Los Angeles punk rocker band, unpolished*, is on a mission, and you better get on board!
The band is playing at the Whiskey this weekend, and they have thoughts and big plans
If you’re looking for a new, raw, unapologetic punk band that’s on its way up, look no further than unpolished*.
We can’t recall the reason why this Los Angeles-based, all-female band appeared on our radar. This could just be the case of a YouTube algorithm getting it right for once!
Maybe it was the post-punk images of a group of young musicians roaring out of the West Coast alt scene, unafraid to be loud and in your face. Maybe it was the fact that when we discovered them, they had just released an incredible EP, “I Plead Insanity,” that’s so defiant and angry and emo — yes, all of those things — that it was like the Runaways had a baby with Lzzy Hale. When the CD arrived and we discovered that it was signed by the band as well, we knew we had to interview them.
Here’s “nobody knows,” the first song and video we heard by them that hooked us instantly. The music video absolutely oozes with middle-finger sensibilities wrapped around utterly catchy choruses and riffs. Let’s just say that the ice cream cone scene made an impression on Uma!
The band just released a second EP over the summer, “FULL FRONTAL: ACT 1,” that continues their journey of mostly hilariously inappropriate, theatrically driven rock and punk. Songs like “Feet Pics” — yes, it’s exactly about what you think it is — and “Accept Me” are fast and loud, and if it were the 1970s, they’d smash their instruments while playing. Meanwhile, “Lobotomy” is a slow, driving punk masterpiece, a six-minute, rolling scream over guitar feedback and a crashing rhythm section behind lead singer Mary Bugbee’s pleading growls: “The numbing doesn’t work this time / I’m out my head and out my mind / I hope we make it out alive.”
Check out their website here:
So far, the band hasn’t played anywhere east of Colorado, but we can’t imagine that will last for long. This Sunday, November 1, for example, they are playing at the legendary Whiskey A Go Go in West Hollywood. To our West Coast friends, if you are anywhere nearby, do not sleep on this band — go catch them now, early, while you can.
All four members of the band — Mary Bugbee (vocals), Celinda Change (guitar), Jasmine Day (drums), and Santos (bass) — sat down with Uma for a detailed interview about how they came together, where they’re heading, and what their favorite colors are!
INTERVIEWS BY UMA: unpolished*
Uma: Can each member tell us about themselves? Where they are from, how they started in music, and what’s the background that brought everyone together to form the band?
Celi: I’m from Los Angeles, born and raised. I played cello in my public school band/orchestra throughout middle and high school and fell in love with rock/emo/punk/metal music in high school. After graduating college (Tulane University), I moved to DC for my first job. This was at the height of the pandemic, so I spent a lot of my evenings depressed and bored until watching a live My Chemical Romance video inspired me to finally pick up the guitar. I taught myself how to play and eventually moved back home to LA, then started playing guitar with different bands, which ultimately led me to meet Mary at a show I was playing at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood. I got a random show offer one day, but none of my existing bands were available, so instead of turning down the gig like a sane person, I asked Mary if she’d be interested in playing – we both had a couple of songs written, she said she knew a bassist, and I knew a drummer (Jasmine) – and the rest is history!
Mary: I was born & raised in Boston! I briefly lived in Arizona and ended up in SoCal for college, but I knew I wanted to move here after a 2014 vacation. I’ve been obsessed with music since I was a baby, but as I grew up, I only got shyer and shyer about it. Only my really close friends knew it was something I secretly wanted to do, but I pushed the idea away since it felt unrealistic. During the pandemic, I had an existential crisis, as I’m sure a lot of us did, and decided to go for it. Having our lives taken away from us for that period of time made me realize that I wasn’t living to my fullest potential, and I wanted to change that. I ended up hanging around the Sunset Strip in hopes of finding like-minded people, writing songs at home (“hollybaby” being one about my crusades to make these dreams come true), and trusting that fate would bring me to the right places. Lo and behold, there was Celinda Chang, doing the splits & playing bass with another band at the Rainbow!
Santos: I was born and raised in Southern California. A San Fernando Valley girl through and through. I started music with classical piano when I was 6 or 7 years old, but when I was a tween I got really into My Chemical Romance, and they inspired me to pick up the bass guitar, which I specialize in til this day. I also play guitar, drums, and Tuba. A little over a year ago, I got a DM from Celinda that her band was auditioning a new bassist and ….long story short, I’m the bassist of unpolished*!
Jaz: I was born and raised in Belen, New Mexico, and attended college in Greeley, CO. I started drumming in high school and was very inspired by bands like My Chemical Romance, Black Veil Brides, and Nine Inch Nails. I moved to Los Angeles in 2022 with the intention of only pursuing acting and filmmaking, but soon after started drumming for a band kind of by accident! After meeting lots of amazing musicians in the LA music scene, I started playing with more bands and performing at jam nights. I met Celinda through performing with Gritty in Pink, and when she called me up and asked, “Do you want to join a band with me?” I said, “When do we start?” and it is history from there!
Uma: Do band members ever play other instruments than the ones they play in the band? Where did you all learn to play or sing? How young were you when you started?
Celi: I played cello growing up and also play bass now, and some ukulele. I taught myself how to play guitar and bass (thanks, internet) starting when I was 22 (it’s never too late, folks). Honestly, I think anything can be an instrument, and anything can be played if you have the right mindset.
Mary: I can play the clarinet, guitar, and bass. I’m pretty novice at the former two, but can come up with riffs/melodies if inspiration strikes! I took clarinet lessons in school for about 6 years, starting when I was 10. I’ve been singing for fun since I was a baby, but didn’t get singing lessons until I was 22. I learned a lot from the three vocal coaches I’ve had and sometimes still go in when I want to do a check-in!
Santos: I’ve played piano, guitar, drums, bass guitar, tuba, and harp. Bass is the only one I’ve stayed truly consistent with.
Jaz: I tried to play violin, guitar, and piano before picking up drums, but I wasn’t very good at any of them. I started playing drums in high school in jazz band and marching band and absolutely loved it. My first high school band was called “Wednesday After School,” and I fell in love with being in a band with my friends! I am so happy I get to do it with all of my best friends now.
Uma: Is there a main song writer / composer?
unpolished*: What we love about this record is that we’ve all been writing & sharing ideas! Mary does most of the vocal melodies/lyric writing, but we’re always open to people giving ideas to expand upon! All of us have written songs on this record, both on the released and unreleased acts, and we think it’s given our music a new life & personality.
Uma: For Mary, did you need any special training for your screams and growls? Does it ever hurt your voice?
Mary: I wish I could explain how I learned; it was just a lot of practice! You definitely need to have solid breath support, make a noise like you’re about to throw up, and hope for the best! Make sure you’re not trying to force the sound!!
Uma: Where was the location of your OMV of “accept me”? That’s a neat-looking space.
unpolished*: Unfortunately, that is a government secret.
Uma: What or who is the inspiration for all your outfits and costumes? Do you make them yourself? They are very cool!
unpolished*: Thank you! We all curated our own inspiration boards, but we’re very inspired by gothic styles and vintage burlesque looks. The costume pieces have been curated from a variety of thrift stores, antique malls, costume shops, and sale racks. The pieces seem to find us wherever we go!
Uma: Where is the farthest from your home base that you’ve played? If you could play at any venue in the whole world, where would that be?
unpolished*: Our farthest show was in Greeley, Colorado, at the Moxi Theater! Our dream venues would be TD Garden (Mary), goth CVS (Celi), Wembley Stadium (Jaz), and Times Square on New Year’s Eve (Santos).
Uma: What is each of your favorite colors and why?
Celi: Pink! It makes my brain happy.
Mary: Probably a darker shade of red. It feels very classy and moody.
Santos: Pink, blue, and green because of the Powerpuff Girls!
Jaz: Dark green, because I love touching grass.
Uma: Do any of you own pets? What are their names? What’s your favorite overall animal?
Celi: I have been obsessed with penguins for as long as I can remember. I have a dog named Oji and a cat named Holly* (we adopted her the day “hollybaby” was released, so we named her after the song) – Oji, as well as my beloved late chihuahuas Chiqui and Pachi, lent their voices to “doghouse” – see if you can hear them!
Mary: I don’t have any of my own pets, but my roommate has a dog named Beans that I love very much!! My favorite animal has historically been a giraffe, but I love all of them! I’m a little bit of a hippie when it comes to animals and the environment.
Santos: I have a fish! Her name is Crisl. My favorite animals are sharks and squirrels.
Jaz: I have a cat named Kitty (Thorne if you’re asking the government). Cats are also my favorite animals!
Uma: Do you have any advice for kids just starting to play music?
Celi: Good things take time – don’t get discouraged if you can’t do something you want to do just yet. Keep working on it, and you’ll surprise yourself with how much you have accomplished. It’s a life-long journey!
Mary: If you’re waiting for the “right moment” or “right circumstances” to start, just do it. The passion in your heart will take you a lot farther than you realize it will; worry about perfecting your craft later! You’re always going to be learning new things along the way.
Santos: Keep going, even when it gets boring and hard!
Jaz: Don’t wait until you have a perfect idea! You’ll learn so much in the process of practicing and creating. It definitely helps if you find good friends to do it with!
Dan: How did you decide on your name for the band, and the lowercase with the asterisk?
unpoished*: The name comes from a desire to embrace our flaws and show up in the world as we are, even if we don’t look or feel perfect. The world feels like it expects unrealistic levels of precision and perfection, especially when it comes to appearances, but we want to encourage people to chase their passions and love themselves at whatever stage they’re at. The lowercase letters & asterisk are a stylistic choice, but it comes from when people correct a mistake over text (e.g., sending “*you’re” when the person originally typed “your”).
Dan: For someone who has never been to an unpolished* show, what can they look forward to?
unpolished*: Expect to have your eyes glued to the stage, to dance, sing, scream, and let your worries go for the time being. Lately, we’ve been incorporating a little more theatrics into our sets. We want to create a safe (but still wildly entertaining!) space in the music scene!
Interviews By Uma is a regular question-and-answer feature developed by eleven-year-old Uma Szczesny and formatted and managed by her journalist dad. The column and Substack focus on interviews between Uma and some of her favorite musicians, artists, and teachers. Uma is also a kid reporter for Manchester Ink Link and has written for Paperjam Magazine. Her interviews have been published in several media journals and newspapers in the United States and Canada. For more information on Interviews By Uma, to read her archive, or to propose or suggest an interview, email interviewsbyuma@gmail.com. Also, please share and check out Dan and Uma’s books here:
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