Amanda Lucas and Audrey Cecil – a duo of dapper front-women for the Americana/Folk laced band Bridge 19 – are gaining quite a lot of traction as a result of the release of their brand new album, Riding on a Wire. Although aesthetic is not typically at the top of the songwriters’ list of priorities, it remains a constant for them as performers. I chatted with Bridge 19 about how fashion – particularly dapper fashion for women – plays a part in their life as musicians, as performers.
Abby Green: What is most important for you as a dapper musician?
Cecil: The world of music can be fickle. It’s an industry run by men, and we think mostly for men. Luckily, as independent artists we get to make all of our own choices. Women’s music is such an important thing. It’s important to us. I grew up and cut my teeth on amazing strong women who made music bravely in a time that is so different from now. Tracy Chapman, The Indigo Girls, women like that who were doing amazing things when I was growing up showed me that there was a place for me in music. I think especially today, in a world where women are so overly sexualized, it is important for us to be our authentic selves and keep the path that women before us paved clear for the next generation. Even the independent regional bands play a part in making music a viable option for girls who know they aren’t the status quo. We have Brandi Carlile, Tegan and Sara, Amanda Palmer, Ani Difranco, and bands like Slaeter-Kinney on the big stages doing awesome things right now too. It’s great.
Lucas: It’s important to be authentic and relate-able. There are so many female musicians that I idolized growing up, and they all had those qualities. Even though others have influenced our style over the years, it’s essential to express yourself by adding your own personality.
Photo by Birch & Pine
Abby Green: What makes you feel comfortable on-stage, aesthetically?
Cecil: Having a good hair day, feeling relaxed in my clothing. There’s a fine line between spending too little and too much time on what you wear for a performance. On stage, especially when you play instruments like we do, what you wear becomes an extension of your body; and as performers it becomes and extension of your identity. So being authentic and looking good always makes you feel more confident on-stage.
Lucas: The keys to comfort on-stage are good shoes and good underwear. Shoes are the cornerstone of every good outfit and it’s important to have good underwear so you can be comfortable when you’re moving around on stage. Everyone feels better in an awesome pair of undies.
Photo by Zyler Zoller
On dapperQ
Cecil: I’ve spent so much time on dapperQ’s site just looking at styles. There’s something really special about the feeling of community. When your style and identity aren’t reflected in mainstream media very often, it’s truly priceless to have a place to go for resources, ideas, and conversation. What dapperQ does is so important.
Abby Green: What’s next for Bridge 19?
Lucas: We’ll play some local/regional shows over the next few months, but will spend most of our time booking for 2016. We’re always working on new material, so we’ll write, arrange, and potentially record some new music as well. We hope to meet some of the dapperQ Community.
Bridge 19 is: Music with real passion, steel-toed drive, and the ability to fill the listener with intense wanderlust.
BRIDGE 19 ON YOUTUBE
RIDING ON A WIRE ON ITUNES
WEBSITE: www.bridge19.com
BRIDGE 19 ON FACEBOOK
Twitter & Instagram: @bridge19music
Article by Abby Green