Dexy Valentine either doesn’t sleep, or lives in a parallel universe where each day has double the amount of hours as the world inhabited by the rest of us mortals. These are the only conclusions one can draw about the singer who leads a double life fronting her bands Magic Wands and Bonfire Beach, which respectively have an upcoming album release and a fall tour supporting The Dandy Warhols. We caught up with the prolific frontwoman to talk about her whirlwind year, and to check out Bonfire Beach’s new video for “Spit U Out.”
I’m excited that Magic Wands has more music on the way, but it’s also really nice to hear you delving into your dark side with Bonfire Beach. What inspired the project?
I actually started Bonfire Beach before Magic Wands, but it had to be put on hold because I began touring the US and Europe with MW. I strayed away from it due to the fact I wasn’t in a place where I was ready to confront my dark side; I ran off into the lighter sound of MW. But as with all things, you can only run for so long before it catches up [with you]. The goal now is to transform it into something better, and I think everyone in the band is on the same wavelength with that.
Between the release of Lit last December with Bonfire Beach and the new Magic Wands album, it’s clearly been a very busy year for you. Do you work on music for both bands simultaneously, or does each group require you to get into a certain mindset for a while?
Lately, I’ve been doing back-to-back shows and rehearsals for both bands. Each does require a certain mindset– it’s really a matter of me investing in a different gear for Bonfire Beach rather than using the same stuff I use in Magic Wands.
Tell us about the current Bonfire Beach lineup—what is everyone’s musical background? How did you all meet?
I met my drummer Charlie through a producer when I first moved to LA, then we met the bassist Brandon and the guitarist Steve through mutual friends. We all hit it off because we love the same kind of music. We began writing songs together, everyone in the bands has there own thing going on. Brandon plays in Night Nail, Charlie drums for several bands, and Steve has his own band called Red Sun Red Sea.
The song and video for the new single “Spit U Out” has a PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love-era vibe going, and with bands like The Muffs and Veruca Salt reforming, the ‘90s are very much having a moment right now. Were you inspired by many artists from that decade, particularly female musicians?
I had several girl crushes from the ‘90s: Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins, and Bilinda Butcher of My Bloody Valentine.
Give us a little background on the video concept for “Spit U Out”—in it we see pyramids, cats, and sharp objects. Do you care to explain some of the symbolism, or is that for us to figure out?
I’ve always been a fan of esoteric symbolism and I’m familiar with occult stuff. I’d seen some art house short films recently that served as a muse for the colors, it’s open to your own interpretation.
You drop a lot of LA references on the new album. What places in or around Los Angeles do you find to be the most creatively inspiring?
LA at night is my favorite. As long as I can see the moon or a sunset I’m pretty inspired.
You lived in Nashville at the start of Magic Wands. What are some of the major differences working in the music scene in Nashville vs. LA? What made you decide to move back west?
Magic Wands had to come to LA to mix our first EP & record our album, it took a lot longer than expected. We didn’t really plan to move back, it just sort of happened. As for Nashville, It’s a great city, but when Chris and I formed Magic Wands we weren’t part of a scene. We got lucky and opened up two shows for Jack White which was the extent of us playing in Nashville. I’m grateful to have group of friends in LA in bands who are all really supportive of each other.
What are some other bands you’re really into right now, both locally and otherwise?
Lately I’ve been listening heavily to early Cocteau Twins and not much else, especially their first record.
Will Bonfire Beach and/or Magic Wands be embarking on a national tour soon? What are some of your favorite cities to play in?
Yes, the Magic Wands album is being mixed right now and we’ll be touring soon. Bonfire Beach will be supporting The Dandy Warhols on their fall tour. I think my favorite cities to play so far have been Montreal, London, Edinburgh, San Francisco, Seattle & NYC.
What’s your favorite film you’ve seen so far in 2014?
I recently saw Beautiful Noise, which is an indie music documentary that chronicles the birth of shoegaze.
Who is your favorite film director of all time?
Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, David Cronenberg, Bergman, Ken Russell, Dario Argento, and David Lynch. So the answer to that question is, I have many favorites.
What’s one thing you haven’t done yet this summer that you’re looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to getting on the road & catching Slowdive at FYF.
Bonfire Beach play The Echo for Echo Park Rising on August 17th, so catch them live and keep an eye out for the new Magic Wands album in the coming months!
