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Not So Precious With GUERNICA MANCINI From THE GEMS · HEAVY Music Interviews

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: So Hi, my name is Gernika Mancini and I'm the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: singer of the band The Gems from Sweden.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: Alas Sime So the your new album coming out, The
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Year of the Snake in on March thirteen. What is
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: the difference to the Miss album compared to your last
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  Speaker 2: album Phoenix, Like musically.
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  Speaker 1: Well, musically, I feel like we there's been like a
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  Speaker 1: like a slight evolution in this, like it's more eighties now.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: The sound of the entire album. We when we started
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  Speaker 1: writing this album, we had our main focus was writing
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  Speaker 1: songs that we felt we were missing live and it
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  Speaker 1: was more faster songs, mid temple songs that are more
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  Speaker 1: I don't know, energetic in a sense. So that was
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  Speaker 1: the focus of this. So I guess that's the big difference.
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  Speaker 1: And also this is a completely new chapter in you know,
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  Speaker 1: in terms of themes and stuff, like Phoenix was about
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  Speaker 1: one thing and now Year of the Snake is about
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  Speaker 1: change and yeah, evolving and all that stuff that Year
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  Speaker 1: of the Snake has to do with, because that was
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  Speaker 1: like the inspiration for That's why we chose the name too.
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  Speaker 2: And it is an absolute epic album and a single
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  Speaker 2: thank you I've released are amazing.
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  Speaker 3: My personal favorite that I've heard is hot Fake. That
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  Speaker 3: is very very fun.
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  Speaker 2: I feel that it has azzy top influence going on
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  Speaker 2: in there. What was the influence for that song for
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  Speaker 2: you guys.
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  Speaker 1: Well, on our first on Phoenix, we have our song
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  Speaker 1: called Domino and that song has become very popular and
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  Speaker 1: it was never single or anything, but it worked really well.
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  Speaker 1: So we and we really like that style, like that
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  Speaker 1: ceazy top vibe. Yes, so we wanted another one like
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  Speaker 1: not the same obviously, but we wanted to do something similar.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: So yeah, so we started writing Hotbeat and then on
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  Speaker 1: this album we also we've had different themes, but this
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  Speaker 1: is more like, I guess, a cheeky, lighthearted song.
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  Speaker 3: It's very very fun. I love that one. Thank you Sorry.
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  Speaker 2: Like you guys from what I've seen, I'm surprised so
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  Speaker 2: so honestly, I haven't heard of you guys before, but
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  Speaker 2: I'm surprised I haven't because it is amazing. But then
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  Speaker 2: I found out you guys have only been going for
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  Speaker 2: three years. Yeah, from what I read, So how did
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  Speaker 2: you guys start? How did you find each other? Being
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  Speaker 2: females as well, which is very difficult in the industry
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  Speaker 2: to get three girls together. So where are you from
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  Speaker 2: and how did you find each other?
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  Speaker 1: Well, we're from Sweden and we used to be a
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  Speaker 1: band called thunder Mother. So for six or seven years,
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  Speaker 1: I was like, we were the band.
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  Speaker 3: Okay, so yeah, so into the Gems.
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  Speaker 1: Well the change happened because that band, and that band
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: has the band leader that every six seven years they
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  Speaker 1: just decide to change everything. That's like the nice way
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  Speaker 1: to put it. Because we were we never thought it
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  Speaker 1: would happen to us, but then it did. And so
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  Speaker 1: I got fired from the band in January twenty twenty three,
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  Speaker 1: and then the girls quit the band because they obviously
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  Speaker 1: didn't want to keep working there. We were each other
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  Speaker 1: support system, so that was the only way that we
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  Speaker 1: could manage to be in such a toxic environment, to
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  Speaker 1: put it lightly. Yeah, So it was horrible, but you know,
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  Speaker 1: out of something really crappy we did we created something
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  Speaker 1: new and fresh. That's why we've been able.
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  Speaker 3: To Phoenix came from exactly.
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  Speaker 2: So the whole.
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  Speaker 1: Them of Phoenix, yeah, is rising from the ashes of
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  Speaker 1: our previous band and that whole experience and then you know,
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  Speaker 1: managing to get our songs on the radio in Germany
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  Speaker 1: and stuff like that. I mean, obviously Australia is still
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  Speaker 1: a new market for us, so I'm not surprised at
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  Speaker 1: all that nobody, you know, you never heard of us before.
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  Speaker 1: But we're working hard to you know, spread the work.
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  Speaker 2: Hard, to spread the spread you guys, the Gems, because
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  Speaker 2: I love everything that you.
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  Speaker 3: Do, the whole style, the sound, the rock and roll.
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  Speaker 2: Think very much, very much my jam as well, and
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  Speaker 2: I love your outfits and your stage presence. And I'm
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  Speaker 2: so glad that you guys did end up working with
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  Speaker 2: each other and found each.
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  Speaker 3: Other through that because you're definitely going to be going somewhere.
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  Speaker 3: It is absolutely amazing and the energy is huge, and
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  Speaker 3: your outfits. I love the outfits.
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  Speaker 2: The influence is where from kiss.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, we really like the Superhero Vibe outfit. Just
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  Speaker 1: having a cohesive look is really it's both. It's both
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  Speaker 1: really cool and nice, but it's also nice to not
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  Speaker 1: stress so with what you're gonna wear.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that's I understand that one completely, several different
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  Speaker 2: outfits and still trying to find one that that works.
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  Speaker 3: So your album opens up with the song Walls.
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  Speaker 2: I The question there is was that song intentionally written
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  Speaker 2: for the opening or was that already a song I
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  Speaker 2: just seemed to fit really well at the start of
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  Speaker 2: the album.
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  Speaker 3: No.
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  Speaker 1: That was intentionally written as an opener, So when we
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  Speaker 1: were done with yeah No, we wanted something to yeah,
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  Speaker 1: something that would oh my god, my words right now.
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  Speaker 2: Just open up the sounds, you know, like uh sort
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  Speaker 2: of reminded me and my boss of Flash Gordon exactly.
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  Speaker 1: So we're very heavily influenced by kiss Us. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: kiss Queen and Van Halen are like, I guess main
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  Speaker 1: our main guiding stars.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah No, you can absolutely hear it.
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  Speaker 2: It is very full of those things, which is why
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  Speaker 2: it is tatic, and I do think that everyone should be.
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  Speaker 3: Listening to this.
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  Speaker 2: Do you think you've got uh Tomy Johannesson on one
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  Speaker 2: of your tracks?
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  Speaker 3: How did that come about?
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  Speaker 2: How did you get that that boy on your songs?
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  Speaker 1: That amazing boy. I mean, the Swedish rock scene isn't
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  Speaker 1: that big. And who you know? Him? And I met
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  Speaker 1: last year when we were doing a charity song together
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  Speaker 1: and he's super nice, super friendly, down to earth and everything,
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  Speaker 1: so I kind of like ask them there, and then
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  Speaker 1: if we did a duet on our upcoming album, if
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  Speaker 1: we would be up to be part of it, and
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  Speaker 1: he was like, yeah, for sure, just you know, just
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  Speaker 1: write to me when it's time. And then when we
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  Speaker 1: had the perfect song, which we felt gravity was because
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  Speaker 1: we wanted someone with like an epic voice, like big Range,
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  Speaker 1: and he just felt like the perfect person to do
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  Speaker 1: that and he did a great job. And yeah, we're
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  Speaker 1: just very happy that he did it.
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  Speaker 3: Oh yeah, it's very lucky when you get someone to
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  Speaker 3: come and play with you. It's very fun. Yeah, after
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  Speaker 3: your release the album you've.
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  Speaker 2: Got short listened to is coming up, But what's the
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  Speaker 2: plan after the release?
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  Speaker 1: There is also we're on the release day, we're having
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  Speaker 1: a show in Stockholm, a release show, and then the
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  Speaker 1: week after we go on a two week tour in
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  Speaker 1: Germany and we're doing one stop in Switzerland and then
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  Speaker 1: I guess the festival season starts. So it's not so
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  Speaker 1: much about the touring more about like just going back
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  Speaker 1: and forth to different festivals all throughout summer. And we're
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  Speaker 1: also planning touring like more, another tour in November, and
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  Speaker 1: we also want to go to like other countries obviously
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  Speaker 1: not just Germany. As much as we love Germany. We
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  Speaker 1: want to you know, maybe be able to do UK, Spain, France,
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  Speaker 1: like other places as well, and obviously Australia would be
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  Speaker 1: a dream, but I think we need to you need
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  Speaker 1: to push us more over there.
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  Speaker 2: You very sort of said a story about being a
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  Speaker 2: female in the industry with the girls, if you come
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  Speaker 2: across any other troubles or is there any good ideas
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  Speaker 2: you can give to other females in the industry that
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  Speaker 2: could keep them going with all the man pal's in it.
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  Speaker 1: Well, first of all, I just want to if you're
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  Speaker 1: a female and your musician, just keep going, first of all,
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  Speaker 1: because we need more female like we need more women
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  Speaker 1: in music period, but especially in rock. And I kind
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  Speaker 1: of feel shitty being a singer because it's so like stereotypical.
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  Speaker 1: I wish I was like a drummer or a guitar player,
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  Speaker 1: but I'm not. I'm doing my best as a singer.
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  Speaker 1: But I think girls need to dare to try all
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  Speaker 1: the instruments and just go for it. And also something
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  Speaker 1: that I've learned along the way is that people can
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: be really good at talk, you know, like making themselves
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  Speaker 1: seem like they know stuff really well, but you pretty
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  Speaker 1: quickly understand and notice that they're not as good as
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  Speaker 1: they want to, you know, come off us.
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  Speaker 2: So it's like, what, there are so many people that
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  Speaker 2: do that, that come up and tell you how much
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  Speaker 2: they know about things and how much you should know
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  Speaker 2: about things.
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  Speaker 3: But then the only people that seem to do.
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  Speaker 2: That a lot of the time other people that don't
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  Speaker 2: actually know much about that that they want you to
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  Speaker 2: feel smaller and make you feel like you're not good
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  Speaker 2: enough because you're a female.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah exactly, So I think it's important to understand that
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  Speaker 1: or you know, fake it to make it confidence wise,
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  Speaker 1: because we still kind of have to do that, and
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  Speaker 1: I still do it, like as a songwriter and stuff
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  Speaker 1: like that. In certain settings, I can be very like
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  Speaker 1: I just feel small, but then I realize, like, but
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  Speaker 1: I've done, Like my CV is so much better than
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  Speaker 1: this person, Like why am I even? Why am I
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  Speaker 1: doubting myself?
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  Speaker 2: Then?
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  Speaker 1: I think most girls, females want to always be the
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  Speaker 1: best and really good at something before they present something.
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  Speaker 1: I think, be more daring and being like if it's
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  Speaker 1: not completely finished, just go ahead and do it anyway,
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  Speaker 1: Like you don't always have to be perfect and amazing,
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  Speaker 1: because guys usually aren't so and they're doing it. I
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  Speaker 1: mean no offense to men, but you know what I mean,
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  Speaker 1: they'll be like, i've had one drum lesson, I'm a drummer.
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  Speaker 1: Like a girl would never do that, Like you would
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  Speaker 1: consider yourself a drummer when you've had maybe like a
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  Speaker 1: year of cheat you like, like there's a different vibe
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  Speaker 1: to the whole thing.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, So I wish.
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  Speaker 1: We could all be more confident because we we got
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  Speaker 1: this and we can do it. So I just want
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  Speaker 1: to see more girls.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: I think the other industry that comes up with the
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  Speaker 2: industry is that a lot of females because uh, you know,
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  Speaker 2: we always have to be the ones that stay home
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  Speaker 2: and have the kids and get married and everything like that,
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  Speaker 2: which makes it harder to be able to go out
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  Speaker 2: and play. When the men can, you know, they can
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  Speaker 2: go and do that, they don't end up being pregnant.
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  Speaker 2: I think might be a lot of the reason why
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: everyone drops off and they're not in the industry anymore.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but I think in that sense, Mona had her baby,
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: her first baby last year, and I think there's other
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: things happening soon here too, So I she's doing it.
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  Speaker 1: First of all, she has like a great partner, so
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  Speaker 1: they're doing like you know, and she's a full time musician.
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  Speaker 1: She's doing like shows with this big Swedish artist on
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: the weekends and stuff like that. So we have meetings
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  Speaker 1: and she's sitting there with her baby and we're doing
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: all that stuff. So it just kind of you know,
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  Speaker 1: I think it's different when you're the boss. Then you
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  Speaker 1: can do that. Maybe it's harder if you have another
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  Speaker 1: kind of job, but we definitely want to show women
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  Speaker 1: that you can have a career, you can be a mother,
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  Speaker 1: you can be all those things and still not forget
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  Speaker 1: about yourself, because I think that's what happens with a
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: lot of you know girls, that they just kind of
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  Speaker 1: go all in for parenting. And I mean, that's not
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  Speaker 1: wrong if that's your dream, but I also think it's weird.
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  Speaker 1: I know that maybe that sounded rude, or you can
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: definitely do both, That's what I'm saying.
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  Speaker 2: Also, speaking of Mona, she plays bass and guitar. Mm hmm, right,
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  Speaker 2: So how does it go on stage?
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  Speaker 3: Does they swap.
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  Speaker 2: Around from playing the bass or playing the guitar or
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: does she stick the guitar and played sort of the
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  Speaker 2: bass notes on the guitar.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: No, no, she we have a hired gun on stage,
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: so we bring in someone.
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: So does she mainly play the guitar on stage?
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: Es?
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: She mainly play the bass stage.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: Guitar is her main instrument, so she's always playing guitar.
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  Speaker 1: But I can add that Emily also played bass on
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  Speaker 1: three songs on this album.
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  Speaker 2: Okay, cool, that's good to know as well. All right,
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: so let you go if you like, because thank you
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: so much. I really appreciate your time.
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: Have you enjoyed it?
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: No, it's very warm, yell all nice? I really like
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: to be completely honest. It's bucket list like. We've never
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: toured in Australia, so I really hope that we can
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: with the Gems go over there and tour. Yeah,