Drummer Kimberli Aparicio and keyboardist/vocalist Chavez D’Augustine make up the queercore/punk band Butch Vs Femme. They started playing together back in 2003 and toured for the better part of the '00s, releasing one EP, You're So Cruel.
After a long hiatus they're back and ready to rock out with a new full-length CD.
Aparicio said being gay punks in Dixon wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but writing music about their expierences helped.
“It wasn’t as accepting. It was kind of rough. There weren’t that many other gay kids [in Dixon], let alone gay punks,” she explained.
When she met D'Augustine they were able to connect and form a deep friendship and musical bond that's lasted despite an extended hiatus starting in 2007.
They reconnected when D'Augustine started archiving a bunch of their old music, photos and flyers on Facebook. It got them thinking and then jamming and it led to a full-fledged reunion.
Things are different for Butch Vs Femme from the '00's.
"We didn’t really care about where the band was going to go. We just wanted to play shows and make cash for that night. Now it’s a lot different.”
Aparicio said now they're thinking about being financially stable and saving money to do projects. This dedication led to them cutting their first full length album in less than two months.
"We started tracking at the end of December. We were pretty much done with the masters by the end of January,” said Aparicio. “We picked from our catalog of songs which ones would fit on the album.”
All but one of the songs off the new album, titled Eat Yr Heart Out, were written before the hiatus.
A lot of the songs are centered around the queer experience. For example the song "Carnival" is about not being alone in the struggle.
"'Carnival' is about dealing with bullshit from people because you’re queer and the solidarity of having friends who get it," said D'Augustine.
The lyrics are: “I am not the only one so please forgive me. I am not so alone. You’re fighting right beside me and not fighting on your own."
The music is reminiscent of early 2000s and '90’s low-fi punk rock. Think Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill and Two Ton Boa.
They’re releasing their first full-length CD, Eat Yr Heart Out, Saturday, March 28, at Starlite Lounge with Pets and Ghostplay. The show starts at 8 p.m., 21+ and the cover is $7.
If you miss them this weekend you can catch them again at the Press Club on May 25, and they're playing queercore festival Think & Die Thinking in San Jose July 10.
Untill then, check out these two special preview tracks off the new album.
