Gurr

^{Photo by Miriam Marlene}

Name, where are you from?
Laura Lee: Hi, I’m Laura Lee and I live in Berlin, Germany.
Andreya Casablanca: Berlin, Germany.

What do you do?
L: I make music with my two bands Jettes and Gurr – and sometimes I release bedroom albums on my own Bandcamp as well.
A: I sing and play guitar in the band Gurr. I’m currently working on my solo project too - which is a more alternative take on pop with ADHD guitars and synth lines.

Describe your style in three words?
A: Clothing wise?? either casual weird and baggy, random vintage, or over the top.
L: Preppy, but goth.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
L: Phewwww this is hard. I would say the one that impressed me most was seeing Slowdive at Huxley’s in Berlin last year?? I wasn’t a huge fan before, but seeing that gig really turned me around. It’s funny how seeing a band live can completely change the way you listen to them, as if a new dimension to their music has been opened.
A: Tyler the Creator at Melt Festival 2018.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
L: OASIS!!! I’ve been a big fan of them since I was a teenager. They basically turned me on to Rock’n’Roll and to doing what I’m doing now. I used to have all these Oasis DVDs as a Teenager and I think I watched their gig at Wembley Stadium a million times. The first song they play is 'Go Let It Out' and it always gave me goosebumps, so I’m gonna drag that one in the playlist.
The second one is harder. Maybe The Breeders??? Kim Deal is a huge inspiration for me – I looooove her songwriting and the production of their records. I showed my bandmate, Melody Connor, from Jettes the recording of 'I Just Wanna Get Along' and said: "This is what I want my vocals to sound like!" We didn’t quite figure out how to achieve that yet. So if you’re reading this and know what to do, please reach out!
A: The Stooges and David Bowie! The Stooges because Iggy Pop is the biggest performance hero. So, Iggy and the Stooges would just pump me up to go on stage. And Bowie would make me cry and melt because of the perfect arrangement and musical experience. They are both amazing performers…but I can only tell from videos of course. Iggy would shred away the stage and Bowie take me away to another dimension.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
A: Riot grrrl, Mods and '70s punk, Skateboard culture, New York and West Coast rock n roll/punk… It was the music I would listen to in my teens and early twenties. Richard Hell, Patti Smith, The Saints, Le Tigre, The Who, The High Numbers… In school, I sewed a self-made mod-logo on a white shirt. I grew up in Bavaria, Germany, and no-one really cared or knew what I was about. I also got tons of music from skate videos. Zero - New Blood or Villa Villa Cola - Getting Nowhere fast.
L: Growing up, I was it really into mod culture and Britpop. Which is funny because I grew up in the most rural area of north-west Germany where all of that seemed very far away. But there I was, listening to Oasis all day and then eventually learning about The Who and Quadrophenia. I was crazy about that stuff. It’s funny how you hear 'My Generation' for the first time in 2004 and it STILL sounds so revolutionary and crazy.
A bit later, like I wanna say in my 20's, I found out about the Riot grrrl movement and that was HUGELY influential on me as well, especially Bikini Kill. Everything about that DIY scene has empowered me so much – most recently in starting our Instagram Channel We Formed A Band where we’re trying to connect people who are looking for bandmates.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
L: I would love to spend an hour with Bradford Cox from Deerhunter. They’re probably my favourite contemporary band. I recently read a portrait Rolling Stone did about him and he just comes across as a very strong, creative, quirky character living in his American Gothic novel home somewhere in Atlanta, devoting his life to art.
A: Joni Mitchell. I got into Joni Mitchell last year and the interviews with her are the most inspiring and interesting I’ve seen. I wouldn’t say she’s my all-time hero, but I've met some of my heroes before and it always demystified them not to their (or rather, my) advantage. I would want to sit there for an hour listening to Joni Mitchell talk.

Of all the independent venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
L: Well, what can I say. They’re all great. But just from where we come from, I wanna say 8MM Bar in Berlin is probably my favourite. They just accompanied us for so long, let us shoot our music videos there when we were starting out with GURR, and whenever we have an idea (like singing a Christmas song with Eddie Argos) they give us a stage and say: "Sure, wanna do the premie-re party here?" I love that ease. It’s such a beautiful hub for everyone to see and hear what other people are listening to and working on. So yea, I love that place! Give them a big tip when you go there!
A: Wow, a lot. I love them all, even with the sh*tty mouse-sized meat-freezer temperature backstages. We played at the Manufaktur in Schorndorf last year (great venue, great backstage) and they had a hall of fame with people who played there, and it reaches back to Townes van Zandt in the '70s. I love venues like this. There is a similar one, an old theatre near Lake Constan-ze…

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
L: Maybe I’m just a late bloomer, but I only found out about Jessica Pratt last year and I was SO BLOWN AWAY. I started doing a drawing class this year and the instructor blasts music when we’re all painting and Jessica Pratt came up and it’s the perfect drawing music. So yes, I hope she will get even more famous because I think she’s great. Track: Jessica Pratt - As the world turns