Basement Babes: We always ask our interviewees to introduce themselves to our readers in their own words. So what would you like people to know about you?
Nadia: Hello I’m Nadia. I’m Indian/Pakistani. I’m a Punkistani. I like food.
Beverley: Hi I’m Beverley and I play drums in The Tuts!
Harriet: I’m Harriet and I play bass.
BB: Since forming, you guys have had some pretty cool moments, like touring with Kate Nash. What’s the most exciting thing to happen to the band so far?
B: Glastonbury! Unexpected highlights- getting the response from the audience. Things like getting messages from young girls saying we’ve inspired them. Those are a big deal. Especially when I get messages from other black girls who are like “Oh my god, can’t believe you’re in a punk band, wow”
N: Hitting 69% on the pledge. Getting the girl fans. Our pledge campaign. I’m not gonna lie, I’m blown away by how many people want our album and prepared to pre-order. They’re paying for something that doesn’t even exist yet. 69% in just a couple of days. Feels like we’ve broken some kind or record.
H: Yeah someone we know posted something like “The Tuts surely are breaking some kind of record on pledge with how quick it’s going!” and someone responded about some famous band getting their pledges just as fast- and it’s like OBVIOUSLY if you’re a famous band that’s gonna happen. But we’re DIY! All our big milestones within the band are like Kate Nash tour, Glastonbury, touring with The Selecter. They’re all featured in a video we did for our Pledge page!
BB: You all are touring musicians in addition to working your own day jobs. What kind of challenges has that posed for you? Do you feel like that balance is pretty much the norm for music these days?
N: For a considerable amount of time I was working in the pharmaceutical industry, on the dark side, in a very corporate job. One day I’d be in a suit, the next day I’d be in a leather jacket on stage.
B: Yeah there was one point where you were rushing to play a gig straight from work.
N: These lot picked me up from my corporate meeting to go play Wales with Kate Nash and I was sick the whole way – food poisoning from the corporate event. Some managers have been really supportive, think it’s really cool. Others don’t like the idea- they think you’re not focused. They can tell the band comes first and day job comes second!
B: And they are right!
H: I’ve been working part time and temp jobs over the last few years but doing the band pretty much full time alongside that. Handling bookings and the management side. Means I have no money but it’s worth it for now.
N: With the internet now you can just type my name into Google- loads of shit comes up- us terrorising Boris Johnson, or on the BBC.
B: Yeah it was hard, I had two jobs. Sometimes horrible coming straight from the job to band practise, still a bit tired. But you deal with the card you’re dealt- it’s what working class people have to do.
BB: You guys are self-releasing your next album through your own record label that will be funded by crowdsourcing, which is pretty much as DIY as it gets. What’s most important about that ethos to you?
B: It shows other girls can do this thing as well!
N: It highlights to me, people will buy things that don’t even exist
H: For anyone who feels sceptical about pledge or similar platforms- you’re not just asking people for their money, they’re getting a product from it. They’re just paying early. It’s perfect for people in bands who don’t have enough of their own money to invest into the costs straight away.
B: Back in the day people could do gigs for money more I guess, but now it’s hard to make money that way.
H: Yeah you don’t make actual money in the music industry anymore- unless you are HUGE.
N: A lot of people will stream on Spotify out when its out.
H: That’s fine. I don’t even care if people illegally download it if they can’t afford it- as long as they’re listening to it. But the people that can afford it- they wanna help out! And it gives a sense of community over the Internet.
BB: Can you tell us more about the album you’re planning to release? Both in sound and how it will be released, etc.
N: This album is gonna have classic Tuts songs like ‘Always Hear the Same shit’, ‘Back up’ and then it’s gonna have new ones! Pop punk energy, in your face, major and minor chords. It’s a collective memoir of our adolescence moving into adulthood.
B: It’s coming out with a BANG!
H: On CD, Vinyl and digital It’s a self release on our own label Dovetown.
BB: Who are your inspirations? Musical or otherwise.
N: Pete Doherty, M.I.A, Kate Nash, The Clash, The Slits.
H: Mcfly B-sides. All sorts of influences. Lots of pop, RnB and pop punk. But then also a lot of punk bands that are around now in the UK and the US. My friends’ bands influence me.
N: Spice Girls. Today I listened to a lot of RnB. I wanna get back into my RnB roots.
B: Kendrick Lamar! The music is like jazz.
BB: You tackle important issues in your songwriting, such as feminism and mental illness. When the band was formed, was that the original intention or did it just happen like that?
N: Just happens
B: Every song just happens, something happens in your life and sparks a song.
H: Yeah it happens organically. These issues became important to us and it naturally translates into our music. Sometimes I find it hard writing about my own feelings though haha.
BB: Our other interview tradition is to ask for some advice for other women in music. What’s yours?
N: Simple shit- don’t give a fuck what people think. Don’t get intimidated by with men with hats. If you don’t believe in yourself no one will- all about energy.
B: If you wanna take up drums- crusty hands
H: And callouses on your fingers for guitar. Also, keep in mind- the sound man is not always right- sometimes he’s wrong!
Check out The Tuts on Facebook, Bandcamp and Tumblr!
Featured in Basement Babes, Issue 14
