Brooklyn-based girl group The Bandana Splits, made up of Lauren Balthrop, Annie Nero and Dawn Landes, are charming audiences in New York and beyond with their vintage style and retro sound, find out more about them in this Kidzworld Q&A!
Kidzworld: How would you describe your sound?
- The Bandana Splits: A girl group reminiscent of the Spector age of girl groups.
KW: You have embraced a retro look and sound, why did the vintage style appeal to you?
- TBS: We love all the girl groups from the 40s, 50s, and 60s and our sound is most definitely inspired by that era - it's only fitting that our look match the sound!
KW: Who are some of your musical inspirations?
- TBS: The Ronettes, The Andrew Sisters, The Caravelles and the list could go on for a long time!
KW: How did you form the band?
- TBS: In 2008, the band Balthrop, Alabama that Lauren and Annie are both in, invited Dawn to sing a song at their 1st annual Christmas show. She wrote a very sweet song about falling in love with a Salvation Army guy and Annie and Lauren performed it with her, providing girl-group style backup harms. We liked it so much that we decided to get together on days we now call "Splits days", where we hang out and drink lemonade (even in the winter!), talk about boys and write songs!
KW: Are you excited for your album coming out? Can you tell us what it’s like?
- TBS: YES! We are very excited. This has been such a fun record to make and we just want people to hear it. It's gonna be a great backyard BBQ record as well as a late night dance party record as well as an early in the morning first cup of coffee record. It suits all occasions!
KW: You’re playing shows around New York this summer, do you ever get stage fright?
- TBS: We don't really. We've all been performing since we were young.
KW: Will you be touring outside of New York?
- TBS: We're playing the PICNIC festival in Portland, ME on August 27th. If we were to get a great opening slot for Bruce Springsteen or Dolly Parton or you know, someone like that, we definitely wouldn't say no!
KW: What are your plans for the summer?
- TBS: We shot a music video in March at this great little soda shop in Cobble Hill called Farmacy, and it's being premiered on the music blog Stereogum in August. Also, we're having a listening party at Farmacy on August 16th where we'll unveil our record, view the video, sing some songs a capella, and enjoy the best egg creams you ever did have. That's going to be really special.
KW: What is something most people don’t know about you?
- TBS:Each of us has lived in France at one point and we're all Francophiles!
KW: What has been the most memorable part of being in the band so far?
- TBS: The outfits!
KW: Is there anything you would like to tell your fans?
- TBS: We hope you love our record and if you come to our shows, we'll make you a cupcake!
Check out The Bandana Splits new soda shoppe-style single "Sometimes" below:
