Appendix B: An Introduction to the Lesbians on Ecstasy
OC: I'm speaking with Bernadette Houde, one half of the collaborating group [CO-ED] made up of herself and Lynne Trepanier. I wanted to mention that you are currently involved in a project which is a pretty big deal, and Lynne is in that project too, and Jackie Gallant--all part of the "Lesbians on Ecstasy," so if you could just tell me about that project and how, if at all, it's relating to your participation in my thesis project.
BH: Well I'm sure it's relating in the way that it means we're really slow...because it's very busy.
OC: Not a big deal.
BH: Well, it relates on a number of levels, but the project is very time consuming at the moment, although at this exact period and time we're taking a small break. And, it's been a year that it's been a full-time project. I like to refer to it as a project, because I feel like even though it exists as a band ostensibly, it still is to me more of a multimedia or cross-media project. It manifests as a band in public for the most part of the time, but what I'm hoping is going to happen over the next while--we are taking a break from playing shows, which is super-demanding in terms of time--that we're going to explore some other ways that the project can be executed through other means.
OC: For instance?
BH: I think I'm going to make a zine. I already have actually, made a tour zine. What I find is frustrating with the project, a little bit, is that what we've done is created these songs which are weird techno-dance remixes of lesbian anthems, and have put out this album, and everything we've done has been really obtuse. And even our persona on stage--everything has been...it's obtuse, and if you don't get it you don't get it, a little bit. So what I'm kind of interested in exploring next is some kind of other form of communication, like whether it be video or zines or something that can be looking at the same questions, but maybe through a different perspective that has a bit more dialogue with the people who are consuming it. Because I feel like there's no dialogue, I feel right now like we just barf out what we do, and people like it or they don't, and they like it for a whole bunch of weird reasons. Sometimes the right reasons and sometimes it's for reasons I wouldn't have expected.
OC: For instance?
BH: I think the thing that's maybe the weirdest that people really latch onto is a kind of celebration of lesbian culture that I don't know we put into it in the same way that people take it out. I think, especially in the States where the political climate is so repressive, that people often come up to us and say that we're so brave, and that they're so thrilled that we would be so courageous as to be so out and to do this project. And that is something that we did not put in...that is not how I feel about it, and I appreciate and I think it's wonderful people can get that out of it, but I certainly...And anyway I feel like with that interpretation of it, it really doesn't take into consideration the fact that we're actually poking fun on some levels with the lesbian community, and I would say, even, that to different people they would actually see it as a bit insulting.
OC: You're just taking the piss a little bit.
BH: We're taking the piss a little bit...so it's surprising to me when people are like "Oh you guys are so positive..." and I'm just like "No we're not, we're kind of ass holes"...you know what I mean? We're kind of being really mean to some people...
OC: But I guess it's probably more about you being who you are, from what you just articulated anyway, but, you just being comfortable with being who you and taking the piss out of who you feel like taking the piss out of. And other people are inspired by that, especially when you see it on stage, blown up, larger than life. I could imagine it being a big deal. I don't want to interpret too much, but I understand that it could be a little bit...like you wouldn't want to be seen as banner wavers for identity politics.
BH: We need to be able to be irreverent. Because that's what we are, and that's actually what's interesting about it, with certain political movements, and I know more about the lesbian or feminist movements so that's what I can talk about. Sometimes there's a kind of sincerity that is actually, it's difficult to be irreverent, it's difficult to poke fun at itself. We're laughing at ourselves and our community, but we're included in what we're laughing at or poking fun at. If you become too much of a representative of one side of it, then you kind of don't have the opportunity to be dismantling it?
OC: And what about the sound stuff that you were doing? By techno-ing up that sort of stuff was there an underlying transgressive element to what you were doing in the project sonically, as well? Or is it more just a style that you liked or was there a reason to choose the combinations that you did?
BH: I think the reason that we chose the combinations tha...there's a couple of reasons. For one, it's definitely a style of music that I like, that's to begin with. And then, in addition to that, it's like the most unlikely of possibilities. You know, taking the Indigo Girls, and making it into a heavy drum and bass roller, to me is an unlikely choice. It's interesting, but I also feel like one of the aspects of it...to me a downfall in the lesbian community is a bit of a fear of technology, and this relates back to women's relationships with technology in general. Kind of a prioritizing of acoustic music and more related to a kind of organic sensibility, something to do with how that culture is represented. And we've seen in the lesbian community--there's been some rock bands that have succeeded, but in general I feel like there's an underlying fear and distrust of technology, of new technologies. There's not a lot of appreciation for that style, and I think it comes down to more fundamental issues about women's roles in technology, and why there's so much techno and dance/house music made specifically for the gay community, and that's really consumed by that group. There are definitely women that participate in that kind of aspect of gay life, like Clubland, and stuff, but that has never been replicated for women. I'm always like, you know, what's going on? Why are we so afraid of existing in 2005--in the time that we're in? I just don't think that there is anything more inherently kind of genuine about music expressed through acoustic guitar than music made with "Reason"--I don't make that connection. I see it as a stylistic difference, but I don't see that there's any kind of...
OC: Because you're using technology in both cases?
BH: No, I think it's just a perception.
OC: Music is music?
BH: Yeah, I think it's just a perception. And, you know, like I say, at the end of the day I like electronic music, so to me it makes sense. It's rare that you find electronic music that is geared toward women or oriented in that direction, or even for lesbians, even say for women. To me that's really at the heart of the project--is kind of like: "Why not?"--why not lesbians on ecstasy, right? Why not? But like I say, I don't know how much people pick up on that aspect of it, but maybe they do more than I think. Because we've had reactions...like this woman that we met in Cologne, where we played in Germany. She's a dj, lesbian, she plays in all sorts of different scenes. And she was like: "I've been waiting for this. This is the thing I've been waiting for. Like, why don't women?..." You know--and that's definitely a common reaction. "I've been waiting for something like this. Why hasn't anyone done this yet?"