I formed my own All Girl Band

I remember I was dating this guy when I was 13 in like, 1995, and we got really competitive over who knew more about music. Then I bought the first Kill Rock Stars compilation and was like, ‘fuck it, I’ll take my own music for myself.’ I’d discovered Bikini Kill and he couldn’t have them. I bought every 7″ and album I could find, as well as anything else the band members were in (The Frumpies, Suture, The Fakes, etc.). The songs validated every twisted, sticky teenage girl experience I went through and anti-pleasure dissertation was the only thing I needed when said guy betrayed me in the most high school possible way. When I was 15 I wrote a letter thanking Kathleen Hanna, and she sent me back all her fanzines and ‘The Most Beautiful Girl is a Dead Girl’ and a bunch of stickers and a note that said “Don’t let them get you down.” That year I formed my own all girl band, and now I treat adolescent girls who are trauma survivors. It’s always extremely hard for me to stop myself from making them mix CDs starting with White Boy. It’s 15 years later and I still tell people that Bikini Kill is my all-time favorite band. Particularly my clients.

xx Victoria.