INTERVIEW: The Regrettes
The Regrettes are in the middle of a whirlwind. The band formed in 2015, and just recently put out their debut album, “Feel Your Feelings Fool!” to critical acclaim on a national level. Fronted by 16 year old Lydia Night, the band is doing some pretty big things at a relatively young age. We chatted with Lydia, as well as Max, Sage, and Genessa, beforet they play the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage tonight at 6:45. Get to know the band below:
B&E: Welcome to Milwaukee! For those that haven’t heard the band before, describe your sound:
Lydia: Hmmmm. I’d say a mix of garage rock, power pop, and motown.
Genessa: To keep it simple, I always tell people it’s a mix of Motown and punk.
Max: R&B fusion with a metal and funky twist.
Sage: In your head, put together the pop feel of 60s girl groups (The Ronettes) with something more straightforward and honest and edgy (Bikini Kill, Hole)
B&E: Is this your first time playing Milwaukee, or have you been here before (either as The Regrettes or in other bands)?
Lydia: Yes it is! Never been here, so I’m super excited.
Genessa: Never been to Milwaukee! Excited to be here.
Max: I have not. Excited!
Sage: I’ve never played here before, but I used to come here as a kid in summer for sweat lodges that my dad would put together with friends. I love Wisconsin summers, mosquito bites and all!
B&E: For a band that formed in 2015, it seems like things are moving incredibly quickly for you! How are you handling what looks like a whirlwind year and a half or so?
Lydia: Yeah, it’s pretty wild. I’ve been playing shows for over half of my life, so it’s not too crazy, but it’s definitely tricky balancing school, social stuff, and band stuff.
Genessa: We’ve been incredibly lucky to have such a great team helping us out. They keep us all on top of things and organized… I’d be freaking out without them!
Max: It’s definitely a whirlwind, but i love it, lots do to! I enjoy it a lot.
Sage: When we aren’t busy, I stay home with my animals and loved ones as much as possible without going crazy. I’m not a really social person so when we are home I utilize my alone time to the fullest. But other than that it hasn’t been as crazy as people might think. Or maybe it’s just been so fun that it doesn’t feel that stressful or difficult. I love what I do!
B&E: When you play big festivals like this, do you ever get to watch some of the other bands playing?
Lydia: Yes we do! That’s my favorite part, besides the food.
Genessa: We haven’t played too many festivals yet! We always stay for other bands when we do. It’s a ton of fun to see the other bands out there playing with us.
Max: Always! Love to watch bands I’ve never heard of as well as known bands.
Sage: We haven’t played many festivals yet, this is definitely the biggest. I sure do hope we get the chance to see some other bands. We tend to have time to see a few bands it just depends on our schedule and how long of a drive we have to make after the show. There are SO MANY great bands playing it’s hard to wrap my head around it and pick one that will fit in our schedule but I can’t wait to experience the energy at the fest.
B&E: Is there anyone else on the Summerfest lineup that you’re planning on seeing (or would like to)?
Lydia: I honestly haven’t checked out the lineup yet, but I’m sure there will be.
Genessa: We will only be there for one day, so RHCP is at the top of my list. They were a huge part of my childhood & being on the same bill as them is crazy!
Max: Honestly I haven’t seen anyone on the day we’re playing in familiar with, but more than excited to see some bands I’ve never heard before!
Sage: Again, SO MANY!! RHCP, Tom Petty, NIN, The Shins, Tegan and Sara, Migos, the list goes on and on…
B&E: After the summer touring run, what’s next for The Regrettes?
Lydia: We go to Europe/UK in the fall with SWMRS which will be SOOOO FUN!
Genessa: We are off to Europe! With SWMRS!
Max: More shows. More tours. More goofs, gaffs, and laughs.
Sage: We have a Europe tour planned for the fall with SWMRS and we are extremely excited. Not only are we excited to play outside of the US but we all are huge fans of SWMRS and can’t wait to spend time with them and listen to them play every night.
