Interview With The Casket Girls

Chicago – Ryan Graveface created The Casket Girls with Phaedra and Elsa Greene in 2012 after fantastically stumbling upon the sisters, who were singing beneath a tree in Savannah, Georgia. The three would release their first collaboration, Sleepwalking, under Ryan’s label Graveface Records. After getting in a little touring and conquering the fear of performing, the sisters were ready to attack another album with Ryan, resulting in True Love Kills the Fairy Tale. I recently chatted with the band and discussed their new album, touring, and funeral homes.

Sarah Hess: You just released your second album True Love Kills the Fairy Tale. How does this album differ from your first?

Phaedra Greene: Our new record weirdly turned out more poppy even though we didn’t mean for it too. During Sleepwalking we were just getting to know each other as people, but with True Love we had already toured together and recorded an album and an EP so I think we were more familiar with each other’s strengths and styles.

SH: If you had to describe your music and sound in three words, what would they be?

Phaedra Greene and Elsa Greene: Weird Dream Catcher

SH: Can you talk a little bit about your songwriting and the collaboration process?

PG: Ryan writes all of the music on his own and sends it to us. Elsa and I set up two microphones and record all of our first instincts as we listen to the songs for the first time. We won’t listen to them unless we are ready to write. We try to keep the process as unfiltered as possible, drawing heavily on stream of consciousness and our dream journals.

SH: Ryan, you’re in four bands and run Graveface Records. Do you ever sleep? Seriously though, seeing as you keep so busy, do you see touring as somewhat of a break? And what are you looking forward to most on this tour?

Ryan Graveface: I try to not sleep too much because it gets in the way. Originally the thought of this tour was relaxing but it has been quite the opposite thus far. Currently I’m looking forward to the Black Cloud being lifted.

SH: You’ll be playing SXSW again this year with the Graveface Roadshow 2014. What do you enjoy most about SXSW? Do you have anything crazy planned for the Graveface Mega shows?

RG: The thing I enjoy most is simply the food and cocktail scene of Austin. I probably will not even go to a single show outside of the ones I play. Us making it there in one piece would probably be the craziest thing to happen.

SH: Lastly, I read that Phaedra and Elsa grew up in a funeral home. Is this true?

PG: Ha-ha. We did briefly when we were little. Who knew that we would end up in a band called The Casket Girls. Ryan had the name picked out before he even met us. Kind of crazy.

The Casket Girls are currently on tour with the Graveface Roadshow and will be playing SXSW 2014.

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Sarah Hess

At the age of six, Sarah Hess discovered True Blue by Madonna. This resulted in her spending hours in front of the bathroom mirror with a hairbrush microphone, belting out "La Isla Bonita" off key. Her love for music only intensified over the years thanks to her parents; her mother exposed Sarah to The Jackson Five and had her hustling to the Bee Gees, while her father would play her albums like 'Pet Sounds' and 'Some Girls' from start to finish, during which he'd lecture on and on about the history of rock & roll. Sarah would eventually stumble upon rap and hip-hop, then punk and alternative, and fall madly in love with Jeff Buckley and film photography.

After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.

You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.