INTERVIEW // The Total Bettys
Post by Angie
This interview was written by myself, but conducted by my partner, Gary Pay of Despair At The Costco, after I broke my wrist days before The Total Bettys’ last show of their west coast tour. This final show took place in our hometown of Long Beach, so you can imagine my disappointment being unable to attend. I was lucky enough, though, to catch TTB at The Smell in Los Angeles playing some unreleased tracks back in September, performing alongside local friends, Blushh and Rosie Tucker. I was having a rough night, but hearing some tracks from their latest album, This is Paradise, reinvigorated my spirit.
Gary grabbed dinner with TTB before the gig at a fantastic vegan spot called Seabirds. (We both recommend the kimchi tacos.)
Finally, this is my first time breaking into music writing as I come from a technical, science background where we conduct interviews and transcribe them to get data to support hypotheses. Although I love research, I’ve always wanted to have more creative control over who I’m talking with, why I’m talking with them, and what I’m asking them. I’m very lucky TTB were excited to help me out and Hullabaloo was open to new voices, allowing me to start this journey. Here’s the conversation:
GP: This is Paradise is a fantastic album with hit after hit. The lyrics and rhythm of “Know Me” are so emotionally refreshing. Could you go into more detail about this song’s process and how you felt the first time you played it in front of someone other than the band?
Maggie: I wanted to write a love song. I love listening to love songs and I especially love crush songs, like you’re not sure if they like you or not, all the anxiety, but also the excitement that goes along with that. So, I was just thinking about what it’s like to feel that feeling and remembering feeling that with my girlfriend. I, also, wanted to do a call-and-response with some gang vocals, which we don’t usually do. And it was so fun writing that and being in the studio singing, “Do you wanna know me?” That was a good experience. We played it at a couple shows, I remember playing it at a bloc party as a closer because we were really excited about it and the people really loved it. It seems like the type of song you would play at a bloc party. People were dancing and loving it.
GP: Going on tour often means playing with a local band or two. Could you name a band or two you played with this tour who deserves more exposure?
TTB: BLUNDERBUSSTT helped us out in Reno; they’re amazing. In Las Vegas, we played with a song-writer named B’yana, The Social Set, and Pretty Alright. In Flagstaff, we placed with a lot of college bands. It’s a real college town there and it was a lot of fun. Audrey Heartburn. In Tucson, we played with Stripes, Tonight’s Sunshine, Rough Draft, and Logan Greene. And yesterday, in La Jolla, we played with some locals and The Nova Darlings who we are also playing with tonight [in Long Beach].
GP: Could you name your favorite home and away venues?
TTB: Home: Bottom of the Hill. El Rio. Octopus Literacy Salon, but that’s in Oakland. That’s not far at all from San Francisco. [all laugh]
Reese: Although, I remember once going to The Glass House in Pomona and the band saying, “Hey LA!” and the audience growled. They were so pissed.
GP: Road trips, at least in my experience can be just as fun as arriving at the destination. Looking out the window, taking in scenery you may never see again while listening to music has the kind of cinematic beauty you often see in coming of age movies. Any memorable moments during the journey?
TTB: I mean, everything. We saw some really great things we’d never seen before: The Grand Canyon, that was mind-blowing. We went to Seguro National Park in Tucson; that was extremely awesome. We drove through lots of amazing places. The shows of course were great as we hadn’t played in most of these places before. Learning about other cities scenes, I find exciting and the take-away is that they’re amazing musicians making really cool music and people doing DIY shows and making accessible places to experience music to everywhere, every city we visited, every city everywhere. And so many people, communities of people, come out for it. Other queer people in other cities. Queer people are everywhere. We out here. [laughs]
GP: Which city had the most unique vibes? Come across any funny signs, shops, or souvenirs?
Reese: For me, Flagstaff, because it was snowy, freezing cold, and icy. We aren’t used to that.
Maggie: When we were driving through Arizona we saw signs for Area 51, and the first billboard for it said “Alien Encounters! 200 miles away” and we were like “200 MILES!” We were headed straight for it. We were gonna see it. We pulled over when we got there, and it was just a gift shop with alien stuff. Just a bunch of alien merch! They got us, but if we didn’t have that to look forward to that drive wouldn’t have been as good.
GP: Did you go on road trips often as children?
Reese: I grew up in the middle of nowhere in California, so everywhere was a road trip to go anywhere. At least an hour to drive somewhere.
GP: Who’s the best driver?
Maggie: I think it’s a three-way tie. We’re all good.
Reese: Maggie, you did 6 hours, non-stop. You were possessed by the driving gods.
GP: Who absolutely hates driving?
Maggie: A couple years ago when we first started touring I did not like driving because I was afraid. I didn’t trust myself, but now I do. And hopefully you both trust me?
Kayla and Reese: You’re a great driver!
Maggie: And it’s fun driving a mini-van; it’s powerful. Horse-power.
Reese: I get tired of driving after a while, but I really like sitting in the backseat drawing for hours and hours. I could do that all day long.
(Below is one of Reese’s illustrations. They’re a talented designer and they often do flyers and merch designs for the band.)
GP: Who hogs the aux cord? Or does democracy rule?
TTB: I think we know when it’s time to give it up. And y’know, sometimes it’s stressful being the DJ cause you have to pick songs you haven’t already played after six or seven days, and we like a lot of the same stuff.
GP: Could you name some of your favorite road trip songs?
Reese: Ooo. We’ve been listening to DRAMA a lot. A lot. We’ve been listening to Kacey Musgraves. Tancred. Lots of good stuff.
Maggie: We all sang along to Remember Sports.
Kayla: Of course, Beyoncé. Lots of Beyoncé.
GP: Speaking of which, it’s not too late to discuss favorite albums of 2018, though we’re a month into the new year.
Reese: Be the Cowboy.
Kayla: Although it’s 2016, I listened to a lot of Tacocat’s most recent album, Lost Time.
Maggie: Night Stand by Tancred. And the new Long Knives record, but that just came out a few weeks ago.
GP: Clothing item you always have to take on the road with you? A favorite shirt, pair of jeans, or hat?
Maggie: This tour I brought sneakers. I’ve made the mistake before of not brining comfortable shoes. I know Reese has made this mistake before too.
Kayla: Travel sweats. I gotta have comfy pants to wear while riding in the car for 6 to 8 hours. Gotta be cozy!
Reese: Mine is this vest. I have to have multiple places to stores little things like pens, my phone, stones, crystals, Chapstick, my vape pen, etc.
GP: Food consumption during tour?
TTB: A lot of McDonalds. McMuffins. We go there only for breakfast. I like their coffee. It’s pretty good! The best food is definitely now: Seabirds. The Total Bettys endorse Seabirds Long Beach.
Finally, Gary asked their signature question: What’s everyone’s favorite bagels?
Maggie: I’m honored to finally be asked. I’ve been waiting for you to finally ask. My favorite bagel is sesame seed. Both sides, top and bottom. Cream cheese. Smoked salmon.
Reese: I like everything bagel with the smallest amount of flavored cream cheese, toasted.
Kayla: I like an everything bagel with cream cheese, toasted with tomato, onion, and feta cheese.
Buy The Total Bettys newest album, This Is Paradise, here. Find upcoming shows here.