Interview with Shark Earrings at The Brittin Banger
Shark Earrings photographed by Ama Wick @awickart.
This interview took place on November 2, 2024
I’m here with [half of] Shark Earrings, if you guys want to introduce yourselves.
[Sammi] I’m shark
[Max] I’m earrings.
[Sammi] Nobody else matters.
[Max] I’m Joey Hess.
[Sammi] Just kidding, I’m Sammi.
[Max] I’m Max.
[Sammi] And then we have Mike Landolfi and Joey Hess. Joey’s not here today. He’s playing a wedding gig.
Nice. Well, first, I want to say that you guys have the best energy ever when you’re performing. Is there a secret behind that? How do you keep your energy up so much?
[Max] It’s all Sammi, honestly.
You keep the crowd going the whole time.
[Max] She just says words and people are like, “Yoooo!”
You’re like a comedian.
[Max] She could literally say anything, and people are like, “I love it.”
[Sammi] I don’t get it, to be so honest. I like don’t understand it. I appreciate it. I think it’s so sweet, it’s such a nice compliment. I don’t know why. I literally talk and people are like, “Okay! We’ll do what she says.” I’m like, “Why?”
You’re like a ruler. You could be president. I’m writing you in on the ballot.
[Sammi] Thank you.
As a band, what would you guys describe your sound as?
[Sammi] Alright so, this is a tough question.
[Max] This is the hardest question we get.
[Sammi] We never know how to answer it. I would say overall, alternative, but we want to come up with a lesbian rock. Like a lesbian violence. Is that good?
I like that. I love it.
[Max] Yeah. Pretty much.
[Sammi] I’m so sorry, I sound like a little boy. I’m losing my voice.
[Max] No, you are a little boy.
[Sammi] But also, I am a little boy.
Poster made by @milkyfuel
What’s your favorite part of playing a show like this? A show where you’re outside, you know, it’s just a local show with a lot of people here having fun.
[Max] I mean, I like this kind of vibe because it’s super relaxed and like, there’s very little pressure. We’re having fun. Like we’re playing with our friends. Valendina is like our best buds, so –
They were saying the same thing about you guys when I interviewed them.
[Max] It’s always a pleasure. I don’t know. It’s just like hanging out, you know?
[Sammi] Couldn’t have said it better myself. Yeah, we love Valendina. We love this vibe. Being outside brings a whole new element. I don’t know what it is, but it’s like as soon as you’re outside, the energy is just up. Except for that one show that we played to – it was actually a pride fest – and we played to like my girlfriend and like nobody.
[Max] And some grandmas. And some like really progressive lesbian female pastors of like the episcopal church down the street.
How do you guys prepare, as a band, for a gig?
[Sammi] Honestly, we don’t practice much, to be so real. Mike, our guitarist, lives in Central Jersey, we live in Glassboro, and then Joey lives in Cherry Hill, so it’s so hard to get us all in a room together. But we’ve been playing together for two and a half years, so we kind of have it down.
You can’t even tell that you guys don’t practice much.
[Max] Kevin, who subbed for us tonight, we’ve never had a rehearsal with him.
That’s crazy!
[Max] We played – I think this was our third show tonight with him – and we’ve never practiced with him.
It’s like magic, because you cannot tell. You guys sounded amazing.
[Max] He’s just awesome so like, yeah, I don’t know. We don’t prepare. We’re just like, “Let’s have fun.”
Well, it works out. Speaking of, your cover of “Psycho Killer,” was amazing. I’ve seen lots of people cover that song, but you guys nailed it.
[Sammi] Thank you. The Paramore cover of “Burning Down the House,” we love that.
I feel you. I love that cover. You performed an unreleased song tonight; do you have any plans for releasing another EP or an album?
[Sammi] We have an album in the works. We recorded it almost over a year ago.
[Max] It’s been over a year.
[Sammi] We’ve been getting it mixed and mastered for a few months. It’ll be ready within the next couple of months.
Nice!
[Sammi] We’ll have some music videos.
[Max] Yeah, two singles and nine songs. We’ve probably played five songs live already. But there’s like four that people still haven’t heard yet. We’re excited.
Yes, that’s very exciting! That’s everything I had. You guys had a great set. Thank you for letting me interview you!
Thanks for having us!
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