This interview was done four years ago fer my (Tameka) ‘zine Liquid. Love it! Or I’ll kill you! Happy reading! Seriously tho, I do hope you’ll check Miss Bryant and her band and label out (to find out just what the fuck I‘m talking about read the interview below)! I wrote the questions when I was either 17 or 18 so um that’s my excuse. Here’s a lil update: All Or Nothing put out a full length two years ago entitled "Sacrifice, Discipline, Bliss," on On the Rag. On The Rag number 7 is currently available, I think, and Renae is still doing her column in MRR, and is still teaching. Oh and she is also putting together yet another compilation of female fronted bands called "More Pussy For Your Punk". The first comp, "Put Some Pussy In Yer Punk", was released in 1998. She is still interested in hearing from more bands so contact her at: P.O. Box 251, Norco, CA, 91760-0251. You can also e mail her at: webmistress@ontherag.net and take a peek at her website, www.ontherag.net, altho last time I checked the site was down. Okay assholes here’s the interview.
Renae Bryant is the founder of On The Rag records and ‘zine, lead singer of the band All Or Nothing and is just an all around kick ass chick! Her goal in helping make females more appreciated in punk rock has proven not only to be a well thought out plan, but an effective one!!!! The On The Rag compilation, "Put Some Pussy In Your Punk" proves that statement. All the bands on the comp. Range from hardcore to garage pop; tough to friendly; nice to nasty; and playful to sleazy. Even Renae’s previous band, "He’s Dead Jim" is featured on this release. Not only is Miss Bryant an entrepreneur extraordinaire, but she’s also a super talented singer! Her voice is bold, powerful, confident, and is made even more fierce when blended with the pounding beat of All Or Nothing. All Or Nothing put out a 3 song demo earlier this year and it just plain rawks! The band is tight, clean, and virtually flawless! All the songs rip from start to finish with strong thought provoking lyrics. At the time of the release, All Or Nothing was Renae on vocals, Vince Reno on guitar, Donovan Henderson on bass, Eric Glosson on guitar, and Ron Tidwell on drums, but the line-up has since changed and a new demo is on the way!!! All of Renae’s projects are innovative and impressive and her spirit and energy alone make her a person who’s goals and ideals and of course fer record label/’zine seriously worth checking out!!!
Tameka- So, Renae when did you decide to start On The Rag ‘zine/records?
Renae- I can answer this question with the same ideas I communicated in my letter to the buyer on the compilation. I started the zine with my best friend Alicia in 1994, when she returned to Southern California from going to college at UC Berkeley. It was started because we wanted to put the spot light on female musicians in a world that teaches most women to hate each other, compete against one another and see each other as the enemy. The label was born out of the pure frustration I felt every time I picked up a punk rock compilation and found one band with a female musician on it. The first release came out in 1996, so we’re not exactly pumping out a shitload of releases yet. I hope to change this in the spring when I’ll be done going to graduate school full time and working full time at the same time.
Tameka- What was the name of yer first band?
Renae- The name of the very first band I was in was Plain Jane in 1989. I went through a period I call the Recycler Queen Days from 1990-1992. I was a back up singer/tambourine girl for an O.C. band called Bone Rodeo. I finally found a great band in 1992, my last year of college, He’s Dead Jim. This band released a couple of demos, a 7 inch and played some amazing shows with some quality amazing bands, all over California. The band, as a whole couldn’t keep it together to do any major tours and finally in 1997, after numerous line-up changes He’s Dead Jim breathed its last breath. In the summer of 1997 I began putting a new band together. This band started out as Bliss and became All Or Nothing. We played perhaps 20 shows. I was happy in this band, but the guitarist could not tour and wouldn’t make any exceptions so I told them to call me when they could tour. Of course they did not and that became the end of that version of All Or Nothing. I recently tried out for a new band in LA in the end of October. This is an amazing band, even more hardcore than the last. Since names are hard to come by we’ve decided to keep All Or Nothing because I love the statement it makes. If I had a motto that I’ve lived I suppose that’s it. Luckily, so far, I’ve chosen "all".
Tameka- Are you a fan of hardcore music?
Renae- I am a fan of hardcore music. The term "hardcore" has become like the term "punk rock". It encompasses many different styles. I do believe there is a big difference between New York hardcore and California hardcore. I don’t mean in macho attitudes, I just mean in style. As well as I hear a distinct difference between Northern California hardcore and Southern California hardcore. You might want to shoot me, but a few years ago an ex-boyfriend turned me onto Sick Of It All, so I am a fan of theirs. I love Brother Inferior from Tulsa. Ever since He’s Dead Jim played with AFI at 924 Gilman, I’ve considered them one of the best live hardcore bands. I consider bands like Spitboy and Tribe 8 to be hardcore and enjoy them. There are some great hardcore bands coming out of Riverside like the Scabbs, Pimp This, Dysentery, Pinch Swatos, Narcoleptic Youth, Falling Sickness, Working Class, and Fighting Cause.
Tameka- Who are some of yer favorite bands in the Norco area?
Renae- As I mentioned some of my favorite bands in the Norco/Riverside area are The Drive, Thee Impossibles, Dysentery, The Scabbs, Pimp This, Narcoleptic Youth, Help Wanted, Pinche swatos, The Quiffs and some others I’m probably forgetting.
Tameka- Can you remember the first record you ever owned?
Renae- This is a really good question. The first cassette that I owned, purposefully bought with my own money was Eat To The Beat by Blondie. The first full length vinyl record I bought was Bananarama’s Skyving (I think that’s what it’s called). I bought my first three seven inches all together at Gemco, in 1980, they were: The Tide Is High, Rapture, and Call Me, all by Blondie. I still have them to this day. They are my own little collector items. If anyone inspired me to sing, it was Blondie. It was my mom who inspired me, as a bottle blonde to be blonde.
Tameka- Who are some of the bands you’ve been playing shows with lately?
Renae- All Or Nothing has played shows recently with: X-It, The Drive, Tilt, Youth Brigade, The Bar Feeders, L7, The Donnas, The Toilet Boys, Los Infernos, Spooky, Riot Gun, and some of the other bands I mentioned in the previous answers.
Tameka- Do you expect All Or Nothing to come out with a full length any time soon?
Renae- I do plan on releasing All Or Nothing’s full length in the next year. Since the band has a new line up we are recording a new demo on December 6. Anyone who wants to hear this can send a SASE and I’ll be happy to send them one. The only way I would consider releasing the All Or Nothing full length on another independent label would be if it would help my label or we got incredible tour support.
Tameka- How long had you been working on the “Put Some Pussy In Your Punk” compilation?
Renae- This is really pathetic, but it took me two years to put out the compilation. In that time I broke up with my boyfriend/guitarist from He’s Dead Jim, almost got married, almost moved to San Francisco to co-coordinate Maximum Rock ‘N’ Roll, went back to school, started teaching full time, kept working as a dominatrix, got taken to Judge Judy, started a new band, etc. One of the major delays came in trying to get dats from bands in a reasonable time. It took one year to collect all sixteen dats. What’s funny is that I originally wanted 32 bands on the comp. Next time.
Tameka- Is it true that yer going to release X-It’s first full length?
Renae- X-It (X-It was an all girl hardcore punk trio from San Pedro, California. They had a 5 song 7 inch called “Wife Sentence” on Microcosm Records, where they did a bitchin’ cover of the Beastie Boys’ Heart Attack Man! They were interviewed in Flipside #114, MRR #172, and On The Rag #6. I believe they are long gone, but look them up! Their song Punk Rock Cop was featured on the Put Some Pussycomp.-ed) was suppose to record in the fall. They have delayed their recording until spring fer interband reasons. I think they are an amazing group of musicians and women. I’m proud to say that when they are ready, I will be releasing their full length.
Tameka- Did you personally choose the bands featured in the new comp? If so, why did you choose those particular ones ?
Renae- Yes, I did choose all the bands that appear on the compilation. Some of the bands were friends, some of the bands I became friends with after the project. Most of the bands on the compilation are still together. I chose the bands that I did because I wanted a good variety of punk bands. I hate comps where all the bands sound the same. I’ve heard male musicians say all girl fronted bands sound the same and I wanted to PROVE THEM WRONG. I believe I did.
Tameka- Do you plan on releasing mostly female fronted bands on yer label?
Renae- I only want to release female fronted bands on my label. Perhaps I could do what male owned labels do and have one token male fronted band. It’s a thought.
Tameka- Do you have any advice fer someone who wants to start a band?
Renae- If you want to start a band, my advice is the same advice I give fer anyone wanting to do anything: don’t talk about it, do it. Don’t wait until the perfect time, there is none. There is no better time than the present. Go to shows, acquaint yerself with the scene and make sure it’s what you really want to do. Don’t take no fer answer and don’t listen to what others tell you. On one of my first auditions the guy told me, "well, you look really good but you need to take vocal lessons, you can’t sing". I did take some lessons but the best lessons I received were through practice. Also find a magazine where they list musician wanted ads or put up your own ads in record stores. That’s my advice.