Swell O’dells

Kathy and Patrick O’Dell, then and now.
 

’ve known my little sister Kathy her whole life, and as far I can remember she never expressed any interest in playing music or being in a band. Then suddenly she’s all, “I’m in a noise band called Lambsbread and I’m dropping out of college to tour! We play all these gigs and people go fuckin’ nuts!” I thought, “This is total bullshit. Nobody gives a shit about her arty ‘noise’ band—it’s just an excuse to peace out of school.” But then I saw some photos online of them playing in New York at the No Fun Fest. People really were going nuts for them!

Next thing you know, she’s staying at Thurston Moore’s house and playing All Tomorrow’s Parties in England. Every time she calls me now it’s like she’s in Led Zeppelin or something: She’s drunk, stoned, driving the van, smoking a cigarette, and yelling at someone else in the background all at the same time. I’m a little concerned, to be honest.

Vice: I have to say that I didn’t see much guitar-playing happening when we were growing up.

Kathy O’Dell: The first time I played out I didn’t know a thing about the guitar. I’m still at a basic level in terms of knowing the guitar in the traditional manner. I just like the way the guitar sounds and I like to manipulate it from there. I would just turn on an amp with a guitar attached to it and it would sound good. It felt good so I kept going with it.

I never saw you play a guitar and suddenly it’s like, “Sorry, Dad, I’m dropping out. I gotta go party with my band.”

School was getting fucking lame. I was in college for seven years and I hadn’t graduated yet. I had five classes left. It was not doing it for me. I used the band as an excuse to Dad to get out of school. Dad said, “You’re cut off.’” But it’s fine, I’m a lot better off these days.

So to be in a noise band you don’t need any previous musical experience?

You need to spend time listening and doing your thing. I didn’t play guitar for a long time, I played synthesizers, organs, and drums.

When?

For years! You were already in New York when I was going to school half-assed, smoking weed all the time… I hope Mom and Dad don’t read this interview.

They probably will.

Well, anyway, I would jam because there was nothing else to do. I started seeing noise bands. Dead Machines, that was one of the first bands I saw and they blew me away.

I remember that, when I was in high school, you listened to the Crash Test Dummies.

No, I did not. Obviously.

I heard it coming out of your room. You know, I was trying to think of funny things about our childhood to talk about but I really can’t think of anything.

I remember when [our older brother] Mike used to give you hell. He would hold you down and put a sock in your mouth and Cheez Whiz on your nipples! I found the photo the other day and Dad was like, “That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.”

PATRICK O’DELL
Lambsbread’s debut album, Stereo Mars, is out now on Ecstatic Peace.