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Despite their young ages, Kent, OH, teens Vivian and Midge Ramone, collectively known as ShiSho, have been honing their comedic, punk-inspired folk sound for over a decade. 2013's five-song Sisters EP was the culmination of years of recording and playing cheeky folk songs in the spirit of Kimya Dawson and Moldy Peaches. We chatted with elder sister Vivian about the band's origin, collaborating with the Dead Milkmen, and how joining Sonicbids has helped the group network with bands and promoters outside of the duo's home state.
Though you're both still young, you've been performing as ShiSho since 2004. What initially brought you together as a musical duo?
We have always gone to see live shows, and we have always been really into bands with younger members, especially younger girl members. With this in mind, our motivation to start the band came directly from the inspiration we found in going to shows of bands like Harry and the Potters and the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. We saw how much fun other bands were having by creating music. Going to shows was kinda like going to a birthday party, but the party was happening behind plexiglass, and all the party patrons were having the time of their life and we were like, "Wow, I could do that! I could have a party. I could eat pizza and cake and wear funny little hats." I digress. We wanted in on the fun. We wanted to party. I was the one who initially wanted to start the band, and I naturally enlisted the help of my beloved sister Midge, who was way down with the idea.
Did you have any sort of mentor helping you out early on?
Yes! There was initially a third member in ShiSho. You can see him in Chris Yambar's Itsy Kitsy comic book we were featured in. His name was Professor Peu Sheu, and he played the instruments in the band. We wrote the lyrics and sang for a few years until I picked up guitar. Peu Sheu really helped us with learning how to put a song together and how music worked with lyrics. It was a learning curve when I took over guitar, but he really helped to lay the groundwork sound of ShiSho.
Like most bands that write satirical or tongue-in-cheek lyrics, you likely have gotten Dead Milkmen comparisons for a while. In 2013, you not only wrote a song filled with Dead Milkmen references, but also got the band to back you up on the track. How did that collaboration come about?
The Dead Milkmen have been a big inspiration from the begining. The first songs we recorded were covers of Dead Milkmen songs! We sent our cover of "Punk Rock Girl" to them, and they were kinda like, "Oooh, nice one, A-plus, kiddos." But then in 2010, we opened at Joe Jack Talcum’s (singer/guitarist of the Dead Milkmen) solo show at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland. It was so fun. He invited us to perform with him the following weekend when his tour looped back through Columbus at the Treehouse and at Used Kids Records.
In between those two shows, I was so inspired, I wrote a Dead Milkmen tribute song, aptly titled, "The Dead Milkmen Song." It was a six-page song that I played in its entirety at the Used Kids show. It was a really strange thing because we were playing the song equivalent of an epic poem, except we wrote the whole thing using words, lines, and concepts from the Dead Milkmen, whose lead singer was present. In retrospect, it was a pretty brave (albeit awkward) feat, and I'm glad I did it because it makes a great story.
Anyway, we played that show in 2011, and then in 2013, when we recorded a scaled-back version of the song for our EP, we sent Joe Jack the track and asked if he or the band would like to contribute any pieces. We were honestly just expecting a cool little harmonica part or something, but to our pleasant surprise, every member was super into the idea and sent us tracks to use! It was really a monumental moment.
You’ve developed a friendship with fellow teen sister duo Skating Polly. Is it refreshing to connect with a group that's going through similar experiences? Better yet, when is that collaboration going to happen?
We love Skating Polly! The music and the people. Our friendship with them is probably the most special one we have. It is so comforting to know other people with experiences that are, in a lot of ways, very similar to ours. The first night we met, we stayed up until 4:00 a.m. just hanging out. Now we find any excuse to see each other. It's so cool knowing other young, driven girls who make music and art and have similar views. It's really interesting because we've started finding out about all these other younger sister bands and it's like I just want to have a huge teen-sister-band festival. I dunno, like "YungLady Fest" or "Sisters from Other Misters Fest," or some other groan-inducing name. Anyway, a Skating/ShiSho collaboration or split should definitely happen! We will have to talk to Kelli and Peyton about it.
When did you sign up for Sonicbids, and why? How has it benefited your music career so far?
We signed up for Sonicbids in 2012 because, as younger artists, even though we're pretty well-established in Ohio, it's sometimes difficult to network with touring bands and promoters from other cities. We can't just pull up a stool at the bar and have a drink, you know? We joined Sonicbids to hopefully bridge the gap, and create an easier way to book bigger, national shows.
What's the most game-changing opportunity you've gotten through Sonicbids?
Wow, there are a few! But the one that stands out is [when] we booked a gig at Milwaukee's Yellow Phone Music Conference in 2012 through Sonicbids. By playing that one show, we met Ben Perlstein, who has since become a good friend and mentor to us. He's introduced us to great new friends, gotten us shows with some really great, established bands at legendary venues and world-renowned festivals (most recently Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX). We also became friends with Dave Silbaugh who books for Milwaukee's Summerfest, and the following summer, we were able to play Summerfest through that connection. In 2014, he invited us back to Yellow Phone as a showcase band. Really, the networking that has come from the shows we've booked through Sonicbids has had the biggest impact on our career.
What advice do you have for fellow indie musicians who are hoping to score opportunities on Sonicbids like you did?
Sonicbids is such a good launching point for finding great shows. Definitely don't hesitate to apply for a lot of shows. We've been denied for way more shows than we've been accepted for, but it's okay because it's the quality, not the quantity, of the shows that matters. It's important to see Sonicbids as a starting point and not the ending point. Booking the show is the first step, not the final goal. It's a good idea to get in contact with the venue or festival, as well as the other bands who are playing. Make a good impression, network, be a personable cheeseball. Who doesn't like personable cheeseballs?
What's in store for ShiSho in 2015?
A full-length album, our first legitimate music video, expansion of musical and instrumental abilities, probably some more moody (but still funny) songs, hopefully more cool shows, and Midge's foray into the high-school life! Hopefully mounds of popularity for her in the new school, so she can build an empire of lame high schoolers and share cool music with them, and then take over the world with an empire of cool teens.
Bobby Moore is a freelance writer and historian with an M.A. in public history (University of West Georgia, 2011). He's got a Dead Milkmen tattoo on his chest, and his three-year-old calico is named after the band Tacocat, so he's pretty shameless about his music fandom.
