Nasty Cherry is dominating the pop scene with their firecracker release Season 2 EP. Season 2 sees the band delve deep into a 90s synthy wonderland, co-written and produced with greats such as SIBA, Noise Club, and Yves Rothman.
Nasty Cherry takes a no-holds-barred attitude to music, reflective of the band’s mighty creator – Charli XCX. This quartet of unstoppable women is comprised of Gabbriette Bechtel on vocals, Chloe Chaidez on guitar, Debbie Knox-Hewson on drums, and Georgia Somary on bass.
We talked to 3/4 of Nasty Cherry about their new release, and what their fans can look forward to seeing in the near future.
I hope you guys are safe, all things considered. How has the current situation affected Nasty Cherry?
Debbie: We are doing OK! It’s really disappointing that all our upcoming tours and festivals have been canceled, but we’re really excited to be able to share new music. For our single, “I Am King,” we shot the music video ourselves, remotely. When we saw the first edit, it was actually really fun to see what we all chose to include. One of my favorite parts is the credits list at the end… we really hired the best people for the job.
I’d like to start by sharing with our readers a little bit about Nasty Cherry. Why a name like “Nasty Cherry”?
Debbie: It felt fun. I guess we wanted to something that sounded a bit rude and feminine and fun. That feels like our vibe.
Who are your musical (and doctrinal) inspirations? When I listen to Nasty Cherry, I imagine that La Roux, The Cure, and Madonna had a beautiful sonic lovechild in the 70s that popped right out the womb with its middle finger in the air.
Debbie: We all listen to different music individually. There are some diehard Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, The Cocteau Twins, and Prince fans in this band (and Madonna for sure!). I think we all like to take inspiration from other things as well: Decor, heartbreak, partying…
What’s it like to be spearheaded by an artist like Charli? Do you ever feel pressured to distinguish yourself from Charli’s international superstar image?
Debbie: There is definitely a pressure to live up to the hype. It feels empowering though. It’s a good thing. We feel like we have a lot to prove and we love it.
Congrats on the incredible series! How do you think doing that large chunk of promo on Netflix affected Nasty Cherry?
Georgia: I mean, it’s the reason we existed as a band initially! We got introduced to a much bigger first audience than normal for a new band, and by the time we started releasing more music and doing shows, a lot of people who’d watched the TV show and had got to know us a bit came to support us. It would be crazy not to be grateful for that insane platform, regardless of whether people like our origin story or not. I think if anything, we want to make the most of the opportunities it gave us.
What’s better – standard, or glacé cherries? (If this were an IRL interview, this would be the part where I’d magically produce and proffer a platter).
Georgia: Obviously standard fresh juicy cherries! They’re such glamorous fruits. But if you wanna impress your crush in a bar, tying a knot in a glace cherry with your tongue is better.
What’s your favorite song to perform live? Live, on Minecraft, that is.
Georgia: Right now, “Shoulda Known Better” is my favorite because we all go a little wild live with that one and it gets shouty and sweaty. That, or “Modern Love.” I get emotional and want to flirt with my bandmates. Debbie has the cutest Minecraft character (are they called blocks? I’m not a gamer as you can tell).
I got weirdly obsessed with “Win” after its release, and it’s still chilling in my Top 40 playlist. What songs do you guys have on repeat at the moment?
Georgia: Firstly, thank you for keeping us in your Top 40– truly blessed. Right now, Ghostpoet “Breaking Cover,” Swans “The Great Annihilator,” and Linda Rondstadt “When Will I Be Loved” are my top three most played songs. In quar[antine] I’ve been getting friends to send me playlists, so I’m finding a lot of old and new things which feel really special.
How do you think your sound is evolving in comparison to your debut EP of bangers – Season 1?
Chloe: I think Season 2 is still an EP of bangers, but I feel like the sisterhood between us has grown even stronger, and you can hear that.
My favorite track on Season 2 is definitely “Better Run,” and it’s really refreshing to hear such a vulnerable, softer track from you guys, that still sounds really you. How did you go about honing the signature Nasty Cherry sound?
Chloe: Thank you! It’s really an emotion that leads a writing session… a female perspective that leads the room with ideas. That’s how “Better Run” happened!
What’s on the horizon for Nasty Cherry?
Chloe: More quar[antine] bangers.
Is there anything else you’d like to let the readers of EUPHORIA. know?
Chloe: You rock, no matter what they say.
You can listen to Nasty Cherry’s Season 2 on all streaming platforms now.