Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers is the latest side-project from the Against Me!
frontwoman
Dont getLaura Jane Gracestarted on deep dish pizza.
Its one thing by which the Against Me!
Credit: Clair McAllister
frontwoman simply cannot abide.
fans have changed in the six years since she came out as transgender.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So you have this new album with one of your Against Me!
Bryce Mata
bandmates, drummer Atom Willard, as well as your Against Me!
sound engineer, Marc Jacob Hudson, on bass.
So why is this not an Against Me!
Bryce Mata
And we played some covers and stuff like that, and it was a lot of fun.
So, I dubbed the project the Devouring Mothers, and afterwards I was like, That was great.
We should try recording something.
Its really just being honest with ourselves, that it wasnt Against Me!
that wrote the record; it was the three of us.
I always attempt to look at music as not having to be a monogamous thing, you know?
And its all part of a family.
I understand this album is pretty heavily influenced by Tom PettysFull Moon Fever.
My first record I ever got wasFull Moon Fever.
My dad gave me a copy when I was maybe nine years old or something.
And I listened to the heck out of that record.
I loved that record.
And my first electric guitar I ever got was a Traveling Wilburys model electric guitar.
And I was like, Look, Tom Petty didFull Moon Fever.
He still went on to do many records with the Heartbreakers.
you’re able to do this, it makes sense.
And I also bought this beautiful 70s twin reverb amplifier.
I honestly believe that guitars have souls.
And if youre a guitar, all you want in your existence is to be played, you know?
To be used on records, or to be played live.
And so I thought, what a shame it was never played.
This is this guitars moment.
This is what this guitar was born to do.
Ithasto be played on this record.
So I used the Jaguar on every song on the record, and the twin as well.
Speaking of the record, you have this song I Hate Chicago.
Its a jokey song.
Its a little bit kitschy.
Chicago prides itself on being a mean city.
I got to a point where I was over that.
Where its like, I have as much right to be here as anybody else.
Like it or not, Im here, Chicago, and Im part of you, too.
The crowd could turn on me right now, and throw things, rush the stage, you know?
Most songs, the worst case scenario playing it live is just being met with ambivalence.
They got a kick out of it.
Youve been playing some Midwest dates.
Do you still enjoy touring?I love touring.
Do you ever have that experience with any of your old music?Oh, of course, yeah.
I mean, there are two sides of that, too.
There are the lyrics you cringe at, and then there is the songwriting you cringe at.
Like, What were we doing putting a bridge after the first verse?
Its all part of it, and you learn from it.
On the other hand, we have a presidential administration now talking about erasing protections for trans people.
Its just being able to exist, and do what makes you happy.
How did your relationship with Against Me!
fans change after that announcement?
Thats what a show should be.
So whats the status of Against Me!?
We were down there for the past two weeks.
Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring MothersBought to Rotis out now on Bloodshot Records.
This interview has been edited and condensed
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