Friends with Benefits
Meet Girlfriend-Girlfriend Hip-Hop Duo THEESatisfaction
By Alex Littlefield
Photographed by Christine Taylor
It may not have been love at first sight; but when Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White met each other at a University of Washington open mic in 2006, the two became fast friends, then
best friends. Then girlfriends.
Within two years, they had morphed yet again -- into a hip-hop group. As might be expected, there are certain benefits to dating your bandmate. Sympathy, for one. "Because we're in a relationship," says Harris-White, "if one of us feels sick and it's the night of a show, and we feel awful -- we're not to going to be like, 'You've got to get up and do the show!' We let them rest."
But Irons and Harris-White aren't your average creative couple; don't expect glassy-eyed lovers' duets. Whereas Harris-White was once writing jazz-tinged ballads and Irons crafting mournful spokenword pieces, the two dropped the sensitive schtick as soon as they met. "I was a bit more lovey-dovey," says Irons of her college days, "and I felt like Cat was, too. But when we came together, we were just like, 'Nah, fuck that. We're gonna go hard -- let's make it intense."
On the four mixtape releases that the pair have put out as THEESatisfaction -- and on this month's Transitions, their last mixtape before an LP slated for 2011 -- they've carved out a sound
that's at once electro-laden and jazzy, equal parts Ella Fitzgerald, Kraftwerk and Dead Prez, which they showcased last spring on their Black Weirdo Tour.
Like some of their influences, they're wrestling with complex social issues (their last mixtape, released on the 4th of July, THEESatisfaction Loves Stevie Wonder: Why We Celebrate Colonialism, featured tracks called "Obama," "Reagan" and "Lincoln"); like others, they sometimes seem to be crafting a space-age soundtrack. It's a balance that suits them just fine. "When we're on our own, our music can be more defined by a genre," says Harris-White. "But together, the possibilities are endless." ★
Transitions is out now.
Styled by Lana Jay Lackey and Caitlen Rhoads
Above: (l-r) Catherine and Stasia wear jackets by Nike, jeans by Levi's and shoes by Vans.
best friends. Then girlfriends.
Within two years, they had morphed yet again -- into a hip-hop group. As might be expected, there are certain benefits to dating your bandmate. Sympathy, for one. "Because we're in a relationship," says Harris-White, "if one of us feels sick and it's the night of a show, and we feel awful -- we're not to going to be like, 'You've got to get up and do the show!' We let them rest."
But Irons and Harris-White aren't your average creative couple; don't expect glassy-eyed lovers' duets. Whereas Harris-White was once writing jazz-tinged ballads and Irons crafting mournful spokenword pieces, the two dropped the sensitive schtick as soon as they met. "I was a bit more lovey-dovey," says Irons of her college days, "and I felt like Cat was, too. But when we came together, we were just like, 'Nah, fuck that. We're gonna go hard -- let's make it intense."
On the four mixtape releases that the pair have put out as THEESatisfaction -- and on this month's Transitions, their last mixtape before an LP slated for 2011 -- they've carved out a sound
that's at once electro-laden and jazzy, equal parts Ella Fitzgerald, Kraftwerk and Dead Prez, which they showcased last spring on their Black Weirdo Tour.
Like some of their influences, they're wrestling with complex social issues (their last mixtape, released on the 4th of July, THEESatisfaction Loves Stevie Wonder: Why We Celebrate Colonialism, featured tracks called "Obama," "Reagan" and "Lincoln"); like others, they sometimes seem to be crafting a space-age soundtrack. It's a balance that suits them just fine. "When we're on our own, our music can be more defined by a genre," says Harris-White. "But together, the possibilities are endless." ★
Transitions is out now.
Styled by Lana Jay Lackey and Caitlen Rhoads
Above: (l-r) Catherine and Stasia wear jackets by Nike, jeans by Levi's and shoes by Vans.
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