She Keeps Bees Interview For Know Your NYC Bands

BeatCrave is proud to bring you duo, She Keeps Bees, as part of our Know Your NYC Bands series. With the help of Andy LaPlant on drums, Jessica Larrabee is the fiery force behind this righteous band that melds that renewed soul of Cat Power and the blues of The Black Keys. She Keeps Bees has this amazing talent to churn out the rawest, grittiest, get-to-the-point songs out there right now. With lyrics such as “Work me like my back ain’t got no bone,” in their addictive song, “Gimme,” this band is far beyond flashy or superfluous. Larabee’s vocals speak for themselves in sparse arrangements that immediately satiate your hunger for the “good stuff.”

If you wish you appease your craving for rock with a swagger and you happen to be in Manhattan tonight, make sure you catch their show with The Love Story, Naked Hearts, and Whitetail tonight at Cakeshop! To tide you over for a few hours, check out our exclusive interview with Lady Larrabee below!

I absolutely love the raw sound of your songs. There are no unnecessary frills – just the music. Did this sound start with experimentation or did you set out to have a sparse gritty effect?

We were just trying to capture what we do live. We added little nuances but Andy likes to hide sounds that creep up on you (we did everything at home), so we kinda had to be creative when recording. We also did the guitar and drums live for every song because we only had two inputs to work with.

Where did the name, She Keeps Bees, come from?

My last name is Larrabee – So I thought “beekeeper,” but someone took that name already. Then I thought well I’ll be the lady that keeps them. Bees are incredible creatures – the lifeblood of everything on earth.

What was your reasoning behind the move from Washington D.C. to Brooklyn?

I moved to Philly first and went to film school there. It felt too comfortable in Philly after a while so I made the move to get a kick in the ass. People are forced to do more in New York it seems. It’s too hard to live here to not get some shit done. I found my spirit family here too.

You’ve gotten compared to White Stripes for your dual rock sound and also compared to Cat Power for your blues sound. Do you feel that She Keeps Bees leans more toward one sound than the other?

I feel the connection to soul and blues because I sing from my gut and I write from my instincts. I don’t do something unless it feels right. The rock part of us came naturally because as Andy and I became more comfortable with our sound, we took it higher, louder, more aggressive… I guess we don’t think about it. I can see us evolving into other sounds with our next album.

Minisink Hotel was recorded using very little equipment. There are so many new technological advances happening that benefit indie artists today. Are you currently using any particular devices for your music?

Not really; Nests was recorded live with guitar and drums using a laptop and ProTools. Some songs were recorded all live with vocals and everything like “Wear Red.” I put a little dirt on my amp but we keep it pretty simple. I liked being limited as to what we could use.

Along with the rest of the economy, the music industry is going through a rough time. Now with the proposed Ticketmaster and Live Nation merger, an indie musician’s worst dream could be coming true. What do you plan on doing to make sure indie music continues to thrive?

You’ll have to excuse me – I had to look this question up. Most of time I don’t care about what’s happening in the big music business. None of this really surprises me. Of course, they want to set up a monopoly. Everyone should just throw shows/parties in their basements. We should all support in the ways we can. Music is healing and community.

Going back to all the comparisons people like to make about She Keeps Bees, have you been compared to one artist or band that has served as a major compliment?

Hmm… Sure! I mean it’s all nice. I wish i could say I believed them!

What was the major concept you had in mind when you recorded Nests?

No concept really… just… does this feel right? A lot of trial and error. The only concept I can think of would be homemade. It’s all homemade.

“Gimme” has the lyrics: “Give it to me daddy, work me like my back ain’t got no bone.” That is as real as woman can get! It often seems as if there aren’t enough assertive yet seductive lyrics in indie rock today. How important is it to you that songwriters highlight their strong personalities?

I take music for what it wants to show to me… if that makes sense, not necessarily what the songwriter “meant” to say. Lyrics usually get lost in translation, so it’s nicer for me to just feel it.

What’s coming up next for She Keeps Bees?

Nests is being released in Europe and the UK on the Names Label. We are heading to Europe for the summer to tour and play some festivals. We are super excited!

Quick-Fire Round:
Where’s your favorite place to hear good music in NYC?

Glasslands, Cakeshop, Death By Audio.

Are you for or against large music festivals?

Personally, I don’t go to them. The last one i went to was in high school. They are expensive, baby.

Do you remember your St. Patricks’ Day/Night?

I got to hang out with my magical friend Molly and had tea and a beer, then that night we played a show!

What was the last album you’ve had on repeat?

The Love Story’s new album, Mink… So damn good. Andy’s is Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, Liars’ Drum’s Not Dead, or T. Rex’s The Slider

Tell us one thing about yourself we probably don’t already know.

I grew up in a thrift store that didn’t sell anything.

Photography by Adriana Jovanovic