After the news that they would be continuing to support the legendary Adam Ant throughout the US then up to, and including, his last UK gig of 2017 we needed to get to know some more about the glorious Glam Skanks. Thankfully they were very forthcoming…

Simple things first – where are you guys from?
V and Ali are from Los Angeles. Millie and Cassie are from northern California in the San Francisco area.
How did you meet?
V and Ali met on Craigslist almost five years ago. We both posted similar ads looking to start a girl band. We emailed each other the same day and the rest is history. We met Millie and Cassie later on through mutual friends.
How long have you been playing as a band?
Ali and V have been playing together for almost five years. Millie has been in for three years and Cassie has been with the band just over a year.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
A friend of ours was making lamb shanks for dinner and V suggested that if you put edible glitter on them they would become “Glam Shanks”. We put together a long list of names rhyming with Glam Shanks including “No Thanks” and “Glam Skanks”. Glam Skanks is the perfect name to describe us.
What are your influences?
We are influenced by all of the rock-and-roll legends of the 70s including David Bowie, Queen, The Runaways, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith. We also love 60s stuff like Jefferson Airplane, The Ronettes and Shocking Blue.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Our music is a blend of 70s-inspired, classic guitar-driven rock and our own take on modern rock. We are unique in the sense that we refuse to stick to any kind of formula. Our music ranges from bluesy rock, (“Radio Blues”) to 60s girl groups (“Fuck Off”) and straight pop/rock (“Glitter City”).
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
We write about lots of things: rock and roll, girl power, sexuality, gender roles and relationships. We write about what we love, and want to share it with the world.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Our live performances are non-stop, rock-and-roll extravaganzas. There’s lots of action on stage. Nothing is choreographed, but instead, we are all feeding off of each other’s energy. There is a lot of colour and sparkle from the glam outfits we wear, and of course, lots of glitter and feather boas.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Every show is different. Whenever possible, V, or Ali, or Millie, or all of us will end up in the middle of the room, rocking with the fans. Since we have been wireless, V and Millie have the freedom to move, and have been known to leave the stage, and rock through the venue, even ending outside the club sometimes. We had an over-excited fan throw a can of beer at V (he missed) and we never know when someone is going to jump on stage. At a show just before this current tour, we had a couple dozen people on stage with us. We love when we get a chance to be close with our fans and truly want them to be part of the circus.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our latest album Glitter City is mostly what we have been promoting. We are proud to have our musical vision properly recorded without losing the essence of our sound. Glitter City is a state of mind, and anyone can go to Glitter City. We are also very excited that one of our fans illustrated an entire comic book Glam Skanks Glitter City. It’s super colourful and has a weird and wild story. We were blown away by the amount of work that someone would put in… for us! We hope other fans will send us their Glam Skanks art and help us spread the glam.
What are your plans for the rest of 2017?
We have just started our third tour of the year supporting Adam Ant; this time in the Divided States of America. The tour ends on October 1 at the Viper Room in West Hollywood. On December 21, we’re supporting Adam Ant at The Roundhouse in London. Right now we are booking shows in the UK and EU for December and then we have a short holiday break.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
We would love to support Joan Jett, Blondie, Garbage, or so many other great bands. We know so many bands that are coming up that we would love to have open for us. There’s a really cool new Los Angeles band called Cheer Up Club and we also love Scant Regard, a band led by one of Adam Ant’s guitarists, Will Crewdson.
From previous Band of the Day Stone Theory: What do you think of the relation between social media and being a band in this day and age?
Social media is so important for bands these days. Not only is it an awesome way to reach out to fans, share ideas, our music and videos, but it is also a great way for us to find other like-minded bands that we might not have heard of.
From another BotD, Boobs of DOOM: What would you get paid in, if you couldn’t have money, and why?
Ramen. We all love noodles and are always looking for awesome ramen restaurants when we travel. It would also be nice to be paid with puppies. We love puppies.
And from Young States: Have you ever caught your band mate doing something embarrassing before? If so please explain…
We have all caught each other doing something embarrassing. But is information that we just can’t share. After all, it’s embarrassing!
Header image by Suzanne Allison
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