Interview by John Wisniewski for MK ULTRA Magazine photos from Jen Dot’s Facebook page
Musician and author Jen Dot is the lead singer of the punk band Swimsuit Addition. Later she would form beastii, a Goth/Punk band, who have just released their album Follower. Jen is also the author of her recently published book “Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983” which presents a history of the most notable female rockers in rock history.
John Wisniewski: Could you tell us about the band Swimsuit Addition? When was this band formed, Jen?
Jen Dot: Swimsuit Addition was my old band, and we formed in 2011 and played together until 2016. We put out two EPs, one LP, and have an unreleased LP that has some of our best songs and best recordings on it.
JW: beastiii’s album “Follower” has just been released. Could you tell us about forming this band? What was the idea behind the band?
JD: I started beastii around 2015, around the tail end of Swimsuit Addition. I had some song ideas that wouldn’t necessarily fit with Swimsuit and decided to do a bedroom electronica project. It morphed into a garage rock kind of thing when Swimsuit ended because all those surfy songs needed somewhere to go. The idea of the band was for it to morph and change into whatever it needed to – I didn’t want to define it necessarily – I just wanted to keep writing songs and play with whoever wanted to play, I never want anyone to feel like I am forcing them to be in a band with me, so it’s kind of just been an open door policy. I like where that has brough us with this album. I got to collaborate with one of my longest friends and one of my life-long artistic partners. Chris and I got to experiment more with recording, and we got to bring in good friends that I love playing with – Kai and Asha – to add the final touches. I think all that energy is reflected in the final product.
JW: Any favorite music artists?
JD: No, I hate music. Just kidding. I love a lot of stuff but bands I would say that inspired this album are Wire, Au Pairs, Pylon, Soft Cell, Joy Division, Kate Bush, and DEVO.
JW: You have recently published a book about the history of women in rock. Could you tell us how this project came about?
JD: I just felt like it was a missing part of punk history. I wanted to tell the stories of more obscure bands that had a big impact in their scenes. Women were so integral to early punk, and I think people should know that!
JW: Who are some of the women rockers profiled in the book?
JD: Destroy All Monsters, the Alley Cats, Screaming Sneakers, Ama-Dots. So many, and so many more to write about!
JW: Any future plans and projects, Jen?
JD: Ideas are always twirling in my head. I am in a sort of chaotic, unstructured phase.I am doing research for a second book, poking away at some of my fiction, writing some weird songs… we will see what comes of all of it!
Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA, 1975-1983 by Jen B. Larson
Think punk was only a boys club? Read about the women who were the punk revolution!
Women have been kicking against the pricks of music patriarchy since Sister Rosetta Tharpe first played the guitar riffs that built rock-n-roll. The explosion of punk sent shockwaves of revolution to every girl who dreamed of being on stage. Punk godmothers Suzy Quatro, The Runaways, Patti Smith, Poison Ivy, Tina Weymouth, Debbie Harry, The Go-Gos, and Fanny’s Millington sisters provided the template for thousands of girls and women throughout the United States to write and record their songs.
Hit Girls is the story of local and regional bands whose legacy would be otherwise lost. Despite the modern narrative labeling women as anomalies in rock music, the truth is: women played important roles in punk and its related genres in every city, in every scene, all over the United States. The women and bands profiled by Jen B. share their experiences of sexism and racism as well as their joy and successes from their days on stage as they changed what it meant to be in a band. These pioneering women were more than novelty acts or pretty faces–they were fully contributing members and leaders of mixed-gender and all-female bands long before the call for “girls to the front.”
The women of Hit Girls are now rightfully exalted to cult status where their collective achievement is recognized and inspiring to new generations of women rockers. Included are interviews with: Texacala Jones, Stoney Rivera, Mish Bondaj, Alice Bag, Nikki Corvette, Penelope Houston, and many more formidable and infamous women who made their voices heard over the screaming guitars.
Hit Girls includes over 100 rare and never-before seen images. Author Jen B. includes a comprehensive playlist of all the artists.