In my childhood I used to love looking at my Auntie’s glass cabinet of Fabergé eggs. So shiny, delicate and pretty. Never a thing to be touched and only a thing to be admired from afar.
I guess in a way new pop-punk riot girl outfit The Fabergettes are kind of similar. They’re quite new to the Sydney scene, very pretty to look at and they are somewhat of a thing to be admired from in front of a stage, but not a thing to be touched. We chat with Natalie Martin about this shiny new band.
Music Feeds: How did you guys get the band together?
Natalie Martin: The decision to form a band was like many momentous resolutions, decided with the aid of alcohol. Originally it was a super group of 8 girls, but later, with a few less drinks, Fabergettes as it stands today was born. For a time it was just long term friends: Cipi, Bec and I. With a female drummer nowhere in our reach, our male bestie, Marty, offered to jam with us in the interim. We knew straight away Marty was the missing piece to our musical puzzle. We are happy to keep him as our honorary ‘chick’ drummer!
MF: Describe your sound to us in 5 words or less!
NM: Reverbarating-pop-punk-tiki-awesomeness.
MF: What do you write your songs about?
NM: Strangers, friends, drama and jelly. I tend to write about whatever is on my mind when I play my guitar. Some songs turn out as light-hearted twee-pop songs, while others are a little deeper and more personal. Abstract lyrics veil some of the personal stuff as I’m not ready for people hearing my deep dark secrets just yet!
MF: Where did the name come from?
NM: The name Fabergettes is a throw back to 60s girl band greats like The Ronnettes, The Vingnettes and The Velvelettes. We wanted a fabulous name and somehow Fabergé eggs came into the mix. We combined Fabergé and ‘ettes’ and it was love.
MF:What’s the biggest highlight from one of your shows so far?
NM: The biggest highlight so far has to be winning the Chicks with Picks Band Comp. The Grand Final crowd was wild. After the buzz of making it through the heats and the semi-finals we were thrilled to take out the title of Grand Final Winners. Another highlight would have to be playing a cover of Zombie by the Cranberries at a friends 90s themed 21st. Our friends went nuts; I think there was even crowd surfing at one stage. You’ve gotta love a great cover.
MF: If I was coming to Sydney for one night and I needed you girls to show me around the town, take me to the best venues and see the best bands Sydney has to offer, what would be the plan?
NM: Is this a date? Sweet. I would pick you up, whisk you to Henson Park to cheer on the Newtown Jets and play with the local puppy dogs. Then take you to Shady Pines for a quick vodka and fresh apple juice. After this we would roll on down to a gig at Good God Small Club to watch Shakin’ Howls, Cuthbert, Betty Airs and Little Lovers rock out. From there we’d pop into Freaki Tiki (Newton Hotel) for some pinball and astro turf. And what night out would be compete without The Townie (Town Hall Hotel)? Inevitably followed by the best kebabs in town – Saray’s. Extra cheese please.
MF: What bands are the biggest influence on the Fabs, in particular, who are the female performers who have had the biggest impact?
NM: Bands that we look up to include:
5678s, The Breeders, Shonen Knife, Vivian Girls, Bikini Kill, Sylvia and Mickey and Le Tigre. Any female performer that just goes for it really inspires us.
You guys are a pretty new and shiny band; what are you hoping to experience and accomplish over the next 6-12 months?
NM: We are currently working on some lo-fi DIY recordings to whack up on the net. When we have the funds, we would love to record in a studio and release a 7” vinyl EP. At the moment our main focus is to play as many live gigs as we can and to make some new friends along the way.
Catch The Fabergettes at MUM, World Bar this Friday night, 8th of July.
