Kitty was recently interviewed by Cross Skull media
1. Who got you into playing guitar?
Hearing Joan Jett and thinking, damn, I want to form a band. I was a big fan of Nirvana (most of their discography being the first songs I learnt to play) and then discovering the riot grrrl movement just spurred me on even more. I had just always wanted to make music and guitar just seemed like the perfect tool for songwriting.
2. What is it like being a female in the rock and metal music industry?
There is a lot of casual sexism. I know my male bandmates have never received patronizing explanations about their own gear, or received comments like “you shouldn’t play guitar, because it hides too much of that beautiful body” (yep, that is a real quote). We joke about it in-band a lot because it is just so preposterous. Luckily, I would say that the vast majority people are nothing like this. Ultimately, making music and performing is what I love to do- my sex doesn’t factor into that. As a band, we all put on a flamboyant show, with silly outfits and loud music, dong or no dong.
3. Do you think people have a more accepting attitude towards female guitarists in recent times?
Absolutely. There are plenty of people rooting for more female musicians.
4. What's 3 struggles of being a guitarist?
- 1) Dropping a guitar pick and it disappearing forever into the abyss.
- 2) Having to cut your nails constantly.
- 3) Lugging around my hard case, which is almost the same size and weight as me.
5. How long did it take you to learn how to play guitar?
I taught myself when I was about 14 and I would say it probably took a couple of years to reach a comfortable level of skill for songwriting. Guitar playing just takes a bit of perseverance through the really tedious early stages, but it’s totally worth it.