Meet NYC's Desert Sharks, who share a listen of their sorority sounds off their Sister Cousins 7″. The combined powers of Stephanie Gunther, Stefania Rovera, Rebecca Rose, and Sunny Veniero transfer the energy of needs, knowledge, desire, and wants into the headstrong theme, “I Know What I Want”. Preparing their upcoming EP for release on Manimal this summer, we have an early listen to the gravel kicking quartet that is putting the garage back into the modern girl group sound.
The single “I Know What I Want” was born out of Brooklyn's Converse Rubber Tracks Studio with a post-production assist from Adam Reich, that makes for a roaring ode to decisiveness. Desert Sharks spell out their accumulated desire in the keys of confidence, acknowledging a burning affinity that is backed by the band's steadfast tour de force. “I know what I want / and what I want, honey is you / I can't waste another empty night without you / I know what I need, and what I need honey is you / so won't you help me, help me, say you feel like I do.” There are moments Desert Sharks kick out an audio homage that raises a toast to forebears like The Go-Gos' “We Got The Beat“, to the new school beats and bands that dot the American Northeast and Northwest landscapes respectively. Desert Sharks know what they want, choosing their own paths, their own suitors, and their own directions for others to follow from now through all the seasons yet to arrive.
The Desert Sharks sisterhood talked with us to introduce the quartet's various approaches, special powers, talents, tastes, and more in our following brief interview.
How did Desert Sharks first become a force to be reckoned with?
We were conceived in the deep seedy vortex that is Craigslist. When we came together, our inner light emanated to form sugar sweet dirty punk songs.
Dig your 'taking it back' and owning it, on “I Know What I Want”. What's the DS secret to transferring needs and righteous feelings into monster guitar jams?
There's no secret really, but a quick Google search will attribute our effortless prowess to 'swagger.' That word is thrown around liberally in our reviews. We only wish we knew what it meant to better harness it.
Give us top secret reports from the recording of your EP.
Sunny drives everywhere even if Sunny forewarns us that she's not driving everywhere. Stefania walks into glass studio doors and spills beverages on her lap repeatedly. Rebecca doesn't need a click track. Her beat is a primal steady beat that resounds from within. Stephanie has harmonies running through her head at all times. She's consistently disappointed every time she tests our knowledge of 90s r&b girl groups. Sunny surprises us with a sweet new limited edition ride anytime we drive somewhere. Stefania needs breakfast in bed. Rebecca likes the back seat. Stephanie settles any argument with a quick arm wrestle.
We recorded [our forthcoming EP] with Mike Poorman and Jim Keaney at Devotion Recordings in Everett, Massachusetts.
Desert Sharks notes from the NYC scenes?
No scene. Just bands and people that like each other and go to shows.
Desert Sharks' new EP will be available this summer from Manimal Vinyl.
Listen to more Desert Sharks via Bandcamp.
