Toxic Fem are performing during Sled Island on Wednesday, 10pm at Ship & Anchor & Saturday, 2pm at Pin-Bar.

Interview Audio:

Interview Transcript:

Willow (CJSW)
I’m Willow Pflueger with CJSW 90.9 FM. I am talking to Toxic Femme at Sled Island 26… 2026!

Nicole
Yeah, thats the year.

Willow (CJSW)
Would you mind introducing yourselves and your roles in the band?

Rory
Hi, I’m Rory. I am the drummer, and I like to make things.

Faith
Hi, my name is Faith. I’m the lead singer for Toxic Fem.

Nicole
My name’s Nicole. I play guitar and some backing vocals for Toxic Fem.

Emi
My name is Emi. I play bass, and I make most of the, most of the videos.

Willow (CJSW)
Awesome. How did you guys all meet each other?

Rory
Oh, this is quite a story. Okay, so TLDR, I was really lonely in high school, and I wanted friends,
so I went, you know what, I should start a band, so I wrangled together a couple of girls in my
high school and one that I met at a skate park, and we’re like, cool, we’re a punk band now,
and since then we’ve cycled through a couple members, but Faith and I remain, we stand tall,
we won the gauntlet, yeah,

Faith
And then yeah, a couple years into the band, we ended up getting Emi. We knew her through
friends.

Emi
So my dad and Rory’s dad had been friends for a long time, and they had been talking, and
Rory’s dad said, “Hey, my kids’ band needs a bass player.” I’d never played bass in my life, so I
decided I’d try out. I’d rent one and try out. Did not think I’d get in, and here I am, like four
years later.

Faith
And then for Nicole’s history with the band, we were in between guitarists, and we needed a
new guitarist, and so I made a post on Facebook. As kind of like a hail mary, like hopefully we
can find somebody. And I said that we wanted people between the age of 18 and 22 and Nicole
sent a message being like, I’m 23 is that okay? And she had just moved from the UK. I don’t
know if you want to.

Nicole
Yeah, I literally been in the country for one week. I was looking for a new band. You know,
though I was already starting to jam with some metal projects, because that’s my background,
and then I’m like, oh, these.. I didn’t want to say kids,

Faith
These kids.

Nicole
These people who are young and creative and are making something really exciting. I want, I
want in, I want to be part of it. So I auditioned, and then they brought me back for a second
one, annoyingly, but I think I think I did well enough.

Emi
We did that, actually.

Nicole
Yeah, you did that to me. And then it’s been two years now.

Willow (CJSW)
Sounds like a rigorous process to get into the band.

Nicole
Yeah, it was.

Willow (CJSW)
Can each of you name, like, an artist or genre that has shaped your music and what you like to
create?

Rory
So, I’m really inspired by, like, kind of the early American punk scene from, like, Naked Raygun,
really into Jawbreakers, so I definitely squeeze some little threads of emo into there when I can,
without them noticing. And then bands like The Gits, the Pixies, I know that’s a love that Emi
and I share, but kind of that grittier punk sound, I really love that.

Faith
I tend to be very inspired by, I mean, my main inspiration for writing songs and my vocal style
early on was definitely the Riot Girl movement, bands like Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna, you
know, while that remains one of my inspirations. I’ve also taken a lot of inspiration from singers
who combine those like gritty, those grittier instrumentals with, like, higher, cleaner vocals and
add, like, interest into their style, like I’m thinking singers like Gwen Stefani, like Courtney Love.
Like, and well, maybe I don’t necessarily agree with those people, their singing is inspirational
for me.

Nicole
For me, since I’ve been quite involved in making of the our new album, I’ve been really thinking
about how the sound has changed. I remember writing our new single, Night Witches, and that
was me trying to write a punk song, and it turned into something totally different and strange. I
think what inspires me, I’ve a bit more of like a metal core background, and I was listening to,
like, tracks by My Chemical Romance and the guitar riffs by Ray Toro, and I’m like, “oh, that’s
what I’m doing, that’s the sound.”

Emi
I just like, I really like something experimental, but like very garagey, like I love The White
Stripes. I love, I also like a soft spot for old grunge stuff, like I’m a.. I’m very Nirvana-inspired,
but I love just being versatile, being able to do anything that you want with a certain set of
skills, and I just.. I don’t know, that feels, that’s just what feels right to me.

Willow (CJSW)
Awesome. You guys mentioned your new album that you’re working on. How has it been
working on it?

Rory
It’s been two years.

Nicole
It’s been 84 years. Yeah, as soon as we came up with Night Witches, we started talking about
making an album, yeah, two years ago, wasn’t it? And I’ll let one of the others talk a bit more
about the theme that we’re going with, but it’s been very collaborative, we’ve all had a part to
play musically, which has been really interesting. I’ve come at the band with a lot of riffs.
They’ve helped me shape the structure of it and actually make it organized. Faith and Rory
have written a lot of lyrics for the for the album as well. Do you want to talk about the concept?

Faith
Yeah, so for the concept, the album’s called Say My Name, So I’ll Never Die, and the whole
concept of the album is taking these stories of women from history, from mythology, and from
all these different cultures and backgrounds, and trying to tell these stories through song. You
know, as modern day feminists, we recognize that we get to be here and we get to do the
things we do and say the things we say because of the work of women from the past and
throughout history, and so we’re very, very grateful to those women, and this is kind of our love
letter to that.

Rory
Yeah, I especially writing lyrics, I had a lot of fun with twisting stories, like kind of mythology. I
have one about a pirate who is from the 1800s. There’s like no actual documentation of her, it’s
just folklore. So I found an essay, actually like an academic analysis of how her story’s been
kind of retold to reflect the thinking and the like what things were being pushed back at at the
time and I kind of took that looked at how I feel about the world around us with things going on
with gender and sexuality and colonialism and the interplay of all those things and I had a lot of
fun writing my own little story about that, and I think that’s really what we did with a lot of
things, used certain stories to show how they can apply today, even if they took took place so
long ago.

Emi
I wasn’t really involved in the writing and the theme and that kind of stuff. I just, I play my
instrument, and I like to think that I do it kind of okay.

Willow (CJSW)
I know you guys have previously played at like fundraising events like the Skipping Stone, and
for the Calgary Food Bank, what is the motivation behind playing events like these?

Faith
I think for us politics have always been a big part of our, our statement, and our, and our work
and community building and community help and community resources, like we really want to
make sure that our community is a place that is strong, that is educated, and that supports one
another, because that’s something that’s really important to us.

Rory
I actually think this is a great opportunity to talk about something I’m working on right now, so
just yesterday the Alberta government decided to move forward with their closure of safe
consumption sites across Alberta, and it is really, really devastating, but for the last couple
months I’ve been helping put together a fundraising event for a really great local nonprofit
called Streetcats YYC, this show is going to take place on August 15. It’s yet to be announced,
but look out for that. But it’s, that’s the very essence of what we want to do, is there’s a
problem happening in our community, we’re talking about it, so we got to do something about
it, and we know that through music we have this special strength, this thing that people will
come together around, and it’s not just about music anymore, it’s the thing that puts everyone
in the same place, in the same network, which then empowers us to go make change in our
community in ways we really care about, and I think that’s really special. I thank promoters like
Rampant Slime Productions, who put together that food bank show, I guess annually now,
Tuesday Uprising for our Skipping Stones fundraiser, and it’s people like that who are really,
really helping.

Willow (CJSW)
That’s awesome. Yeah, and I can feel, like, I can definitely hear that in some of your songs, like
Danny DeVito especially. On the topic of, you know, community, Calgary. This is your Sled
Island debut. It’s your first time playing, what are you guys looking forward to?

Faith
I think for us, Sled has always just been like the thing to work for, and so we’re so excited to be
a part of it this year. I think that we’re excited to just get to be a part of this big event with all
these amazing bands, like we’re so excited to just participate more in our community with it,
and to get to like experience that. Yeah, do any of you have anything?

Rory
Yeah, let’s be real, Sled is the coolest. It’s like a whole week where I can just walk around any
corner and there’s some really cool event going on, and we get a wristband to just go be a part
of that, and we get to contribute to the coolness. That’s the best thing ever. And you know, I’ve
been going to Sled for years, so it’s just a really big moment for us to get to actually be on it.
And twice at that, that’s high five, guys. That’s cool.

Willow (CJSW)
That is awesome. I know you guys have also played other festivals, like the Community Fest
and Alternative Waves Music Festival. How do festivals differ from playing one-off shows?

Emi
They’re longer.

Nicole
Festivals are always a bigger piece of work for the people organizing them, like speaking to
Mark, who was really involved with Community Fest the other day, on Sunday, when we played,
and it’s just like the passion that goes into it is tenfold. There’s more artists, there’s more
connections, there’s more music. It’s a great opportunity for where the cost of living is a
problem, and venues are closing down. It’s hard to find a reason sometimes to go and see live
music and uphold these venues, but knowing that you’re going to a festival is wicked, because
you get to discover five new bands that you didn’t know about before, and this one’s a pretty
massive one. I don’t know if you guys have anything to add to that.

Faith
No, I think you said it. You said it.

Willow (CJSW)
Are there any bands in particular that you guys want to check out?

Faith
I’m gonna go see Sextile tomorrow night.

Rory
I’m actually really looking forward to Black Country New Road.

Emi
Me too. I’ll go to that with you, I think.

Nicole
No, I’m going into this blind. I didn’t want to have like a preconception about what bands I like,
so I’m excited to kind of just walk around and hopefully see something that I, you know, I’m not
always leaning towards heavier bands. Maybe I’ll discover something a little bit different. This is
the right place to do it, I think.

Rory
Right? Like, of all curators to trust the people who put together Sled, like I know they got me. I
don’t have to do my research. I can walk into any one of these shows and it could be something
I was not prepared for or don’t really care to seek out, but I’m gonna walk into that room, and
it’s gonna be dope.

Faith
It’s gonna be the best of the best. Yeah.

Emi
If no one got me, I know Sled Island got me.

Willow (CJSW)
Okay, so what is the process of writing songs look like for you guys? I know you touched on it a
little bit. Is it like super collaborative?

Faith
I think that our songwriting process has changed a lot over the years, and I also think that our
songwriting process changes per song. Normally, what happens, so I, I’m the primary
songwriter lyrically, I don’t, I can’t play an instrument to save my life, but I’m the primary
songwriter lyrically, but Rory and Emmy also help write lyrics, or will write songs for projects,
but most of the time it’s either someone brings lyrics, and then we write around those lyrics, or
it’s Nicole brings a demo and we write around, we write lyrics around that demo. I think
normally we used to do it where, like, I would bring a million lyrics to everybody, and be like,
sort through these and find things you like until they’re good, and then you know, it’s not a
terrible process, but it’s definitely streamlined things for us to have Nicole making demos that
are just like you can fully see the vision and like get lyrics in for them. It just makes them feel
like more complete projects sometimes.

Nicole
Yeah, it definitely helps speed things up. One song that does come to mind that was the most
difficult to write from the album. I don’t know if you guys remember the pain we have trying to
write the music for Pirate song. I think we went through about five versions. There was one
time where we thought we ripped off a Green Day song while we were writing,

Rory
Because they write every pop riff, it’s not, it’s their fault, it’s not ours.

Emi
I mean, Danny DeVito came from trying to play Longview very incorrectly.

Rory
This is a, this is a Death Note to Billie Joe Armstrong.

Nicole
Where was I going with that? Yeah, and it’s just a lot of trial and error and jamming in that
situation, because I had a bit of a brief to write a pirate song. I took it too literally, and then
Rory sends me an audio message over text of you playing bass. Do you remember? And it’s like
eight notes. One day I’m gonna put that out there.

Rory
It’s not that many!

Nicole
It’s quite a few notes, and Roy’s just like, “Here you go, Nicole, now make a song, and I’m like,
“All right then.” And you know what, it turned out all right.

Rory
Listen, listen, I got a bass, I’ve been learning bass, I got a little plugin, so that I can run my bass
straight to my phone to GarageBand, and it’s gonna be all your guys’ problem. Mark my words.

Emi
Gunning for my job again.

Willow (CJSW)
If you guys could switch roles with anyone in the band, who would it be?

Nicole
Anyone in this band?

Emi
We already know what Rory wants to do.

Faith
Okay, okay, so are we switching, are we switching actual roles? Or are we like switching
bodies? Are we freaky Friday?

Willow (CJSW)
Oh, switching roles, but maybe both.

Faith
Switching roles to answer the original question. Probably, probably Nicole, for me, I would
probably rather play lead guitar, just because I’ve always wanted to learn how to play guitar,
I’m not very good at it. I would love to be able to shred the way she does that, and she does
make it look so cool. That would be that would be my dream swap.

Rory
I love rhythm, I’m a drummer, it’s, you know, predictable, but I would play bass, because that’s
that’s what I miss a lot, is I’ll be playing drums, and I’ll come up with some little, little ditty, and
I have a melody for it in my head, but if my hands can’t make the melody come out, then it’s
it’s lost on everyone, and I, that’s why I’ve enjoyed about learning bass, and I just, I love giving
melody to the rhythm.

Nicole
I’d swap roles with Emi. I need to have a guitar in my hands, but I’m too awkward to have a
microphone where I have to talk at people, and I’m too.. I have too much of an ego to be at the
back at the drum kit, so I would swap with Emi.

Emi
Screw you two.

Nicole
And I will answer the second part of that question. I would swap bodies with Faith, because
she’s very tall, and being at concerts would be a lot easier.

Emi
I don’t know, I like where I am, but if I were to do anything, I think honestly I would, if I were
good at it. I’d want to do, I want to sing, but I’m not very good at it.

Faith
I was gonna say notice how no one wants to be the lead singer, but you’re brave.

Emi
I would do it. I’m just not good at.

Willow (CJSW)
Maybe you guys can have a show where you all switch.

Faith
It would go so poorly.

Rory
I’ve been gunning for this. I’ve been trying to make it happen. They won’t let me.

Faith
Who will drum?

Rory
It’s not that hard, guys. Come on, you just hit things. Come on.

Willow (CJSW)
Okay. Final question, do you guys have any plans for future shows, and like, when the album
might be coming out?

Faith
So the album is coming out, hopefully end of this month, early next month.

Nicole
I’ll talk about it. I’ll lay it out on the table. This album has so much potential, and it has to be
perfect, kind of. So we’re going to put it out when it’s perfect. It won’t be too long. It’s not going
to be six months away. So keep tuned. In the meantime, we do have our new single, Night
Witches, just to, you know, keep people happy for now. So not too much longer to wait. We do
have some exciting shows coming up.

Rory
Yes, I have been pulling some strings out on the West Coast, and by pulling some strings, I
mean begging every band we’ve ever played with from BC, but it looks like we’re gonna be
doing a quick short and sweet little mini tour, starting in Chilliwack, and then Vancouver
mainland, and then Kamloops, and then Fernie. I confirmed most of it today, guys. Can’t give
any more details than that so that I don’t screw anything over.

Emi
I’m so excited for that.

Rory
Oh, and that’s that’s early July, like July 2, starting. So, BC, look out for Toxic Fem.

Emi
Be aware.

Faith
One last thing that I just want to say on the subject of the album is that our album was the
reason that there’s delays is because it’s been an entirely DIY operation. We have done, like,
we created the video that went along with the single, was all Emmy’s work, all the single art,
the album art was all Rory’s work, and Nicole has been working by herself to record, mix and
master this entire album, and it’s her baby, it’s not coming out till it’s absolutely perfect. So
we’re so excited to share with you guys, but just know it’s been an entirely DIY operation, so
we’re excited for you to hear all our hard work.

Willow (CJSW)
I’m so excited to hear it when it comes out. Thank you so much.

Nicole
Thanks for having us.

Faith
Thank you, Willow.

Rory
Thank you, Willow. Woohoo! Yay!