In the weeks running up to metals most anticipated festival, Room Thirteen caught up with Suffrajets drummer, Gemma Clarke, to talk about their upcoming set at Download.
Room Thirteen: So for those Festival goers who have never heard your music before please could you describe your sound?
Gemma Clarke: It's probably best described as punk rock. I'm heavily into commercial punk and there's an element of 80's Rock in there too. It's up beat and happy with a lot of guitar sound. Basically nothing too depressing!
R13: The name Suffrajets conjures up images of feisty women fighting for equality and recognition within the music industry. Is this a stance you take or do you find that women are represented fairly within your genre of music?
GC: No not at all! There are a few bands out there but nothing that creates a great shake. We're not a pro-women thing as in the original Suffragettes who campaigned for women's rights and equality but we can relate to certain aspects of the Suffragette movement being all girl group in a male dominated world.
R13: In male dominated industry do you find you have many things to prove about yourselves?
GC: It's quite hard as you can't be at all girly and as then every one thinks you're just a typical girl band. You get people who just look at you and say "Oh they're just a bunch of little girls" and it's up to us to play twice as hard to blow their heads off!
R13: Do you ever find the urge to use your womanly charms in order to get your own way?
GC: Sometimes yes, but you can't really admit to it!
R13: The group has just reformed after your adventure with Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles. Some would consider the Suffrajets were riding on the name of Pete Doherty, using your previous experience as publicity. What would you say to set them straight?
GC: I'd say yes totally! Babyshambles has done wonders for me and the band. It's helped people look at us more closely and that's what it's all about. I didn't leave the Suffrajets to work with Babyshambles then reform just because I had been with Peter. The Suffrajets were always together and I was always playing with them but it was just quiet. I chose to leave the Babyshambles for separate reasons and it just so happened to be at the time when the Suffrajets started to take off. At that time Babyshambles were hot property and people asked what I had been doing since I left and to be honest that's nothing but good. I know it's not press directly related to our efforts but its better than nothing and other bands would be jumping at that sort of media interest.
R13: With Pete Doherty's bad boy image and the constant references to drugs, are you proud of the association?
GC: I never really got involved in the drugs side of it but I'm proud of being in the band and doing what I've done. I played a lot of big stages and got a lot of respect being a young, female drummer who was straight and clean in a band like that.
R13: To focus on Download, you will be playing on Sunday at 4pm. Have you had any thoughts to a set list?
GC: We've been rehearsing the Download set for a while now. We want to make sure we get that one right!
R13: Can we expect to hear any new material?
GC: Definitely! Bar one or two songs the whole set is brand new.
R13: Will you be onsite for the whole weekend?
GC: Yeah I've got to see Velvet Revolver!
R13: Are there any other performances you hope to watch yourself?
GC: Black Sabbath and the others are really excited about watching System of a Down!
R13: You have just released a new single "sold" that has received a good reception. How do you hope to build on this in order to achieve success in the future?
GC: We've been going a long time and we're just going to keep going and doing what we do best!
R13: You have mentioned new material; when can fans expect a new release?
GC: It's really hard to get a tour over the festival period so we are releasing our second single 'Going Nowhere' in September and we are going to do a headline tour sometime after that. The album should be out early next year.
R13: And finally, if there was one thing you could say to fans that would encourage them to go and see you play at Download what would it be?
GC: They will be four beautiful women playing some amazing music!
The Suffrajets will be playing Sunday 12th June on Download's Snickers Bowl Stage. For more information regarding the amazing Download line up please click here.