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cumgirl8, a musical group and art collective, emerged within the post-punk scene as an homage to online culture, but since their inception, the four-piece band’s influence has extended well beyond the online universe. As the group grew in their craft, they quickly discovered the power of employing shock factor as a means of communicating broader social commentaries. What began as a seditious title disguised behind an archaic chatroom username has now metamorphosed into a movement of liberation, spurred by sound.
True to their name, New York-based Lida Fox, Veronika Vilim, Chase Lombardo, and Avishag Rodrigues met in an online chatroom and instantly clicked — on an interstellar intellectual level. Their connection supersedes shallow conventions but instead is rooted in a cavernous desire to defy the expectations of society, to present the boldest versions of themselves, and, above all else, to empower each other and their fans. Deconstructing conservative ideals of sexual expression and radicalizing traditional feminine expectations are the primary goals of the band, and they bring that forth not only through music but also through art, film, and one of their favorite modern modes of communication — memes.
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Earlier this summer, the band opened for Le Tigre, fronted by Kathleen Hanna, a key figure in the feminist punk riot grrrl movement — and someone who shares many of cumgirl8’s values. Now, continuing their provocative quest to shake up the post-punk genre as well as our expectations, cumgirl8 are set to release their debut 4AD EP, phantasea pharm (out Aug. 18). The project feels akin to an acid trip set within a folk-tale setting, brimming with enticing guitar riffs and thought-provoking lyrics. The EP’s first single, “cicciolina,” was inspired by Hungarian-Italian porn star Ilona Staller, who later became a political figure — a resounding message that echoes the sentiment cumgirl8 were built upon: Women can be or represent whatever they want.
The group are all about facilitating subversive conversations about sexual liberation, identity, and more. Your recent single, “cicciolina,” paid homage to the Hungarian-Italian porn star-turned-politician Ilona Staller. What does empowerment look like or feel like for each of you? How do you use your projects to empower others in impactful ways?
We’ve noticed fans coming to our shows dressed like us, and some of them tell us how we’ve empowered them to dress cute and feel confident. In general, people aren’t questioning why we show our bodies as much. Normalizing feeling hot seems like a success. Others are starting to realize we are intelligent and work hard and like to fuck, too. Normalizing all of those happening in a femme body without any trickery involved — that’s the final level!
Another core aspect of cumgirl8 is that you function as an art collective, creating music as well as other forms of self-expression. One of the main ways you communicate with your fanbase is through memes. What can memes convey that words alone cannot?
We don’t think too much about them — they just feel good.
An additional way that you all communicate with your audiences is through the clothing you wear onstage. From tulle to fishnets, you don’t hold back on expressing yourself through fashion choices. In what ways do the pieces you all choose to wear signal liberation?
We wear whatever makes us feel sexy, strong, smart, hot, cute, and free. It’s liberating to wear something that you maybe grew up being told you couldn’t. It becomes an outfit of defiance and empowerment.
You’ve cited inspiration from the internet to people who have graced each of your lives, to even animals. But what is the weirdest source you have derived inspiration from?
Finnish hobby horse competitions.
Your debut 4AD EP, phantasea pharm, was informed by Ella Fitzgerald’s “Old McDonald.” What would your fantasy farm look like? What animals would live there?
phantasea pharm is an underwater escape where you can float around in your blissful delusions, feast on endless vegetables, play with animals like pink Pomeranians or cowfish, or get tied up by goth farmers.
Tell me about some of the themes explored on the EP.
Delusion, annoyance, horniness, blissful insanity, political subversion, love, and a Pomeranian personified as a slutty, messy girl that is annoying but everyone loves.
You have been labeled as the new wave of post-punk, but you characterize yourselves and your sound as extraterrestrial. You reside outside of just one category or genre. How do you hope to continue disrupting the industry with your outlook and psychedelic sound?
By making music that we would want to listen to.
