We Do
I’m at that stage of my life where there are two types of posts which flood my social media timelines. There are those which come from posts evading the reality of maturity by chasing their youth with weekly drunken stupors. Then there are some which come from those individuals who seem to be seizing and cherishing their journey into ‘adulthood’: getting engaged, married and having babies. It’s evident which of the two posts is exalted by the online community if you tally up the amount of likes.
Cortina Whiplash came to existence following a similar dichotomy. This time ‘adulthood’ was in conflict with the pursuit of a career in music. Before Cortina Whiplash, there was Rokkeloos which was an Afrikaans band led by Prinses who in our last interview the band recognised as “one of the most talented poets with lyrics which were insightful, playful and extremely thought-provoking.” Prinses would start a family and the remaining band members decided to continue playing together switching over to English and forming Cortina Whiplash.
2015 marks the tenth year that Loandi Boersma, Tessa Lily, and Auriel Van Zyl have been creating music together. In that time, Cortina Whiplash have developed into one of the leading voices against feminine stereotypes within rock and roll They are constantly pushing the envelope and playing with the stereotypes associated with female bands in an attempt to desexualise themselves as a band.
At the end of the day, Cortina Whiplash is a band regardless of their genders. A good band at that.
When we interviewed the band last year, they were working on an EP with the working title, She Devils of The Revolution. The title was a fitting one for Cortina Whiplash’s alternative approach, as it was inspired by an Oscar Wilde play called Vera -where the protagonist is agitated by a female revolutionary and refers to her as a “she-devil of the revolution”.
Since then, the supposed EP has morphed into a full length album entitled We Do. Tessa Lily (lead guitarist) explains. “We still feel like it alludes to our alternative approach, but is also more in line with our tongue in cheek approach. We are revolutionaries of a different sort I suppose. Choosing a life of music over a life of husbands, wives and babies and taking ownership in that choice”.
Where most of their friends are settling down and getting married, Cortina Whiplash has realised that there is an entirely different sort of marriage going on in their lives and they’ve decided to acknowledge and own it in a literal way. Tessa continues, “Women are entitled to their alternative experiences.”
“Especially women who don’t abide by societal expectations and especially musicians. Because we are generally on the opposite spectrum of what is considered socially acceptable,” she adds.
The wedding/album launch will take place in Johannesburg. The brides are yet to decide on a date for their wedding but it will be celebrated by a string of local tour dates. Their performance at Oppikoppi 21 is to be their bachelorette party and a scheduled tour of reunion will be their honeymoon following the wedding.
Follow the brides-to-be on Twitter and Facebook to keep track of the most important marriage in South African Rock and Roll. You’re all invited.
