When I met Firstsex, the bubblegum-punky duo of Elena Childers and Nikki Sisti, they handed me a Jägerbomb. It’s a drink I haven’t thought about since college, but the pair are bringing back in style. Just like the effects of a Jägerbomb, Firstsex is all about fun. In reclaiming their sexuality, Childers and Sisti write songs packed with keytar riffs and tchotchkes chronicling the trials and tribulations of relationships and the kind of thoughts shared at sleepovers. Listening to Firstsex is an invitation to enter the duo’s sacred coven— their very own girl world.
Today, Firstsex released their second single, “C.U.N.T.” off their debut LP Forever Flirt, out June 6th. Upbeat and unfiltered, C.U.N.T. stands for “Can U Never Text Me,” and details the irritated frustration felt when a toxic ex hits your line. Be sure to watch the single’s music video directed by Connor James and mark your calendar for Firstsex’s release show on the Sultan Rooms Rooftop this Saturday.
Can you introduce yourselves?
Elena Childers: I’m Elena Childers, I’m a singer slash keytar player.
Nikki Sisti: I’m Nikki. I’m 5’9 and I’m a Gemini. I love the color purple, I sing and I play a bunch of weird little tchotchkes. I also program the drum machine and the synths and play keytar.
The keytar?
Nikki: Yes, the keytar, There’s no guitar in our band. I love guitar and play it in my other band, THICK, but I was so sick of writing with the guitar. Firstsex is a guitar-less band.
How did you two meet?
Elena: We met when I was a music journalist. I wrote for Alt Citizen, but for six years I was a full-time music journalist for a place called Breakthrough Radio. They shut down after the pandemic. I was covering this music festival that used to be in the Catskills called Meltasia. I got there, shoddily pitched my tent, and it just so happened to be next to where Nikki’s band THICK was set up.
Nikki: That’s how we met. It was one of those things where we were like, cool, we’re instantly best friends now, we’re gonna be hanging out the whole festival, and that’s what happened.
Did your involvement in your other music projects shape Firstsex’s sound?
Elena: After Meltasia, I befriended all of THICK and was constantly going on tour with them. Like I said, I was a music journalist at first, and then a few years ago, right before Firstsex started, I went through a horrible breakup. I wasn’t a music journalist anymore, and I was like, I’m depressed. Then, Nikki offered for me to come on tour with THICK. That was definitely a pivotal moment for me because I was like, well, now I’m on tour, but I’m useless. I don’t know what I’m doing.
Nikki: You are not useless.
Elena: I was so used to writing about everything and keeping a tour diary. So, instead of a tour diary, I just bonded with the ladies.
Nikki: On this tour, we all possessed a really beautiful relationship and called ourselves the Women’s Wellness Band. We talked therapy, healing, everything witchy and tarot. We were always talking and going through shit together.
Before that tour, I was going through a sexual awakening. I’m married now, but I was going to get engaged and was freaking out. That was happening, and at the same time, I was getting writer’s block with THICK. I was so over bar chords and pop punk. I wanted to write about this sexuality that was repressed, of being desired, or expressing it in a safe way. I decided that I was going to write music that wasn’t pop punk and wasn’t angry either, because many of my THICK songs are aggressive. For Firstsex, I wanted to write from a lens where I do need or want somebody, and I want them to want me, and there’s no shame attached to it. Also, in his new project, no guitars or drummers were allowed. Only bass and a Casio.
Elena: I was like, lucky you, I don’t play any instruments.
Nikki: While I was going through my own issues, Elena was going through her own experience of heartbreak and rage. She’s always down for everything, so I was like… let’s start a band?
Elena: I remember, I came in with a poem I wrote, and it was 4am, and Nikki was like, “that’s amazing, let’s do that. What else you got?” I was dealing with my feminine rage, Nikki was dealing with her repressed sexuality. The combination made what we have now, which is sexy, rageful songs.
Nikki: When I talk about repressed sexuality, that was no one else’s fault but my own and a product of my own weird relationship with femininity. I thought being feminine was weak and dressing up cute means you’re not taken seriously. I’m very masc on stage in my other band, which I love. But for Firstsex, I wanted to wear tall boots and a bikini top. Not to be objectified, but to reclaim power.
You guys have talked about being inspired by witchcraft. How has that influenced your music?
Elena: Me and Gillian, who used to play with us, were very witchy. We were very much like, okay, it’s a new moon, that means manifestation. It’s a full moon, that means releasing. So at the time, before the band was even made, I’d be like, come over for a full moon, we’re going to do shadow work.
Nikki: Yeah, we’re doing a lot of shadow work journals.
What is shadow work?
Elena: Shadow work is when you tap into the things you’re ashamed of. Jealousy, anger, things that society says you should not feel. But, when you think about it, it’s there for a reason, to protect you, right? I like to call it spicy therapy.
Nikki: Our nights were filled with martinis and shadow work journals. One of our songs, called Coven, was inspired by shadow work. The lyrics are, “Breathe me in, I’ll breathe you out, I’ll let you in and I’ll let you down.” The chorus resembles a spell.
Elena: I call it sex magic.
Nikki: Coven is all about female friendships.
Female friendships are important to me too. That being said, I was wondering, as a girl band, are you guys inspired by Riot Grrrl?
Elena: Oh, Riot Grrrl? Of course.
What do you think Riot Grrrl’s place is in the current political moment?
Elena: Honestly, I feel like I’ve been seeing more and more Riot Grrrls pop up. This year, even. This weekend is the Loud Women Festival and I’ve also been seeing a lot of people on TikTok talking about Riot Grrrl.
Nikki: I mean, Riot Grrrl is necessary. You have to have that movement. Riot Grrrls, I would like to think, hold themselves accountable for a lot of things. They’re aware of their blind spots. Especially, when they were first starting out in the 90s. I love Bikini Kill and I’ve read all of Kathleen Hanna’s books. I’m very inspired by her ethos, especially the ethos of, you don’t have to know what you’re doing to start a band, as long as you have a message. That inspired me to start THICK and do what I do.
On a separate note, can you guys tell me a little bit more about your upcoming album?
Nikki: Forever Flirt.
Elena: Forever Flirt. Because we’re a couple of Geminis.
Nikki: It’s going to be ten songs, possibly eleven if we can pull off the club remix. Today, we were looking at the track list and Elena arranged the songs in a story order.
Elena: First, I put 4am because you’re in a relationship, and you’re kind of like, whatever, this is fun, I’m compromising and lowering my standards. Then, is Insatiable Temptation, this is where you’re starting to notice something’s wrong in the relationship. After that, is Diet Cheat Lite, when you discover you’ve been cheated on. Next, is C.U.N.T., “Can U Never Text Me?, that’s when you’re trying to reinforce boundaries of no contact with your ex. Coven is next up, you’re terrified but you got your girls. Short Kings and Dial Up are when you’re starting to feel like yourself again, feeling flirty, and letting love back in. The last song, Crazy Bitch is when you fall back in love with yourself.
Do you guys use a sampler when you play?
Nikki: I use an SP404. I basically put everything in pro tools, and just transfer it in there. When we play live, we press play. Vocals and tchotchkes aren’t in the mix.
What about the keytar?
Elena: That’s not in there. We do that live baby.
Nikki: Now, we have a drummer (Tess Fulkerson) to play along with the drum machine and a bassist (Andrea Scanniello). My punk heart was craving cymbals.
What excites you most about the new album?
Elena: To get it out there.
Nikki: Doing it, celebrating it, the release party, a rooftop show with friends.
Elena: I was thinking of burning five CDs and placing them all around Bushwick. If you show up to our show with one of the CDs, you’ll get in for free.
What can people expect from your release show at the Sultan Room rooftop?
Elena: We’ve been called, quote, “the party girls of New York City”
Nikki: Titties out, no smiles.
Elena: Cocaine, friendship, vapes. We’re also going to have tattoos.
Nikki: Our friend Shadow is going to come and do pop up tattoos. Also, get ready for Jägerbomb specials.
Elena: Choreographed dancing, drinks, partying….
Listen to “Diet Cheat Lite” and “C.U.N.T.”