OVERALLS, DRESSES, JORTS–HOW SAPIEN JOYRIDE GETS WEIRD AND STAYS THAT WAY
Throwback to when I interviewed Sapien Joyride for Citrus Magazine! Growing Girls (the new album) out now!
This piece was originally published in Citrus Magazine Spring 2024.
Open Spotify, search “Sapien Joyride” and press play on the Greenhouse Demos.
SAPIEN JOYRIDE was live in the Davis Ballroom at Smith College. I remember asking one of my classmates, “What’s the name of this band?” It took me a few times to understand the name. S-A-P-I-E-N J-O-Y-R-I-D-E. The second time I saw them perform was at Mount Holyoke less than a week later.
Sapien Joyride is really necessary. You have to go to every show. I waited all winter break for the next show. I was telling my friend(s), “You have to see Sapien Joyride play. You have to see them.” In January, I brought my friend with me to Hampshire and we were absorbed in the music. We weren’t starstruck per se, but we were struck by something, for sure. You enter a world all on your own. It’s just you and the music. When the music stops and your brain turns back on, you can’t help but wonder, how is this possible?
It’s possible because Sapien Joyride makes the music they want to hear and play, and they have good taste. In between songs and at the beginning of them, you always hear them laughing. Particularly “Blood in the Bowl” from the Greenhouse Demos. They’re performing, then they’re done, and you think back, “Why was there blood in the bowl?”
In our interview, Georgia Walsh, lead singer and guitarist of Sapien Joyride, couldn’t tell us how or why the blood was in the bowl, but she did say, “The beauty of the song is you’re not supposed to know.” The mystery of Sapien Joyride was not dispelled at this moment but Annie Richard, Sapien Joyride’s drummer thoughtfully posed the question, “What is your blood and what is your bowl?”
Self-identified as “glam punk,” the band prioritizes performance. Ultimately, this is why “Blood in the Bowl” stands out. They’re performing the song and their words get louder, louder, more struggled. If you’re lucky, there will be an interlude, and Georgia, Ivy, and Annie will talk to each other, seemingly still trying to figure out why there was blood in the bowl.
Annie said, “There are some songs that are more concrete than others, but we change “Blood in the Bowl” everytime we play it live.” While you know overall what to expect if you’re seeing Sapien Joyride perform: loud screaming, head banging, heavy drums, music that repeats in your head for at least a day. They always do something surprising: spoken word intros or covers of essential riot grrrl songs like “Violet” by Hole. This is why they have to be seen live.
Catchy songs like “The Hate Song” build the communal music experience. When asked about the writing process, Ivy Kovel, guitarist, said “Everyone can scream it, it doesn’t matter.” Show-goers beware because Sapien Joyride’s performance of “The Hate Song” will make you scream that you’re losing respect for your best friend, and you’ll feel like you mean it.
Despite having #ladymoments where the band wears dresses, Sapien Joyride’s uniform is mostly comprised of overalls. Having a history in sports, Ivy says, “Look good, feel good, play good.” Pockets are essential to the ‘fit. They hold on to guitar picks, cigarettes, phones, drumsticks, and more. Despite their casual demeanors, these musicians still care about looks.
“If we wear dresses, are they going to respect us as musicians?” is a question they have asked themselves in preparation for being in line-ups with more “hardcore guys.” Perception notwithstanding, Sapien Joyride still brings “girls to the front” branching out from artists like Bikini Kill and Hole. Annie noted, “There are more chicks there now. People are moving their bodies and feeling safe to move their bodies.” While the punk scene can be intimidating and at times uncomfortable, Sapien Joyride creates an environment where everyone can rock out.
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