A Dirty Dozen with CHEAP PERFUME – July 2025

Photo credit: Roxanna Carrasco

According to a recent press release: “Feminist punk powerhouse Cheap Perfume’s highly anticipated new single “Woke Mind Virus” is out now via Snappy Little Numbers. Cheap Perfume isn’t here to politely ask for your attention—they’re taking it, champagne in hand. Formed in Colorado in 2015, this feminist punk powerhouse delivers razor-sharp riffs and unapologetically political lyrics wrapped in a glittering explosion of riot grrrl energy. Fronted by Stephanie Byrne (vocalist) and Jane No (guitarist/co-vocalist), with Geoff Brent on bass and David “Hott Dave” Grimm on drums, Cheap Perfume is the sound of dismantling oppression while having a good time. With their incendiary live shows known for their community spirit and zero tolerance for bullshit, Cheap Perfume has cemented their place as one of the most vital voices in punk. Their forthcoming album isn’t just a record—it’s a rallying cry. Join the resistance; bring a bottle.” We get the band  to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our upcoming album, and the singles from it that we’re releasing this summer, is a call to revolt against capitalism, fascism and the patriarchy. It amplifies the need for class solidarity, mutual aid and direct action as fascism tightens its grip around the world. We also have a lot of local nuggets that Colorado Springs and Denver people will get, plus jokes from the road that people who saw us on tour might appreciate.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

We all have different stories of coming to music. For me (guitarist / co-singer Jane), I started writing songs the moment I learned to play guitar at age 12. I had been playing piano since age 6, so I guess I’ve always been a musician. Forming Cheap Perfume was something I’d been dreaming of for a long time.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Our frontperson Stephanie’s all-time favorites are Taylor Swift, Against Me!, Appleseed Cast, Mineral, Every Time I Die, Comback Kid, Ceremony, mewithoutyou and Converge. Jane’s are Pixies, The Flaming Lips, Veruca Salt, Le Tigre, David Bowie, Yo La Tengo. Bassist Geoff’s are Fugazi, Against Me!, Radiohead, The Beastie Boys and The Beach Boys. And drummer David’s are DEVO, Black Sabbath, Hot Snakes, Fugazi, Pissed Jeans and Cherubs.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Kathleen Hannah because she’s a badass, and without the shit she put up with in the 90’s, we wouldn’t be here.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

We all like going to shows and hanging out with friends. Jane and Geoff like gardening to unwind. Stephanie loves to draw and paint and kickbox. Jane practices and teaches yoga, and David cooks.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

We would describe ourselves as feminist punk or riot grrrl. I don’t think we’ve ever had a comparison that made us cringe, but a few people have said we are a Bikini Kill ripoff. As much as we respect and like Bikini Kill, we didn’t set out to sound like them… our sound is just what came out of us authentically.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

David would cook, everyone would get the drinks in, and maybe Jane would start a singalong.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

We were all a little startstruck when we opened for Bikini Kill last year in Salt Lake City. David was starstruck when we opened for Pissed Jeans.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

We’re glad to have an outlet to express how we feel about current events, politics and relationships. We definitely all have to have day jobs, so we aren’t able to be full-time musicians. I think everyone’s dream job is no job — not to have to work, but to “eat peaches on beaches and fuck all day,” as we say in our new song “Down to Riot.”

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I can’t think of anything for the first question. But we get tired of being asked how we got our name, mostly because there’s not really a good story behind it.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Not really; we see it all as learning. We’ve grown a lot by listening to people who are in less-privileged situations than we are.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

The 1996 Quad City DJs’ recording of the song “Space Jam” because everyone was there: Bug Bunny, Michael Jordan. It looked like a blast.

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Category: Interviews