Punk Globe: Who are you currently listening to?

Karen:  Right now, I’m learning a bunch of Hole songs for a tribute band. I tend to listen mostly to music I’m learning for current band projects. But current bands I enjoy are Maneskin, Wet Leg, Uni boys, The Lemon Twigs, Miley Cyrus, Van Halen (I was late to the party for them), ACDC partly because I sub for some tribute bands. 

Punk Globe: You are very multi-talented. You play a wide variety of musical instruments. Were you from a musical family?

Karen: I don’t know how musical my family was, but my dad played violin occasionally, usually at family gatherings and we had a piano in our living room and I played it since I was in diapers. When I was around 5, my parents got me a piano teacher. So I learned to read music. I enjoyed just noodling mostly rather than practicing to a book, so the lessons only lasted so long. My oldest sister was much better at playing the piano and reading music than myself. So, yeah, we had music in the house.  In elementary school, they offered music classes, so everyone got a recorder and a book and I learned to play the recorder in maybe 2nd grade. Once I got to a certain point on the recorder, we could take clarinet lessons, so we rented a clarinet and I took private lessons with a friend’s grandfather. Once I got into junior high, I joined the orchestra. Some of my bandmates in the orchestra became Fishbone! Angelo, Walter, and Christopher. Anyway, I played various instruments; trumpet, french horn, and baritone before a space opened up in the drum section, which was what I really wanted. I got my first drum set when I was 12. A red sparkle Ludwig. I played drums in the concert band and took private lessons as well. I started a couple of bands in junior high but it was just fellow orchestra members jamming songs from the radio in my living room. It never went anywhere and I decided that I should look for an existing band instead of starting my own. In high school, I continued studying music. I played snare drum in the marching band and that whole experience took my playing to another level! I also started learning to play the violin and saxophone, just for fun. After injuring my shoulder surfing, it was painful to play the drums, so I switched to guitar. I got a Gibson SG and a Fender Twin Reverb and took private lessons. It was not long after picking up the guitar that I joined a band, as lead guitar, but I was….terrible!! LOL! But there’s nothing like joining a band to light a fire under your feet to get you up to speed. I was in high school and we were gigging all over the LA area. I was too young to get into clubs so I’d have to stay outside until we played and then pack up and leave right away after our set. That band found a much better guitar player than myself and we parted ways and that’s when I got Paula’s number and called her. 

Punk Globe: As I told you I liked Kim she had one of the best voices ever. Both she and Bianca from Betty Blowtorch left us way too soon.   By looking at your Facebook page it looks like you and Melanie are still close pals. We have interviewed Melanie in the past. I am so happy Nhell suggested contacting you. You played in a band with Sharon Needles from Betty Blowtorch Tell us about that.  

Karen: Melanie and I are still playing together and still playing The Pandoras’ music, as The Tigerellas along with Sheri Kaplan on drums who replaced me in The Pandoras around 1987, and Natalie Grace Sweet on bass. I play guitar and sing and Melanie plays guitar too. We’re family. I also play bass as a sub for a couple of all-girl ACDC bands and that’s how I met and played with Sharon Needles, she was subbing on guitar and I was on bass for a gig in New Mexico with Whole Lotta Rosies. We had a great time! She’s awesome. Sheri also drums in that band. Yes, Kim was a total badass singer, songwriter, guitar player, bass player and just a great person! Great bandleader too when we rebooted The Pandoras and did a bunch of gigs and even toured in Europe for a couple of weeks back around 2017 I believe?

Punk Globe: What did you do after you parted ways with The Pandora’s? You played guitar in The Rebel Pebbles and bass with Wednesday Week. Was that after the Pandoras? 

Karen: I played bass with Wednesday week for maybe, a year or less? We did a bunch of gigs around LA and I was still in The Pandoras at the time. Paula didn’t like that I was in another band which, at the time, you were in ONE band, those were the rules, but today, people are in several bands and it’s no big deal. I joined The Rebel Pebbles immediately after leaving The Pandoras. I played guitar, wrote songs, we were signed to IRS Records/EMI and put out a record, and even had a song almost break the top 40 charts! It was pretty exciting. We toured all over the US, Canada, and Europe. We even lived in London for several months at Miles Copeland’s house. We were recording over there with Jools Holland, doing radio and TV promotion, some gigs, and enjoying London. We stumbled across a cassette tape at Miles’ house, of Sting’s demos for his solo album. We drank tea, there was a car service to take us wherever, and there were housekeepers, it was a pretty neat experience. AND the house was haunted. I have stories and so does the housekeeper as well as some other musicians who have also stayed at the house.