SHE-DEVILS with NYSSA and POSTER BOY at the Baby G (1608 Dundas West), Friday (June 2), doors 9 pm. $10-$12. ticketfly.com.
Montreal art-pop duo She-Devils have taken things slowly since they formed in 2014. Choosing to hone their live show before putting anything to tape, they released their first song in 2016, then an EP and, just two weeks ago, an excellent self-titled debut album, out on Arbutus.
Audrey Ann Boucher and Kyle Jukka have described their music as feeling “as visual as possible.” It’s often assumed that David Lynch is a big inspiration, but their cinematic interests lie elsewhere. “At this point it’s almost like I’m not a fan of his because everyone always compares She-Devils to David Lynch,” says Boucher. “It’s a lazy comparison.”
So NOW asked the film-loving duo to list some of the movies that have influenced their work. Here’s what they came up with.
1. Cecil B. DeMented (2000)
Jukka: Although it’s not exactly John Waters’s most renowned work, I like it for different reasons. He has a certain way of doing camp that’s very inspiring. That movie is particularly campy.
Boucher: The premise is also similar to the She-Devils’ mission. It’s about rebelling against the big Hollywood industry and its generic movies. In the beginning when we were sampling things for our music, we saw it as a fuck-you to the music industry and the copyright rules. We were trying to make something new by defacing and paying homage to music history.
Jukka: And positioning ourselves against the aesthetic crimes of our own times.
Boucher: We like being slightly dangerous. We won’t pat your back. We’ll either bite your hand or rip your wig off.
2. Natural Born Killers (1994)
Boucher: I watched this movie as a teenager when I was ready to see it. And then I watched it again with Kyle, and we really bonded over it. Again, it’s a man and a woman against society.
Jukka: It’s this fantasy where you’re totally sensationalizing these serial -killers.
3. The films of Gregg Araki
Jukka: I love all of his work. I’ve seen The Doom Generation multiple times. Mysterious Skin I really love, too.
Boucher: I really like Nowhere because of its set design. That was very inspiring when it came to making our videos. Every room is an environment, and it doesn’t look like anything else.
4. Grindhouse (2007)
Boucher: People talk a lot about Quentin Tarantino, so it’s hard to have something to say. He wrote Natural Born Killers, which is likely why I love it so much. But we’re also really into Robert Rodriguez. Grindhouse was inspiring for She-Devils because they got together and remade these old movies and contemporized them, which is what we try to do.
Jukka: Yeah, they tapped into the pure fun of movie violence while collaging together their favourite movies. They seem original even though they’re ripping off all of these movies. There’s no one like them. They’re the ultimate meta filmmakers.
5. Disney
Jukka: The Jungle Book has this specific vibe to the animation, like just how graceful it can be, especially the way in which they show nature.
Boucher: I was really inspired by Snow White, Disney’s first full-length animated film. But the most striking Disney stuff is the Silly Symphonies, the short films that combine music and choreography. I watched a lot of those just as we were starting She-Devils.
music@nowtoronto.com | @yasdnilmac
