By Margeaux Burkhardt
Photos by Sarah Wren Robinson
PICKAXE is a high energy, female-fronted punk rock band from our very own Washington, D.C. Although their published discography consists of only four songs, all wrapped up neatly in their recently released EP, PROVOCATEUR, each track has its own unique sound and message. It’s the kind of music that pumps up your adrenaline to negate those bruises you’ll inevitably get in the mosh pit. I can confidently say that PICKAXE’s music is best experienced up close, personal, and dressed in a hot dog costume. Seeing is believing; on streaming you get a very clean, packaged version of their songs but witnessing a set live brings together the whole experience. PICKAXE is impressive in that, even through the haze of the room and the writhing mess of the pit, their vocals and instrumentals come through just as clear and polished as they do on the EP.
When I walked into the green room at DC9 for the band’s EP release show, I didn’t know what to expect. Emily Rainey (who, for the whole set, was dressed as a hot dog) is the lead vocalist of PICKAXE and was my main supporter for the duration of the interview. Often I get caught up in my own social anxieties, especially when doing something as new and out of my comfort zone as this. However each time I go to a show, no matter what role I play (observer, mosher, interviewer), I am reminded of the comradery and solidarity of the community. Speaking to PICKAXE lead to insights not only into their angry, loud and rambunctious new EP, but also their feelings about the punk community and what it means to be a part of it as a band.
PICKAXE consists of Dan (drums), Emily (vocals), Cam (bass), Ritch (guitar), and Erik. This interview was originally conducted on October 30th at DC9 and has been edited for length and clarity.
How did y’all first get started as a punk band, and what led you to creating PICKAXE?
Dan: Some of us had already been in a prior band, and one of the members moved far away so we were like, either we hang it up or we figure out another way to do it. It was funny, we had just played the first show with that band, it was during the pandemic it was like, “yes, no, yes, no, can you play it, can you not play it,” it was one of those times where “it’s okay to play!” and we played, it was great, everybody loved it.
Ritch: We played at Slash Run and it was fuckin’ sold out!
Dan: So, for that to just come to a close with that would have been lame. We love playing with each other, so we pushed on, found, you know, people to fill out the new version of the band, and here we are.
Which of y’all were part of that original band?
Dan: Me, Ritch, and Erik.
After you formed that new band, did you keep kind of the same sound? Or did the music evolve post-covid after you brought in new members?
Ritch: I would say that we’ve kind of been consistent with what we’re cranking out. We kind of have this vision of dissonance, melodic, aggressive, but leaning in the direction of catchy hooks, and we’ve been straight from that.
Dan: So, the bones of what we were doing before is there but, you know, then we got new people in and obviously that changes the sound, in this way I think for the better.
I have a question for Emily. What’s it like to be a female singer in a punk band?
Emily: Hmm, what’s it like to be a female singer in a punk band? I think my most challenging role I’ve had to take on is being a role model for young women and fem people, which I wasn’t really expecting to take on. I wasn’t expecting to make as much of an impact just going up on stage and like screaming and flopping around and just like, yelling about shit. Coming into it and, making sure that young fem and women and anyone that identifies in that field feel safe in the hardcore scene, I was not expecting to take on that role. I’m very proud of it.
I think you should be.
Ritch: You did it good.
Dan: It is cool to see like, extremely young women, we’re talking literally kids, sometimes like parents bring them, so on and so forth, like wide-eyed looking at Emily screaming her guts out.
Ritch: My daughter!
Emily: And I have no problem speaking up about that, and I’m so proud of myself and of them. I have changed my tune in how I present myself to make sure that I am the best role model for these kids that I used to be. And, I want to make sure that I blaze a path forward so that they feel safe, they feel comfortable, this is a space that they feel like they can fuckin’ throw their shit back, throw THEIR elbows back. I want to make my younger self proud, and I want to make the next generation proud. Because that’s why I’m here.
We’re gonna take this back as ours. It’s not just fuckin’ dudes fuckin’ running this shit. You should feel safe in the pit, you should feel seen on stage and you should feel represented in this community. Because you are this community. There’s so many young women and fem people out there, and like… it’s terrifying, it really is. Like I get fuckin’ punched in the face. I have a chipped tooth, it’s not fun. It’s not fun to get elbowed in the face. You shouldn’t have to be scared. You should be able to go in there, balls out. BALLS OUT FOR THE GIRLS!
Ritch: I want to tack onto that. The band, we really consider each other siblings, and we love each other deeply. Our band is nuts, and it’s unhinged, and we take care of each other. We check in after practice, “Are you home? I’m home,” and there’s such a deep love for one another. That’s just the level of respect we have for one another and that’s how we feel about not only ourselves, but the community we grew up in. I’ve been stage-diving since 1994 off of 9:30 Club’s stage, we have some old heads in this room, and I think the love we have for each other drives that. To Emily’s point, she is a steward of all of the values that she believes in. It’s tremendous.
Emily: Let’s hear it for the girls!
So, does it make you guys excited to see younger people at your shows?
[all of the band members exclaim various agreements]
Ritch: My first show in public I was playing in a band called Ye Olde Inebriated [note: awesome name] with people from George Mason High School in Falls Church. My trigonometry teacher came to the community center, and I was fifteen years old. And so, I wish I had people like, older folks in bigger bands in those times to sort of guide us. Because the way we did it was, go to the show, collect a paper flyer, go to the next show. Seeing 504 Plan [Another band on the show’s bill consisting of 4 Juniors in High School] tonight…
Emily: Amazing, right! [everyone nods and expresses admiration]
Ritch: I was so fuckin’ stoked to see them, I mentioned that to every single one of these fuckers [He gestures to the rest of the band], like how cool it was and how happy I was for them to be able to do that. That’s something that I wish I had.
Dan: I love it both ways; being onstage and looking out and seeing young people in the crowd, and being in the crowd looking back and seeing young people on the stage.
Ritch: It made me think of something tonight where we talked about, in regards to like, family dynamics, where you want to cut things off generationally, where you’ve got this trauma and the way you’re raised, and “this is the way it was for me so I gotta fuckin’ do that” Fuck that, you know? Keep building, and you make things better for people, and you pass it down
Emily: What I said actually today was, the kids are alright!
[Everyone chuckles, “the kids are alright!”]
Emily: I’m proud of you guys. I really am. I’m excited to see what’s coming out of the next generation.
Dan: Super excited.
Emily: You have good heads on your shoulders. I’m the baby of the band and I’m like, thirty-one. And I’m seeing these high schoolers fuckin’ screaming about shit that matters to them and should matter to them, and I think that’s who we should be fighting for and that’s who we should be representing. I hope we make you guys proud too.
At this point the conversation shifted to focus on PICKAXE’s producer for PROVOCATEUR, Alex (“AC”) Claxton, who had some words to share about the production experience.
AC: I recorded and engineered all of the records, it’s sick. It’s out now. These guys, listen, I can’t speak on the stuff they’re speaking on, but they’re tremendous musicians, they are tremendous in the studio, they were one of the greatest experiences that I’ve ever had recording anybody. Everybody was so prepared and so well-practiced, it was fucking fantastic. It was great.
Dan: Emily was fantastic. One take Em!
Emily: Yeah ‘cause I practiced!
AC: We recorded the record in the middle of nowhere, but that was a weird thing that happened.
Dan, Ritch: It was unplanned, unplanned.
AC: And they were, fucking, just so good. It was three days of constant recording and it was all so well done, well practiced. I worked with some of them on different parts, we figured things out, and we made, what I think, is a really really great EP.
Alright, my final question: what do you see for PICKAXE’s future?
Dan: Well we’re going on tour for the first time next month, so we’re excited to you know, bring this show on the road.
Where are you going to tour?
Dan: We’re playing in Philly, Brooklyn, uh, Hudson Valley, and then New Windsor, New Jersey, you know.
Ritch: And then, we’ve got our next EP that we’re gonna release after that
Emily: More like a full album!
Dan: Yeah, and then next year we’re gonna go south.
Speaking to PICKAXE was a unique experience that gave me a view into the other side of the harDCore/punk community, where the musicians are coming from and what their beliefs are. PICKAXE sticks to their values, cares about each other deeply, and sees a vision of the future where generational cycles are broken. The community is a beautiful place where anyone is welcome, and I absolutely felt that when speaking to this band. You can hear their PROVOCATEUR on Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music.
Leave a Reply