The Los Angeles foothills are alive with the sound of teen music these days.
Largely built around a vibrant backyard party circuit promoted on social media and through word of mouth, talented local high schoolers are writing songs, forming bands, and playing stacked bills. From indie rock, alternative and punk to singer/songwriter, progressive rock and beyond, it’s a vibrant scene that regularly draws supportive crowds.
The evolving grassroots movement is the subject of a forthcoming documentary, Backyards: LA’s Gen Z Music Scene, and a new all ages venue called Backyard Party was recently opened by Altadena Musicians, a foundation helping replace musical gear and vinyl lost in the LA wildfires.
One of the bands currently at the center of this regional rock and roll Renaissance is Kim Theory, a rising punk quartet featuring Audrey Cymone (vocals), Lula Seifert (guitar), Lucy Fraser (bass) and Zoey Su (drums.)
Kim Theory’s debut EP, Bitch Scene, was produced by punk legend Paul Roessler (Screamers, DC3, 45 Grave, Twisted Roots) at his Kitten Robot Studios in LA.
“It really all started with us just wanting to get a couple songs recorded in the studio for a day,” Cymone said. “We went in with the four songs on the EP in mind, thinking we’d only get to record two or three if we were lucky, but we had time to record all four in one day! From there we just communicated with Paul back and forth on the mixing until we were all happy with everything!”
Kim Theory celebrated the release of Bitch Scene with a sold out show at Backyard Party in November. The four tracks—“He Said She Said,” “Child Star Teenybopper,” “Wish You Were,” and “Growing Pains”—combine solid songwriting and unbridled energy to deliver a fresh blast of indie punk that do the band’s trio of namesakes proud.
“We are named after three punk legends—Kim Deal, Kim Shattuck, and Kim Gordon. We are big fans of their music and they were prominent figures for us when we started the band and every time we write music. All three of these musicians are really awesome and talented people and are a huge source of inspiration for us,” Seifert said.
I recently connected with Kim Theory for an interview that’s as short and sharp as their signature sound.
Lula Seifert: Working with Paul Roessler was an amazing experience. When we decided we wanted to record a couple songs, my dad recommended that we record at Kitten Robot Studios and told us that Paul was a great guy. It turns out that my dad was not lying, Paul was very nice to us and made recording a great experience.
I’ve seen your music compared to The Donnas and The Runaways. I also hear some Slits and (obviously) The Muffs. Who would you say are your biggest influences?
Zoey Su: We all listen to different music genres outside the band, so I’d say individually our influences vary, but as a band sound-wise we definitely are influenced by Bratmobile, Bikini Kill, The Muffs, and all those kinds of bands.
You also got to sing with Bratmobile at a sold out show over the summer. What was that experience like?
Lucy Fraser: Getting to be on stage with one of our idols was truly incredible. Not just because we were in their presence, but because being invited up there and taken in by them was so fun and we are so grateful and proud to have been able to participate in something like that.
I really like the lead track from your EP. What’s the story behind “He Said She Said”?
Lula Seifert: My sister, Sophie, and I wrote the lyrics for “He Said She Said” together. We wanted to write a fun, punky anthem about being bold and not taking things too seriously while remembering to have fun and let loose.
“Child Star Teenybopper” is the track I’ve listened to the most. Was there a specific inspiration for that song?
Audrey Cymone: We always like to say that this song is a bit of a letter to those who take themselves too seriously. There’s a lot of different aspects to the song itself, but the main message is that it’s so easy to see through people, and it’s so much more fun to release all your emotions and truly express yourself instead of putting up a front.
I’m really impressed by the teen music scene in LA right now. Why do you think so many teens are picking up instruments and starting bands these days?
Audrey Cymone: Because the ’90s are so freaking back. Just kidding. Well, not really…but anyway, I think that it gives kids a way to be creative and have a way to express themselves. Being teenagers we all have a laundry list things we might be going through and I think music is a really amazing way to deal with them. I find music to heal pretty much everything. I also think that playing music and being in bands can build so much of a community and create such great opportunities to make friends. I’ve met so many people who I know consider to be friends just at gigs and it’s so fun!
What’s next for Kim Theory?
Zoey Su: The future of Kim Theory is looking good! We have a couple shows lined up for the new year and we’re planning on continuing to play shows and put out music! We have some new songs that we are working on and can’t wait to play.
