Women rule. Miesha & The Spanks prove it. Calgary's garage-rock two-piece is on tour with its latest, Girls, Like Wolves. Produced by Ian Blurton (C'mon, Cowboy Junkies), the band's seventh album finally captures the ferocious, wild atmosphere of Miesha Louie and Stuart Bota.
"We've been playing harder live for awhile, but not quite pulling it off on our records. Bringing Ian into the mix changed everything. I ended up with songs that sound awesome and rock hard, like I've been trying to do all along," says Louie, inspired by her very own wolf-pack.
"It started with my girlfriends who sang back-up on my track 'She-Wolf,'" says Louie. Relying on friends after some shitty breakups, "we'd seriously ride our bikes through the streets of Calgary howling at the moon. We'd shotgun beers and then pass out in a pile, like wolves."
The pack mentality is strong in Miesha & The Spanks. As the front-woman and principle songwriter, Louie is proud to be a rock chick. She also mentors at Calgary's Girls' Rock Camp. "The issue is that girls aren't encouraged to participate in rock music the same way boys are," she says. "Rock music is still a boys' club. Young girls need encouragement to get involved in rock music, and they need more role models for front women, too." Once involved in a scene, Louie recognizes that women are generally treated as equals, but the real trouble is getting there.
"Girls aren't allowed to suck. Boys suck at music all the time and laugh it out with their buddies until they get better. But when girls suck, they should just quit. We really aren't up to an equal level yet," she says. "So, yeah, ask me about being a chick in rock music, because some girl who doesn't feel invited needs to hear the answer." The answer---mark your territory. Awooo!
Meisha & The Spanks w/Monomyth, Heaven for Real, Sheepman
Friday, September 13 at 10pm, $6
Gus‘ Pub, 2605 Agricola Street
