GIRL was initially formed back in 2000 by Judy Hill, a fixture in the Dallas music scene for many years. Judy's previous cohorts include the locally renowned bands Liquid Velvet and Psalm 69. After a few twists and turns, the lineup of GIRL has coalesced into Judy on lead vox/guitar, her long-time collaborator Izzy on lead guitar/vox, April Samuels on drums and Erin Reynolds on bass. Judging from the songs they have posted online, this latest incarnation seems to fall somewhere in the grittier section of the pop-punk realm.

However, beyond that general classification it must be said that GIRL has a fairly unique sound. The songwriting shows both a strong grasp of melody and a knack for clever, often humorous lyrics and vocals that are definitely not the usual thing. Judging from some of her comments it would seem that Judy Hill has had her share of unpleasant experiences with the music industry machine, but she and her bandmates are continuing to fight the good fight, striving to create great new music for their fans to enjoy. We're happy to welcome Judy to The Cover Zone.

A Chat with Judy Hill

TCZ: Tell us about your early musical roots and what influenced you most to pursue a career in music.

Judy: Growing up in the 70's, we only had AM stations that played a variety of music, which was actually really cool! Luckily we were spared of country, but everything else was on there, back to back.

You might hear Gladys Knight and the Pips, then Aerosmith, then Bill Withers, then Led Zepplin or the Stones...it was pretty amazing and wonderful, and looking back I think it was great to be influenced by so many different types of musicians.

Then in the 80's I was all into "New Wave", which came from punk, which I was also influenced by. But I would have to say it was 80's new wave that really got me into my style of guitar playing. There are people that influenced my guitar playing, and then there are people that influenced me vocally.

Guitar-wise, I would have to site Chrissie Hynde, Billy Zoom, Fred Hostetler (of Karen Lawrence & The Pinz), and Holly Vincent. Chrissie was also a big vocal influence, along with Cher! Most people raise their eyebrows when I say Cher, but I am an alto, and Cher was one of the few singers I could sing along with, and I just loved her voice! I think she was the main reason I decided to be a musician.

TCZ: What instruments do you play and have you had any special training?

Judy: My main instrument is guitar, but I also played bass for a while in a band called Blue Flames. I went through the usual "lessons" as a kid, like piano, tap and ballet, gymnastics, twirling, blah blah blah... all of which helped me get stage experience at an early age, and I played french horn in Junior High band, but until I took my first guitar lesson around age 15, I was still sort of searching for my instrument. My first electric guitar was a telecaster, because that's what Chrissie played. I learned to play guitar mostly from playing along with records.

TCZ: You have listed Cher as one of the performers that influenced you the most in your childhood. Can you describe that experience the first time you saw Cher perform?

Judy: It wasn't really seeing her perform first that got me. It was her beautiful deep brown eyes and the sound of her voice. I just saw something in her that I just loved, and I have not ever really been able to put my finger on what it is about her, exactly. A lot of it had to do with the fact that she was an alto, like I was saying in the answer above.

I also loved Indians and horses, so when I saw her sitting on that paint horse singing "Half-Breed" on the Sonny & Cher show, well, you can imagine how cool that was to me as a little kid. I guess that would have to be the Cher performance I would have to credit. LOL!

It was so cool for GIRL to play the Cher Convention in Vegas. It was finally my chance to do some rocked up versions of those songs I grew up loving, and the crowd there seemed to love it as much as I did!

TCZ: Your first band was Midnite Lunch, a punk band out of Denton, Texas. What influenced your love for punk and how do you look back on your time with Midnite Lunch today?

Judy: My love for punk was based on the whole rebelliousness of it, of course. My time with Midnite Lunch was one of the best times of my life and I love to think back on it. We were young, we were hungry, and we were living for the band. Your first real band is always the one you will love the most. Everything is new and exciting and you haven't figured out how awful the music business is yet!

I am still friends with most of the people that were in that band. I think we were more new wave than punk, actually... along with our originals, the covers we did were by artists like X, Hazel O'Connor, The B-52's, Holly & The Italians, The Motels, The Alarm, etc. We had such a great time! We had three lead singers so we could cover almost anything. We did shows with Reverend Horton Heat and Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians. We were all living in Denton, Texas back then.

TCZ: Although you have been in numerous bands up until this point in your career, your most successful endeavor has been with your band, Psalm 69. Why did Psalm 69 disband and do you have any regrets?

Judy: Regrets... I've had a few... but then again...too few to mention...(c'mon, you knew that was coming!)No, seriously, it is a shame that our drummer, Daniel Garza, had to move. I ask him to move back to Dallas all the time 'cuz I miss him so much! Our bassist, Sean Chadwick, got married and had some babies and had to join the work-all-the-time-to-support-my-family crowd. Otherwise we'd still be together.

I am still good friends with Sean and Daniel. I was never good friends with the original members I started the band with and they are long gone now. No big regrets. I do believe that is my strongest material and it is possible that the new version of GIRL may do a few of the songs from the "Happy Hour" cd.

TCZ: Can you describe a special talent or trait that each of your band mates brought to Psalm 69 that made it so special and successful?

Judy: The original guys I started Psalm 69 with were all about 'making it', so they really pursued a recording deal for us and got us some cool shows and opened some doors for us. That is how "Riding" was chosen for the Final Doom commercial, etc. Our lead guitarist, Ruston Vickers, was way ahead of his time with home recording, and he actually recorded almost the entire "Happy Hour" cd at his apartment. I am still amazed at how good those tracks sound. It was recorded in 1996!

The second version of Psalm 69, with Daniel, Sean and myself - that was more of a family situation, where we really loved each other and loved hanging out together, and that is the version of that band I miss. Those guys are like my brothers, and we really had fun. We won the Virginia Slims "Battle of the Dueling Divas" thing right after we got together. It was the first time any of us had made any REAL money playing music, and it was great.

We went on to win it again the next year. I don't think they had any more of those Virginia Slims contests after that, unfortunately. I have never been one for musical competitions, but that turned out to be a very good thing.

TCZ: Can you tell us the story behind the track "Riding"?

Judy: YES! I would love to tell you the story behind "Riding". That song was inspired by the movie "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues". Uma Thurman starred in it and had these crazy-huge thumbs she used for hitch-hiking. After watching it, I had this story pop into my head -

What if you took a bunch of acid or heroin and just went out and started hitchhiking, not caring where you ended up or what happened to you? That was the premise, and I just went from there. So the line about "I've taken all I'm worth" refers to drugs AND life. But I have never had any kind of drug problem, so it is written totally from a fictitious point of view. In fact, anytime you hear me mention needles, you can rest assured I am not writing from my own experience, as I have such a paranoia of needles I usually faint at the sight of one!

TCZ: Are there any habits or "rituals" you engage in while composing?

Judy: I usually write at night, and I always write my lyrics in spiral notebooks. The music comes first, then it tells me what the subject is and the lyrics come after that..

TCZ: Do you remember your first gig, and if so, can you explain what it means to you today?

Judy: There are actually a couple of 'first gigs', but I guess I would have to say the first real one was at a gay bar in Denton, Texas. I was nervous, of course. I remember not being able to move around much or look at the audience because I had to concentrate on playing the right chords, so my eyes were glued to my guitar neck.

It took a few years of playing shows before I could really cut loose and jump around and stuff. I wish I had a more exciting answer for this question! I don't think that first gig means much to me today, except I have great memories of my first band.

TCZ: At this point in your musical career, who or what would you say are your biggest influences?

Judy: Influences now are just life and the world in general. I have never been a particularly happy person, and this year the most important person in my life passed away. There is nothing like hardcore grief to inspire a songwriter.

TCZ: What would you say is the most important lesson you've learned throughout your time in the music industry?

Judy: That not only are large record labels corrupt, but some musicians are as well. There are so many fruitcakes out there, you really have to be careful. I would also say that to have a totally kick-ass live band, you need a band full of front people. Meaning anyone in the band could be the front person if they wanted to be, and could kick-ass doing it. Then you need chemistry and the ability to get along with each other.

TCZ: Tell us about your new band GIRL.

Judy: I'm assuming you mean the new version of GIRL, as GIRL started in 2000. I have a musical partner, Izzy, who played bass in GIRL. We are gearing up to record some songs that I only have live recordings of. Izzy is also an awesome guitar player and will do most of the lead guitar solos on the new recordings. We have April Samuels signed on to play drums, and Izzy and I will probably share bass responsibilites on the tracks. I love the idea of doing a record with as few people as possible. Izzy and April are very talented and I look forward to getting back into the studio!

TCZ: The band has gone through some changes in recent months, in what direction do you feel you are headed now with GIRL?

Judy: This may sound strange, but I expect to be writing more Psalm 69 type music. I am kind of split between a Nirvana/Verve thing in my soul!!

TCZ: What can we expect from Girl in 2007?

Judy: New music and more exposure on the internet. It would be cool to open for Smashmouth again, too. We love those guys.

TCZ: Is there anything we haven't covered that you would like to share?

Judy: New music and more exposure on the internet. I would like to thank you for your awesome support of female musicians!! If only the internet and all it's opportunities had been around for me in the 80's and early 90's... man, who knows where I'd be now?

Interview by GWGS © The Cover Zone October 2006