When it comes to cities that have propped up punk rock, Los Angeles is definitely on the list – groups such as Black Flag, Circle Jerks and X were louder and faster than anything that came before them. That same punk spirit lives on today in Los Angeles’ Mika Miko, a group of five girls known for angsty themes, noisy rackets and overall fun.
Formed in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley – home of the vapid “Valley Girl” stereotype – Mika Miko began in 2003, when all the members were still in high school. The band will perform at American University’s Kay Spiritual Life Center tomorrow.
In a phone interview with The Diamondback – while the band members were at an ice cream parlor serving balsamic vinegar and absinthe flavors – bassist Jessie Clavin explained the simple story behind the band’s formation.
“I started playing bass, and my sister [Jennifer Clavin, vocals and guitar] wanted to play guitar,” Clavin said. “We were going to punk shows, and we thought, ‘We can do that!'”
“People in Los Angeles get started a lot younger,” added drummer Kate Hall. “There are a lot of all-ages shows going on all the time, and it’s possible to be part of the music scene instead of being outside of it. You get 14-year-old kids starting bands and playing shows.”
Mika Miko’s most recent record, 666, was recorded entirely in one day on June 6, 2006. The album’s title is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the most supposedly evil day of the 21st century.
“[Recording 666] was a completely different experience than our first album,” Hall said. “We spent a lot of time on the first album. We would go into the studio every weekend and record it song by song to make it sound perfect. We wanted this one to capture our live experience.”
None of the tracks on 666 are longer than two minutes, and songs such as “Wild Bore” and “Too Cute to Puke” are infused with a sense of humor (or they might be, when you can make out the band’s cryptic lyrics through the modified telephone that singers Jennifer Clavin and Jenna Thornhill use as a microphone). There are links to all-female punk bands of the past, such as Los Angeles proto-punks The Runaways (who featured Joan Jett before her solo career) and riot grrrl stalwarts Bikini Kill, but neither of those bands sounded like they were having nearly as much fun.
Thanks to the band’s background in Los Angeles, Mika Miko often plays live at a variety of venues, such as clubs, house parties and even basement shows.
“Sometimes we play at big clubs, and the sound can be amazing, but we feel like we fit in most at a house party where everyone is wasted and really into our band,” Hall said.
And Mika Miko is not afraid of performing outside of a traditional concert setting. Before the band’s European tour last year, it played a “breakfast show” at The Smell, a 250-person venue in Los Angeles.
“It was really fun,” Clavin said. “All these kids showed up at 10 in the morning to eat pancakes and watch us play.”
After a successful tour of Europe, Mika Miko plans to travel the world in the near future.
“Playing in Europe was very different than playing in the U.S.,” Hall said. “We want to go to Japan and Australia, but we really want to play some shows in Hawaii.”
Most of all, Hall and Clavin say that Mika Miko exists to have fun.
“We like when people like the music a lot, but we especially like it when people appreciate it in the same way we do,” Hall said. “It’s also kind of funny when people hate us, but any reaction is good, I guess. It’s better than having no reaction.”
Mika Miko performs at American University’s Kay Spiritual Life Center on Saturday, Oct. 13 with Pre and The Apes. Doors open at 8 p.m.
jameschristopherberry@gmail.com
