Brooklyn’s own Sharkmuffin are a volatile mix of garage, pop, and punk (not to mention budding ice cream makers). Led by Tarra Thiessen (guitar and vocals) and Natalie Kirch (bass and vocals), Sharkmuffin take blaring, fuzz-heavy guitar riffs and dress them up with melodies that are simultaneously bouncy and chock full of venom. The pair have released several successful EPs since 2013, and have working alongside a slew of awesome collaborators that’s far too massive to list here (check out their FB for full deets). Now, with their upcoming debut LP, Chartreuse, due out this August, we caught up the band to get the skinny on a few of their favorite things.
From hot sauce and hummus to beach houses and tarot cards, check out what keeps Sharkmuffin inspired and satisfied.
1. Chartreuse
It’s our favorite color, a French liqueur made by Carthusian Monks with a secret recipe & the title of our debut LP!
2. Beach Houses
RIP 1938-2012
We named our 2nd EP after our bassist’s Natalie’s beach house at the Jersey Shore. It was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy but now it is back for us to write more songs in this summer!
3. Adventures and Art
We love traveling & everything that goes along with it. Long drives, reading, taking Polaroids, meeting new people and writing about it.
4. Botany
Fire escape gardens, happy kale plants, friends’ medicinal weed farms.
5. Hot Sauce
Everyone’s favorites: Tarra: Cholula; Natalie: Slap Ya Mama; Sharif: Siracha; Davey: Dave’s Gourmet Ghost Pepper.
6. Optimystic Psychic Stuff
Tarot cards, astrology, crystals, sage smudging & Alan Watts philosophy vids.
7. Gear
We are total gear heads. Death By Audio Fuzz Pedals, theremins, pocket pianos, vintage keyboards (Rhodes, Wulitzers, clavinets) & amps that are bigger than Natalie Kirch.
8. Hummus
9. Vinyl
10. GP STRIPES
Genre/record label/lifestyle.
Chartreuse is due out August 7 via State Capitol / Little Dickman Records.