A Chat with Doll Riot (25.07.24)
Known for their energetic, high-voltage, hard-hitting live shows, Doll Riot is exactly what it says on the tin: a riot. Drawing together the musical stylings of Elena Olszak (vocals), Ella Sauer (guitar), London Kraus (bass) and Lilee Gillum (drums), the all-girl punk band bring an inspiring ferocity oozing from their unique music. We speak with guitarist Ella Sauer about the band’s album Grage, musical styles, piercings and more.
OSR: Cliché but how did Doll Riot come together? What drew each of you to music and, ultimately, each other?
Sauer: Me, the guitarist, met Elena from a mutual music teacher. We later found London online and met Lillee at one of our shows, where she was playing in a different band. We have always played really well together and bonded over our love of music.
OSR: You recently released your album, Grage; what can you tell us about it? Are there particular themes or backstories?
Sauer: We have been very excited to release Grage because we put in a lot of work writing and recording the album. The cover art is based on our second song called ‘Murder Spree’, which is one of our favorite songs in the album. I would say it is the theme of the album because the imagery on the cover matches the lyrics in this song.
OSR: Your album is a mish-mash of different styles with an overall punk theme to it. Do you feel it is necessary for an artist to experiment with genres or stick to a particular signature sound?
Sauer: I think it completely depends on the band. A lot of bands enjoy sticking to one genre and it is also easier to build a consistent fan base doing this. For us, it would be hard to stick with one sound because we all love different styles of music, and we all work on songs collaboratively. We have more fun playing a wide variety of songs to switch up the energy at shows.
OSR: Performing live can be quite a significant experience. Which is your most memorable performance to date, and why that specific gig?
Sauer: Our album release show was definitely a memorable experience. We brought in a huge crowd because the show was local, and people were excited to hear our new album. We played some songs that we had never played before live, and practically no one else besides us had heard. The crowd had a lot of energy, which always makes the show a great experience.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music, and what do you take from it?
Sauer: I hope our music inspires more women to pick up instruments and join a band. I think it can be intimidating for women to get into the music scene because it is still such a male-dominated space. So I hope by seeing us as an all-girl band with a mostly female fanbase, we can it can make it less intimidating for others. Our lyrics also tend to have a lot of feminist elements.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Sauer: I have always loved music my whole life so it means a lot to me. Writing music can be a fun way of expressing yourself and your emotions that other forms of art cannot compare to. It’s definitely therapeutic for me as a quiet person to play loud, heavy riffs during our shows.
OSR: What makes you unique as a band?
Sauer: I think our wide range of sound makes us unique. For example, the sound of our album is inspired by metal, hardcore, emo, and many other genres. This is because we all like different genres as a band, and each of our unique styles shines through in our music.
OSR: What is your opinion on tattoos and piercings?
Sauer: I think they are cool. I would love to get tattoos, but they are expensive, and I’m indecisive. I think piercings are also a really cool look. A fun fact about Doll Riot is we all have a septum piercing.
OSR: What is the cheesiest pick-up line you have ever used and/or received?
Sauer: I have never used a pickup line on someone, and I can’t remember a time someone has used one on me. I probably blocked it out of my memory from second-hand embarrassment.
OSR: What can we expect from Doll Riot in the future?
Sauer: We are working on new songs and still have shows booked this whole year. We are currently learning some covers that you will be able to hear us perform live.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Sauer: Listen to our album Grage it is available on pretty much every platform. Come to our shows; we post about them on Instagram. @doll_riot
Many thanks to Ella Sauer for speaking with us! Find out more about Doll Riot on their official website, Instagram and Spotify.
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