FOLIO
Spending an hour talking with the three ladies from the group Tomboi — Alex E on beats and robots, guitarist Paige McMullen and drummer Summer Wood — is an eye-opening experience. Wise beyond their ages (McMullen is 24, Wood is 26, and Alex E is 28) they are intellectuals with well-formed opinions on gender neutrality, dealing with sexism and the advancement of tolerance in our city. They are equally witty and fun-loving, cracking jokes while finishing each other’s sentences. They can be Morrissey and Patti Smith and The Monkees at the same time. Their music is a mixture of electro pop and Alex E’s Grace-Slick-like warbled vocals (à la Bis or even Jacksonville’s own Black Kids).
Along with being heavily involved in the Girls Rock Jax campaign, Tomboi are achieving things most bands don’t get to until their second or third year, if ever. They’ve played SXSW and rocked New Orleans. They’ve crisscrossed our state and, though they’re young, they have goals and they’re determined to achieve them.
Although we got into some serious discussions about sexism, hate crimes and gender issues, the question that gave them the hardest time was the first one I asked.
Folio Weekly: What is the most tomboy thing about you?
Alex E: When I wear a dress, I feel like a man in a dress.
Paige McMullen: Sports!
Summer Wood: Can I think about it … ?
A.E.: I think, though, when you talk about what Tomboi means, it is a statement about being gender-neutral. To say that I feel like a man in a dress is saying essentially how ridiculous it is to ever feel any one specific gender because of characteristic traits or feelings you may be feeling. If I want to fix my car, somehow I am masculine. Why is that less feminine? Why do we condition ourselves this way? I have always felt very gender neutral. I have always been called a tomboy. I just put the “I” on the end to make it our own. Tomboi isn’t about being female or male or straight or queer; anybody is a tomboi.
F.W.: Can I be one?
P.M.: You always were one.
A.E.: I feel like it is a way of saying that everyone is sensitive, everyone is strong, everyone has dominant and submissive traits, and it doesn’t make you more hetero or queer.
F.W.: How has it been growing up in your age bracket with this philosophy in Jacksonville? And has that found its way into your music? Is that why you started this band?
A.E.: It isn’t why we started the band. We are open about our sexuality and we are not ashamed of it. But I don’t think any of us started playing music or joined this band because we needed an outlet or a voice. I have always sung about loving girls, but I’ve never focused on why. And with regards to obstacles in Jacksonville, I hope that our generation is the last generation that has to deal with a lot of the hate crimes and rude moments. I didn’t really realize it until I was in a relationship and how specific and disgusting people can be about it. I don’t kiss my girlfriend for your excitement or enjoyment; I’m kissing her because I love her. This isn’t a sideshow. When you’re in these queer moments, there is not dialogue that exists about how to deal with these inappropriate things.
S.W.: With experience and age, things we have experienced, we get better at dealing with them.
F.W.: Who makes up your audiences and fans?
A.E.: It’s varied. We provide a safe space for everybody. You don’t have to be any one way. How many movies, TV shows, songs a week come out that are about heterosexual romance, as opposed to any other options? We are constantly bombarded by this archetype of what you are supposed to be, so I hope our shows provide the audience a space to talk about a different type of dialogue.
S.W.: And the music makes you dance. It makes your booty shake.
F.W.: “Lobos,” your newest single, is full of energy and bumping and grinding. Is it about Los Lobos?
A.E.: “Lobos” is about being aware that there are all the entities in the world that are out to get you. You are always the deer and there is always a wolf, so never let your guard down. The wolves always lurk at the edge of the woods.
F.W.: But it’s such a happy song.
A.E.: Exactly, ’cause it’s a serious message and serious messages are always taken much better when you can also grind against someone you like.
P.M.: And that is the secret to songs.
F.W.: What started this whole Tomboi thing?
P.M.: We started because Alex was invited to perform at South by Southwest as a solo performer. I said I would drive because I had just bought a car, and she suggested I should play guitar. And then we needed a drummer. We created the band to play South by Southwest, and that was our second show. We try to go out every couple of months and do regional work.
F.W.: You talked earlier about creating a safe space for your audiences. Does Jacksonville have enough of these venues?
P.M.: Mostly in the Downtown/Riverside places are there queer-friendly places.
S.W.: But we are fine playing outside of our comfort zone. We want to play for all sorts of crowds, and we want to play the beach and other parts of town.
P.M.: It isn’t really that places are or aren’t queer-friendly, it is more of the collateral traffic. I am from the beaches, and I’ve never personally dealt with anything, but I’ve known tons of people who’ve been physically abused and had tons of other things happen. But, with our shows, there are so many different people that come watch us that are so friendly to us.
F.W.: Would it be rude or condescending to call your music “fun feminism”?
A.E.: I guess I’d call it colorful queer heart-throbbing romantic music.
P.M.: Behind the lyrics there are so many emotions that drive Alex to bring say what she says, but really it’s just dancey love songs about girls written by girls that are supposed to make you dance.
S.W.: I can answer the first question now. I am not sure whether I want to be John Travolta from Grease, or be with him.
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