Phox's Monica Martin on bad gigs and worse REM chat

The folk frontwoman opens up to mark her UK tour

Photo: Press

When we speak to Monica Martin from Phox she is unequivocally, spectacularly, heartstoppingly hungover. "I just learned a new phrase today: ‘ropey’" she says, laughing down the phone line. “I'm feeling very 'ropey' right now." It transpires that the Martin - together with the rest of her six piece Wisconsin folk band - hit the scotch a little too hard after their triumphant London gig. “Long story short: St Pancras church is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing a set. Then we ended up going to a place called The Blue Bar, then a place called Joe’s which is pretty infamous - you’ll probably get pregnant up in there.”

This course of action led to a brief existential crisis, a flirtation with going AWOL and now, as Martin chats to Gigwise, a hangover that rivals the end of days. To mark the band's UK tour she chats about admiring Everything Everything, meeting REM and why you should never remake an Eighties' track.

Gigwise: What’s the best band you’ve seen at a festival this year?
Monica: White Denim - holy smokes they are so good! Through my life I’ve been pulled in every direction in terms of what genre of music I’d listen to. I grew up on soul and Motown, then listened to emo and then started listening to folk, really mellow stuff. I heard White Denim - the song was ‘At Night In Dreams’ - and I just fell in love. Rock'n'roll: this is what it should be. Too often rock'n'roll is just not very thoughtful, just very self satisfactory - you probably shouldn’t put this in print but it’s pretty masturbatory. And then I heard White Denim and I was truly addicted. We got to see them at Electric Picnic. Really good.

Do you have a moment where music profoundly changed for you?
I only first heard Led Zeppelin eight years ago. And where I was from in Wisconsin most of my friends were growing up listening to classic rock: Led Zeppelin, AC/DC all that stufff. When I heard Led zeppelin’s 'Whole Lotta Love' I was like ‘Holy shit this is SO GOOD’. The voice! The guitar! It’s so melodic! That was a big "doors opening" moment.

In your NPR playlist you included Everything Everything. What do you like about them?
How long have you got? 1. The voice is incredible. 2. Arrangements are incredible. 3. The drums: so cool (and they can play it acoustic which shows how versatile and impressive they are). 4. The lyrics - he’s clearly putting a lot of thought into them which I feel is so rare today. I didn't know something so unique could make me feel so good. It’s incredibly smart, it’s really thoughtful and it’s beautiful. Everything Everything make me so happy.

What musical trend needs to die out?
The thing I find really disheartening is that I see a lot is people pandering to whatever genre is happening at that time. I certainly don’t consider myself an authority on “what is good music” but when I watch something you just know when there’s heart in it. To be more specific I think doing "Eigthies music" is absolutely over. Taking a song that basically already existed and then putting boring lyrics on it? That’s annoying! If you put it in front of a 13 year old today they’ll think 'This is brilliant' - but that song had already happened! And it already happened better.

I wish there was more enthusiasm for young people to check beyond top 40 radio. And I like pop music, I really do: but there was a time when Joni Mitchell was on top of the charts. Before I was writing songs and in a band I didn’t think that people didn’t write their own songs. It was shocking!

What job would you be doing if you weren’t fronting Phox?
I didn’t really have any aspirations to be quite honest. I did fall into and really loved being a hairdresser. I could interact with people and make them feel good... but not necessarily have to talk. To be able to do that legally is great! I went to beauty school and ended up working at my dream salon in my favourite neighbourhood called Cha Cha. I really liked it and then things became too hectic with the band in terms of scheduling so I had to quit.

When were you last starstruck?
Man, at South by South West I was sitting having dinner with people who already had pretty impressive rock resumes (like Radiohead’s manager). Then Neil Young walks by. We lock eyes for just one second and I think my entire soul shot through the ceiling. It was an incredibly insane feeling. Just thinking about it right now: he has written some of the most beautiufl music that will last forever, and has made me cry on so many occaisons and made me feel at peace on so many occasions.

The other story is the first time I was at South By South West, I didn’t realize you shouldn’t take all the free drinks that you are given as a musician. I kept thinking "This may end so may as well drink them all." There was this delicious whisky - I think it was called Troy & Sons - I drank a lot and I found myself talking to a bunch of random industry people. I got into this conversation with someone who just starts asking me questions and is being pretty funny about Wisconson and cheese curds. This guy starts laughing as I’m basically hamming it up, waxing poetic about the curds and probably telling some off colour jokes. I walk away and my friend said "Do you know who you were talking to?" It was Mike Mills from REM.

What question are you bored of answering?
Probably just the whole band name thing: it’s a lot less romantic than people would make you hope.

Describe your worst ever gig?
Let’s see: our first show we ever played I was so scared. I didn’t sing into the microphone. It was mostly my nerves but after that show I walked away and sighed for a long while. But then there was one we played in front of a larger audience at a street festival. Basically all the wires were crossed: nothing was in the right place. The thing that is crazy is that when you’re playing a show, you don’t understand all the variables that can possibly go wrong. That was what was going through my head: "We’ve in front of a large audience most of whom who hadn’t heard us before and I couldn’t hear myself at all." It was really messy, all of us looking at each other with our arms up like "Well, this is the best we can do." That was really awful.

Have you ever played to a particularly unsuitable crowd?
There’s definitely been weird moments “Here! Play this show to a bunch of radio people while they are eating dinner!” It’s kinda weird but it’s usually more just mildly awkward and super businessy. Then there is being heckled: some people positively heckle you! It might be a good friend of yours saying your name over and over again as they’re kind of drunk. Or doing a really quite instrumental part of the song where someone yells "MONICA! I LOVE YOUR HAIR!" It just totally derails you and you just think: what the fuck is your problem?