A group of young ladies from the Northeast U.S.A. have taken over the world of hard rock music! I am speaking about the latest all-female rock n’ roll band – Plush! Back in February, the band released their debut single “Hate” which was immensely successful. Today we spoke to the band’s vocalist Moriah Formica and drummer Brooke Colucci about forming the band, their debut album set for release on October 29th and more!
Brooke
Moriah
Hey ladies! How are you doing today?
Good! How are you?
I’m doing good. I’m happy to be speaking with you both today.
As are we, thank you so much for having us today!
Yeah, thank you!
Of course, anytime! So personally, I had known of both of you individually before you formed Plush together. But for those who don’t know, what were each of you doing musically before this band and how did you two get connected initially?
Before I knew Moriah, I was releasing drum covers on all social media platforms. People seemed to like my covers and I started to gain a bit of a following and Moriah stumbled upon my videos. Then from there, our dads got in contact and we got together and jammed and it really clicked.
Yeah, and I had a solo thing going on. I was on season 13 of The Voice when I was 16 and that helped me kick start my career. I was gigging as Moriah Formica – a solo artist. Right before the pandemic, I discovered Brooke and I was like ‘Holy crap, we have to be in a band!’
That’s one of the benefits of having the internet now, helping to connect musicians and form bands.
Right, especially during a pandemic.
Totally. On that note, what challenges did you face with forming a band in the middle of a pandemic?
It was challenging to figure out practices and how we would be able to see each other and get together to write. The COVID guidelines made travel and studio time difficult. The biggest thing was not being able to play shows because that is how we make a living.
Your debut single “Hate” was very well received. When it comes to the release of “Athena”, were you at all nervous that it wouldn’t be as successful as its predecessor?
We were definitely nervous. We are very grateful for how well “Hate” has done and we wanted “Athena” to do as well if not better.”
Do you feel like it has lived up to the expectation?
I think it’s getting there and we still have some time. The fans have received it pretty well so I’m happy with that.
Me too.
And it’s one of our favorite songs to play live and one of our favorite songs on the album.
If there is one thing you would want people to know about this album, what would it be?
I think I would want people to know that this is 100% us and nothing else and no one else. A lot of the songs we just got together and played and recorded together.
I couldn’t agree more with that.
You’ve both accomplished so much in your careers already but what are your ultimate goals for your future in music?
For me, I just want to keep improving and trying new things, exploring different genres. That’s a big thing for me because I’ve always played rock music so recently I’ve been getting into jazz and fusion.
For me, I just hope to inspire young kids and really anyone but for me personally, I feel like the young generation is starving for something they can connect with.
And attainable too because the life of a lot of pop stars is very unrealistic.
I remember what rock n’ roll did for me as a kid and I hope to do that for other people. And I hope we get to tour the world someday.
Being a young female in the music industry myself, I have dealt with my fair share of sexism. Have you two experienced this type of behavior? If so, what advice would you give to someone facing something similar?
Yeah, there will always be people who are idiots. It’s hard not to get pissed off in those situations because it’s infuriating. But I am grateful that it is 2021 and it’s not as bad as it was for people like Joan Jett who paved the way for us. As for advice, prove those people wrong and be a badass female. You don’t even really need to prove it because for one person who doesn’t believe in you there are so many people who do. Speak your damn mind – if someone says something you don’t like, respectfully let them know it’s not okay.
In a world where rock music doesn’t exist, what genre would you envision Plush playing?
That’s a great question.
I could totally see us playing some funky, groovy soul stuff. I could also honestly see us doing a rap and funk fusion.
Rap meets Earth, Wind and Fire.
I could see us that way or also like Lady Gaga art pop.
Just weird and unique.
Music with tons of feeling and as Brooke would say ‘groovy’.
Is there anything else you’d like to include?
Thank you everyone for your love and support, we are so excited for our album to come out on October 29th.
Stay safe, stay healthy and thank you Shannon for having us!
Shannon Wilk is a Connecticut-based music industry creative; bassist and photographer. She has brought her bass guitar skills to stages all over the country in various bands, most recently The Heartless and Alice Loves Alien. Dubbed the “female Rudy Sarzo”, Shannon has a unique and captivating stage presence in addition to her distinctive playing style. Since beginning her professional career in 2019, she has made waves in both the live music scene and the digital world, playing legendary stages such as the Whisky A Go-Go and the Monsters of Rock Cruise, as well as accumulating nearly 1 million views across online platforms.At 17 years old, Shannon Wilk has become a force to be reckoned with in the rock n’ roll scene. In addition to her blossoming music career, she has continued to showcase her passion for live music through concert photography. From KISS to Foo Fighters to Evanescence to Yungblud and more, Shannon has captured rock royalty through her lens. In 2018, she launched her own publication, Rockin’ Interviews, where she has connected with beloved ‘80s heavy metal artists through her independently produced podcast.
