For a good time, call the Jolenes

On the road, there are several things The Jolenes cannot live without. For lead singer and guitarist Katy Sanford, it’s simple: “Black eyeliner and Taco Bell.”

By Sara Grace McCandless
Published: September 11th, 2006 | 5:01pm

On the road, there are several things The Jolenes cannot live without. For lead singer and guitarist Katy Sanford, it’s simple: “Black eyeliner and Taco Bell.”

Drummer Candy Blystone has a more gadget-filled list, including her cell phone, Nintendo DS, and a disposable black and white camera to capture it all. “Oh, and a hair dryer and straightening iron,” she adds.

And bassist Christina Wolfe swears by Pond’s face cleansing towelettes. “They come in little individual travel-size packages and get your face and pits all in one fail swoop,” she explains. “Also, earplugs — we’ve got some bears in our band who tend to come out at night.”

Their rider lists may differ, but when it comes to making a lasting impression on stage, these ladies are all on the same page. The band is currently celebrating their sophomore release, <i>Get it to Go,</i> an extremely catchy collection offering just the right amount of playfulness, pop, and punk — think part Go-Go’s with sprinkles of Tilly and the Wall and Tegan & Sara.

The Jolenes’ roots date back to when Sanford and Wolfe were just 18 years old, working next door to each other (at an Albertsons and a coffee shop, respectively). Blystone came on board later. “I’m the goth Jolene,” she admits, laughing. “Nobody would probably ever guess that I used to play in a horror punk band. I’m also a total nerd! I love video games and I know all the secrets to Donkey Kong Country for Super Nintendo. I’m living proof that you can like things like zombies, creepy dolls, and video games — and still be a girly-girl.”

The other members have their own idiosyncrasies as well. Sanford’s fear of spiders is well documented, as is Wolfe’s love for a specific type of pork: “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. However, I do believe that a diet which includes bacon every day will lead to a happier and more full-filled life.”

<img src="http://venuszine.com/stories/jolenes-sidebar.gif" border="0" height="357" width="247" alt="jolenes-sidebar.gif" align="left" hspace="10" />It’s just these types of quirks that lend themselves to song fodder for the Jolenes. “We gather inspiration from anything we can and then we kinda piece it all together in a way to make it seem like something completely different then your typical boy-cheats-on-girl/girl-hides-raw-fish-under-his-mattress formula,” Wolfe explains. “Like the song ‘Ice Cream’ was actually born out of a conversation we had on tour about making out with boys, of all things: ‘No licks off my cone, go on-get your own…’ You dig? All this while stuck in traffic on the 5 between L.A. and San Diego.”

For lead singer Sanford, influences include old country greats including Wanda Jackson, Loretta Lynn, and Bobbie Gentry, but she cites Dolly Parton as a favorite. “She’s how we got our name, from her song ‘Jolene,’” Sanford says. “When she performs, you feel like she’s there just for you. And she has never sold her music. To this day she owns her own publishing company. Plus, she’s beautiful and has so much flair. She plays guitar with the longest fingernails, and wearing the highest heels I have ever seen.”

Cyndi Lauper and Stevie Nicks also make her top list. In fact, the new CD offers a cover of Nicks' ‘Leather and Lace’ duet originally performed with Don Henley. “I love her,” Sanford admits. “She’s witchy, ‘70s greatness. Ribbons on a tambourine! Why didn’t I think of that first?” Her admiration remains despite an underwhelming personal meeting with her icon. “I talked to her after a show backstage and pet her dogs. She wouldn’t sign my autograph because she was in a hurry. And I was the only one asking — it’s not like there were a group of people waiting for her. So that bummed me out a little. I still like her though.”

With touring, as well as the emergence of social networks like MySpace, the Jolenes fan base continues to grow both across the country and overseas. “It’s kind of mind-boggling, actually,” Blystone says.

Meanwhile, their hometown shows bring out a motley crew of, “Hipsters, jocks, lesbians, nerds, parents and cross-dressers all in the same room together — buying each other drinks,” Wolfe remarks.

It’s an eclectic turnout for a city whose music scene continues to surge. “Portland is FULL of bands,” Sanford says. “And it’s sometimes hard to get people to come out because they have to go to another show, or are playing a show themselves. I feel like the majority of people that do go to shows play in bands.

Does the all-girl aspect of the Jolenes impact who pays attention in this crowded field? Sure, but as far as Wolfe’s concerned, “The trick of it all is whom we decide to return that attention too. Like, you’re certainly not going to waste your time on those types that think you’re pointless because you’re all about having a good time rather than being all up in peoples’ faces with your mission statement all the time, right?”

She continues, “I think at first we sorta wanted to send the message that we were just as good as them — that we could rock just as hard, and in heels no less! But now it’s like, who’s to say anyone is better or more important than anyone else and why even care when there are a dozen sweet peeps out there to every one douche-bag.”

Next up for the Jolenes, a west coast tour (though Blystone also dreams of rocking Europe and Japan one day), and then it’s back in the studio for the next project. What that will entail remains to be seen, but Wolfe notes, “I think as a whole, we’ve become a lot more confident in our own beings’ and realize that our time and attention is better spent doing what we love, and appreciating those that love what we do.”

Check out the Jolenes online at <a href="http://www.thejolenes.com">thejolenes.com</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thejolenes">myspace.com/thejolenes</a>