Since forming at School of Rock in 2015, The Regrettes—Lydia Night (vocals), Maxx Morando (drums), Genessa Gariano (guitar) and Sage Chavis (bass)—have taken the LA rock scene by storm. Blending elements of ‘50s pop, Motown and punk, amongst others, their unique sound led them to open for a range of acts like Cherry Glazer and Sleigh Bells in 2016. Every track on their debut album, Feel Your Feelings Fool!, is like a diary entry from Night’s life, exemplifying the band’s “I-don’t-give-a-fuck” attitude.
We talked with The Regrettes about their style influences, those awful Ed Hardy t-shirts and dressing for themselves.
Paste: Is fashion something you’ve always been interested in or is it more of an afterthought?
Lydia: I’ve always been super into fashion. I used to have many meltdowns before preschool because I was so concerned about my outfit [laughs].
Maxx: Fashion is something that’s always been present in my life, as my mom used to dress me really well as a child.
Genessa: I’ve always loved fashion. In highschool, I received a ton of hand me downs from my family, leaving me with a wardrobe full of clothes that were too big for me; Because of that, I was able dive into fashion head first, cutting and reworking pieces until I had something I liked.
Sage: I remember as a young girl I would have costume changes like every 4 or 5 hours if guests were over. So I’d say fashion was always interesting to me [laughs].
Paste: How would you describe the clothing people wore where you grew up?
Lydia: I grew up in Santa Monica so I was surrounded by a lot of short Jean shorts and tank tops which I was never really into.
Maxx: A lot of everything pretty much. Some of the more “hipster” people i know would wear like white t-shirts with black levis, rolled up. Others some polos and khakis [laughs].
Genessa: I grew up in Topanga Canyon where people are very unabashed and colorful, so growing up I wore some pretty wacky things. This confidence that I had when I was younger let me develop my own style without worrying about looking weird. I had already been comfortable in the extreme.
Sage: I grew up in LA so it was always different and constantly changing depending on the town or area you were in. It gave me a lot of inspiration to pull from.
Paste: Who are some of your style idols?
Lydia: Tavi Gevinson and Kate Nash.
Maxx: James Dean and young Johnny Depp.
Genessa: I’m inspired by characters I create or a mood I want to embody more than any specific person, but I’m definitely inspired by the people I see day-to-day on the street. Los Angeles is a constant inspiration.
Sage: Debbie Harry is a huge style queen. I also pull a lot from males like Prince, who taught me to let my clothing be an accent to my character and let myself get creative and not be held down by gender barriers.
Paste: Is there a movie, TV show or music video that’s had a large influence on your sense of fashion?
Lydia: Moonrise Kingdom has incredible wardrobe and so does Twin Peaks.
Maxx: Swingers and East Of Eden (James Dean).
Genessa: Mad Men and the colors in A Clockwork Orange.
Sage: I watched a lot of Charmed growing up so I’d say I take a lot of style inspiration from Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan.
Paste: Do you dress any differently in your normal day-to-day than you do onstage?
Lydia: The stuff I wear on stage is just the stuff that I would normally wear amplified if that makes sense [laughs]. It’s like my normal clothing on coke.
Maxx: What i wear on stage i usually wear normally day to day. Sometimes I like to spruce it up, though.
Genessa: On stage, I tend to wear a slightly more dressed up version of my day to day self. A lot of times the outfit will be something I’d wear but I dress it up with makeup that I wouldn’t wear while lounging around.
Sage: It varies. Some days I feel like playing a “character” and some days I feel like wearing yoga pants, converse and whatever I can find and throw on. It all depends on my mood but my stage-wear is definitely a little more dressed-up.
Paste: Do you feel that you dress more for yourself or for others?
Lydia: For myself completely. Dressing for others is too exhausting.
Maxx: I feel that I dress for myself, just however I want really with some inspiration from others.
Genessa: I have had moments in my life where looking back I was definitely dressing for someone else but now I like to think I dress for myself, to impress myself and to look how I truly think is best. The times I have dressed for others have never left me feeling confident.
Sage: Definitely more for myself, which is what most people should be doing!
Paste: If you had to sum up your style in three words, what would they be?
Lydia: Classic, comfortable and interesting.
Maxx: ‘50s, ‘60s and simple.
Genessa: “Who am I?”
Sage: Gender-neutral, comfortable, disco.
Paste: What is the worst fashion trend that ever existed?
Lydia: Dresses over jeans.
Maxx: The early 2000s, but there still was some snazzy things.
Genessa: Aw, man. Anything worn with confidence can be done well. I think those massive phone cases that make phones look like fast food or something are pretty absurd. Things that loose all practicality and style don’t seem worth the effort.
Sage: I don’t know if there is ever a terrible fashion trend. It’s hard to say that overalls are any better than Ed Hardy shirts. We all have our opinions and who am I to judge when I wear some wacky trends.
Paste: How does fashion relate to music?
Lydia: They are both forms of self expression that are super important for some people, and not for others.
Maxx: I think that what you wear can really describe your music, also send a message.
Genessa: Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand. Being a musician allows you to create an entire image; what you wear is part of the performance. It is a constant experiment.
Sage: I, personally, take a lot of influence from the tones of music and the themes in the music when I dress myself. And the fact that I take inspiration from artists is another aspect.