VIOLENT SADIE MODE - Fierce, Fearless, Feminist ! (France - HardCore/Punk - Interview with Sadie & Hugo).

Hello ! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all began for you - your encounter with this musical universe, what appealed to you, what fascinated you and what made you want to get into music?
Sadie : Hi, my name is Sadie, I’m 23 years old and I’m the lead singer of the hardcore punk band ‘Violent Sadie Mode’. I’ve always been into rock music since i was a kid, i started listening to classic rock and then 70s psychedelic rock, then i slowly gravitated to grunge and psychedelic garage rock. My love for hardcore punk is relatively recent, but i’ve always liked it, just never had the chance to completely dive into it as most of my friends growing up were rock musicians, but not really on the punk scene. I’ve always been a spectator and a listener, although i tried guitar when i was 5 but it wasn't very compatible with my adhd learning difficulties. But, i still grew up wanting to do something artistic, i wanted to become a writer or a poet or write songs and plays. My brother was a musician and had a natural talent for it, i was always in awe of that. So i stuck to what i knew best, writing poems and stories. It’s really when i met Rémi (guitarist of VSM) that things changed. He’s always had loads of bands, and as we got closer i got to discover the behind the scenes of making music and playing. He inspired me to sing, i honestly didn’t know i had it in me.

Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
Sadie : I met Rémi when i first came to bordeaux in 2021, i was staying at an old friend’s place and i got along well with his girlfriend who was the booking manager for the band Bilbao Kung Fu that Rémi is in. We started dating and then 2 years later, he asked if i wanted to form a hardcore punk band with him haha. Obviously, i said yes. Rémi composed the whole EP by himself in a day. We then tried to place my voice on the songs to see what could work, and it did. Hugo (bass guitarist) is Rémi’s childhood friend who's also in a metalcore band (Naufrage), and Elmo, who is originally a friend of Hugo’s, is in another heavy rock band (Hardwired). We all met up one night at the pub and just got along really well, then did a rehearsal session that went even better, and it’s been going well ever since.
The reason for THIS BAND is that i’ve always wanted to be a screaming blond superstar (because who doesn’t) and Rémi has had bands that do rock, psychedelic rock, garage and
grunge, he wanted to tap into the punk genre which he grew up with, 80s inspired stuff.

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
Sadie : Our sound is a collision between man-hating rage and cutesy drunken pub nights (and the occasional fight). You should listen to us if you want to experience a 1980s Minor Threat concert, hijacked by an impetuous, angry British/French blonde with daddy issues.

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ?
Sadie : Musically, we’re influenced by Minor Threat, Up Front, Lambrini Girls, Amyl. Lyrically, I’ve always been inspired by Charles Bukowski and his raw and bold way of writing. For the last track of our EP ‘Mr. Bunny’, i took inspiration from a writer called Christina Rossetti, who has a fairy-like way of writing. To me, lyrics are super important, they’re my contribution to the song, so i try my best to integrate lyrics that fit or that will give some more personality to the music. In my lyrics for the EP, i talk a bit about my frustration and disdain for sexist behaviors that go undefined like staring at women, making them uncomfortable at parties, playing the “nice guy” just to get in their pants etc ; i also wrote some stuff about psychosis, an imaginary bunny that hates pigs, shitty exploitative jobs, there’s really enough to go around haha.

About your latest release ?
Sadie : We just released our first ever EP ‘Incelcore’ on the 14th of november! It’s a 6 track record (+ a hidden reggae song in the cd and vinyle), it was recorded and mixed at Cryogene Studios in Bègles (near Bordeaux) by the one and only Russian genius Andrei Ivanov. The cover of the ep is me drenched in strawberries and regret. You can listen on practically any streaming platform, you can also order CDs (from Two Gold Fishes Records) and vinyles (from the different labels : Howlin Banana, Flippin Freaks, Burdigala Records, Kick You Asso).

Future plans ?
Sadie : Our plan is to play as much as possible, with bands that we love and that we’ll love. We want to record a new EP in January.

Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Sadie : Ooh I’d LOVE to play with Lambrini Girls, Amyl and the sniffers and Soft Play some day!!
Hugo : Same! and make a living out of music.

Your BEST & WORST concert - as a band - and why ? 
Hugo : Actually, we haven’t really played a bad concert, some went less well than others, but none have been truly bad. For me, the best was probably our opening for Scowl at the IBoat Club in Bordeaux. Our performance was great, and playing with them was such an honour.
Sadie : My favorite concert was at the Crasse de Meule Festival in Brest, in Bretagne, everyone was so lovely and welcoming, the anti-fa punk culture there was so alive and warm, we met so many amazing people, i can’t wait to go back there! My worst concert was probably a concert we did at a techno event (which was great overall, everything else was good except for me) BUT i felt really sick right before the concert after a dodgy beer and threw up RIGHT BEFORE going on stage, i went on with the show but felt really shitty inside.

Next live-appearance(s) ?
Sadie : We’re playing on the 5th of december at the Trocké in Gradignan near Bordeaux, on the 28th of January at The Chinois in Montreuil/Paris, then we’re doing our release party on the 4th of February in Bordeaux, more dates will be announced soon.

Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ? 
Sadie : Th Da Freak, Kool-Aid, Opinion, Clarence, Siz, Tacoblaster, Pretty Inside, Edgar Deception, ...

Last word is yours.. 
(obviously) Sadie : FUCK THE INCELS !