How did you get into music?
Mimi: I’ve always been surrounded by music and even grew up in a record store! I’ve been playing piano since I was a small child, then even when I moved from Canada to London I continued to play. I even went to university and studied piano performance! Once I’d graduated, I joined Dream Nails pretty much straight away – which is where I learnt how to play the bass.
Lucy: Unlike Mimi, I grew up in a house in Harrow! I also started getting into music a lot later than Mimi, I didn’t really start until after university and I was about 22 years old, but I’d always loved music and been involved in the scene. I actually taught myself how to play the drums through just watching videos on YouTube. It quite funny now I look back at it, but I ended up joining Dream Nails after meeting Mimi on Gumtree.
Ishamel: I grew up around a lot of Jazz, Soul and Funk music in my home and I’ve just always loved music. I started in musical theatre, but I was simultaneously creating a lot of punk-inspired things in my other art. I loved to sing but never considered myself a good enough singer to take it on full-time in the musical theatre world so for me being able to be in Dream Nails has changed the way I see, and feel about, my own voice.
Anya: My Mum was in one of the first feminist rock bands in the UK in the 70’s, so I also had a musical upbringing. I been playing in bands since I was tiny, but I’ve been in Dream Nails for the last eight years now! It’s been so amazing for me to be part of the band and bring everyone together.
When did Dream Nails form?
Anya: We formed in 2015, a bunch of us had met from Sisters Uncut – which is a feminist, activist group. Since then, the band have gone through a few changes but now we’ve evolved into what we are today, and this is where it’s at!