L.A. Girlfriend, aka Sydney Banta, is sending 2014 out with a bang. Between the release of her new Varsity EP, starting her collaborative label Confetti, A brand new Christmas song, and a video series in the works, she’s truly making the rest of us who are phoning it in at our jobs until we go on our holiday vacations look bad. We took a break from playing her Christmas-classic-in-the-making, “Mr. Mistletoe,” on repeat to ask her some questions about her recent output, and see what surprises she has in store for the New Year.
The 3-track Varsity EP is very ambitious in the way it tells a full, three-part love story over the course of about 12 minutes. How did the concept come about? Were the songs written with the storyline in mind from the beginning, or did you realize after writing each song separately that they sort of fell together organically?
The concept for Varsity came together after my relationship ended. The breakup was hard to take because it was my first time being anyone’s girlfriend. Sorting through old memories and trying to move on when I wasn’t ready put me through a rough time. For my own sanity’s sake, I had to figure out a way to process and accept what had happened. That’s when Varsity as love story came to be. I wrote the songs throughout the year without the intention to link them on an EP, yet each one reflected the mood of what was happening in my life at the time. I was super stoked when I realized how much they fell into the concept naturally.
When did the project begin?
I started L.A. Girlfriend in spring of 2011. Before then, I had experimented with other solo projects. It was a trial and error process in finding out what kind of music I wanted to produce, but once I got a grasp on how to blend electronic and analog sound, that’s when I made the decision to start over under the name L.A. Girlfriend.
Do you find being in love or being heartbroken more creatively inspiring?
I love Love, yet heartbreak feels more inspiring. Being heartbroken has an overlooked freedom to it. It is limitless in how it’s described or expressed. Of course, it hurts like hell and it takes time to heal, but there is beauty in those moments that shouldn’t be discounted. I can’t honestly say I’ve been in love with someone who has reciprocated the feeling, but when I do fall in love, I’m sure my outlook might change a little.
Now that you have the support of a full band has it altered the way you write or perform? Would you say you’re more in your element in the studio or on the stage?
There was a phase when I worried how songs were going to translate live, but I realized that method of producing was preventing me from using sounds and writing melodies that I really wanted to make. It’s a challenge to play L.A. Girlfriend songs live, but it’s rewarding when it does come together.
Whenever I’m performing on stage, I experience this crazy feeling of being totally at home with myself. It’s my version of a yoga retreat or a relaxing bubble bath. As a kid, I was a ballet dancer and I remember the excitement of the big theater productions. Shows back then meant I’d get to wear a pretty costume, makeup, and do what I love. Now…It’s actually still the same. Being on stage reminds me of my early performance years, which is probably why I love it so much. I like being reminded of my childhood. I was (and still am) a happy kid.
I hear you’ve been known to hand out homemade cupcakes at live shows, how did this tradition begin?
I love baking. I think making little treats is one of the happiest things you could do for yourself. A couple years ago, I was testing out my recipe for Champagne Cupcakes. I baked a batch and gave them to my brother, Trevor. He was a fan. Around the same time, I was booked to open for Miami Horror at the El Rey. Trevor suggested the idea of passing out cupcakes during the set, but I was so nervous about the show as it was so I laughed it off. I did make cupcakes for the event promoters though and I always thought about the idea ever since. It wasn’t until May 2014 when I decided to bake mini cupcakes for the audience just to see what would happen. 60 cupcakes disappeared before I could finish singing the first line of a song. That show became a party because of those little cakes.
Tell us about the name “L.A. Girlfriend.” How did you come up with it?
In high school, I wasn’t a confident person. My family had just moved into the neighborhood and being the new kid on campus during that time wasn’t the easiest thing to handle as 14 year old. I wanted to belong and have a good group of friends, like every one else seemed to have.
When college came, I noticed myself carrying the same type of insecurities. That’s when I realized I needed to make some changes and give myself more of a chance. I thought about the kind of girl I wanted to be – her attitude, her character, her name, etc. I arrived at “L.A. Girlfriend” because it represented everything I wasn’t, yet it was everything I wanted to be: the smart, cool girl with a fun sense of humor whom everyone wanted to hang out with – the guy’s gal and the gal’s gal. I chose that name with the hopes I would one day become her and now, almost 5 years later, I’m think I’m on my way :)
Who are some female musicians that greatly influenced you? If you could collaborate with anyone past or present, who would you pick?
Female musicians I find inspiring are people like Siouxsie Sioux, Blondie, Karen O, and Annabella from Bow Wow Wow. They’re sometimes quirky, sometimes weird, but always amazing to watch. If I could collaborate with anyone, it would be New Order, but if I had to choose a lady performer, I would love to work with Belinda Carlisle on an epic Karaoke duet rendition of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.”
Tell us about your new label, Confetti. Was it liberating releasing Varsity on your own label? What are your long-term goals for Confetti?
Confetti is a record label and creative agency spearheaded by my brother and I. Varsity is the first release on the label, which is super exciting, especially since I get to remain in control of how all L.A. Girlfriend releases will exist. I’ve always self-released my EPs and LPs, and with Confetti, Varsity will be apart of an amazing catalog that will continue to expand. It’s been a trip seeing an often talked about idea finally take form. Long-term, the goal is to do cool stuff through collaboration and change the way in which we experience our culture. Confetti is a big concept and I look forward to seeing our “pie in the sky” ideas come to life.
How about your upcoming video series “Neon Grey,” will we be seeing a lot of these behind the scenes type videos from LAGF?
Yes! Sharing the journey has always been an important factor for the project so I’m definitely filming as much day to day as I can. It’s a fun way to document everything that’s happening too. I can’t wait to look back on the series when I’m older.
I know I’m not giving you a lot of time to breathe here since Varsity just came out, but what’s next for L.A. Girlfriend? Touring plans? An LP in the New Year?
In 2015, my hopes are to release an LP and get placement on a tour. I’d love to travel more. In the immediate future, Im looking forward to debuting the music videos for Varsity. Who knows…I’m open to what the new year has in store for me and what I’ve learned thus far: nothing is ever too out of reach.
Is L.A. Girlfriend looking for an L.A. Boyfriend?
Most of the time, I’m looking for more hours in the day to do all the stuff I want to do, but if I find a handsome, well-mannered, good guy who wants to take me out for a slice of pizza, maybe we can alter the time continuum together.
And finally, if you could have any kind of animal as a pet, what would you want and what would you name it?
I’d want a beautiful, fluffy, black wolf named Kingston. We would cuddle and watch marathons of Shark Tank.
Stay tuned for more releases from Confetti as we countdown the days until Christmas and be sure to pick up L.A. Girlfriend’s new Varsity EP below!
