Girl In A Coma // Credit: Josh HuskinSince the release of their debut album Both Before I’m Gone in 2007, the San Antonio based rocker gals of Girl In A Coma have gained wide recognition from critics, peers, and fans alike. Their dynamic sound, along with their Mexican-American heritage, has favorably set them apart from other bands of their time.
About a decade ago, Phanie Diaz (drummer) joined forces with her long-time friend Jenn Alva (bass) and sister Nina (songwriter/lead singer) to embark on a musical journey that she had dreamt of since age 12. For nearly a handful of years before being “discovered” the trio happily wrote songs and raised eyebrows at small clubs across the country.
“At the time when we first got the band together, we were all huge Morrissey/Smiths fans and knew we wanted to name ourselves after one of his songs. Girl In A Coma comes from the Smith song “Girlfriend In A Coma”. We are still fans but sometimes being named after another song can backfire. The first thing people want to do is compare us to the Smiths when we sound nothing like them. We also have been mistaken for a tribute band,” the drummer recollected.
Despite some hardships with their moniker, GIAC has managed to release 3 full lengths since being signed on-the-spot by Joan Jett in 2006. The well-known idol to many caught wind of GIAC while a cable TV documentary on unknown bands was being filmed at The Knitting Factory in NYC. Surprisingly, their good fortune didn’t even stop there. Memorable highlights to date, among many others, include actually touring with Morrissey and also playing to 500,000 people at the Polish Woodstock Festival.
And now their 4th and most commendable effort to date, Exits & All The Rest, was released November 1st on Jett’s label, Blackheart Records.
But how does GIAC feel that they’ve evolved since first making their mark on the industry? “We have all become stronger musicians. Years of experience on the road, touring with other musicians and learning from them and the ups and downs of being in a band have contributed to the sound we are now. As a musician you want to keep evolving and trying new sounds. I think this record shows us growing,” Phanie explained.
During the recording process of E&ATR some unfortunate and difficult events occurred in each band member’s personal life. Instead of allowing emotions to hinder progression, they turned any potential negative energy into inspiration for the meaningful and powerful music that resulted.
The foundation for how these deeply influenced songs on E&ATR came together is no different than those on Both Before I’m Gone,Trio BC, or Adventures in Coverland. “It always starts with Nina. She writes the main hook and lyrics. She will show us demos and Jenn and I will write our parts and help her form the song.”
For any three-piece, studio recordings and live performances are likely to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum. However, although GIAC likes to experiment with general complexity and layering in the studio, “at the same time, we try not to record in a way that we won’t be able to pull off a song live. I think catching us live is a great way to experience our sound because of the energy of performing live. We love touring and playing live. It’s our favorite thing overall.”
Luckily for fans, the band will be touring North America for the rest of the year to celebrate the release of E&ATR. And as satisfying and enjoyable as it is for them to perform, they really are focused on their fans. “We hope that when people leave our shows they had an escape for that time they were there. Music is supposed to take you away, or help you remember. Music is emotion. We hope that we give them that.“
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GIAC killed it in 2011. I wish them nothing but the best in 2012. Can’t wait to see them live again.