Plum Vision Stays Winning

Photo by April Massey

On or off stage, Plum Vision cannot be mistaken for anything other than what they are; a tight-knit girl gang reminiscent of predecessors like The Slits, equally just as ready to have each other’s backs.  The charismatic three-piece of Kiyah Henson, Ella Thurston, and Megan Miller spent the summer embarking on a significant rebirth, culminating in their mainstage debut at the inaugural Flipside Festival this past September. The band broke onto the Boise music scene with their self-titled EP. Following that up with the single “Your Mom” in July, the group made it clear that they were not afraid of deep emotional cuts. While the song explored a heavy shoegaze sound, the band’s follow-up single, “Give Girls Money,” was a biting tongue-in-cheek commentary in the tradition of late ‘80s southern California punk rock. While Plum Vision is holding up the ideals of the riot grrrl movement, it would be a mistake to categorize them as yet another guitar-heavy girl band. 

Not without their fair share of growing pains - one of the band’s founding members recently left the group - Plum Vision has continued to evolve without changing the fundamentals of who they set out to be. We caught up with Plum Vision after their Flipside set to talk about their changing sound, adjusting to life as a three-piece, and what is next for the band.

Photo by April Massey

AM: How did you start playing music together?

Kiyah Henson: Craigslist.

Megan Miller: Pretty much.

Ella Thurston: Craigslist and mutual friends.

MM: I did not know people, in Ella’s generation especially, still used Craigslist, but whatever works. 

AM: You spoke recently about changing your sound from punk to more indie and shoegaze. What prompted the change for you?

KH: We have been doing punk and grunge, but those are a lot of basic power cords. There are a lot more pieces to indie and shoegaze that will be fun for us to explore. Vocal melodies are a lot easier to do in those genres.

MM: When we wrote “Your Mom,” we liked it so much, and other people really seemed to be drawn to it. We realized that worked for us. We never put ourselves in a box or tried to define ourselves. We keep making stuff, we keep working, and once the sound comes, we can say, “oh, this is what we are.” 

AM: So, the more experience you get, the more you think about the direction you want to take your music?

MM: Exactly.

KH: When we first started, it was more of “I have been listening to these bands a lot; I will write something similar to that.” With our first EP, those songs are similar because they are ours, but they are also very different. 

AM: Recently, you shifted from a four-piece band to a three-piece. How has that changed your dynamic?

ET: Things changed really quickly. It has been interesting for Kiyah and me, specifically, trying to fill that gap. But it has also been really fun. It has given me way more music inspiration than I have had in months. 

MM: It happened so recently, but we still wanted to keep this show. We have not had a lot of time to see what it is going to be. Flipside is our first show as a three-piece. 

Photo by April Massey

KH: “Kids, Kids” was written specifically for a three-piece. That was the new song that we just played. 

MM: We played it for the first time last week.

KH: We are excited to start writing specifically for a three-piece instead of turning our old songs into three-piece songs. It has been interesting. Definitely a lot of scrambling to get ready for this show, but after this, we will have time to relax and figure out what we want to do.

AM: Are you going to stay a three-piece?

MM: We are thinking about bringing someone in.

KH: Right now, we are focusing on making sure we are prepared so we can still play while figuring that out. We are thinking about bringing on another singer or maybe a guitarist. 

AM: What has your experience been like, coming up in the Boise scene?

MM: It has been ideal.

ET: I have been in the Boise music scene for a few years.  At first, I was playing in backyards. This is so cool; getting an opportunity to play on a giant stage with all these cool sound systems instead of just a Fender Rumble 25.

MM: We love making it work, but this does feel elevated. 

KH: This is the first band that I have been in. I feel lucky to have started in the Boise music scene. A lot of the people who have the power to give bands these opportunities have been very kind to us. People have been really supportive. We may not have had that in other places. 

ET: There are not many all-girl bands; this is the first one I have played in. I used to play shows where I would be the only girl for the entire set. It is so cool to be able to find other women who want to do this as well. 

AM: Are there any local bands that you look to for inspiration?

Photo by April Massey

KH: I love Moon Owl’s Mages. They have a really good stage presence. Same with Blix. They have a great sound and the best energy.

MM: They are always really tight too. 

ET: We see Blix quite often because we are friends with them. Every time we do, we are like, “holy shi— we need to step it up.” 

AM: You released two singles and played a handful of shows over the summer. Are there any plans in the near future for a full-length album or touring?

KH: The problem before was we just needed to get some music out so people could listen without coming to see us live. Now that we have that, we want to work on an album and plan a tour for maybe early summer.

MM: Write an album this winter and tour by early summer. We always give ourselves short timelines and steep goals.

KH: It is TBA for sure, but it is definitely something we would like to do.

This article has been edited and condensed