get to explore and be free to just play.
I also always wanted to make a concept album because I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s with two older sisters – one who listened to 70’s classic rock and one who listened to 80’s punk. I would alternate listening to both of my sisters’ stellar record collections and feeding my growing brain with the melodic guitar solos of David Gilmour and the overdriven riffs of Joe Strummer. But the one album that had the most impact on me was Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’.
While ‘Delete the World’ is not quite a concept album, there is a bit of a journey it takes on the second side of the album (in vinyl form) starting with ‘Mountain What Is Your Name’ – which loosely represents being inside the womb, followed by ‘Begin’ – relating to birth, then ‘One in the Same’ which is the self in relation to others and the outside world, followed by ‘Low’ – which is death and reincarnation, and then lastly, ‘In Water’ – the afterlife. So I kinda reached that goal of having a concept-ish album.
You’ve mentioned that ‘Delete the World’ reflects on coping mechanisms and unintended consequences. Can you delve deeper into some of the themes explored in the album?
The track ‘Escaped From The Lab’ uses the classic horror trope of Frankenstein and describes a coping mechanism that’s gone awry. It’s the unintended consequences of putting a faulty system in place in order to deal with an unwanted situation, but then the whole thing blows up in your face. The song was partially inspired by the Republican party’s own created monster, Donald Trump, as in the opening lyrics of the track, “cooked up a beast to get to your foes, grew too big, you lost control of me.” And now look at the mess our country is in.
I guess this subject can be segued into the idea of control. Which in the track, ‘The Plan’ talks about how maybe we don’t have the level of control over things that we think we do, or that we think we should have. What if the plan is, there is no plan. The outcome is undetermined. One of my favorite aphorisms is, “relax, nothing is in control.” I actually find this idea incredibly comforting.
“True expression is uncontained and always expanding”
How important is it for you as an artist to challenge conventions and push boundaries, both musically and thematically?
Well, I think that convention and boundaries are the very antithesis of the creative process. Creating, to me at least, is what freedom feels like and by definition, freedom has no borders; it’s endless. True expression is uncontained and always expanding, so should be the artistic process. I have no interest in repeating myself and doing something I’ve already done. There are so many more ideas out there to explore, and the world would be such a boring place if we never left our comfort zones.
Can you take us back to the early days of Lunachicks? What was the initial vision when you co-founded the band with your high school classmates?
Music was everything to us. Our whole lives revolved around what we were listening to and the bands that we went to see play live. We wanted all of that for ourselves. We wanted to be a rock band, and a punk band and all the other music we listened to band. We loved The Clash, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, Kiss and Black Sabbath. We had so many different heroes that we wanted to emulate but because we were not yet musicians we simply didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, we sounded like what we were able to play.
Would you like to share about your upbringing? Where did you all grow up? Tell us about daily life back in your teenage years.
My early childhood was spent in Mount Vernon, a suburb just outside of the Bronx, until we moved into Chelsea on the west side of Manhattan when I was 12. Adolescence was just starting to hit and NYC was the perfect place to come of age in. I met Theo and Syd shortly after and we would run around the city getting into clubs with our fake IDs – nobody cared back then so we kinda did whatever we wanted. We’d cut school to smoke pot and listen to records. We’d hit the hardcore matinees at CBGB’s on the weekends or go up to Central Park and drop acid. We were feral teenagers. We were from a different generation that didn’t seem to have much parental oversight, for better or worse. We had a blast.
Was there a certain scene you were part of, maybe you had some favorite hangout places? Did you attend a lot of gigs back then?
We did. Most of the venues at the time were within walking distance of each other so you could just get off the train in the East Village and go find a show. There was always something happening somewhere. We would see local bands at the Lizmar Lounge and CBGB’s. I saw Nirvana at the Pyramid club on Avenue A after Bleach came out with only about 15 people in the audience. There was the Ritz, Irving Plaza and The Rock Hotel on the west side, which was a men’s shelter aka hotel, with a venue on the street level, I saw GBH there. We saw the The Damned, The Cramps, The Ramones, Bad Brains at these places. So many incredible shows!
If we would step into your teenage room, what kind of records, fanzines, posters, etc., would we find there?
I painted murals all over my walls, eyeballs and skulls and other weird trippy images. I had a giant Quadrophenia poster that my sister had stolen from the subway, it was all ripped up from the wheat paste but still looked great. I had a dayglo orange Clash poster over my bed and a Dead Boys poster that I ripped down from outside of the Ritz. I had dozens of posters, along with every flyer that I could get my hands on. I also had a collection of plastic sharks that hung down from the ceiling. My room was DOPE. I took pride in turning it into an art piece and made sure that not one square inch of wall space (and ceiling) was left uncovered. It was THE hang out spot.
Lunachicks had a distinctive sound. How did you develop this unique style, and what were some of the key influences that shaped the band’s sound?
Our sound developed because we were complete amateurs and so we were blithely unaware of the “rules” of songwriting. We had tempo changes throughout the songs, went from punk to metal to blues all in a matter of a verse. There is real freedom when you lack the skills to follow convention and are forced to come up with your own way of getting the job done, which is exactly what we did.
Lunachicks have released several albums and toured extensively. Looking back, what are some of the most memorable moments from your time with the band, whether it’s recording albums, touring, or particular gigs?
Hmm, so many memories… well, I can start with our very first tour. It was in England opening up for Dinosaur Jr. and it was 1989. We had never been to the UK nor had we played to audiences that size before – or audiences that rowdy. Pint glasses flying, yelling, heckling, brawling, spitting, those crowds were ALIVE! It felt like we were thrown into the lion’s den – and at the same time it was exhilarating, hilarious, and so FUN! I’d also like to throw in a recent memory, which is when we played Punk Rock Bowling in 2021. Our first show after 17 years. We played directly before Devo, one of my all-time favs, and the night was pure magic. It was so great to be on stage together again and the crowd was amazing. It was such a validating feeling to realize that our music had lived beyond our touring career by seeing all these young fans in the audience who hadn’t been around to see us in the 90’s and were so excited to see us live for the first time.
I just love ‘Babysitters on Acid,’ can you take us back and recall what was the songwriting and the process of recording this album like?
I wrote the riff to Babysitters trying to learn the riff to Black Sabbath’s ‘Sweet Leaf’ – actually I’ve written a few songs while trying to learn that riff. It’s an easy riff but I was such a bad guitar player at the time that it took me a while and in the process I’d come up with other riffs that would turn into songs. Anyways, we actually recorded that album twice – or maybe one and a half times. We started out with Kim and Thurston from Sonic Youth producing the album, but we drove them insane because we were bratty teenagers with New York City ‘TUDES. We got about halfway through the recording process before they threw in the towel and quit. Looking back, I don’t blame them. A few months later we got our drummer, Becky Wreck, and we went back into the studio and rerecorded the album with Wharton Tiers.
What would be the craziest gig you ever did?
I always remember the cornfield in Kansas. It was just a concrete structure sitting in the middle of miles of cornfields. We showed up for load-in and were completely baffled that this was even a venue. There were openings in the walls but no window panes and no doors. Except for the roof, it was completely open and all you could see was rows of corn. We couldn’t imagine that anyone would show up that night but they did. In droves. Mid-West punks everywhere stage diving, moshing, and having a blast. The crowd was on fire and it ended up being one of the coolest gigs we’ve ever played.
We also played Gallaudet University in DC which is a university for the deaf. That was an amazing experience which I will never forget. The applause after each song was visual instead of audible. Hundreds of hands in the air waving their fingers in response to our performance and the vibration of the PA system. It was such a beautiful and surreal moment that’s etched into my brain.
The recent Lunachicks documentary premiered at DOC NYC and featured interviews with icons like Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie. How did it feel to see the band’s story told on such a platform, and what aspects of the documentary were most important for you to convey?
I have to admit, I cried a little watching the doc. I also laughed my ass off. I mean what a special thing to sit in a theater and watch a film about your life!? Crazy. I still sometimes wonder if it’s really happening or am I just imagining that there is a film about us out there. I was happy with the filmmaker’s creative choices and what she chose to show about our longtime friendship, the peek into our lives and our experiences of coming into adulthood and growing our musical career. I was also amazed at all of the old and rare footage she managed to unearth.
What do you believe was the band’s most enduring legacy, both within the punk scene and in the broader music landscape?
I guess for one, we got to be part of a wave that helped usher in younger generations of women musicians. Like the few trailblazing badass women before us such as the Runaways and Girlschool, we and our contemporaries became the next wave of women in rock and punk to knock down the walls and bring representation to the scene. We helped make seeing women bashing away on drums and wailing on their guitars a totally normal, if not expected, thing today and I’m proud to have been a part of it all.
What are some future plans?
Aside from getting some live shows together to support the new album, I’m also working on an animated series that I’d like to start making a pilot for. I also plan to have an art show sometime in the future and will be creating a new body of work for it. Overall just keeping on making more music and more art.
Thank you. The last word is yours.
Jeeze-Louise ain’tya sick of me by now! Words aren’t really my medium so best to just put on my new album and turn that sh*t up!! Thanks for listening, Rock On.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Photo by Jayme Thornton
Gina Volpe Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube
