by MATTHEW JAMES-WILSON
MOMMA
Momma is the glimering, symbiotic recording project born out of the friendship between Los
Angeles songwriters Etta Freedman and Allegra Weingarten. The duo met in high school and performed together for the first time when Etta needed a last minute replacement for a show. Since then Momma has blossomed into a captivating four piece grunge band, with thoughtful lyrics and considered songwriting and arrangements. Etta and Allegra’s writing process is much like their friendship, they are constantly willing to learn from each other and support each other’s ideas. Their first full length, Interloper, is a dense debut full of interlocking vocals, a locomotive rhythm section, and really clever lyrics. There are so many intimate moments and sonic gems across the album, and it shows an awful lot of promise and maturity for a band that’s just beginning their young adulthood.
After a few months of corresponding with the band over email through my job at their record
label, Danger Collective Records, I finally got to meet Etta and Allegra when they were home from college this winter. I watched them play a staggering set at a DIY show downtown and was amazed by the intensity of their live performance. The next day I hung out with Etta and Allegra to shoot some new photos of Momma, and I experienced their inspiring dynamic first hand. Later we recorded this interview over the phone and discussed their writing process, musical upbringing, and how to have a healthy collaborative relationship.
Where are you from and where do you live currently? Etta Friedman: I’m from the San Fernando Valley, near Los Angeles, and I currently live in Brooklyn. Allegra Weingarten: I’m also from the Valley too, and I currently live in New Orleans. What role did music have in your lives while you were growing up? Did your parents introduce you to any music or did you play music when you were younger? Etta: For me, music was always super prevalent. My mom is a huge appreciator. She showed me David Bowie and Elton John growing up, who were super influential on me. But I also had older siblings that introduced me to a lot of music. My brother showed me Green Day and stuff like that, haha. My first favorite band ever was No Doubt, and I found them when I was really little, just from watching videos on TV. That kind of changed my life. I was always really obsessed with watching people play live and the whole dynamic of a band. I think that has always been super influential in my life. It’s an emotional thing and it can be very experiential. Music can transport you to so many different times in your life. Allegra: I was also definitely raised with a musical family in a musical household. Both of my parents love music, but my dad was a music journalist while I was growing up. He use to
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