1) Who taught you how to play guitar?

I started out when riot grrrl was in full swing and the emphasis was not on perfecting technique, it was on honest self expression. Now that to me was like the blues, my other love. I prefered the progressions of blues to the simpler riot grrrl style playing. So I got some tab books about the blues and I learned power chords, a few simple open chords, and the blues scale on the fret board. I did have a few bass lessons from a great bassist named Margaret Maldonado from the band Girl Jesus. Some of what I learned from her about how to hold my fingers and the evenness of scales helped me out on guitar, too.

2) What was your first public performance?

It was the first Lucid Nation show, at a cinderblock garage club called Cell 63 in a barrio of Los Angeles where I grew up. We opened for Tummyache and Crown for Athena, two bands composed of high school girls who ruled the Los Angeles riot grrrl scene at the time. I loved those bands, the lyrics and playing were so bright and sincere. We got a standing ovation even though when we did our last song and our drummer got out front to sing she accidently switched off her mic and stopped the show till we figured out what went wrong!

3) What would your dream job be if you couldn't be a performer?

I'd wrangle Bengal cats and Arabian horses on a solar ranch somewhere green but not too rainy.

4) Who do you most want to jam or write with?

Kim Gordon. Patti Smith. I've already played with the two drummers I wanted to play with most: Ken Schalk and Patty Schemel. Woah, they both start with Sch, I never noticed that before! We've been trying to hook up with Jack Endino to record, that would be a blast.

5) Do you write songs looking in the mirror or out the window?

Looking out the window. Since I do alot of freestyle improvisation I also write songs looking at the band, helps me get those cues right, and cue them. I find song writing is a constant process, so I'm always scribbling notes for lyrics, even when I'm doing mundane things like washing dishes.