There's a riot (grrl) going on... on Long Island
by Rich Quinlan
As someone old enough to remember the emergence of the
riot grrl movement in the early 90s, I distinctly recollect
the energy, the fury, and the political savvy of bands like
Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Team Dresch, and eventually the
majesty of Sleater-Kinney. The arrival of anything from
the Kill Rock Stars label was met with bated breath and
a sense of almost giddy excitement from every DJ in my tiny
college station.
While riot grrl certainly never fully disappeared, almost
twenty-five years after first changing the face of punk,
that same energy is back in the form of Long Island, NY’s
Sharp Violet. Lead vocalist and lyricist Liz Meehan was
kind enough to answer a few questions for me, ranging from
the origin of the band through rotating members and instruments,
to the current state of gender politics in America.
Emerging as a soundtrack to the #MeToo Movement, Sharp Violet
blends political acumen and musical strength into a dynamic
mass of shrewd playing that makes people think as fiercely
as it makes them move. I think it would be too myopic to
label Sharp Violet as solely a “political” act,
for they discuss an array of subjects within their songs,
but it is equally faulty to not recognize them for tackling
the reality of an unbalanced legal system and still lingering
stigmas surrounding rape.
When asked about the impact of #TimesUp, Meehan’s
response was measured and far more articulate than those
running for the country’s highest office: “I
think it's incredible what the Me Too and Times Up Movements
have accomplished [for] it shed a light to what has been
happening to women for years and we are finally giving a
voice and justice to the survivors. Rape is the only crime
where the victim is treated like a suspect and that needs
to change. These movements, the Women's March, it's proof
that there is power in numbers and that people can create
change for a better world. We still have a long way to go
but hopefully the next generation will know the meaning
of "Me too" but no one will ever have to say those
words again”. Sharp Violet channels this frustration
tinged with a sense of hope into powerful and meaningful
punk.
Meehan formed the nucleus of Sharp Violet in early 2016
with herself, guitarist Jessica Benenati and drummer Jasmine
Fuentes as “the core members of the band”, and
after a handful of players coming in and out of the ranks,
including multiple drummers, the band added Alli Sondergard
on bass and the band was officially a unit. Fluidity among
the members’ musical abilities has allowed every member
except Meehan to play bass at some point in Sharp Violet’s
existence, and Fuentes and Benenati also lend their vociferous
talents to hardcore band Senseless and singer/songwriter
Emi Pellegrino, respectively. The band has been recording
steadily since 2017, releasing a series of singles on bandcamp
and Spotify, but their greatest area of growth has been
performing live.
The members of Sharp Violet with Jersey Beat's Rich
Quinlan
My first encounters with Sharp Violet allowed me to witness
a burgeoning powerhouse of an act, but a group still gaining
confidence on stage. Meehan, formally rather demure in front
of a crowd, now effortlessly interacts and makes jokes with
the audience, introducing songs “Boys and Candy”
as “two of my favorite things” with a wry smile.
The increased comfort on stage is a trait readily acknowledged
by all the members, and as Meehan noted, “I think
once you are comfortable playing together then the stage
presence comes through and in a more natural way”.
While Sharp Violet is committed to shining a light on serious
and significant topics threatening contemporary America,
they still know how to make punk rock fun, a trait desperately
missing within the genre.
As the band’s sole songwriter, Meehan is both the
vocal and poetic face of Sharp Violet. Her simmering anger
and smoldering intelligence shines through most brightly
on the social commentary of “These are the Rules,
Boys” and “Domino Effect”, both tracks
taking a direct shot on the rich and powerful figures of
film, television, and politics who have watched their previously
imperious worlds collapse, and Meehan’s words are
usually punctuated with the pummeling force of Fuentes’
drumming. While the aforementioned efforts are celebratory
and biting works inspired by the rise of the #MeToo movement,
other ideas have been around for years, as Meehan explained
that “some of the lyrics are from when I was sixteen
or seventeen years old, fast forward fifteen years later
it's nice that they are finally seeing the light of music”.
Surrounding Meehan are two highly adroit guitarists, Marie
Tornetto (who has now switched to bass) and Benenati, whose
ability to construct furious riffs, such as the blazing
punk of “New York”, is equally matched by their
propensity to alter tempo and branch outside traditional
riot grrl structures. The moody “Black Widow”,
driven by rugged bass, moves at a pace closer in nature
to mid-90s grunge or indie than raucous riot grrl, a quality
that makes Sharp Violet unique (And for future reference,
or to keep your scorecard straight, Alli is now playing
guitar).
This band is not simply doing a color by numbers imitation
of female punk pioneers, for even their take on Blondie’s
“Hangin’ on the Telephone” is played with
a recklessness not heard on the original; instead, the five
talented women from Lindenhurst, New York bring their own
interpretations of the genre into the twenty-first century.
The diversity of the band’s song structures is an
outgrowth of Sharp Violet’s members, as “each
member has different music tastes and that also inspires
our writing and sound”, according to Meehan. There
are the easily identifiable riot grrl influences such as
Sleater Kinney, Bikini Kill, Blondie, and The Distillers,
but No Doubt and Bad Cop Bad Cop are two other acts that
are sprinkled into the Sharp Violet potion to create a band
that celebrates the origins of the genre but does not live
there.
As much as fans appreciate the string of singles Sharp Violet
has delivered, the obvious question as to when a full-length
release will finally emerge has to be asked. To that, Meehan
offers an honest, but optomistic response, “Recording
is a bit tough because of everyone's different schedules
but we are looking do more recording. We're hoping to release
an album, maybe by the end of the year.”
While Sharp Violet has formulated a sturdy and committed
fan base throughout New York City’s largest suburb,
often playing with their “brother band” from
Lindenhurst, Steve and the Not Steves, the band is now beginning
to venture outside the LIE. The upcoming weeks include a
show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on October 12th at Jason’s
Woods before returning home for their own post-Halloween
costume party on November 2nd in Bethpage, NY. My advice
is to check the line up and make sure to arrive early to
see one of the most discerning and important bands on the
east coast.
 Sharp
Violet on Bandcamp
Sharp
Violet on Facebook
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