Vixen77– Channeling influences like The Stooges, The Runaways, and Johnny Thunders into their own brand of Philly punk — earning them the chance to open for Wayne Kramer on his MC5 tour — it’s a throwback to the raw, rebellious nature that makes rock and roll so magical.
interview conducted on July 15, 2022
by Dan Locke
Vixen77 is the brainchild of guitarist, Caitlin, who dreamt of playing in an all-lady rock band since high school. She had been playing the Philly punk scene for a few years when she decided to put her dream in motion. In late 2018, Vixen77 was formed, a five-piece all-women band. The name Vixen77 is a reference to woman energy and the musical influence of late-seventies punk.
Word spread quickly of their catchy songs and intense live shows. People packed clubs and house basements to rock out and sweat along with Vixen77. In a few short months, they were opening for Cherie Currie of The Runaways and Brie Darling of Fanny. An EP found its way around town with the band eventually getting airplay on Philly stations WXPN and WMMR. In March of 2019, they were WMMR’s artist of the month.
How did you discover music?
Sarah: I grew up listening to classic rock, my parents exposed me to a lot of great bands like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, ZZ Top, etc & I fell in love with them all. I started playing drums at 11 years old originally through the video game, Rock Band! It came naturally to me, I went from ‘Easy’ mode to ‘Expert’, then I tried out my friend’s acoustic drum kit & realized I could actually do this for real, so my parents got me my first kit & I’ve been drumming ever since.
Liz: I grew up in a family that loved music—James brown, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones etc. But summer before sixth grade (2002) I heard Little Steven’s Underground Garage for the first time. Back then it was only a weekly show. I used to stay up with a pen and pad and write down every artist. That’s what got me into garage rock, powerpop, rock n roll, 77 —everything. From there all I wanted to do was play it. And here I am.
Cait: I grew up listening to a lot of rock n roll music, but never really discovered my love for it until I started playing guitar at 13. For me, it started with an obsession of early blues music with artists such as Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Mctell etc. and lead me into loving rock n roll from that perspective. I discovered Jack White’s modern renditions of old blues music, and was initially driven to play guitar from that perspective.
SamanthaJoan: I started singing since I could talk. My grandmother would sing to me all of the time. Eventually I couldn’t get my parents to turn off Phantom of the Opera and I would be reenacting every scene for days on end. I then picked up keyboard, then drums, then fell in love with guitar. I stuck with that for a few years and picked up singing lessons shortly after. One of the only passions I never fully gave up on.
How did you start to write music?
Liz: I’ve always had songs in my head for as long as I can remember. It just comes to me.
What was your first performance at together like?
Sarah: Our first performance was actually my wedding! It was so amazing to rock out in front of all my friends & family in my wedding dress! To share that experience with the band was pure magic. Everyone in that room was looking at us & totally in love with our sound. It was awesome.
SamanthaJoan: Around the same time when I began lessons, I would sit in my room and write “poems” ya know the silly “my heart is broken at 11 years old” type. The music school owned by my cousin Mike Gibbons at the time, had programs where kids would get together and create. That’s where I learned how to really piece my work together and add my guitar to it.
Describe your music.
Liz: tough rock n roll that’ll knock you on your ass. Fuck outta here with that “women playing music” as a novelty act.
Sarah: Our music is loud, raw, in your face rock & roll that will force you on your feet.
SamanthaJoan: Raw, fun, and totally thrashing.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Sarah: Our first original song was “Some Days”. We recorded it & it will be released on August 12th with a music video!
Liz: It was “Some Days”. I wrote the music and half of the lyrics and everyone helped to make it whole.
What is the process of writing your music?
Liz: I constantly have songs in my head it’s just having the time to write them down or record a voice note of humming. I’ll bring that to practice or send it over text. Lyrics and music can come together or separately. For the most part it is a group project.
Sarah: It’s a collective effort. One of us will come into rehearsal with lyrics written or a riff & then each of us will build off of it. It’s really a fun, creative process & what’s great is we all contribute our own originality to the sound.
SamanthaJoan: we all contribute in different ways. I find most of the time we each come up with parts. Someone will start with lyrics one of us will finish. Another will have a bass line and a riff and we will add lyrics later. It kind of just happens and we go with the flow.
Tell me about the making of the video “Record Store”?
Sarah: We actually had a gig the night before & had to be set to film at Repo Records at like 9am. It was so great of Repo Records to let us film before they opened the store that day.
Liz: It was a lot of fun calling Billy Joel shitty music.
SamanthaJoan: Took a lot of planning and the purchase of a wig. Having our friends be a part of it was pretty cool, too.
How was it working with Corrine McAndrews?
Liz: This is my second time working with Corrine and she’s fantastic. Nice, understanding, and extremely talented.
Sarah: Corrine is awesome. She has such a talent for videography. She captured the vibrance of Repo Records & was able to portray the story in Record Store with the vision we all had in mind.
SamanthaJoan: Corrine is a gem. She works so hard and is a master at her craft. She really helped bring the vision to life. We are lucky to have her.
Tell me about the album?
Sarah: Loud rock & roll tracks, one after another. They’re all about the struggles we face in life: in relationships, in ourselves, & some are just about loving rock & roll.
Liz: Infectious rock n roll with even catchier hooks. The album took a lot of time and effort (LOL JUST KIDDING ON THE TIME WE RECORDED IT IN 72 HOURS).
SamanthaJoan: the album to me is a mix of finding ourselves, heartache, confusion, mental health, empowerment and our passion for music.
What is your happy place?
Sarah: Behind the drum kit of course!! Cruisin in my 55 Chevy Nomad.
Liz: Anywhere but here. Or on stage.
SamanthaJoan: My happy place is being on stage, in the studio, and being with the ladies at practice. When that’s not happening, I like being outside (when it’s warm) with my bare feet touching the earth in a creek or by a body of water.
