Q&A: Mary Shelley on Live Energy, Rituals and Letting It Rip
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ INTERVIEW BY SYDNEY TATE ☆
Photo By Melody Berkery
IF YOU’VE EVER LEFT A SHOW FEELING LIKE YOU MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY TOPPLE A VASE ON YOUR WAY OUT - equal parts euphoric, disoriented and ready to do it all over again, chances are you’d feel right at home at a Mary Shelley set. The Brooklyn-based four-piece has built a reputation for live performances that blur the line between catharsis and chaos, earning praise everywhere from The Deli (“make you wanna dance the pogo or smash things”) to Clash Magazine (“wicked onstage wit”) and Under the Radar, who dubbed them “one of the festival’s undisputed highlights.”
Blending post-punk urgency with danceable rhythms, sharp humor, and a genre-hopping instinct that pulls from Devo and Talking Heads to IDLES, Kendrick Lamar and Viagra Boys, Mary Shelley is the kind of band that refuses to sit still — musically or physically. Their last album, Bloodhounds, only sharpened that reputation, delivering a restless, high-voltage collection that feels tailor-made for sweaty rooms and unhinged sing-alongs.
Next week, they’ll bring that energy to All My Friends Vol. II at Sony Hall, sharing the bill with Renny Conti, Pan Arcadia, Bay Faction (solo set), Mary Shelley, and DJ mer marcum - a lineup stacked with the kind of artists who thrive in close quarters and loud moments. Ahead of the show, we caught up with drummer Charlie Hull to talk New Year’s rituals, dream instruments, cartoon outfits, musical obsessions and what it really means to play a venue tied to the legacy of the PlayStation 2.
LUNA: What are you most looking forward to about playing All My Friends Vol. 2?
HULL: Legendary line up at a venue by THE company that made the Playstation 2. Do you know how many hours I spent playing PS2? Glorious times, brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it. Also, I went to college with Renny Conti so this is a cool reunion.
LUNA: Do you have any New Years rituals? Are you a fan of resolutions? Why or why not?
HULL: I make a bingo board of New Years resolutions/goals every Jan 2nd over a nice homemade bacon, egg, and cheese. Out of 25 I only finish 6 or so, but hey — it’s about what you accomplish, not what you don’t. My best resolutions are probably “Go Outside Everyday” and “Go to the Doctor.” Unrelated to each other, I swear.
LUNA: If you could learn any instrument overnight, what would you choose? Why?
HULL: After much contemplation, the answer was revealed to me in a dream: the vibraphone. The perfect combination of rhythm, melody, and of course vibes. Listen to some Roy Ayers and tell me that he couldn’t summon rain, snow, or sunshine purely with the power of his instrument. You can’t. Because he could.
LUNA: How did you settle on your band name?
HULL: Our first show, Halloween night 2019. Jackson and I were desperately trying to come up with a name, which devolved into I Spy. My girlfriend walked in and spotted a copy of Frankenstein on my desk, and so suggested Mary Shelley. Other top contenders were “The Pretty Girls” and “Reptile,” so you tell me if we chose correctly.
LUNA: If you could only listen to one genre of music for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Feel free to interpret this as you’d like!
HULL: Tough question. In my head, one genre would generally limit me to one mood — so I’d only listen to music when I already am in that mood or want to be in that mood. Today I’m going to go with R&B.
LUNA: What would your singular and defining outfit be if you were a cartoon character?
HULL: Give me Fred Flintstone’s leopard print on Winnie the Pooh’s shirt. The rest speaks for itself.
LUNA: If given the ultimatum, would you rather shrink really tiny forever or turn into a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk–level giant forever? Explain your reasoning, please.
HULL: At the end of The Incredible Shrinking Man, the main character gives a speech about the beauty of the infinitesimal and how the microscopic and the impossibly huge are one and the same. That sounds horrific. I’d much rather be huge — I wouldn’t have to fight spiders. And I could hoard my flock of golden geese. Pretty sweet deal, actually.
LUNA: Are there any songs you’ve been obsessed with recently?
HULL:
“Naked Eye” – Luscious Jackson. It’s the most ’90s experience you can deliver in five minutes. Honestly the whole album is crazy. I can’t tell if it’s genius or whack, which makes it more compelling.
“Wide Awake” – Rocket
“Who Do You Think You Are” – André Miguel & The Moment
“Level With the Devil” – The Hummus
“Last Kiss” – Momma
“2 phoneS” – Shelf Lives (which also makes me think about “2 Phones” by Kevin Gates)
“Forget Me Nots” – Patrice Rushen
“Never Too Much” – Luther Vandross
“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” – Paul Simon
LUNA: Anything else you’d like to add?
HULL: Yabba Dabba Doo.
