Skateboarding in music videos can sometimes seem a little corny, especially when it's obvious that the artist is only using it as a fashionable stylistic object. Not so with girli. When Amber Toomey, stage name girli, was first introduced to us by her agency as an "extraordinary alt-pop artist", it was emphasised from the outset that she also skateboards. Not just for a video shoot or something similar, but for real. This made us prick up our ears, especially because the 26-year-old Englishwoman, apart from music and skateboarding, is also a strong advocate for queer people. And so the idea of conducting an interview with this extraordinary artist was put into practice and it quickly became clear that her heart beats more than just a bit for skateboarding!
girli
Interview with the queer feminist alt-pop artist and skateboarder!
TITUS:
Hey girli, thanx so much for having time to do this interview for us. First of all, i was wondering, shall we go by girli or do you prefer Amelia?
girli:
Yeah, thanx so much for having me. Girli is fine for me. Hey whats that in the foreground at yours? I like those boards, is that a table?
TITUS:
Yeah, thats a table with some used skateboards underneath a glass plate.
girli:
Oh, my gosh, I love it. I wanna do something like that with all MY old skateboards. Built something like that out of it, maybe like some kind of table as well. Great idea anyways!
TITUS: Thanx. So yeah, lets jump right into this. I've done some research about you and i´ve overread you already wanted to become a musician at the age of 14. That's pretty young, I guess. I mean, to decide to become a musician at such a young age, what did that spark?
girli: Yeah, you know, I come from a family of performers. My parents are theatre actors, so I was used to the idea of performing and being on a stage and I was pretty fascinated by that as a kid. I think I sort of was more into social justice and for a time, I really wanted to be a politician, which now is my idea of a nightmare job. But I think I just wanted to make a change and I was really passionate about speaking my mind, I guess.
And then in school, school was pretty tough for me. I was bullied. And I sort of felt like I didn't really fit in. And music just kind of became like this amazing escape for me. I discovered bands and I started going to shows and then I started meeting a lot of people who had a similar experience with school and kind of didn't feel like they really fit in. I just became obsessed with music. And I realised there are bands like Tegan and Sarah who you know are bands who were very open about queer and LGBTQ plus issues. This just kind of revolutionised the world for me because I thought, „Oh my God, I can still be passionate about social justice and also love music and performing and those things can kind of be combined“. So yeah, music just kind of became my escape.
TITUS:
And then it was only three years later, that you've released your first single. And that was pretty quick, right? Did the money money fly in right off the bat? Or what was it like?
girli:
So well, I was in a few different bands as a teenager and sort of figuring out what I enjoyed. I played guitar in the first couple bands and then I was like, „no, I want to be a singer, I want to write the songs“. And I loved writing lyrics. And then yeah, I first released a song as girli when I was just 17. Or maybe I just turned 18 and it was independent. It was just kind of seeing what happened. And then I signed my first record deal and that was pretty crazy because I was so young and suddenly it was like „Here's a big record deal and here's all this money“. But then also, here's all this pressure. And you know it's not good to sort of like, have regrets or wish things have been different. Because obviously everything happens in your journey as it should, yes, but I definitely think it would have been good if I had had some time to just develop.
And maybe I should just have kept releasing independently for a few more years, instead of being signed. Straight away to a really big label was really difficult for my mental health and I definitely suffered a lot, even though I got so many fans in those first couple of years. My first album was released with that label and it made my career what it is, but it was definitely really difficult. It was like being thrown straight in the end.
TITUS:
But, you were always pretty self confident about your art, about what you want to express with your music, not just from the style, but also lyrical wise. I've read your first single was actually called „So You Think You Can Fuck With Me Do Ya?“. So obviously cussing was not really a problem for you. Or throwing tampons into the crowed at a concert. Weren´t you ever afraid that could have a negative effect on your career?
girli:
No, because I think I definitely started as more of a punk artist and as I've grown and my music has taken a bit of a different direction, there's still this element of punk in me. Not sort of like bending toward for the status quo, kind of just being in my own lane. You know when you're a teenager, you have so much angst and you don't know where to direct it, I think. I used to have this DJ deck that was like a sanitary towel box. And I'd wear underwear with fake blood on it, it was kind of like a shock factor. I got a lot of fans, like Cult of Occult fan base from that and a lot of them are still following my music. I'm 26 now and personally so much has happened in my life and so much I've emotionally evolved as well as creatively. Nowadays, the way I love to express myself in a more subtle and also a more vulnerable way. I talk a lot more about mental health and queer relationships, I think I was still figuring out my sexuality quite a lot and wasn't really writing about it yet. I think when you grow, your art grows with you. And I feel like a lot of people have grown with me as well, like the listeners, which is so cool to me.
TITUS:
A little bit of cussing on stage, I don't mind that, haha. There's always been a pretty big tie between skateboarding and music, and as I've watched your „Hot Mess“ video, there's quite some skateboarding in there. I was wondering how did you get in contact with skateboarding for the first time and when was that about?
girli:
I picked up skateboarding quite late in the sense that I didn't do it as a child or as as a teenager. I started skating when I was 20 and it actually was because the only people I'd ever seen skateboard were boys and men. It always felt it just wasn't for me, I didn't even consider it because it was skateboarding. „That's what boys do.“ „I'm not welcome.“, feelings like that, you know. I think that made me sort of doubt that I could ever physically do it as well, like, thinking „oh, I'll just fall off“ or whatever. And then I started to see a lot of my friends, who were girls, start skating and I heard about this girls night happening here (in London)…
TITUS:
Where is that happening?
girli:
It´s in West London, Bay 66 which used to be called Playstation Park. It´s so cool because in the last five or six years skateboarding and the skateboarding community in terms of girls skating has grown so much and it's amazing.
When I started skating, I remember going to these girls nights and there were like 10 people there and now there are 100, which is so amazing. Even just that small community, it was enough to sort of make me feel encouraged to like, „Let's try something new“. I think when you're an adult, it's actually quite rare that you try something completely new, especially when it's something physical and something where you can get hurt. There's a lot of fear. Kids don't care about falling over and that's why so many people who are incredible skateboarders as adults - is because they started when they were five years old. But I just started loving it and I realised it (skateboarding) was the only thing next to being on stage singing where my brain just went quiet. And I just sort of found this community with so many amazing friends. And then I started going to loads of different events and travelling around the world and also went skateboarding and the thing that I love about it is just that. Anyone can do it. It doesn't matter how old you are, what background you're from, sexuality, gender, you go explore the world and you'll find skateboarders and you'll have this (skateboarding) passion in common. It doesn't matter if you're a Pro or if you've just started. So skateboarding for me has been actually a really big factor in building my own self esteem. And also, when you realise, „Oh my gosh, my body can do that trick“, you start to have more love for yourself and your body because you respect it almost more.
TITUS:
Or you get aware of the fact that you can actually slam and don't kill yourself, right?
girli:
Or you become aware of how fragile you are, yes.
TITUS:
True, both ways work. Do you feel that there is still some harassment from other people towards female skateboarders? Bad vibes going on? Cause I feel nowadays, here in Germany for example, this pretty much faded away, compared to maybe like 15 years ago.
girli:
I think it depends. You know, I definitely feel like there are a lot more (female skateboarders), it's a lot more common to go turn up to a skate park and see girls skating, which is amazing. I think, nowadays there's a lot more opportunities, there's a lot more kind of like equal opportunities. Just the other day I went to a skate park and there were like 50 guys skating and we were like two girls. It did feel intimidating a bit and felt a bit like „uh, I'm not as deserving as of, you know, taking up space here“ (as they are), you know…!?
TITUS:
Oh really? Was it like that?
girli:
At least it felt like to me. I definitely find that (harrasment) when I'm walking around with my skateboard, if I'm streetskating. Sometimes I'm asked to prove like „Do a Kickflip“, haha. Obviously, people shout that stuff at skaters all the time. It's just so annoying. Sometimes people will see me with a skateboard and think "she's just holding that to look cool", like „She can't actually use it, she's just a poser“. And I think girls abilities are questioned more than if you see a guy with a skateboard.
TITUS:
What´s your take on social media, in general? I mean, nowadays, in skateboarding as well as in music, it just seems so important, it can even be annoying, from my point of view. Especially when it comes to hating on people, Social Media can be pretty harmful. What do you think overweights, the positive or the negative aspects?
girli:
Yeah, for me, sure sometimes I'll post things. I mean it's interesting because I post about my music all the time on social media. But skateboarding, I don't really post that much about it. Skateboarding is my thing. That's my „special“ time and place where I go and I hang out with my friends. It's kind of like one of the only times where we're not on our phones. You can't really skate and be on your phone and that's so beautiful because it's just very in the moment and there's no technology involved. It's obvious skateboards have become more high tech, but fast forward 30 years and it's still gonna be a skateboard. But, when it comes to my music (talking social media) I don't really pay attention to hate comments. A lot of the time the majority of my videos and posts will reach people who are likely minded. They're really supportive, even if, occasionally, as is the nature of the Internet, negative people will find your content. I just don't read those. I just don't bother because it's just noise, really. I think, to be honest, that the negative aspect of social media for me is just the impact that it has on everyone's mental health. Collectively! I think the amount that we compare ourselves to other people because of social media, I think that's the main negative thing about it, for me.
TITUS:
So you could could live without a cell phone for a couple of weeks?
girli:
Oh yeah, easily!I I wouldn't find that difficult at all. I find it really easy to just turn off my phone. I think the only reason i really use it is to promote my work, you know. But I was just thinking about getting like a brick phone after all. Just like my old Motorola. Yeah, miss that, I miss that so much.
TITUS:
You mentioned travelling a lot. Could you see yourself living anywhere else than in London or England?
girli:
Oh, definitely, definitely. I love skateboarding, but I also love surfing and snowboarding and you know, those are not really things that you can do in London. I would love to live by the ocean. California, I think would be amazing because I'd love somewhere where I could go surf in the morning and then snowboard in the afternoon. Somehow with like beach and mountains, which only possible in California. I have big dreams to live all over the world. My dad's family is Australian. So I've spent a lot of time there and Australia has an amazing music scene and an amazing surfing and skateboarding scene as well! As mentioned before, skateboarding takes you all over the world. You want to travel and find different spots and skate iconic places. And obviously skating was kind of born as an urban thing, but I really love that it's becoming a lot more integrated in natural environments, too. There's two like skateboarding retreats that I go to every year in the UK and one of them is in this forest and they just set up all these mini-ramps there and it's so beautiful.
TITUS:
Are you gonna watch skateboarding in the Olympics? Because, especially when it comes to female skateboarding, that´s gonna be a pretty big thing next summer, i guess.
girli:
Yeah, i guess the topic „Olympics“ bares an interesting discussion. Nevertheless i am surely gonna watch it. I just love absorbing anything skateboard related. But it´s interesting. I have a lot of friends who feel that the Olympics kind of go against what skateboarding is all about. I can also really understand that point of view as well. Definetely skateboarding is a counterculture, especially looking at it´s past and origins.
TITUS
Yeah, absolutely.
girli:
If you keep that in mind and look at the Olympics, whatever sport it is, it's still quite an elite thing. You have to get to a certain level in your sport, you have to get sponsors and get supported by the Olympics. You have to have quite a lot of financial support. So in a way it kind of also separates. But yeah, I'll be watching it, but I also completely understand both sides. For all the people being able to turn their passion into a full time job is always awesome and really exciting. But also I get that, if people are like „fuck this, skateboarding is anything but mainstream culture“.
TITUS:
If you wouldn't be a musician or a music artist, what would you wanna be, besides a politician? What could be your profession, hypothetically?
girli:
Definetely not a politician. I think I would work with animals, which is so opposite of what I do now. But, I'm vegan and I have a real passion for animal rescue and rehabilitation. And yeah, I think I would do something like that. I think if I wasn't a musician, I would do something which would not involve social media. You know I'd go the opposite way I think. That´s still a dream of mine for the future and when I'm a little bit older I would love to do something of that kind. But music first, obviously.
TITUS:
So, i´ve learned you´ll be on tour quite soon. Are you coming to germany as well?
girli:
Yeah, I'm playing in Berlin, which I'm super stoked for, and hopefully some festivals as well. I love playing in Germany. Germans have this real appreciation for music I´ve always felt when playing there. I feel like people are really passionate there. I remember my last couple shows I played in Berlin and then also played in Hamburg and people were really hyped and it was really fun.
TITUS:
That´s dope to hear! Well, i guess we´ve got it right here. Thanx a lot for your time. Is there anything we didn´t talk about yet but you want to let people to know?
girli:
Thank you guys, and all I can add is that it´s just so cool to be asked about skateboarding, actually. I mean, obviously, it's been in my music video and I've talked about it before, but it still is quite like a personal, a separate thing to my music. So it's really it's cool to be talking about that in an interview because it is such a big part of my life. Thank you!
