Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Girl and Girl
Australia has always been a hotbed of great music. Over the past decade or so, the country has produced an array of favourites, ranging from the psychedelic inflexions of Tame Impala and King Gizzard to the singer-songwriter mastery of Julia Jacklin and Courtney Barnett. These names are just the tip of the iceberg, too, with so much more going on across the musical spectrum. One band that has been making waves in recent years is Girl and Girl, and the way they’re going, they might one day climb to such lofty heights.
Comprised of vocalist Kai James, guitarist Jayden Williams, bassist Fraser Bell, and perhaps most notably the frontman’s Aunt Liss on drums, the Gold Coast outfit formed amidst a world in flux in 2020. Since then, they have been bubbling away in the underground, releasing a string of singles that firmly established their wonky blend of indie rock, garage and punk, sharpened by James’ brilliantly incisive wordplay and distinctive trill.
As a sign of things to come, the group were signed by American independent powerhouse Sub Pop in 2023. Then, earlier this year, they finally announced the details of their debut album, Call a Doctor, which was released on May 24th, 2024. Shaping up to be one of the most compelling and entertaining records of the year, Girl and Girl have already released three singles in the shape of ‘Hello’, ‘Mother’ and, most recently, ‘Oh Boy!’. They are all deeply infectious in their own ways without veering from the group’s formula and set the scene for what looks to be one hell of a ride in their debut.
Clearly, Girl and Girl are in their most significant year yet. As they await the release of Call a Doctor, we thought it was the right time to get to know them a little better. To do so, James answered our quick-fire questions, discussing everything from when he may or may not have met Matt Damon to his thoughts on what Guitar Center actually offers culture. As you might expect from an artist whose music and words are so entertaining, these answers cover a lot of ground.
Quick-fire questions with Girl and Girl:
1. What song would you want played at your funeral?
“‘Festival’ by Sigur Rós.”
2. What was the best album of 2023?
“Lush Life by The Belair Lip Bombs.”
3. Do you believe in UFOs?
“Well, yeah, every flying object is a UFO before it’s identified.”
4. What’s your favourite comfort movie?
“Grown Ups, gotten me through some really tough times.”
5. Where’s the weirdest place you woke up?
“In a queen bed with Aunty Liss in Ireland, with Kung Fu Panda 3 streaming at full volume through my earphones.”
6. What’s one gig in history you’d time travel to be at?
“LCD Soundsystem, Madison Square Garden, 2011.”
7. Where’s the best pub in the world?
“Junk Bar, Brisbane, Australia.”
8. What was the first song you learnt to play?
“Probably something by Beck.”
9. What track features the greatest vocal performance?
“‘Festival’ by Sigur Rós.”
10. What venue do you dream of playing? And who’s your support act?
“Madison Square Garden, with our good pals Love Banana.”
11. Have you ever had a weird celebrity encounter?
“Yeah, I saw Matt Damon at the Ekka. Well, my friends saw him, but I retell the story as if I did.”
12. What song do you hate most in the world?
“‘Boomerang’ by JoJo Siwa, but it’s also my favourite.”
13. What’s your most controversial cultural opinion?
“Guitar Center is a good place to start a fight.”
14. Who the fuck is Mark E. Smith?
“Harrison, our tour manager, tells me he’s the singer of The Fall, and we literally just listened to that album twice, spooky.”
15. Are The Beatles overrated?
“Never heard of ’em??”
