Purveyors of: Retro pop kitsch.
File next to: International ‘60s pop, Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra
Playing: Night Three of WL16, Sunday February 14 at The Garrison. Get tickets! 

Montreal-based duo She-Devils utilize premade sounds to create their unique brand of visual music. Audrey Ann's gifted vocals are the perfect match for Kyle Jukka's wild selection of samples. Christopher D'Arcy Wright spoke to She-Devils on what he imagined to be a movie soundstage in the ‘60s.

What drew you two together to form a band?

Audrey Ann: It was written in the stars! 

I really enjoyed listening to your EP. How would you describe the kind of music you create?

AA: Thanks! The music is like a soundtrack for an imaginary cartoon show, it could be called Space High or something like that. Where alien humanoid teenagers go to high school, but instead of being very advanced creatures they are very primitive and express themselves in simple language and gestures. I think of it that way, looking back.

In the past, you've been compared to another duo, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. That's quite the compliment. Do you enjoy such comparisons?

AA: Being compared a lot is an obligatory rite of passage to any new artist. I accept it.

I read that you are Quentin Tarantino fans. What is your favourite Tarantino film?

AA: Pulp Fiction is my crowned favourite. But also what a great idea that was the Grindhouse double feature with Robert Rodriguez (who is also awesome and I was obsessed by his Spy Kids as a child). I really have to raise my hat to that — as a piece of art it's amazing and very immersive. I love everything that he does.

Audrey Ann, I noticed your artwork graces the cover of your EP. You obviously have talent in this area. Does your art get incorporated into your live shows?

AA: Thank you! It hasn't been incorporated into our live shows yet. At the last show that we played I got to give directions to the person in charge of lights and it was great. I want to experiment more with that and think of our set more in terms of visuals, but that will evolve naturally.

Do you guys see yourselves perhaps adding more members to the band in the future?

Kyle Jukka: No.

What would be your ideal venue to play?

AA: As long as the crowd is grooving, I'm good. 

Which one of your songs gets the biggest crowd response?

AA: An unreleased track called "Make U Pay" is always spot on when we play it, I think because it's so theatrical in its theme and I love to perform it, so people get into that for sure. That's usually the song that gets mentioned after the shows.

Since your band relies heavily on samples, have you ever had a malfunction with the equipment while performing? If so, how did you overcome it?

KJ: One time my Kaoss Pad was buzzing intensely and the audio signal was not really passing through. Tyler — who was tour managing and doing front of house during the Majical Cloudz tour — just opened it up and stuck a big clump of tape in the back to keep two chips apart that were creating bad friction. Still relying on that clump of tape.

What can Wavelength audiences expect to witness when you play at Wavelength Festival this year?

AA: It's going to be Valentine's Day so they should expect some hot steamy love.

Don’t miss She-Devils when they play The Garrison Sunday February 14 for Wavelength 16. Get your tickets or festival passes here.

— Interview by Christopher D’Arcy Wright