Sohodolls... Uncovered

Soho – the epicentre of trash, coughing up sleazy strip joints and sleazier media types, but also the spiritual home of Maya Von Doll and her comrades.  With a debut album and marathon UK tour underway, Sohodolls won’t be haunting the neon-splattered streets for a good while yet. Gigwise thought it was time to catch up with delightful frontwoman, May Von Doll, to discuss all.

The last time we spoke to Sohodolls, they were an all-girl trio, terrifying and delighting indie boys up and down the country.  Now, the girls are out and Maya is a doll in the company of gentlemen, four of them to be exact.  She explains to us: “Toni is pretty much an original member – he was already in the band when we released our first single in 2004 with Alan McGee. He chose to stay out of the photos back then! I think the 3 original girls together were a 3 headed barking monster.”

Having formed a slicker line-up and more focused sound, Maya and Toni managed to make it a relatively smooth transition.  “We didn’t have to teach them what Sohodolls is all about – we knew straight away that they would get it. You’re either a Sohodoll or you’re not. In fact, all three of them are bringing more to Sohodolls than I expected: just the other day on the drive down from Crewe to Milton Keynes we stopped at an Ann Summers to buy Paul some stockings and suspenders to wear on stage…  it was his idea!”

Their long-awaited debut album ‘Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation’ aims to bring back some fun and sensitivity to electro-pop, although Maya argues that this lack of emotion runs deeper than the present music scene.  “We think people’s attitude needs to be shaken up, and in many ways too! No one questions the shit they’re served up on a daily basis from food, to music, to the crap they’re buying, hence ‘the numb generation’. There’s a lot of anger, lust, humour, hate, fear and vulnerability in our album so it’s about tapping into your primal senses as well as glamming up!”

Sohodolls are a difficult band to categorise, with snippets of 80’s synth-pop, glam rock and more contemporary electro-sleaze, but it is their wild, confessional lyrics that sets them apart from the more self-conscious bands.  “Lyrically, Sohodolls is autobiographical so yes, almost everything is really personal. A couple of songs are based on an imagined scenario like ‘Trash the Rental’ – I’ve never been joy-riding or pulled down any garden fences in suburbia.”