If a band wants to attract an audience, they need something that sets them apart; Wet Nurse has an abundance of somethings. They're an all-female band. They play harmonic garage punk with a pop flavor. Wet Nurse also has a set of twins in the three-person lineup, and two of the band members are lesbian. Is that enough uniqueness for you?
“I don't think much about it,” drummer Vanessa Brewster confides. “It's just one part of who we are.”
“Obviously, we're two-thirds gay,” Guitarist/vocalist Nina Chaplin says, indicating herself and Vanessa, “We're out; we don't hide it. But I don't think we have a core LBGT audience; they're just a part of the bigger group of people who loves the music.”
“I guess that makes me a minority,” laughs Susanna Chaplin, the straight twin who also sings along while playing bass.
“Or I am, because I'm the only one not related,” jokes Vanessa.
The members obviously have a great rapport, and they don't really think about what makes them singular. They just love the sound and working together.
“We do it for the energy, playing stuff that gets people fired up,” Susanna says.
Wet Nurse got together in 2010 and immediately got noticed. They started getting about four local and state shows a month.
“I was in another band, and people knew me from there. So when I was able to say, “Hey, we've got this new thing,' people started showing up,” Nina says.
“We only had four songs,” admits Susanna, while the other two nod and laugh.
Wet Nurse quickly set to creating more”loud and fast, fun stuff loaded with the twin's vocal harmonies, and that perked the ears of local press. Within months, they were making several Favorite Local Band lists.
“It was amazing the first time we saw people singing along,” says Vanessa.
Each member has her role. Nina is at the forefront of tweaking their sound.
“My songwriting style is poppy and melodic, but I also like fast chords and beats,” Nina says. “I'm also the one saying “Maybe we should try this or do that.'”
“I'm big on the vocal harmonics,” Susanna says. “I'm the one always waving my arms and stopping us when something doesn't sound right.”
“We all write songs, but of course, I focus on the beat,” Vanessa says.
“Right now we're tapping to a very happy 60s sound, but I want to go more punk: darker chords and stuff like that”get really mean,” Nina says.
The twins live together in a house just west of Mills 50, an area teaming with musicians.
The women are huge fans of other local bands, and other musicians are rooting for Wet Nurse. On top of that, Astro Girl Records, a local company, just signed them and promises a full-length album this year. A recent milestone: their EP just hit iTunes.
“We have no shortage of local shows,” Vanessa says. “Our issue now”and it's a great issue to have”is knowing when to say “no.'”
