Heath Ledger, Shrek Raves and Charmed: A Candid Conversation with The Aquadolls

If you prefer your romance with a nostalgic edge, The Aquadolls’ newest record Charmed will keep you swooning all summer.

Heart Eyes had the privilege of getting the details straight from the femme-punk source. Turns out we have even more in common than we thought!

First, I have to ask.. how familiar are you with 10 Things I Hate About You, with Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger? Because Charmed sounds like it could soundtrack the movie. The Y2K femme angst is so strong.

Melissa: This is one of my favorite movies ever. Growing up watching this film, Kat Stratford became a cool and angsty older sister to me through my riot-grrl tinged imagination as a tween. I know this movie definitely not only inspired my music taste, but it would be a dream to go back in time and be a part of the soundtrack! Crazy because Save Ferris has music in this movie, and we’re now opening for them in California in July! We are absolutely connected to this movie. 

Keilah: Best movie ever!!! Kat’s Shakespeare obsessed best friend is my favorite, I definitely think she would’ve come to an Aquadolls show at Club Skunk haha!

Jackie: Definitely a Heath Ledger fan, I mean totally iconic! Honestly everyone in that movie is great and I think that was our goal with Charmed! We wanted to bring in elements of nostalgia that when someone’s listening makes them think of those movies or maybe makes you feel like you can dance on a table in the middle of a party with your hair let loose! 

What were your influences when writing and producing Charmed? How did you come up with the title?

Melissa: Love of all sorts, whether romantic, platonic, or self love, is what makes up a majority of themes for the album lyrically! I am inspired by our life experiences paired with fuzzy guitars, shiny reverb, and hard hitting drums to set it all in place. 

Jackie: When we were trying to come up with a title we just kind of brainstormed and wanted to make sure the name emulated the nostalgia and whimsical themes within the songs and us as a band. So then one day we were eating dinner together and Keilah said a couple names, but when she said “Charmed” I was like “ding ding ding! We’ve got a winner!” 

You just wrapped your “Spring Fling Tour.” What was that experience like? What are your favorite tracks to perform?

Melissa: It was a crazy ride of fun shows! It was awesome to perform songs from the new album to get people’s reactions and see if they love it as much as we do. Seeing people sing along always brought a huge smile to my face! “Sneaky” and “Burn Baby Burn” are always such a joy to perform. 

Jackie: Tour really challenges you in every single way, mentally and physically. It’s not easy! We worked really hard, played really hard, and I'm so proud of my bandmates and our Tour Manager Roxanne! It was us four on the road. You learn to communicate. You learn that everyone is going to have their bad days and good days and that’s rock n’ roll baby! 

How are you spending your time off after the tour?

Melissa: I’ve been DJ’ing at Shrek Raves and Pride events all of June and will be doing more Shrek shows throughout the summer! I’ll also be DJ’ing Big Bubble Raves, which are Spongebob themed dance parties. I’m also writing new stuff, as well as messing with some experimental sounds! Currently learning the art of mixing, as well as trying to upgrade my guitar pedals and invest in some vocal pedals for live use!

Jackie: Since being back from tour I’ve been working at a vintage shop! It’s called 1 look Vintage in Huntington Beach! Our friend Dave Smith is the owner! We’ve all kind of worked there from time to time, Dave is like family, so I’m excited to be selling records and all kinds of cool nostalgic things at his shop! 

Charmed is your first album in five years. How would you describe the difference between this and previous albums?

Melissa: Charmed is the first record that Keilah and Jackie also wrote and recorded on all together as a group! I programmed all of the drums for The Dream and The Deception, which gave the overall vibe of the album more of a lo-fi bedroom pop sound. We recorded Charmed all together in a cozy vintage-like studio in Los Angeles, accompanied by Chris Szczech and his two super sweet dogs, which gave the record a warmer rock n’ roll sound full of life and love.

The tracks strike a balance between hopeful innocence and unapologetic edge. How do you navigate that spectrum lyrically?

Melissa: The saying that “there are two wolves inside of me” is so real, as I find myself going back and forth from having my ups and downs in life. Some days I am more deep in my thoughts and feeling existential, and others I am in a mood to laugh off my worries and joke around it all. This definitely applies to the songwriting, as our personal experiences reflect a good load of the lyrics.

Charmed feels like the perfect self-indulgent album for heartbreak and badassery, embracing all the feelings to their most dramatic conclusion. How did you get into the right headspace to write?

Melissa: Songs like “Beachy” were written during the lockdown portion of Covid, so I was alone wishing for physical contact with my friends and loved ones, but learning to find that happiness and excitement within myself while stuck in my bedroom for months on end. Prior to lockdown in early 2020, the three of us stayed at our manager’s house for a couple of weeks and created a bunch of demos, which led to the rebirth and recreation of “Far Far Away” from a homemade demo to recording it live in a studio two years later! We wrote a lot of the lyrics for “Scream” live in the studio as we were recording, and ended up making it a song inspired by the movie “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.” It really just depends on the circumstances, but inspiration flows randomly, and I just go with it!

What’s next for you? What does this album tell us about the future of Aquadolls and the trajectory of your sound?

Melissa: We’ll be creating more visuals for the rest of Charmed, and I am looking forward to performing the new record live at our performances we have lined up! Expect lots of rock n’ roll badass energy coming your way!

Needless to say, at HEM, we’re ready for all The Aquadolls have to offer. You can stream Charmed now.