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Soho – the epicentre of trash, coughing up sleazy strip joints and sleazier media types, but also the spiritual home of Maya Von Doll and her comrades. With a debut album and marathon UK tour underway, Sohodolls won’t be haunting the neon-splattered streets for a good while yet. Gigwise thought it was time to catch up with delightful frontwoman, May Von Doll, to discuss all.
The last time we spoke to Sohodolls, they were an all-girl trio, terrifying and delighting indie boys up and down the country. Now, the girls are out and Maya is a doll in the company of gentlemen, four of them to be exact. She explains to us: “Toni is pretty much an original member – he was already in the band when we released our first single in 2004 with Alan McGee. He chose to stay out of the photos back then! I think the 3 original girls together were a 3 headed barking monster.”
Having formed a slicker line-up and more focused sound, Maya and Toni managed to make it a relatively smooth transition. “We didn’t have to teach them what Sohodolls is all about – we knew straight away that they would get it. You’re either a Sohodoll or you’re not. In fact, all three of them are bringing more to Sohodolls than I expected: just the other day on the drive down from Crewe to Milton Keynes we stopped at an Ann Summers to buy Paul some stockings and suspenders to wear on stage… it was his idea!”
Their long-awaited debut album ‘Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation’ aims to bring back some fun and sensitivity to electro-pop, although Maya argues that this lack of emotion runs deeper than the present music scene. “We think people’s attitude needs to be shaken up, and in many ways too! No one questions the shit they’re served up on a daily basis from food, to music, to the crap they’re buying, hence ‘the numb generation’. There’s a lot of anger, lust, humour, hate, fear and vulnerability in our album so it’s about tapping into your primal senses as well as glamming up!”
Sohodolls are a difficult band to categorise, with snippets of 80’s synth-pop, glam rock and more contemporary electro-sleaze, but it is their wild, confessional lyrics that sets them apart from the more self-conscious bands. “Lyrically, Sohodolls is autobiographical so yes, almost everything is really personal. A couple of songs are based on an imagined scenario like ‘Trash the Rental’ – I’ve never been joy-riding or pulled down any garden fences in suburbia.”
Over the years, Sohodolls have also bagged some high-profile support slots, including Ladytron, Soulwax, The Charlatans and most recently Daft Punk and Klaxons. So, have these support slots won them any new fans that may not have heard their music? “Definitely! We’ve had a lot of people join our forum/mailing list and come to our gigs just because they’d seen us before the big bands came on.”
Their latest single, ‘Trash the Rental’, also features a super hot remix by electro ingénues, Crystal Castles, further elevating their reputation and appeal. Maya said: “We are overjoyed with Crystal Castles’ remix! It’s beautiful! When we approached them they said they were too busy with their own album but asked to hear the track anyway. Then they got back to us and said they’d do it.”
Mid-way through their UK tour, Sohodolls have a hard task to beat the excellent summer gigs they’ve already played. Maya said: “Yes, there’s been a few great ones recently! The O2 Wireless festival in Hyde Park was fantastic – the tent was heaving and the cheers were so loud at the end of each song that the sound distorted in our ears. It was both terrifying and pleasing. Secret Gardens Party was a wild one, the crowd were fantastic and that egged us on. Also, we played Taunton’s Café Mamba at the start of this tour and that was the most hyper and energetic show we’ve played all year. We were soaking wet from sweat. We also played the London Islington Academy and that was quite a cheeky show – there’s footage of one performance on our Myspace page if you wanna get the picture.”
Surprisingly, the dolls’ favourite haunts in Soho are not hidden in the myriad of neon lust alleyways, but rather the old man pubs where real ales rule over poppers. Maya said: “We like the old pubs in Soho – Dog and Duck, Intrepid Fox, French House, John Snow, Garlic & Shots, Foyles Bookshop and sitting in Soho Square in autumn with a packed lunch!” Not exactly the debauched escapades you’d expect from the dolls, but they are always full of surprises.
If anyone knows how to party, it’s Maya. But for those whose experience of London is a quick jaunt around Oxford Street and the V&A, how can they recreate the ‘pleasures of Soho’ in their hometown? “That’s almost impossible! But for starters they need to have an obsessive crush on someone and to be submissive to that person.” Obsession, lust, submission, fantasy - welcome to the valley of the Dolls.
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