Love is to die, love is to not die, love is to dance… LA-based Theresa Wayman, Emily Kokal and Jenny Lee Lindberg fell hard, fast and deep in love on Valentine’s Day of 2004. The release of their debut EP Exquisite Corpse had a core fan group crushing on them, before 2010’s album The Fool saw them jump all over the music scene with their beautiful harmonies and brilliantly understated noise. The band have since found drummer, Stella Mozgawa, and with her, found themselves. Their full, complete sound – as showcased on their self-titled new album – is one that hypnotises with all its nebulous glory. Renting a domed house in the mystical desert of Joshua Tree National Park, they wrote the record currently on rotation in the i-D office and sitting pretty in the UK album chart. With their grungy nonchalant vocals and psychedelic riffs, Warpaint take us to another dimension. Watching them live is one big hazy trip that we never want to come down from. Currently making their way across the states, playing as they go, and set to play Glastonbury this June, the foursome are incredibly talented, super sexy and impossibly cool.
Describe yourself…
Emily: Wild child dancing little chieftess.
Theresa: Sugar, spice, all things nice.
Stella: Snare, tom, cymbal, sticks, kick.
Jenny Lee: Gorgeous, glamorous, genius, gifted, great.
What can’t you live without?
Emily: A change of scenery.
Theresa: My son.
Stella: Music.
Jenny Lee: My husband.
“When we’re playing live we feel connected, out of body, like nobody’s watching, like we’re number one.”
Love is to…
Emily: Live.
Theresa: Dance.
Stella: Give.
Jenny Lee: Laugh.
Are you in love?
Emily: Oh yeah.
Theresa: I’m in love with life.
Stella: Yes.
Jenny Lee: Absolutely.
What is sexy?
Emily: Being yourself.
Theresa: Sex.
Stella: The voice.
Jenny Lee: Me.
How do you feel when you’re playing a great show?
Emily: Connected.
Theresa: Out of body.
Stella: Like nobody is watching.
Jenny Lee: Like I’m number one.
What’ve you recently fought/warred about?
Emily: The set list.
Theresa: My peace.
Stella: Space.
Jenny Lee: Set lists.
Favourite shade of paint?
Emily: Gold.
Theresa: Sage green.
Stella: Seafoam.
Jenny Lee: Indigo.
What colour is Warpaint?
Emily: Reddish dusty pink coming out of blackness.
Theresa: Burgundy.
Stella: Purple.
Jenny Lee: Purple.
Are you friends with any other girl bands?
Emily: Oh yeah.
Theresa: Yes, Savages.
Stella: Yeah! Savages are awesome. I don’t consider either of us typical girl bands though.
Jenny Lee: Yeah.
Do you think you guys would have been friends in high school?
Emily: I was friends with one of them in high school, so yes.
Theresa: Yeah for sure… poets unite!
Stella: Two of us were.
Jenny Lee: Most definitely.
Have you ever broken the law?
Emily: Sure!
Theresa: Yes.
Stella: No.
Jenny Lee: Uh-huh…
“The perfect way to listen to our new album is on a rooftop amidst the misty hills of Echo Park with friends and nothing to do but enjoy the evening.”
Favourite girl band ever?
Emily: The Slits.
Theresa: En Vogue.
Stella: Metallica.
Jenny Lee: Electrolane.
What’s your poison?
Emily: Thinking.
Theresa: Hennessy.
Stella: Rodenticide.
Jenny Lee: Tabacco.
Favourite Biggie track?
Emily: Sky Is The Limit.
Theresa: Hypnotize.
Stella: Juicy.
Jenny Lee: Mo Money Mo Problems.
Favourite English person?
Emily: Richard D. James.
Theresa: Christopher Hitchens.
Stella: Brian Eno.
Jenny Lee: Chris Cunningham, of course.
What’s the ideal situation to listen to your new album in?
Emily: With nice headphones on a walk.
Theresa: Sunset on a rooftop amidst the misty hills of Echo Park with friends and NOTHING to do but enjoy the evening.
Stella: In bed, on headphones, with a fever.
Jenny Lee: On a long night drive.
Who do you want to get stoned with?
Emily: God.
Theresa: My lover.
Stella: Matt Berry.
Jenny Lee: Anybody.
What’s the best thing about LA?
Emily: Warm nights with friends and family.
Theresa: Downtown skyline.
Stella: The sunset.
Jenny Lee: The sun.
“The best thing about LA is warm nights with friends and family, the Downtown skyline, the sunset, the sun…”
And the worst thing?
Emily: Hot days in traffic.
Theresa: Too much sun.
Stella: Driving.
Jenny Lee: Sun.
How could i-D win your heart?
Emily: Whatchu got?
Theresa: Put us on the cover 😉
Stella: Make me an amazing soy flat white.
Jenny Lee: Put me on the cover for the next four years.
If you could play in any venue/building/place in the world, where would you play?
Emily: The pyramids.
Theresa: Anywhere in Japan.
Stella: Inside the great pyramid.
Jenny Lee: Grand Canyon.
Would you rather give up your voice or your sight?
Emily: Uhhh… sight?
Theresa: Oh god… ummm I suppose it would be voice although it would be the saddest thing not to be able to sing.
Stella: I think I’ve yapped on enough for two lifetimes. I’d keep my sight.
Would you rather be in a death metal band or a k-pop band?
Emily: Death metal k pop!
Theresa: K-pop. There’s some real 90s style pop with an avant-garde twist going on over there. It’s really interesting.
Stella: How about a death metal J-pop band like BABYMETAL?
Jenny Lee: Death metal band!
What advice would you give your 16 year old self?
Emily: Write and draw it out.
Theresa: Your uniqueness is what makes you.
Stella: Chill out.
Jenny Lee: Put the bottle down girl!
Favourite movie ever?
Emily: Dr. Strangelove.
Theresa: Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch.
Stella: Nostalgia.
Jenny Lee: Ghost.
Do you believe in ghosts?
Emily: I’d like to.
Theresa: No, but I believe in the power of suggestion.
Stella: I used to.
Jenny Lee: I don’t want to but I think I do.
What new music are you into?
Emily: King Krule.
Theresa: Cate Lebon and King Krule.
Stella: Nathan Fake, Cate Le Bon, MMM.
Jenny Lee: Savages.
If you could have anybody (dead or alive) join the band, who would you pick?
Emily: Eno circa 82.
Theresa: Bob Fosse as choreographer.
Stella: Jesus would generate some mad press.
Jenny Lee: Nile Rodgers.
What do you think future Warpaint will sound like?
Emily: Siiiiick.
Theresa: A double rainbow all the way across the sky.
Stella: BIG.
Jenny Lee: Fucking good.
Credits
Text Francesca Dunn
Photography Beau Grealy
Styling Rita Zebdi
Hair Charles McNair at Jed Root
Make-up Gloria Noto at Jed Root
Photography assistance Porter Counts
Hair assistance Nate Hejl
Production Pippa Mockridge
Production coordinator Chrissy Hampton