, reunites them with fellow Chicana and LA punk legend, Alice Bag. Bag previously produced three songs from their self-titled debut, and brings to the band a much-appreciated “fifth ear.” “Working with Alice Bag is such an honor,” said Martinez. “She has such clever tweaks that really enhance the songs without changing them completely, and she knows how to push and get the best out of you.
I'd say mainly organic. For this album, Jenn got the songs started with her awesome bass riffs. From there we all just layered it on. There was one song that gave us trouble. We took it to the studio and had a late night jam session with our producer, Alice Bag. It was a lot of fun, but at the same time it was a little like work. We didn’t want to drop it but we didn’t want to record something we weren't all proud of and we were running out of time.
Your latest single “Let Me Down” tackles some of the pitfalls of social media, and yet it’s a necessary form of self-promotion especially when it comes to music. What industry changes have you noticed since you started playing music? Is promoting easier, weirder or harder with social media?Definitely easier. Before social media exploded you had to get out of bed to promote. Although nostalgic, passing out flyers and handing out demos was a lot of work.
You’ve said that you love the “scuzzy glory of touring,” but given an opportunity to experience the glamorous glory of touring, what would that look like?We don’t ask for much. I think we can all agree that we dream of a working van with A/C, that has enough room for our equipment and to take comfy naps. We do love our coffee in the morning and whiskey in the evening. While we really enjoy staying with friends on the road, hotels are nice. When all four of us are all in.
Representation matters, and as a band, Fea tick off a number of boxes. Do you feel a sense of responsibility to the female/LGBTQ/minority community? I guess in a way we do. Growing up, there wasn’t as much representation as there is now. When I finally discovered Riot Grrrl and Queercore music in my early teens I thought, ‘Woah I am not alone!’ I related to these bands. Fea has the same mission, and our music is for everyone. If you don’t relate to our message, then maybe you can learn from it.