Community, Labels & Female Empowerment: CBR DIY Chats With Moaning Lisa

Credit: Kalindy Williams

Returning to Canberra on their huge tour launching new single, “Good”, Moaning Lisa sat down with our very own Shannen Egan to have cup of herbal tea and a candid chat. The band touched on growing in the Canberra music scene, touring with with interstate bands such as WAXX and Cry Club and what it means to them to be “Queer Band” amongst other things.

Photo By CBR DIY

“A part of me was like, if we release this song [Carrie (I Want A Girl)] we are a queer band.” Said guitarist and vocalist , Charlotte Versegi. “We are anyway but it wasn’t on our foreheads and I was actually really worried. I was like, ‘Do we want to put this out in the world and be pigeonholed?’”

Drummer Hayden Fritzlaff also touched on the positives of Canberra’s local music scene.

“A lot of bands turn up [to Canberra] to play their first ever show and because, you know, they might, like, be mates with people in the music community already and often, like, they’ll have a packed house to see them play at The Phoenix.”

He goes on to add, “When there’s a line around the corner to go to a show at The Phoenix I think it’s, like, a pretty good lit-ness test to see how your music community is going.”

Photo By CBR DIY

Ellen Chan goes on to encourage women in the music industry.

“For people that want to play music, just do it. You shouldn’t think because you’re a woman you are incapable of being a part of this industry. The more women that are going to be included in this industry, the better it’s going to get…. just fucking do it.”