Interview with Girl in a Coma
May 13, 2:59 PMChicago Music Industry ExaminerNatalie Kuchik

All female rock band Girl in a Coma from San Antonio, TX have been working non stop in 2010 with countless tours and releasing Adventures in Coverland. Girl in a Coma recently opened up for Sia at Chicago's Vic Theatre and I got to talk with singer/guitarist Nina Diaz, drummer Phanie Diaz and bass player Jenn Alva before the sold out show.
Raining all day in Chicago causing Girl in a Coma to be late for soundcheck did not damper the ladies jokingly fun spirits when I got to sit down and chat with them. Lead singer Nina Diaz sat with guitar in lap throughout the entire interview and I perceived her to be the most shy but soon found out she is the most outspoken. "I am constantly trying to get Phanie to wear dresses with fluffy shoulders but she won't do it," Nina jokes. The ability to poke fun at one another without taking it personal is a good quality to have when two sisters are working together.

Girl in a Coma recently finished performing with The Present and went right into supporting a leg of Sia's North American tour. Jumping from one tour the next is something Girl in a Coma has gotten used to Jenn explains, "We are used to it. We do our own tours which are fairly small and then we will do something like The Wedding Present which is medium size and then something like this (Vic)." Transiting from one tour to the next means changing up the set list to better accompany each audience's musical taste. "The Wedding Present was more well known in the eighties so they have more of an older crowd and more of an alternative sound. Sia is more on the pop side, she is newer so I am sure it is going to be a completely different crowd," Phanie explained. Jenn adds on, "If we are touring with a harder more punk band we will do our faster stuff. We are with Sia so we are still going to do our more mellow stuff," Nina jokingly adds, "We are still going to rock their faces off."

Three piece EP Adventures in Coverland is helping to promote Girl in a Coma's second studio album Trio B.C. which was released last year. Nina explains, "It shows the influence that helped make the particular sounds for that album. 'Slaughter Lane' has a bit of rockabilly vibe so Patsy Kline you can see similarities of the styles," Nina goes on to say, "It is just to put the focus back on Trio B.C before we come out with anything." Adventures in Coverland is three piece EP that was only released in digital and vinyl editions. "Blackheart (Records) said we were going to do it on vinyl which we love, and only digital so no CD. They said, 'You guys think of something, it will be a normal vinyl layout but it will fold out so think of something. 'We thought of a board game to get people to buy the vinyls," said bass player Jenn.
Choosing songs for Adventures in Coverland was a collaboration between all three girls. "We had a whole page full of things from Elvis to Jeff Buckley and as we were picking out the songs it was more of whatever was easier to learn and make our own style out of it. Jeff Buckley for me was a little too difficult right now for me to pick it up, it is a whole other world," explains Nina.

Putting the Girl in a Coma spin on older classic songs came naturally for the girls Nina explains, "I looked up the song, and learned by ear since I don't know how to read notes. Then I re-arranged it and gave it to the girls. Since Jenn didn't even hear the song she wrote a new bass line as if it was a completely new song of ours. Phanie listened to the drums but then would pick out certain things so we treated it as if it was one of our own songs." Ranging from Selina's "Si Una Vez" to The Beatles "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", Girl in a Coma covers seven diverse artists that shaped them as musicians.

Adventures in Coverland:
Vol I
“Si Una Vez” (orig. by Selena)
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (orig. by The Beatles)
Vol II
“Transmission” (orig. by Joy Division)
“As The World Falls Down” (orig. by David Bowie)
Vol III
“Come On, Let's Go” (orig. by Ritchie Valens)
“Walkin’ After Midnight” (orig. by Patsy Cline)
“Femme Fatale” (orig. by The Velvet Underground)

For more on this interview that I talk to Girl in a Coma about being females in the music industry, favorite songs, favorite lyrics from Girl in a Coma songs, and much more go to Estrella Online.