Author | Yeni Sleidi
In the last nine years, the band Screaming Females has earned a reputation as a punk rock tour de force. Their five full-length albums have garnered them acclaim and an ample fan base, but the trio maintain a modest attitude and a strong DIY ethic. They book their own tours, create their music videos, and design their albums’ artwork. And while other bands are quick to compromise for a contract, Screaming Females goes against the grain by refusing to let someone else take the reins. They’re a departure from today’s spick-and-span music scene, and a return to the gritty days of punk.
Marissa Paternoster, the band’s vocalist and guitarist, is somewhat of a prodigy. She’s been praised for her lengthy guitar solos, erratic performances, and tenacious voice. Posture got the chance to ask her about the music that she grew up listening to, and how it saved her life.
You didn’t start listening to rock music until you were 14. What were some of the first bands that helped you define the kind of music that you wanted to create?
M: When I first began listening to rock and roll I was primarily interested in contemporary ‘alternative’, like Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, and Nirvana. I love that music and continue to appreciate it to this day, but it was not the sort of music that compelled me to strike out and start my own band. Those bands shaped my musical identity in a critical way, but they also made the idea of pursuing a career in music seem like an impossibility. It wasn’t until I discovered riot girl and punk that I truly realized that making art and music for a living was a feasible option for me if I was willing to work hard.
I read that you struggled with shyness and depression when you were a teenager. Did making music and drawing help you overcome that?
M: Everyone has their own sorts of coping mechanisms to navigate through the horrors of day to day life and I was lucky enough to discover mine at a very early age. I’ve always loved to draw and I spent a great deal of time with my sketchpad. My ability to draw relatively well also helped me fly under the social radar – my peers in high school let me be because I was weird, but I was an artist, so my quirkiness was deemed socially acceptable and I cruised through my four years of high school unscathed.
What was it like to attend a Catholic high school? And how did you and Mike [bassist] find each other?
M: Neither of my parents ascribe themselves to any organized religion. I went to public school in Elizabeth, NJ until I was 16. Elizabeth Public schools have really great music and arts programs, but the kids in my grammar and middle school treated me like trash. I was constantly harassed, and if I wasn’t get bullied in school I was getting pushed around in my neighborhood. My Dad sat me down one day and suggested that I transfer out of the public school system and try Catholic school on for size for a welcomed change of pace and some respite from the constant harassment. The school wound up being a pretty relaxed place. Mike and I had gone to school with one another in Elizabeth, and he was two grades below me, so we didn’t see much of one another. On Tuesday afternoons a math teacher named Mr. Ciliberto ran an after school club aptly called “Music Club.” There was no music program at Roselle Catholic, so Mr. Ciliberto was nice enough to have us in his classroom after hours and play with a modge-podge of students. That’s where I finally began hanging out with Michael.
How did music help you shape a queer identity?
M: I used to hang out at a record store in Linden, NJ called Izzy’s. The clerk, Dennis, was in a pop punk band called The Parasites. He was nice to me and would always answer my questions. I picked up a copy of Sleater-Kinney’s Dig Me Out and asked Dennis if it was good. He told me that’d I’d like it if I liked female vocalists, which I don’t think I’d ever given any thought to. I wound up taking it home and I was immediately hooked – so I consequently fell down the riot girl rabbit hole. I don’t think I realized exactly why riot girl and queercore spoke to me on such a profound level because I had not yet addressed my sexuality. I just liked it…I liked the aesthetics, the music, and the stories. It wasn’t until I was older that I was finally able to discern exactly why I found such solace and inspiration in D.I.Y., punk, and riot girl.
You formed Noun when no one would be in a band with you, but you’ve continued to record under that moniker alongside Screaming Females. Lyrically, how are the two bands different? Are there things that you reserve for Noun?
M: I never really save ideas specifically for Noun. Lately, I’ve been working on Noun stuff with friends outside of Screaming Females, so I’ve been doing a bit of writing with other people sporadically.
What about Bad Canoes? How did the sisterhood come about?
M: told me that his girlfriend (and my good friend!) Kristina was playing bass with our mutual friends Dawn and Kate. He mentioned that they were in need of a singer so I sent Kristina a message asking if I could sing. I’ve always wanted to sing in a band and do nothing else. I drove to Philly, went to band practice, and the rest is history.
In 2012, you had to cancel some tour dates due to an illness that doctors couldn’t diagnose, but Screaming Females’ now back on the road. Does that mean you’re feeling better?
M: Yes. I’ve been diagnosed and take medication for a disorder called Fibromyalgia, which is a fancy word for chronic muscular pain. Sometimes I still have bad days, but for the most part, yes, I feel better.
Is there a new album in the works?
M: Yes! And you can pre-order “Live at the Hideout” here
