Swearin’
⤏ ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD IN CONVERSATION WITH FAYE ORLOVE
⤏ PHOTOS BY CARLY PALMOUR, STYLED BY LINDSEY HARTMAN
⤏ ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2018
FAYE ORLOVE: There was a five year gap between Fall into the Sun and Surfing Strange. Why did you keep me waiting? Was it a personal attack?
ALLISON CRUTCHFIELD: No, I promise it wasn’t! We decided to stop playing together a year or so after Surfing Strange, kind of under the assumption that we might never reform. But then a few years passed and we all grew in different directions and started to really miss it! That’s when we decided to write Fall into the Sun and started touring again.
FO: One of my favorite things about Swearin’ is your steadfast commitment to punk pop. I think your different bands and albums have definitely been explorations, but stay true to your roots. Do you think you’ll ever outgrow punk?
AC: I have such complicated feelings about punk and what it means to stay “punk.” It feels like such a vast ideology that can also be really harsh and limiting, and at times even a little close-minded? But then also can be so progressive and community-driven! I think I’ll always, on some level, ascribe to punk, but the ways in which I’m involved with it or it’s involved with me will vary.
FO: What brought you to Los Angeles?
AC: Swimming pools, movie stars, Mike Krol.
FO: What do you miss most about the East Coast? What do you not miss at all? What about Alabama?
AC: Hmmm let’s see. I miss my east coast friends a lot. I had such a solid foundation of pals in Philly, and while I still talk to them all the time, I miss seeing their beautiful faces every day. Also miss Wawa, among other fine Philadelphia eateries. I don’t miss the weather, the parking tickets, the saturation of indie rock, the lack of natural light in my home, the impulse to party every night, or the aggressive driving . It’s been almost a decade since I left Alabama, and I visit pretty regularly to see my family, so I think I mostly just miss them and Milo’s [local burger chain].
FO: I think this is your first time living in a different city as Katie. How is it being physically apart? I know you are always talking, but does the distance make a difference?
AC: This is definitely the farthest we’ve ever lived from one another! I think it’s healthy for us and kind of couldn’t come at a better time since we were just traveling together for so long after Out In the Storm came out. I think it’s a welcome break, especially since we talk every day and still see each other a lot. We’re in a place in our respective lives where it kind of made sense to detach a little and do our own things.
FO: What is the last text you sent her?
AC: “I’m back home now so you can call back whenevs.” She’s in Australia and had to cut a call short and I went for a run in the meantime, so I was letting her know I had finished and she could (and should!) call me!
FO: Is there a lyric on the new album you’re especially proud of? Personally, the entire chorus of “Margaret” gives me chills every time I hear it.
AC: Awwww thank you! I feel really proud of the lyrics in “Big Change”. That was a moment of catharsis for me as I was gearing up to move to LA from Philly.
FO: The album before Fall into the Sun was a solo album. How does working with a band differ? Do you have a preference?
AC: It’s funny, I think I prefer writing and being in the studio alone, but when I’m playing live and touring I definitely prefer to be a part of a team. I like bouncing ideas off other people and collaborating a lot; it comes really natural to me being a twin and it just feels nice to have a crew of people who are with you. But there is something so rewarding about being the fucking boss.
FO: When will the performance art piece @allison_is_parched be released as a full photo book? Can I pre-order?
AC: Wow oh my goodness! I would totally love that but as of now we have no plans to do a physical version. But maybe we should? Are there any publishers out there reading this?
FO: If you could perform as any band for Halloween what band would you pick? I always say I wanna do Josie and the Pussycats but I can’t sing, write, or play music. So, yeah...
AC: I love doing cover bands! Lately I’ve been fantasizing about doing a Cheap Trick cover band, but would also be way into doing a Sheryl Crow tribute of some kind.
FO: Favorite place to eat in Los Angeles?
AC: Right now the place that’s on my mind is Casa Bianca; it’s this great, very old-school Italian place in Eagle Rock, pretty close to my house.
FO: Favorite place to see a show?
AC: There are soooo many great venues in LA! I love the Roxy and the Bootleg for smaller shows, and Hollywood Forever and the Palladium for bigger ones.
FO: What is something you hope to accomplish in 2019?
AC: I want to finish my next solo record, but I want to really take my time! I know most people probably wouldn’t consider one year to be a ton of time to make a record, but I normally move so quickly and I am really trying to slow down next year. In the words of our lord and savior: "I'm alright with a slow burn, taking my time, let the world turn."
⤏ BUY THE PRINT EDITION OF JR HI THE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 004 AND A LIMITED EDITION SWEARIN’ TRADING CARD HERE.
⤏ FAYE ORLOVE (SHE/HER) IS AN ILLUSTRATOR, ANIMATOR AND ACTIVIST ORIGINALLY FROM THE EAST COAST. IN 2015, SHE BEGAN THE NON-PROFIT SPACE JUNIOR HIGH IN EAST HOLLYWOOD. FAYE LOVES POP-CULTURE, THE FACT THAT KIM KARDASHIAN IS STUDYING TO BE A LAWYER, AND THE JONAS BROTHERS COMEBACK. SHE DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A VIRGO, A JEWISH AMERICAN PRINCESS AND SOMEONE JUST TRYING REALLY, REALLY HARD.