Artist Spotlight

In this month’s artist spotlight we bring to you Philadelphia-based rock band, KulfiGirls!

Jen Kendra: Thank you for taking the time to speak to us at Black Noise magazine about the band KulfiGirls. We are excited to learn more about you all. How did you come up with the name KulfiGirls?

Abi Natesh: My younger sister, who was in high school at the time, came up with it because she hated the original name which was something like “Madras Mangos”.

JK: When and how did you form the band?

AN: I started it with my partner Joan sometime early 2021. We had just begun dating and it started out as just jamming together, and it took off from there. Steph joined in 2022 and Ade later that year.

JK: You are a four-piece rock band. Who are the members of the band and what does each member do?

AN: Abi - Vocalist and Veena player
Joan - Guitarist
Steph - Bassist
Ade - Drums

JK: How did each of you get into making music? Are any of you formally trained?

AN: Music was always a part of my life. My gma was a singer as well and she encouraged me in carnatic music. I just started taking vocal lessons for western music! I grew up with carnatic vocal lessons, then piano and viola for a few years, picked up veena, and then learned guitar. I started writing music on the guitar and piano and then transitioned to writing melodies on my veena during covid.

Stephanie Ruberti-Bruning: I grew up in a pretty musical family and as a kid, I always found myself picking up whatever instrument needed playing in our jams. I had some formal training in school and was a music teacher before I became a social worker, but am mostly self-taught.

Adesola Ogunleye: No one in my family is a musician. I grew up as a huge music lover, no matter the genre, and always wanted to play drums. When I moved to Philly and went to DiPinto Guitars with my ex-husband (great, historic guitar shop in Philly!) we came across a sign for drum lessons and he pushed me to just do it already. My beginner lessons were from Jon Kois, a progressive metal drummer, who I owe a lot to . He gave me wonderful tips and tricks and was the one who pushed me into getting into any band to build my chops. After joining my first band shortly after ending drum lessons, I mostly learned playing through that process and have had lessons here and there that have helped tighten my chops.

Joan Natesh: I took piano lessons as a kid, and in my early 20’s I started taking violin lessons. I’ve never been to more than a few guitar lessons throughout my life, which I sort of regret haha. I think as a result of being mostly self-taught with guitar I’ve picked up some bad habits, which I’d like to try and correct by taking lessons again.

JK: Have you been in other bands?

AN & JN: Nope.

SB: I’ve been in so many bands over the years, it’s hard to keep track. I was in a band called the Meta in the 2010s (before the Facebook rebrand), I put out my own solo music (Awkward Bird) and also play with my longtime friend Brian under the name Bruning & Chase. Check that stuff out if you are curious about some of the weird folk music I play that has no place anywhere near KulfiGirls.

AO: I was in my first band for 6 years, which was a garage rock/dance punk vibe. I won’t name them because my separation from them was filled with racist policing. Outside of Kulfi I am in another band called SOJI, which I started after leaving my first band. It’s a femme, queer hardcore band. Very aggressive and for me empowering to have representation in that genre of music.

JK: Where are you all from and did that shape the music you make?

AN: I’m from “not that close to Philly but close enough that I just say Philly”. My family is from Tamil Nadu which is in South India. I grew up listening to only Indian music and I think that really shapes the kind of music that I like to make which is progressive.

SB: I’m from the Philly area and have been in the city for most of my adult life, although I did spend a part of my childhood in upstate New York. The music scene in this city has definitely shaped my perspective.

AO: I’m from all over the place. Born in Lagos, Nigeria I moved to the states when I was young and spent a lot of time in Laurel, Maryland before moving to Alexandria, Virginia and then south to North Carolina where I find influenced a lot of my DIY way of living and community. A lot of my friends in NC created spaces for music when there was none such as folks, pop, metal, grindcore, punk, alternative, electronic, and so much more. And through that the extension of what it means to really look out for each other. My drumming style is all over the place because of this exposure and I love that.

JK: This is your debut album. What was it like to record the album and can you tell us about it? Where is it available?

AN: It was stressful as I’d never recorded professionally before where time really is money. We made a lotttt of mistakes recording this album but it’s a learning lesson for the next one. I also had a ton of fun recording the small stuff and rewriting songs (which you should never do on studio time). The acoustic side of the album was also stressful because I’m really good at procrastinating but we made our deadlines and I’m very happy with it.

JN: Like Abi said, it was pretty stressful at the time; I was in the middle of writing my PhD thesis and Abi and I were also in the process of moving into a new home, so our attention was spread very thin. We’re all very proud of how it turned out though! There was a lot done outside the studio too, like overdubs and harmonies and other production stuff which we did at home, and I enjoyed that part of the process the most I think.

JK: What kind of music would you consider that album to be?

AN: We are staunchly somewhere in the pop to rock genre I believe.

AO: I think one of the wonderful things about this band is that you can’t really pin down a genre. We find a lot of joy out of being creative and exploring different types of music. The 4 of us have very diverse backgrounds and I believe it shows in how we write together and I believe that thread will continue to lead us into continuing to push the envelope on classifying and refusing to be put in a box. I’d rather play and find a spark in something that no one, including us, would see coming.

JK: Your album represents two sides – studio and acoustic. This is very interesting. Why did you feel the need to have both on the album?

AN: BIG cash grab (jk). Joan and I wrote all our songs acoustically before Ade and Steph added their magic. So the acoustic side is a homage to the early days in Joan’s attic where we discovered our sound. I also think the veena sounds amazing when we play the songs slower than they are on the studio version; it really lets the sound linger.

JK: You make Carnatic music and use the Saraswati veena in your tracks. Can you explain what those are and how important it is to your heritage?

AN: I would hesitate to call the music we write carnatic, in a way. I do play a carnatic instrument, but the way it’s played could be considered sacreligious. I take what is generally considered a religious instrument to, more often than not, a grimey bar and have to sit on the floor. I consider myself culturally Hindu so it does feel slightly disrespectful, but I have a mat that I sit on and take my shoes off to play. It’s hard to enforce the no shoes on the religious mat when a show is happening tho because people have to move around the stage for various reasons. This does hurt the soul, but I love sharing the veena with people and one day I’ll have a lil riser to sit on where I can properly show my respect.

JK: The album is about “themes of transformation, acceptance, and coming of age”. Can you tell us about a few of the songs and what they mean?

AN: Araro is a song we wrote when I was going through a rocky time in my life where I wasn’t sure what I was doing and I had all this pressure from my parents about what my future would be. It turned into an angsty song with a big release of emotion at the end where I feel like I’m letting go of their expectations of me and embracing my own.

JN: Divinity (the title track) is like, an abstraction of a transgender experience. It can be interpreted in other ways too though. I just thought it would be fun to write an edgy song about transitioning where it’s supernatural and spooky like a possession or something, but in a euphoric, transcendent kind of way if that makes sense haha. It’s sort of leaning into a negative narrative that cis people have about people in their life who transition, but turning it around and having fun with it out of spite :) Abi thought it was a cool idea and we worked closely together on the lyrics for this track. It’s a theme that we’ve considered exploring further in the next record.

JK: You collaborate with jungle and ambient breakbeat artist CosineVi. What was that like and do you collaborate with anyone else on the album?

JN: CosineVi is an incredible artist and everyone should check her stuff out. She released an album earlier this year called Perennial which is very good. She’s a friend of ours and it was such a privilege to work with her. Insta: @cosine_vi

Roshni Samlal is an NYC artist who plays tabla on FoF and was an absolute pleasure to work with! She really elevated that track to another level. You can catch her live performances in NYC if you’re in the area. Insta: @roshni_samlal

Ryan Barry is another NYC jazz artist and good friend of ours who plays sax on one of our tracks, Ugly. He has a new album coming out soon, “If I Did Not Speak Out”, which we’re excited to hear! Insta: @rbarrymusic

JK: Is there anyone else you want to work with in the future?

AN: I’d love to work with more Desi artists in the future.

AO: I think it would be cool to do more work with electronic diverse artists like Moor Mother. It’d be cool to see how they translate what we’re doing.

JK: Who are some of your musical influences?

AN: A.R.Rahman, Mitski, Sufjan Stevens, MCR, Charli xcx just to name a few.

AO: Oof mine are all over the place. Nas, Interpol, Queens of the Stone Age, Bjork, Missy Elliot, En Vogue, He Is Legend, At the Drive-In, The Faint, The Death Set, just to name a few.

JK: What messages do you hope to convey through your music and are any causes important to you?

AN: To be yourself is to be free, but also if your true self is a boot licker, maybe don’t.

AO: We all gotta look out for each other because the government sure as hell doesn’t care. We have to give a damn about others whether or not you can personally relate or understand. At the end of the day we all know when something bad is going on. We have to be okay with being a bit uncomfortable, ask questions, educate ourselves, and step up for each other. Not knowing what to do is not an excuse anymore not to help. Also check your ego and be open to learning something new and being wrong.

JK: You identify as queer and are people of color which is not widely accepted in India. How does being vocal about this help others?

AN: I think our shows turn into a magnet for queer people of color. Especially brown folk who usually are excluded from their families. It’s nice. I know I lean on them for support since my fam is the same way.

AO: I can speak to this being a Black, queer, musician who is femme in the punk scene. It’s huge. The amount of parents who come to SOJI shows and have mentioned the impact it is to see us different types of women crushing on stage. How their kids were so excited and now want to pick up an instrument and know that they can sound and present however the hell they want is so beautiful. And with KulfiGirls it’s an extension of that because folks our age who feel like they’ve “aged out” of learning a new instrument or being in a band are immediately gone. It gives others a sense of confidence to pursue music or anything else creatively and I feel honored to be part of that.

JK: You have made music videos. What was that experience like, who did you work with, and how did you make sure that your vision came to life?

AN: We got to work with Carmen Chan, Ryan Zimmerman, and so many other folk who were amazing at producing and working with us on this project. There was so much effort everyone put in. Joan and I had the concept and we had some scenes that we pitched and they really helped make that vision come thru.

JN: The Bite music video was a lot of fun! Carmen, Ryan, and the rest of the gang were so professional and pleasant to work with - it’s become a gold standard of sorts for our collaborative projects with artists and producers moving forward.

SB: The music video was hell for me, as my child was only a few months old when we were filming. I had no time and felt lifeless during the process. Luckily, no one’s looking at the bass player most of the time!

AO: The Bite music video was a hectic shoot but it was a ton of fun. We got to film at Rowhouse Grocery in south philly who are lovely folks and let us take over the space for a day. I loved playing drums in a closet lol...

JK: The artwork on the album is quite beautiful. Who is the artist, and do they also do the amazing artwork on your flyers?

AN: The artist is Kush, @Kushiaania on insta, and I actually commissioned the artwork two years before the album even came out because I knew I wanted to work with her so badly. Her art really drew me in and she created exactly what I envisioned for the album. For flyers, I usually use my amazing friend Meaghan, @thefumblingartist on insta, from college who’s art has always been so inspirational to me.

JK: You perform live in many different settings. What is that like and are there any upcoming shows that we might see you at?

AN: It’s always fun to see what type of crowd the atmosphere will attract and generally I think we usually win a few people over even if it’s not our scene. Our next show will be opening for Pinkshift in Philly, Aug 27th at Ukie Club!

JK: Do any of you experience a sense of stage fright and if so, how do you overcome that?

SB: I’m too used to playing to have stage fright anymore. But I do encourage the band to do a check-in/grounding exercise before most of our shows. My hope is that it improves our collective headspace as we take the stage.

AO: I have an anxiety disorder so I always have stage fright whenever I perform. Steph’s newly implemented grounding exercise has been a welcome addition. Outside of this, I’ve gotten used to playing with my eyes closed once I have a general sense of how the kit is set up. Just in case I get too anxious haha. I also practice breathing exercises while I play so the anxiety doesn’t have me speed up way too fast while we play. Also just locking in with the rest of the band and checking in via eye contact is great and we just be giggling all the time. I love this band so much haha.

JK: How do you get your audience involved?

AN: We always teach the Tamil chant in Bite that happens at the end, “un maanum nassama po” which is a curse on someone’s honor and dignity. I love making people say it first then explaining what it means.

JK: What is your advice to other up-and-coming musicians?

AN: This isn’t always obvious especially to folks who are just starting out, but making good music isn’t just about being good at your instrument haha. That’s an important part for sure, but seeing the “big picture” and having a feel for arrangement, etc., is more rare I think and can make you stand out even as an intermediate-level musician.

AO: It’s okay and very helpful to start your journey playing your favorite artists’ music but don’t get stuck on that. When you’re playing, think about what brings you joy, anger, peace, sadness, whatever and put that in your music. What sounds do you like, how can you play an instrument in a different way than you usually here/see. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or being perfect immediately, it all takes time and that’s okay! Try different instruments and genres, go to shows (alone and solo), talk to the performers. Put yourself out there and find people who genuinely fuck with you and want to see you succeed, and care about you and it’ll fall into place.

JK: Do you have other artistic/creative pursuits?

AN: Nah, this project sucks all the creative juices out of me. I like to play video games in my free time.

AO: As I mentioned earlier, I’m also in a punk band that is just as active as KulfiGirls (yes I am tired all the time haha). I’m also a visual artist focusing on heavy black and white illustrations. I’m also one of the organizers for a BIPOC punk festival in Philly, Break Free Fest. Outside of Break Free, I’m an event organizer which is a ton of fun.

JN: I like to produce electronic and pop music. Nothing official at this time, just something Abi and I do for fun.

JK: Is being in this band a full-time thing for all of you?

AN: Hell no, being in this band is like a part time job on top of my full time job. You gotta make money to lose money in music.

SB: I’m a full-time social worker and a mom to a young child. KulfiGirls is a dream, but I am pulled in too many directions to do this full time. Economic realities make being a full-time musician unfeasible, even if it would be a dream.

AO: Echoing what Steph said. I’m in 2 up-and-coming bands that I love. I’d love them to be full time but this economy won’t let me do that. I’m hoping that will change but if all I ever get from playing part time in this band is to hang out with 3 wonderful, talented, amazing humans and have a good time? That’s more than enough for me.

JK: What is next for you all in both life and art?

AN: Another KG album and hopefully some duo pop music from me and Joan!

SB: I am beyond excited about making the next KulfiGirls album. I’m also excited to be raising a wonderful child with my partner. I have some other musical ideas I’m working on, we’ll see if I can find the time to bring them into being!

AO: New KulfiGirls album baby! I love the 3 new ones we have already and really am stoked to see what else comes from our wild brains in the next year. My other band SOJI just played the main stage at a big festival this summer opening up for Ice-T’s Body Count. We’re also working on a new album and going on tour this October back to NC so that’s going to be very special for me. We’re also hosting our second session of an event called Black Pearl, which makes space for BIPOC femmes looking for community in the rock, punk, and alternative scenes. We need more of us out in front and taking space and uplifting our voices. Personally, I’ll be spending a lot of time working on events, snuggling with my animals, and making space to spend as much time with my friends as possible.


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