Miss Derringer Interview: SXSW 2010

Spinner recently had the chance to interview Morgan Slade of Miss Derringer, a Los Angeles-based rock band fronted by Slade's wife, singer and underground artist Elizabeth McGrath. Last Feb, Miss Derringer signed a record deal with Los Angeles label Triple X Records, who released the band's third album 'Winter Hill' in July of 2009. We asked Slade about the band's upcoming sojourn to the SXSW Music conference that takes over Austin, TX every March.


Describe your sound in your own words.

That's always been a tough one for us! Sort of Gothic-pop-abilly. Someone recently wrote we sound like Emmylou Harris fronting the Damned.

How did your band form?

I met Liz [vocals] several years ago at a party and we began dating. I had a couple songs that I'd been tolling around with, which I showed to Liz and she liked. We started working on some music together when Sympathy for the Record Industry anti-mogul Long Gone John, who is also an art collector and had purchased Liz's art in the past, heard some of the stuff and said if we could get an album's worth of songs together he would release it. I then recruited my old friend Sylvain [of New York Dolls fame] to play bass and eventually Cody on drums and the band developed from there.

What are your musical influences?

Miss Derringer is influenced by a lot of things, but some of our favorites are the Shangri-Las, Johnny Cash, the Misfits and Blondie. We try to mix them all together into Miss Derringer.

How did you come up with your band name?

The character of Miss Derringer, whose point of view the songs are always from, is kind of an outlaw or an outlaw's woman. She's always on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of love. The Derringer was a small gun in Old West and late 1800's times, which women could conceal easily in her bustier or garter belt. We thought if the character in our songs had a gun, it would definitely be a Derringer. And so: Miss Derringer.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

There's been a lot of crazy things, and it's hard to pin it down. I guess most recently giving each other drunken hotel room tattoos at 4 AM in New Orleans comes to mind. Some other stuff probably shouldn't be repeated.

What do you hope to accomplish with this trip to SXSW 2010?

First and foremost: eat BBQ! Actually, we love Austin in general and SXSW is a blast. We hope to play a good show, have some fun and see a lot of our friends from other bands/labels/instrument companies, that we don't get to see throughout the year due to schedules and distance.

Any past SXSW tales you care to share ?

We played SXSW a few years back and it was like our third show ever. The label we were on was doing a showcase. Our touring experience was zero and our live experience wasn't far above that. Our showcase slot was the last slot of the last day of the whole festival and as soon as we started, the bar called last call. It was a beer-y mess of a show, but looking back on it we had a really fun time. We learned a lot about moderation that trip!

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Recently, Kid Sister's 'Pro Nails.' It's just a super fun song.

Who was your first celeb crush?

Jabba the Hut.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Water, water, water. A cooler full of snacks means you don't have to eat your meals at gas stations. Festival or not, always carry a ton of 9-volt batteries. And a stash of Lone Stars (when in Texas) means no pesky lines at the bar!


Roy Turner is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.