The Hyperdrive Kitten Have That Meow Factor
Interview By Ginger Coyote
I recently got a chance to speak to the BayArea band for a purrfect interview I sure hope you enjoy this fun interview with these fabulous felines
Punk Globe: thanks for the interview The Hyperdrive Kittens have been around since 1991 in San Francisco. Tell us how you all got together.
Once upon a time… Jenene met Lee Sanders through a mutual friend Miss. Lisa.
Lee had a bit of a crush on Jenene and one day they were jamming and recorded David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust on a 4 track. Remember those?
A few months later Lee was starting a punk band and knew he wanted a Girl singer and it had to be Jenene. With Don Connor on drums, Lee on Guitar, and Brett Harrison on bass The first litter of Hyperdrive Kittens were born.
Punk Globe: Has the band been consistent with the same members since 91 or have you had personnel changes?
Ummm, Haha. We had a list of female bassists longer than Spinal Taps roster of drummers, a variety of lineups and finally an extended hiatus caused by creative differences – tumultuous romantic relationships and breakups! So yes, we’ve had quite a few litters of Kittens over the years but Jenene (Glitter Kitten) is the cofounder & OG! And, we’re Back!
Marta (Calico) joined up with the Kittens on bass in mid 90’s – during a time Jenene was out prowling around & at that point Tigger was singing. Marta & Jenene weren’t in the band at the same time until 2015.
In 2015, Kittens reformed thanks to good timing and Dave Dalton of the Screaming Bloody Marys. Dave was getting his band back together and told Jenene, “You (Hyperdrive Kittens) should really get back together”. The timing was right and that’s exactly what Lee, Marta and Jenene did with the addition of Billie Duffey (Tabby Kitten) who Lee met at Thin Man Music on Webster (Alameda). Since Billie played bass, Marta got promoted to Guitar!
In 2016 The Hyperdrive Kittens put out Back to the Alley which included early hits like Addiction and previously released Singles, plus new songs like Roommate Hell, Vicki, and Child of the Night. It was the last release with Lee who unexpectedly died in 2018.
After Lee Passed, it was clear this band needed to keep going… but how? We had some of Lee’s unfinished songs and unreleased music….it was a purrrfect place to start. Pat Duffey (AlleyCat) got pulled in for lead guitar and eventually after some stalking, Tymber (Slam Suzzanne, The Deadlies) agreed to come jam and everything just clicked –finally, the drummer Lee always would have wanted.
Then, the Kittens used up one more of their 9 lives in 2022 when a mishap detained BOTH Billie and Pat in Mexico for an undetermined duration during the recording of The Meow Factor. Axeman Tommy Lafferty (Voodoo X, Crown of Thorns, Jean Beauvoir, From the Fire) stepped up to the plate and finished guitar on Rocky Road–the first single off the EP–and officially joined the GLitter as TommyCat in 2023 along with Rob Neidel on bass. Robcat is the first male bassist since 1991.
Punk Globe:: Who is currently in the band and what do they play?
Jenene aka Glitter Kittens lead vox
Tymber aka Jungle Kitty Drummer and vox
Marta aka Calico Kitten , rhythm guitarist, and vox
Robert aka Robcat , bass and vox
Tommy aka TommyCat, lead guitar and vox.
Punk Globe: If my memory serves me right The Hyperdrive Kittens played with White Trash Debutantes I believe at The El Rio.
Ahhhh the good ole days, right? Kittens DEFINITELY did get to play with the almighty White Trash Debutantes back in the day! Memory and details….not so good given the times (sooo much Jagermeister). I DO remember a particular show at the El Rio which involved the Mermen and Hot Pink Fur Drums! Oh yeah, and another memory of a particular Pinball Machine at The Nightbreak.
Punk Globe: What bands that you enjoy sharing the bill with?
No Small Children, Talky Tina, Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival, The Bloat Floaters. We had a blast with Elegant Trash at Lee’s Solar Van Saturdays. Plus there’s a BUNCH of cool bands we are looking to line up with but haven’t rocked out together… yet… like Hunting Lions, Street Walkin’ Cheetahs, IFIC, and Boneless Ones.
And what’s really fucking cool shows are happening or schemes of shows with some reunions with bands from way back then too including The Screaming Bloody Mary’s, reconnecting with Pansy Division, and getting to work with East Bay Ray …. and you, Ginger! PunkGlobe totally rocking the decades here.
Punk Globe: Tell us about the current clubs to play in the Bay Area.
We’ve definitely lost some of the great ole clubs & after a rough few years, things are changing again with great energy for original bands & good times. …. Bottom of the Hill is still a favorite! Winters Tavern in Pacifica is a friend of all bands – SeaJay is amazing at the schedule he rolls. South Bay The Caravan is a huge supporter of original music. The Parkside, Benders, and Amados all cool. We play the Kilowatt this month! We look forward to playing Thee Stork in Oakland, the Ivy Room in Berkeley, and Toot’s in Crockett again, and The Knockout too. The Fireside Lounge is always a party! Some good spots in Santa Rosa are booking original bands and someone’s even trying to bring back punk to Napa at a place near the airport…. Then Sacramento– well, we DO consider Sac part of the Bay Area too!— there are some hot spots for punk up there. Can’t wait.
Punk Globe: Which clubs are your favorites to play?
All of them! The most fun is wherever there’s a great vibe & packed with music fans and party people. We supply the good times & GlitterPunk– meeeeow!
Punk Globe: Tell the readers about any releases you have.
Brand spankin’ new EP The Meow Factor along with a second pressing of Back To The Alley available at all the usual streaming/download spots & Bandcamp, PLUS you can get it right meow along with cool Kittens merch in our store @ hyperdrivekittens.com and our video releases at https://www.youtube.com/@hyperdrivekittens
Early Kittens had a couple of Singles distributed on Outpunk (Rock and Roll Drag Queen / Addiction) and Munster Records (Lipstick and Phone Sex)…. No longer available unless a copy is on Discogs, EBAY, or in Dollar Bin at local record haunt.
Punk Globe: Any videos
Yes!! Rockyroad! This was my (Jenene) 1st foray into official video making–meeeow! 😉 Kittens take Sex with candy to another whole new level. This ain’t your Grandma’s Candyland!
A playful exploration into the Naughty But Nice World of using candy with S&M play! and lots of whipped cream.
Rocky Road (Official Video): https://youtu.be/ALHwk9zl4Jg
Live videos and More Kittens: https://www.youtube.com/@hyperdrivekittens
Punk Globe: If you could put together a show at any venue who would play and where?
Depends on which Kitten you ask! First of all, we have a couple of gig sluts in the band so it’s anywhere anytime with anyone. Bottom of Hill would be fun with Dollyrots and Bite Me Bambi… We’re performing with Soraia July 21st which is cool along with a favorite of ours, Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival. … Tommycat (who’s LITERALLY played Wembley) might say Punk Rock Bowling or any of the other Big Fun PUNK Fests across U.S. and would be fun to do some dates with the Von Tramps, Venomous Pinks, Alice Bag, Butthole Surfers, Dead Kennedys, Tsunami Bomb, The Courettes, Interupters… Debutantes reunion perhaps?? Jenene really, really REALLY wants to play MOSSWOOD MELTDOWN! Really! Tymber has Red Rock Amphitheatre on her Bucket List and Marta might say The Filmore, Great American, or The Chapel. Robcat wants the Kittens European tour to happen with him as our guide. Which means…. HELLFEST 2024????
Punk Globe: What is in store for The Hyperdrive Kittens in the future? Tours, Shows, Releases
See the answer to the above question! Right meow we are working on our next official video release for Zapp Gunn from The Meow Factor EP, and probably a live video release will happen before that in a few weeks. We JUST did our 1st 3-day Tour including SubZERO Festival in San Jose which was a blast. That kicked off June/July/August Bay Area shows including San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Pacifica, Alameda… and more on the way. Yes to some short roll tours – Tymber’s from Seattle so West Coast is kinda a MUST DO. Subscribing to our email MEWSletter is the best way for us to connect for all the latest and we’re also on BandsInTown, and SongKick for the latest dates. Facebook/Instagram and our website hyperdrivekittens.com/shows
Punk Globe: Any Internet addresses that you would like to share with the readers?
YES — let’s connect !! We’re on socials but the besto t is to subscribe to our MEWSletter so we don’t miss you! Kitten’s have claws but we don’t bite…. Say hi – we love that!
Website: www.hyperdrivekittens.com
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hyperdrivekittens
Tour Dates: https://hyperdrivekittens.com/shows
Socials
Facebook: https://facebook.com/hyperdrivekittens
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hyperdrivekittens
Punk Globe: Describe the band in 3 words.
(Kittens can’t count you know)… Fun, GlitterPunk, Meow! Sex, Candy & Rock n’ Roll
Punk Globe: Any last words for Punk Globe readers?
A really Big Thank You….. we feed off of your energy! The Kittens carry the torch of Lee Sanders and his music – plus we’re breaking new barriers with this glitter that he would have loved. Friends and Fans keep us rolling and we’re thrilled we get to do this. We love being out in the wild and running into somebody wearing a circa ’90s Kittens shirt and we love seeing someone light up on something new we’re putting out there. It’s inspiring to see who’s out here killing it now–and that’s a LOT of people — Punk Globe, podcasters, writers, DJs, artists, bands, and creatives doing just that. It’s AWESOME! A comment, a hello, a smile – bring it! Plus, we appreciate people like you and PunkGlobe for keeping the scene together…. Bookers like Handsome Hawk and Tanoa, Trixie Rasputin, and Ace Annese! And a BIG shout out for the gang at SoundwavesTV – hosts Dennis Willis, Chasta, Steven Kirk, and Morris Knight –they ask for and air Bay Area bands’ music and videos & connect a bunch of us for shows, labels, venues, and more. (…yeah, send them your stuff!!) This is our “why” — we love you. Meee-ow!