Hailing from the capitol of Florida, GIRLS ON FILM is a female duo whose music is one part lipstick synth-pop and one part icy-cold new wave. Their fashion fueled combination of high-energy stage antics and “Glamwave” – their signature sound – has earned the band a reputation as one of the hottest new wave acts out of the Southeast.
The band originated in 2002 as a four-piece with founding members Rio (vocals), Kazhmir (bass), and Machine (electronic drums) teaming with Tim Curry (formerly of the Cruxshadows) on keyboards. After playing together for a few months with this lineup, Metro took over the keyboards and Curry, keen on honing his production skills, went on to produce the band’s first release, the Love Robot EP (2003) before departing the band permanently.
With the EP release and the new all-female lineup, surrounding buzz stirred attention for the band and lead to radio & internet play, local TV appearances, and a stream of bookings and interviews. The band played several prestigious music festivals in 2003-2004, including the Jacksonville International Connexion Music Festival, Cincinnati’s Midpoint Music Festival, and New York City’s M.E.A.N.Y. Fest at the famous Continental. The Girls found themselves sharing the stage with the likes of legendary London rockers The Fixx, west coast new-wavers Glass Candy, MC Chris, The Bangs, VHS or Beta, The Start, Rasputina, Impotent Sea Snakes, and MTV’s Teck, among others.
Working with Tallahassee producer Dave Murphy, 2005 saw the release of the full-length album Danceteria, which went into radio rotation on various international airwaves, and numerous internet radio stations and pod casts. Increased requests for the band to appear took off with the release of the CD.
An early 2006 tour to promote Danceteria took GIRLS ON FILM to East Coast venues including Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Baltimore, and New York City, where they headlined at the famous Knitting Factory Tap Bar and shot the video for the single “Vaporized” under the supervision of director Dino Reyes; the video was subsequently licensed for airplay on MTV Italia.
After being tapped by Manhattan label 2Asides Records to lend tracks from Danceteria for remixes by top international remix artists and DJs (such as Steve Porter, Hatiras, Thomas Penton, and Neil Kolo), edits from the resulting project, Remix Reel, immediately began charting on Release Promo Only. The Remix Reel double CD was originally scheduled for release in mid to late 2006, but numerous delays and financial issues kept the project indefinitely shelved. However, several remixes appeared in the documentary, Liquid Vinyl. As the Girls’ reputation grew, their music and stage show began evolving and they continued to play a non-stop schedule of live shows from Charlotte to Atlanta to Miami.
Despite the band’s full performance schedule in 2006-07, including the Tropical Heatwave Festival in Tampa, Florida and Signalfest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the Girls managed to write nearly an album’s worth of new material showcasing their maturing sound, resulting in the release of the Mike Stephens-produced Get Close to Me EP in the Spring of 2008. GIRLS ON FILM also continued to see its tracks get licensed for various film and TV projects, including a commercial spot on the AMC TV Network promoting the movie, “Working Girl” and a “Honey Nut Cheerios” promotional spot.
In July 2008, after catching the ear of legendary producer Geza X (known for his work on the Meredith Brooks hit, “Bitch”, as well as many early and influential LA punk bands including the Dead Kennedys, The Germs, Black Flag, and The Avengers) – the Girls traveled to Malibu, California to record a new album with him and Paul Roessler (of Screamers, Twisted Roots, 45 Grave, and Nina Hagen Band). Soon after recording was completed, the band announced a remix contest and made available a track from the yet-to-be-released album; responses were so numerous that the winning track by Jemex (included on the Maxi EP) could not be announced for several weeks. Notable remix artists Macutchi (Bolton, UK), Mike Lange (2 asides Records), and Dj F (Ingrooves) also contributed remixes to the album.
Following the recording of the Maxi EP, the Girls continued to gig; their reputation for a strong live performance fueling their inclusion on bills with cult favorites My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and Gene Loves Jezebel. However, various aspects of the release of the EP were plagued by financial and internal issues within the band. A fortuitous pairing with Florida label Soulow Records occurred during this time, as did the departure of longtime GIRLS ON FILM keyboardist, Metro. With their most major release to date looming, the Girls continued forward as a three-piece, with bassist, Kazhmir, taking over the writing and programming of the keyboards while still holding down her bass duties.
The fall of 2009 proved eventful for the band. The Malibu-recorded Mental Image Maxi-EP was released, and established Gainesville keyboardist-slash-DJ, The Viirus, began performing with the Girls part time. The band once again streamlined when drummer, Machine, exited the lineup after seven years. U.S. and European distribution deals were obtained for Mental Image, and the Girls began additional promotion for this while still figuring out the logistics of the new lineup. Despite singer, Rio, having suffered a several-months-long bout of bronchitis through the winter, the Girls managed to produce new material and continued to perform shows in support of the album.
2010 saw the European release of Mental Image and an ever-busy schedule of live shows. In Spring of 2011, the band traveled to Athens, Georgia to record four new tracks with Trey Ehart of Entertainment, whose dark stylings are set to produce the A-side of one of Girls on Film’s best EPs yet. Another opening slot for Gene Loves Jezebel capped the first half of 2011 for the Girls, and the second half of the year included the beginnings of tracking for the dance-infused B-side of their forthcoming EP with Chan Epic of Soulow Records. 2012 promises more live performances and the release of their yet-to-be-titled dual-sided EP.
