Former angst-ridden Glendale teens plan the post-2016 future of Go Betty Go
It’s been nearly two weeks since the presidential election, and Go Betty Go singer Nicolette Vilar is still audibly dismayed when the subject comes up. She’s not, she says, all right about it all, feeling as if she’s been punched square in the face.
It’s relevant, because when Go Betty Go formed in 2001, they were the latest in a line of pioneering all-girl rock bands from the L.A. area, a list that included the Runaways, the Go-Gos, the Bangles and L7.
As 2016 approaches, it’s a little easier to be a female in the traditionally testosterone-fueled rock world because of the work put in by those bands. Even outside of the music world, those musicians did much to empower women. In the face of the forthcoming regime, that strength may be more important than ever.
“When you look at how few female bands there were, even 15 years ago when we started, there’s a huge, huge improvement in that, and I’m so happy and so grateful to those women who went first,” Vilar said in a phone interview. “It might have been really hard for them. I don’t know because I don’t know them personally. I have to say that I’ve had a really great experience as a female musician.”
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FOR THE RECORD
11/29, 9:24 a.m.: A previous photo caption for this story incorrectly credited the photographer. The photo is courtesy of Tommasi Boddi, not Galex Tcruz.
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Vilar, who does vocals, along with her sister Aixa Vilar, who plays the drums, guitarist Betty Cisneros and bassist Michelle Rangel, came together in 2001 as a group of fired-up, raw-but-talented, attitude-heavy teens and soon found themselves getting national attention, thanks in part to the two albums they recorded for SideOneDummy Records, the “Worst Enemy” debut and 2005’s “Nothing Is More.”
The band performed on Warped Tours, did a lot of press, got a lot of fans. And then it all started to go wrong.
In 2006, Nocolette Vilar left the band in the midst of in-band fighting, complicated by the fact that her sister was still in the group. Emily Wynne-Hughes sang for the band between 2006 and 2010, and then Go Betty Go split up.
“We were teenage rocker chicks from Glendale, and we were very good friends at first,” Nicolette Vilar said. “Then the tours happened, and all of the crazy commotion that comes with that at a very young age. Then I went off on my own, and we didn’t hang out, the four of us, for years.”
“Toward the end of 2005 when ‘Nothing Is More’ was released, the band was in trouble, even at what seemed like the peak of our career,” Aixa Vilar said via email. “There were personal issues that weren’t handled correctly and, like in any relationship, when something is dusted off and not taken head on, it will crumble. When Nicolette left the band in 2005, I had one of the biggest heartbreaks of my life. It was devastating because the band was all we knew at the time.”
As it turns out, the band’s breakup lasted for only two years. In 2012, the original lineup, complete with Nicolette Vilar, reformed for what was initially supposed to be one performance. But, more mature than they used to be and with a newfound drive, they recorded the aptly titled “Reboot” EP and haven’t looked back.
“It’s very special to have that connection with four people that have known each other for that long,” Nicolette Vilar said. “There’s a trust there, and when we get together and we write, we’re very productive, which is nice. And we’re friends, too, so it’s almost like the best of everything. None of the bad. The only bad is that we don’t have the time that we had when we were teenagers.”
Whether Go Betty Go is able to reach the same levels of success that it achieved the first time around remains to be seen. The band members seem to be a lot happier now, but there’s a lot to be said for the fire and on-the-brink nature of being a band of angry teens. Contentment doesn’t necessarily breed exciting music.
But, so far, the signs have been good. The “Reboot” EP had gotten favorable reviews, and the live shows haven’t displayed any signs of apathy. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“Music is going to be about the strong things in your life, like love, hate, your relationships,” Nicolette Vilar said. “I wrote a song about an ex-boss of mine. It’s fun to be able to vent a little in your music. It’s funny how I can’t seem to write a love song because I often am in love when I’m writing, but I feel like that’s private and that’s not something I’ve allowed myself to do. But maybe next time.”
The election has certainly given the band food for thought, and Aixa Vilar said that she has never seen the country more divided, with disputes ongoing between friends, colleagues and family members.
“It’s important to stand up for what you believe in and what is right,” Aixa Vilar said. “There has been a lot of disrespect for women, minorities and those who feel like they are living in the shadows. As a woman, I feel empowered because I do know that if you put your mind and efforts into anything you want to accomplish, it is possible.”
On Dec. 17, Go Betty Go will play Mal’s Bar, 2331 Hill St., in downtown Los Angeles and, after that, the band will be focusing on a new record.
“We’re writing, and there will be one,” Nicolette Vilar said. “We’re probably going to have a few songs written in the next four months, and hopefully look at getting the next EP out by the end of next year.”
For more information, go to facebook.com/GoBettyGoOfficial.
Callwood is a contributor to Times Community News.