Hissy Fit happy with life as an indie band
WHO: Hissy Fit
WHERE: The Boot
WHEN: Sunday, March 4
If you could get Chrissie Hynde, Courtney Love and Green Day in the same room, you might have the beginnings of the unique sound of Hissy Fit.
The smoky vocals of front woman, Gisele, and the pumping force of the four-piece band have made this melodic punk quartet a favourite on the Vancouver scene. So much so in fact, that many are surprised Hissy Fit is still recording on an indie label.
"I’m surprised too," laughs Gisele. "I don’t really know what to make of it. We’ve never been approached or spoken to anyone in Canada… but I also find Canada really easy to do by yourself. It’s a lot of work, but it’s completely manageable on your own, on an independent basis."
Unfortunately there’s really no money to be made in Canada, according to Gisele, unless you’re a commercial success. South of the boarder, independent bands can do much better due to the sheer volume of people.
"It must be a very gypsy type existence to be a touring band in the States," she says. "It must be kinda cool. I’d love to do it."
Hissy Fit has just released their fifth recording, a seven song EP. Gisele says the title, Restless , describes the rough road she was on at the time of writing the album. When it comes to the finished product, however, you can hear the smile in her voice.
"We’re very, very, very, very happy with this record! It’s the best thing we’ve ever done. We’re totally in bliss with it. It’s an oddity; I have no complaints whatsoever."
A new producer/engineer can largely be credited for Gisele’s satisfaction.
"It takes time to find people that you really click with. There’s so many digital studios around, so many cheaper options, there’s just so many factors when you shop to record. Finding a good engineer is almost as important as any member of your band… and now that we’ve hooked up with Vince Jones I don’t think I want to work with anyone else."
And Gisele says that core group of people could actually be much more important than any label.
"I have a feeling major record labels aren’t going to matter soon, because of the Internet and the way things are being put out there. I think a lot of (music) is going to catch on and we’re just not going to know what they are because we’re going to hear them in strange ways, games, streaming video. I know our stuff is out there in that sort of medium."
Gisele sounds like a seasoned veteran, but compared to some on the scene, she’s still a newcomer. Hissy Fit came together about six years ago, and that was in fact Gisele’s first attempt at singing.
"(I discovered I had a voice) when I was 31. The band came together after watching so many bad bands and being so hypercritical of other people’s music. I thought that what I should do is try to do it if I thought it was so easy. And I did it very late, but I’m glad I did because it ended up being much more than that to me. It ended up being a very therapeutic process."
Better late than never.
