The Chattanooga sister trio talks about mixing music and motherhood, and shares the story behind their tune “Toes Are Soiled.” (Story initially aired on Weekend Version on April 21, 2024.)
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
A few of life’s massive modifications, even when they’re good, can depart you feeling greater than just a bit bit overwhelmed. Like, what did I get myself into?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I WENT DOWN”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) I noticed you bathing by the pool. The home behind you was on hearth.
RASCOE: Getting married, having youngsters, and what that does to your identification – the three girls within the band Name Me Spinster usually are not afraid to go there. Their lives have already had some twists.
ROSIE GRABER: I undoubtedly didn’t assume that I’d be in a band with my sisters. My identify is Rosie Graber.
RACHEL GRABER FORTIN: Rachel Graber Fortin.
AMELIA GRABER JACOBS: Amelia Graber Jacobs.
RASCOE: And as little sister Rosie simply stated, making music collectively did not begin out as a household purpose. All three had been academics on their very own paths, residing in other places when the oldest, Amelia, settled down in Chattanooga. Rosie and Rachel quickly adopted her there.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “I WENT DOWN”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) Each drained story is similar.
RASCOE: It has been a mixture of motherhood and music for every of them ever since. In April, after we talked to them about their first full-length album, “Potholes,” there have been 4 youngsters. At present, the overall is 5. Again in spring, we requested the sisters to inform us the story behind one in every of their songs, “Toes Are Soiled.” Their dialog was charming and one thing plenty of us can relate to. Right here it’s once more.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
GRABER JACOBS: That is Amelia. And I used to be the brand new mother. I used to be actually moving into my newly clear sheets, which felt like a miracle in and of itself.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) Our toes are soiled, and the sheets are clear.
GRABER JACOBS: I feel I did really have soiled toes or dirtier than I’d have preferred. It is undoubtedly one in every of my issues. My husband has perpetually soiled toes. And I feel it was partially simply laughing at myself that I used to be the offender and was in all probability too drained to get off the bed and take a shower. However I used to be simply, I feel, narrating.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) Air is heavy, and your tooth are clear.
GRABER JACOBS: And I simply saved following it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: The place have you ever been, boy? Darling, the place have you ever been? (Vocalizing).
GRABER JACOBS: The little (vocalizing) half began to comply with.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Vocalizing).
GRABER FORTIN: That is Rachel. And this was in our early songwriting, the place our approach that was working for all of us in our personal methods was discovering a quiet area and making whale noises. The tub was a common place. We’d begin out by simply sort of going (vocalizing) after which sort of narrating what we had been considering.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) I wish to be free. (Vocalizing).
GRABER: That is Rosie leaping in. This tune has turn into fairly electronified (ph), and one of many acoustic issues that stayed in is Rachel’s voice going (vocalizing).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) Chopping you clear, boy. Yeah, I am chopping you clear. Yeah, chopping you clear.
GRABER JACOBS: From the get-go, I had this kind of (vocalizing) synth-y (ph) bassline in my head. We had been listening to plenty of Robyn.
GRABER FORTIN: A timeless synth pop legend – so we had this ritual of dance church. At any time when we had been feeling significantly caught, we’d give ourselves perhaps two songs, three songs, to only dance it out. Typically we might have the newborn round. Typically we might have the canine round, I feel sort of tossing the canine and the newborn forwards and backwards.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) It is time we burned the olive tree. It is time we burned it.
GRABER JACOBS: I keep in mind very distinctly sitting on our porch and this actually brittle, brown Christmas tree that had been simply sitting there, as many issues had in my yard. I imply, it simply was kind of – represented this home chaos. So it began out as it is time to burn the Christmas tree.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) It is time we burned it. Once more is within the air immediately, I feel we have turned it. I wish to be free.
GRABER FORTIN: All three of us, I feel, have had the breakup that takes plenty of breakups. This concept of many olive branches prolonged – I feel that stands out to me as kind of the ultimate straw of claiming, no extra. No extra take threes, take fours. That is it. I am not even going to permit the olive department to be accessible. That is over. That odor of – it is burned. It is finished. And we’re prepared to maneuver on, and it may be a celebration for everyone.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Vocalizing).
GRABER: In any scenario the place you are in love, I feel, along with your little one or your accomplice, and you’re giving lots, then there’s at all times a second the place you cease remembering to make your self really feel good. I feel this can be a second the place we’re saying, nope, it is time for me to really feel pleasure and good, and I want to consider me for a minute. You’re feeling such as you’re burning every thing down round you for that generally. And despite the fact that that is usually not the case in any respect, it normally helps every thing else (laughter).
GRABER JACOBS: A lot of songwriting does really feel so unconscious. From the skin, it is this kind of thinly veiled exploration of very actual feelings, oftentimes darkish ones. And I feel I used to be exploring this sense of launch and might I stop motherhood? Is that this a factor that I may do? Which, after all, I do not truly wish to do, nevertheless it’s like – enjoying with these feelings that, you realize, pop up on occasion, coming kind of to the sting of the cliff and looking out down after which scaling it again. And I feel this tune was perhaps a secure approach for me to play with that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Singing) Ashes within the air immediately. I feel we have earned it.
RASCOE: That was Amelia Graber Jacobs, Rachel Graber Fortin and Rosie Graber of the Chattanooga-based band Name Me Spinster speaking final April about “Toes Are Soiled,” one of many songs on their album “Potholes.”
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “FEET ARE DIRTY”)
CALL ME SPINSTER: (Vocalizing).
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