No Small Children interview.
- Apr 3, 2016
- 7 min read
I remember reading an article about bass guitarist Horace Panter, otherwise known as Sir Horace Gentleman of the English ska-punk band, 'The Specials'. What struck me about this article was that I admittedly found myself slightly surprised by a revelation within. This man who had toured across the globe with a band whose stance was notably political for a 2Tone band, and boasted a hit song called 'Gangsters', was also a man who taught art and guitar to special needs children. I immediately founded a certain tinge of admiring fascination with this juxtaposition of character.
I was able to revisit this unique taste of respect with renewed vigour when I came across a lesser known band here in my home state of California. A trio whose music had earned a bookmarked page on my own computer with their full bodied delivery of a definitive brand of alternative punk rock that brings out the fun guns fully ablaze, and certainly leaves no drought in talent. Enter here - No Small Children.
The band welcomed themselves to earth in 2012, in the late throes of a west coast winter, while overseeing the chaotic choir of duty that is a school yard at recess in North Hollywood. Yep you guessed it, the founding think tank, composed of singer/guitarist Lisa Pimentel and drummer Nicola Berlinsky (joined a short while later by Pimentel's sister, Joanie who plays bass and moved to California to join the pair) are indeed akin to Horace Panter; they too are the tireless shapers of young minds. They put this forth in guise of a bad bar joke, "Three teachers walk into a bar.... onto the stage, plug their instruments in and then... melt your face"
The band tote 3 records to date, beginning in 2013 with 'Dear Youth', followed a year later by the addictive efforts of 'Trophy Wife', and ending with their latest release 'Hold tight I'm flying'. The progression of their vociferous aptitude is clear to see, they dont hold out on guitar, and they can fill your post 90's alt rock glory day blues with a bold and deft grunge glamour touch. However, this band are not just rebuilding, they are a promising new model of all great things past and present. With any hope it wont be long until we are hearing much more about these ladies.
In the meantime, I catch up with No Small Children while they are on tour, winning over America with the beating pulse of live music, 'one dive bar at a time'.
RM: You guys manage to combine a little Californian glamour with some genuinely powerful guitar work. There are not too many bands out there like you. What kind of fans do you get at your shows?
NSC: We meet all kinds of people at our shows….and we love it. We love the unexpected and want everyone to feel like they are part of the party….because it is wicked fun and they are invited.
RM: What can people expect from their first NSC show?
NSC: Expect a ton of raw energy coming from the stage. Expect to meet people. Expect good sounding gear played recklessly, but with care. Expect tight harmonies sung with everything we have in that moment. Expect wanting to sing along with us and wishing you know the words. Expect pretty matching dresses (that we love to wear). Expect to be surprised by something in every song. Expect wanting to move closer to the stage. Expect to smile (and maybe laugh) a lot, even if you are in a bad mood. Expect meeting us after we play (if you want to) because we really want to meet you too. Expect wanting to sing along with our music in your car on the way home. Expect wanting to come see us again, but knowing the words this time.
RM: Your work is an incredible mix of sounds and styles. It's like audio salad, but the kind that leaves everyone wanting more. What are your musical influences?
NSC: I feel like this question needs to be answered in two parts. Our writing has so many influences because it is basically a culmination of everything we have ever listened to, played, eaten, experienced…LP loves the songs of the Beatles, the lyrics of the Roots, The songs and sounds and lyrics of the Shins and the tones of Jay Mascis. She is also a freak for Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Louis Armstrong. JP is a lover of the soul music of Aretha, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, and also has a passion for symphonic music and Puccini operas. The reason NB hits so hard is because of all the Zeppelin and Ska she listens to. She’s also a big fan of Elvin Jones and Stewart Copeland’s playing. We are children of the 80’s and are suckers for one-hit-wonders. We also love Nirvana, Neil Young and Stravinsky. We are hungry for the new…Kendrick Lamar is blowing our minds right now! Lyrically, inspiration and influence for songs comes from everyday stuff that we see in the world. Everything you see and everyone you meet has a story, and where there is a story, there is a song. That’s how we see it anyway. The way that we play the songs comes from a place deep in our hearts. We love losing ourselves on stage and fully committing to the moment. We owe this to the countless shows we went to growing up...punk rock SAVES LIVES!
RM: If you could guest feature any musician(s) with NSC, who would it be?
NSC: Spencer Ludwig, Dave Grohl, Neil Giraldo, Joan Jett, Missy Elliot, Ellen DeGeneres, (dancer), Tariq Trotter, Jack White, Maceo Parker, Amir Thompson, Jimmy Fallon…oh and a hologram of Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain would be awesome!
RM: Ok, time for the confessional. What's the most 'embarrassing' thing on your Playlist?
NSC: Embarrassed? Us? Not a chance…aint no shame in our game. We have eclectic playlists but comfortably stand by our choices. From Puccini to The Buena Vista Social Club, 80’s chart toppers to Slayer, we’ve got it covered. I don't think there is much wrong with exploring all aspects of music. It's how you become a well rounded musician and it's how innovation is born.
RM: You guys are also music teachers - do you have any suggestions or advice for aspiring musicians?
NSC: Practice…perform…repeat (and try not to take yourself too seriously in the process).
RM: Does the reality of being in a touring band differ from the daydream?
NSC: We’re answering these questions from a hotel room in Norman, Oklahoma, waiting out a tornado warning before driving to Kansas, yet the beauty in this is that it forces us to rest. The reality of touring is that it takes constant work to promote, book new shows, maintain the integrity of our gear, stay healthy, keep our gear from being stolen…the list goes on. Yet rolling into a club and meeting the people in each town who support live music, as well as the other local and traveling bands, makes it very rewarding. We have maintained relationships in every place we’ve played and look forward to seeing them when we return again….oh, and there is A LOT of driving!
RM: I understand that you are all school teachers? That's pretty impressive. What do the kids think of your music?
NSC: At first we kept quiet about our music at school, even when we played 55 shows our first few months, from March to June. But as our enthusiasm and opportunity grew, we couldn’t help but talk with our students about the work we give to our music, and what it takes to grow as a musician. Soon our colleagues, principal, students’ parents, and former students were coming to our shows and the kids now wear NSC shirts to school. Turns out the children are our greatest champions, even though they can’t get into most shows.
RM: I'm curious, where did the idea for the band name NSC come from?
NSC: Lisa and Nicola were covering playground recess duty on a Friday before Mothers’ Day. When you don’t have children and work at an elementary school, this holiday can feel pretty isolating. Lisa and Nicola decided on the spot to start playing together (long-time supporters of each other’s music) and chose No Small Children as the band name before playing the first note, turning a feeling of exclusion into an opportunity. When Lisa’s sister Joanie joined NSC, the name still fit, as her children are grown.
RM: Being a female rock band in the music industry can be tough. People tend to segregate bands like yours into a category of their own purely based on gender. Your band is not just 'great for an all girl group', its great in its own right. You guys taking to the stage in dresses and seem impressively at ease with mocking that stereotype. How do you really feel about women in rock?
NSC: We aren’t actually trying to mock the ‘all girl band’ stereotype, but we won’t deny that it exists. We wear the dresses because it’s fun, interesting, and easier to get ready for gigs. If the first thing that draws someone to the stage is our outfits, we’re ok with that…as long as they stay for the music. To answer your question about women in rock; we think that the novelty of being a female rock musician is quickly fading. The generation of kids coming up now doesn’t really make a distinction between male/female musicians. By the time they are adults, it won’t really be a thing anymore. In the interim, we’ll just try and write great music and let our performances speak for themselves.
RM: You just shot your full first music video 'Big Steps'. How was that experience?
NSC: We had a blast filming ‘Big Steps’! The video was done with the help of over 30 people who generously donated their time, talent, and resources to complete it. It was a collaboration in the truest sense of the word and we are forever grateful to everyone that contributed to its creation. ‘Big Steps’ was actually our third video after ‘Might Get Up’ and ‘Drunk Creepy Guy’. We encourage folks to check out all three of our videos on our YouTube channel.
RM: Tell us a little about your current work and what you hope the future of NSC holds.
NSC: We are constantly writing have notebooks full of ideas and when it is time to start working on the next record, we will begin to make sense of it all. For now, we are working on “conquering the world one dive bar at a time” and loving every minute of it.
After my interaction with No Small Children I left with a coiffured sense of what I had already suspected. This band sings no apologies for who they are. Reflected in the pupils of a bright eyed presence is the smoldering impression of their unmistakable passion for music; and that old saying rings with edifying truth here. 'When there is smoke, there is fire', and these girls and their guitars are full of it!
Anyone who believes in the proclamation that 'punk rock saves lives', is somebody worth more than a cursory listen in my book.
You can find out more about No Small Children HERE.
or buy their music on www.cdbaby.com
WORDS: Billy Jackson
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