All-girl queer rock trio Hunter Valentine is slated to perform in Chicago Sept. 16 at The Abbey Pub. Known for their gritty, honest sound (think The Runaways meets pop melodies) and their in-your-face high-energy live shows, the Toronto natives have amassed a loyal fan base across the United States and Canada since coming together in 2004.
With two albums under their belt and a third in the works, the ladies recently kicked off their first bicoastal U.S. tour. We caught up with lead singer Kiyomi McCloskey as the group made its way through North Carolina.
Windy City Times: Hi, Kiyomi.
Kiyomi McCloskey: Hey. Can you hold on for a second? [Pause] OK. We're just driving. I'm trying to help navigate at the same time.
WCT: You're in North Carolina today, right?
KM: Yeah, we're on our way to Greensboro. First time.
WCT: And how's everything going so far?
KM: We're about a week into it, and we're having the times of our lives out here, to be honest with you. We became really good friends with [bands] Vanity Theft and Sick of Sarah on other tours, so we were put all together. It's kind of like our dream tour. It's called the Lady Killer tour—it's an all-girl tour. We're all having such a good time, and you can see it on stage.
WCT: Any fun stories so far?
KM: The other day in Washington D.C., all three bands were in the green room, which was this dingy basement. Some of us may have had a few drinks, and we decided that Sunday would be official band wrestling day, so there was a giant mat that we put down on the floor. People paired up, and we did different wrestling matches. Somebody got a bloody nose. Another girl was put in a chokehold by her drummer.
Last night a bunch of them all broke into a pool and went skinny-dipping. It's just an insane tour. We're having a great time. Oh! And before we left New York, we kidnapped a fan and renamed her Snowflake. We're trying to make her come on the entire tour.
WCT: Who did you kidnap?
KM: Just a random fan. She's coming along for the ride.
WCT: Are you still trekking around in your beat-up minivan?
KM: [Laughs] No. We've upgraded in life. We have a much larger van now.
WCT: Are you focusing on one particular album for this tour?
KM: We're playing mostly from Lessons from the Late Night [the group's 2010 album]. But then we're throwing in some new stuff because after this tour, we're getting ready to go back into the studio.
WCT: Lessons from the Late Night was harder than your first album [2007's The Impatient Romantic]. Will you keep going that direction?
KM: There's definitely a certain level of aggression that will be on this record, but we always carry a pop sensibility to our music. I think it's going to be a good mixture of punk rock and melodic Motown references. You never know until you get into the studio, but we're really excited to get back into that creative mode again.
WCT: I have to ask: I hear you have a really great coming-out story.
KM: [Laughs] So, I was 16, and I went to my first dyke march with my first girlfriend ever. We were marching away—you know, full mohawk, Ani Difranco tank-top craziness. I had a great time that night. When I woke up the next morning, I had like 40 voicemails on my answering machine. People kept calling me. I answered the phone, and it was one of my good friends like, "Have you seen the newspaper yet? You better go check it out."
So I ran downstairs in my PJs to the store and there was—on the cover of the most widely circulated newspaper in Canada—my face about to lean in and kiss my girlfriend. And it said, "A quiet moment kicks off Pride: Young lesbians embrace." After that happened, there was really no going back. It was kind of a blessing in disguise because I had no choice. I have a really supportive family and community around me. It was a good thing for me.
WCT: That's hilarious.
KM: I wish I had the cover. I think my mom might have a copy. It's pretty funny.
WCT: You're playing Chicago Sept. 16 at The Abbey Pub. What can our readers look forward to?
KM: They can expect a high-energy rock show that they won't forget. It'll burn in their minds until the next time we come to town. Is that cocky enough for you? [Laughs] Everyone can have a really good time. They can come meet all the bands. It's just us.
To learn more about Hunter Valentine, visit www.huntervalentine.com . For more info on the Lady Killer Tour, visit ladykillertour.com . For more on the Sept. 16 show at The Abbey Pub , where they're performing with Sick of Sarah and others, see www.abbeypub.com .
