Lola Dompè, Izzy Glaudini, Halle Saxon Gaines, the ladies from Automatic are exactly as you would expect.

Dynamic, talented, intelligent, stunning, cool and just all-round lovely ladies to chat too. Lola, we’ve interviewed them a couple of times now, once back in the middle of last year for the Splendour Weekender, and then again in person at Splendour itself. You can read that interview here with Naz who does a much better job at asking technical music questions because he actually knows what he is talking about and I do not. The extent of my music technicalities is whether I like listening to it or not, which some would argue is the most important. What I can tell you about Automatic’s music is that I like it. Couple that with the fact the ladies are a pleasure to talk to and well, that’s a recipe for love. Make sure you check them out at the Monster Children SXSW Showcase.  

I’m not sure you know this. I hope you do but my friend Zoe McDougal – she’s a surfer from Hawaii. She put out a surf edit last year soundtracked entirely to your music. How does that make you feel?

Lola: Yeah, we watched it, it was really cool.

Halle: It’s funny because none of us surf but we love being the soundtrack to a female athlete because I’m extremely unathletic.

Lola: That’s our only form of athleticism.

Well, I loved it and I thought it went along so well. I put on ‘Calling It’ every time I want to hype myself up now to go surfing.

Lola: I love that.

What music do you put on to gee yourself up? Not surfing obviously, but to go out or get on stage?

Izzy: We were doing one song for a while all together but we’re all a bit sick of it now.

What’s it called?

Lola: ‘I Could Be Happy’ by Alter Images.

Izzy: That’s a classic pump-up song.

Is this for when you go on stage?

All: Yeah.

Lola: It can’t be too crazy because our music isn’t that..

Izzy: Oh my god we were doing ‘Firestarter’ by The Prodigy.

Lola: But then the intro was too intense and our music was too slow.

What about soundtracking fashion shows like Celine and Mui Mui?

Halle: So great, we love it all.

Lola: It’s kind of funny and interesting.

Did you ever expect that?

Halle: We hoped. Yeah we hoped that fashion would notice us. The last frontier is movies. We’re hoping someone in movies discovers us.

On the fashion thing - are you conscious of the fashion you wear on stage?   

Halle: We always have lots of conversations. Historically we would discuss it in depth before the show.

Izzy: But now we don’t go into it as much before the show and just trust what each other puts together.

Halle: But we definitely think about it a lot.

Lola: We go on little shopping sprees together.

Circling back to movies.  Has a scene in a movie or read a passage in a book and ever inspired a song?

All: Yes.

Izzy: It happens a lot actually.

Halle: I remember Twin Peaks inspired a bass line. Izzy is a film nerd, so she knows a lot more about movies.

Izzy: There was a movie I watched which was very depressing.

Lola: She told us not to watch it actually.

Izzy: It’s about these rich people that go into space and get knocked up of course, and they are trapped on the spaceship. It has this overall theme of existential dread, when there’s no future in sight you lose your will to live. You know all this fun stuff. And that is what we wrote ‘New Beginnings’ about.

Oh wow.

Izzy: Yeah, movies definitely help.  

Yeah, I’m trying to write a book and by trying I mean writing one hundred words and then deleting it, but for me listening to certain songs inspires certain themes to write. So, I can relate but in the other way around.

Halle: You’re writing a book?

I’m trying. I think I’ve told like three people I am (laughs) but I mean I feel like you ladies would relate.

Halle: That’s so cool.

It sounds much more glamorous than it is as I’ve come to find out. On that actually, if you’re stuck on a song – wait do you ever get stuck on songs?

Halle: Absolutely.

Izzy: Every single song.

Lola: It’s rare thing to get it right the first time.

Izzy: It’s a lot of work for us.

Well yeah if you’re stuck. What do you do to get unstuck?

Lola: We usually just grind.

Halle: We take a break.

(All laugh).

Izzy: We grind to a halt. Then back to grinding.

Then go do what though?

Halle: Walk.

Lola: We don’t walk.

Halle: No but they sound good.

Lola: Just go get food. Sit outside.

Like a cat. Completely unrelated but what do you cook someone if you’re trying to impress them?

Halle: I only know three recipes so I would make them a Lemon Orzo soup.

Lola: It is impressive that one Halle. I just discovered this new recipe which is just (chef’s kiss). First time I tried it I didn’t even have to work on the recipe. It’s a Salmon Coconut Curry over rice. It’s so good, and cosy and healthy.

Izzy: Um fuck.

Halle: [Izzy] doesn’t have people over.

Izzy. I just don’t invite you guys. I have one dish. It’s Louisiana Stir Fry Pasta.

Halle: She gets all the food groups in one.

Yeah, what’s going on there? How do you do stir-fry and pasta?

Izzy: It’s very easy.

Alright another one. What’s your ideal date?

Izzy: Hmmm it’s been such a long time.

Me too girl don’t worry.

Izzy: I like the classic movie. Some people say it’s bad for a date, but I like it because you have something to talk about afterwards.

Sure.

Izzy: And you don’t have to talk too much at the start.

Halle: I like going for food but that’s because I love eating in general, especially with people.

Izzy: I hate eating food with people.

I don’t mind eating food with people. Although Japanese is my favourite food and I feel as though that’s not the best first date food you know? Like a guy would ask what my favourite food is and then proceed to set up a sushi date and I’d just freak out even though he’s doing exactly what the book says to do.

Halle: I think sushi is the perfect first date!

Nah because you know how it’s that awkward size, you don’t know whether to eat it all in go but then if you try and bite it everything just falls apart?

Halle: Just put it all in your mouth and then you can laugh about it.

Lola: I would definitely do the whole, pack your suitcase we’ll meet at the airport.

Izzy: Her husband is a pilot.

Halle: I like reading together.

Me too! Oh man I think if you can sit in silence with someone, doesn’t even have to be both reading, but just in silence and comfortable then I’m like ‘yeap you’re the one.’

Halle: I saw this couple reading together at the lake the day and it was so cute. I would also be down for someone to read to me.

Last question – what is cool to you? Like how would you define it or someone who is cool?

Lola: I feel like it’s doing stuff that is the opposite of cool. It’s cool not to be embarrassed by not doing the obvious thing.  

Halle: I feel like it’s cool when people know their stuff. They have good taste and are knowledgeable.

Izzy: People who are smart are cool.

Lola: Also, just this level of pretentiousness. No that’s the wrong word. Not pretentious but kind of on that level where you are just very, very sure of yourself. That’s cool.

Interesting. I only ask because I asked Kim Gordon the other day what she would define is cool and all your answers are very similar.

Izzy: She would know. She’s the epitome of cool.

Halle: That’s cool.