Music

In Bed with No Girlfriends

No Girlfriend? No problem. No Girlfriends is an outstanding up and coming rock band busting out of LA’s competitive music scene. Made up entirely of lesbians, including a set of Cali-grown twins, No Girlfriends pumps addictive alt-rock tunes, angst anthems, and deliciously romantic ballads with equal aplomb.

I first caught wind of No Girlfriends potential at Milk Milk Lemonade, Hollywood’s raddest regular lesbian night. Lead singer Janelle Obert‘s lilting rasp providing a much-needed respite from my tedious date’s eternal monolog. Upon further inspection, I realized that every member of No Girlfriends is talented and attractive. “Are they really all lesbians?” I whispered hopefully. “Yes. Yes, they are,” a friend confirmed. Fantastic.

Since then, No Girlfriends has released an EP, added a Brit with the voice and face of an angel (Rose Erangey), and polished their signature sound to a tantalizing sheen. Rose (rhythm guitar and backup vocals), Jess Gehr (drums and twin), Neko Gehr (lead guitar and another twin), and Janelle Obert seamlessly combine into one stunning signature sound.

No Girlfriends isn’t a relationship status update (unfortunately), but actually a tongue in cheek reference to the sexist “You must be with the band” assumption. Janelle explains “Our name actually refers to us being the band, not the band’s girlfriends.” Feminism and homosexuality in one enjoyable package? Yay!

No Girlfriends and I snuggled into Janelle’s super soft bed to talk music, lyrics, lesbians, exes, pop culture, and attitude while swigging jalapeno margaritas. Read the full interview below, then check out the video.

AfterEllen: Who wrote each song on the EP?

Rose: We collectively wrote the music, but Janelle was sole lyricist for the songs.

AE: I read that a lot of your songs are about breakup angst. Any of that going down now?

Janelle: Perhaps a little bit of ex-drama, Rose?

Rose: Break-ups are never easy, and my last one was no exception. In my experience, someone always gets hurt worse. And that sucks. I wish it was juicy drama, but it’s more like painful heartbreak for her so I’m not going blast out about that. I’m glad I had the band to help me through it.

AE: What do you write about when you’re not bitching about girls?

Janelle: Empowerment.

AE: Give me your worst break-up stories.

Janelle: My first girlfriend was cheating on me two months into our nine-month relationship. When she broke up with me I would sit in my car outside of her house and cry.

Rose: She walked up to the car with her pants around her ankles….

Janelle: And I still wanted it to work. Man alive!

Jess: Getting dumped in a bar. A straight sports bar, might I add. Sharing a completely awful experience with a room full of strangers.

Neko: I was with an ex-girlfriend for about two years, she lived in Long Beach and I lived in the valley. The relationship was very tumultuous, with lots of breaking up and getting back together. On one “on” moment, I found out from a mutual friend that she was seeing a guy who lived across the street. Needless to say after finding out that information we went on a permanent break.

AE: What’s the most dickish thing you’ve ever done to a girl?

Janelle: I dated two girls at once and I’m pretty sure they knew about each other, but I guess I’ll never know because neither one will speak to me.

Rose: I kissed the roommate of a girl that was interested in me. That was pretty low.

Jess: I invited three different girls to a show I played, thinking maybe one would show up. All three did. Awkward town, population: me.

Neko: After breaking up with a girlfriend I continued to “see” her, but I didn’t tell her I was also seeing another girl. I brought the other girl to my ex’s show casually and went home with the girl I brought, then afterward went to my ex’s house.

AE: What lesbian stereotypes do you find accurate?

Janelle: Softball playing feminist. Oh, and I like drilling.

Rose: I love the complexities of females. That’s pretty gay, right? Oh, and trucks.

Jess: Softball playing, vegan, and Ani Difranco-loving. I have a tattoo of her record label on my arm.. Lesbian card confirmed!

Neko: Softball/Basketball playing, vegan and I really want a motorcycle.

AE: Inaccurate lesbian stereotypes?

Janelle: I love to cook and bake.

Rose: I’m kind of introverted when I’m not playing music. I love a beach day with a good book.

Jess: I love to bake and I actually don’t hate men.

Neko: I enjoy sewing, cooking, baking and the art of feng shui.

AE: How do the twins feel about Tegan and Sara?

Neko: I don’t have any particular feelings towards them, I only wish we were born earlier and could have capitalized first on the lesbian twin thing.

Jess: What Neko said.

AE: Where are your favorite places in LA to find lesbians?

All: Our beds.

AE: Astrological sign?

Janelle: Cancer.

Rose: Libra.

Jess: Cancer.

Neko: Cancer.

AE: Who are your favorite queer female characters on screen?

Janelle: Alice Pieszecki, Alex from Orange is the New Black, Cosima from Orphan Black.

Rose: I don’t know any off the top of my head.

Jess: Anna Silk from Lost Girl, Cosima from Orphan Black, Willow and Tara from Buffy, Xena and Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess.

Neko: Cosima from Orphan Black, Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy, Xena and Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess-we all know what was going on there.

AE: Guilty musical pleasure?

Janelle: I love baby making music-those slow R&B songs from the ’90s.

Rose: Jake Owen, R-Kelly, Kool and the Gang.

Jess: Kelly Clarkson and T-Swift.

Neko: Musical soundtracks-more specifically “Once More with Feeling” from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode and REPO! the Genetic Opera.

AE: Who is the funniest band member?

Janelle: Me.

Rose: Let’s just say Janelle.

Jess: Janelle.

Neko: Rose, just because Janelle thinks I’ll say her.

AE: Ditziest?

Janelle: No one jumps out at me, but Neko is most likely to cry at a gig if she can’t figure something out.

Rose: Maybe Janelle. I hope it isn’t me.

Neko: I think we all have our moments, scratch that Janelle.

Jess: No comment.

AE: Sluttiest?

Janelle: Jess.

Rose: Jess and Neko combined.

Jess: Neko, only because the other two are locked down with girlfriends.

Neko: Jess.

AE: Least emotionally stable?

Janelle: Neko.

Rose: Neko.

Jess: Neko.

Neko: Jess.

AE: Most likely to get married move to the suburbs and become incredibly boring?

Janelle: Not me! I’m not even having children!

Rose: Jess, because Janelle needs a break on this. Jess, it could happen.

Jess: Janelle, she’s basically wifed up already.

Neko: Janelle, she just hasn’t put a ring on it.

AE: Who would you eat first if stranded on a desert island?

Janelle: Jess. Have you seen her ass?

Rose: I volunteer.

Jess: Janelle, only because she was so quick to say me.

Neko: Janelle.

AE: Have you ever had a one night stand?

Janelle: Yes and I woke up the next morning and muttered “fuck my life” and she was standing right there waiting for me to wake up.

Rose: I stood all night long in a room one time. Does that count? No, I haven’t ever slept with someone just for one night.

Jess: Yes.

Neko: Yes.

AE: Ever dumped a girl over text?

Janelle: No, but I’ve been dumped over email.

Rose: That would require telling them and I prefer to run away and pretend nothing is happening.

Jess: No.

Neko: Yes, but we eventually got back together. She dumped me via email shortly thereafter.

AE: When is the last time you drank so much, you blacked out?

Janelle: Probably a few months ago when I went to a strip club

Rose: Oh Lordy, maybe when I was at university in England.

Jess: Month and a half ago, my best friend was visiting. Never start your night out with Fire Jack.

Neko: Last Wednesday after a show, I more or less passed out in the back of a friend’s car.

AE: Embarrassing middle school memory?

Janelle: My mom was my sex ed teacher in middle school, so it was all embarrassing.

Rose: We had to bring in plants for a gardening project and I brought in a six ft tree to plant and was sent home because they thought I was taking the piss. I cried and hugged the tree and was like, “It’s okay, buddy.” My friends were really supportive, but they never looked at me the same again.

Jess: In middle school they had a catchphrase for me “Short, big boobs-who do you think of?” That person was me.

Neko: Falling down the stairs in front the majority of my class.

AE: Favorite celesbian?

Janelle: Pink and Madison Paige.

Rose: Can I just do celebrity crush? Rachel McAdams.

Jess: Evan Rachel Wood, because Evan Rachel would.

Neko: Does KStew count?

AE: TV shows you’re addicted to?

Janelle: Orphan Black, Homeland and Dance Moms.

Rose: I don’t really watch TV. Yeah, I’m one of those.

Jess: Doctor Who, Orphan Black, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, and Broad City.

Neko: Orphan Black, Doctor Who, Broad City, Married at First Sight and Game of Thrones.

Want to know more? Stream tracks, download the EP, see performances, and find tour dates for No Girlfriends on Facebook, Soundcloud, and Reverbnation.

Follow Chloë on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram.

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