All Punked Up caught up with Liv Haynes, lead singer of Not Ur Girlfrenz, for an exclusive interview about the band’s inspirations, music, and upcoming tour. The band consists of Liv Haynes (15), Gigi Haynes (13), and Maren Alford (15). Although the girls are not even old enough to drive, they have already completed several tours alongside mentors Bowling for Soup and played at the Vans Warped Tour. The all-girl trio released a new single “Song About You” last month with a fun, rebellious music video and is set to tour with Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup in the UK in 2020.
Check out APU’s exclusive interview with Liv Haynes below!
Q: Despite being one of the youngest bands in the industry, you have created some pretty incredible & popular original songs. What artists or bands do you look up to for inspiration?
Liv: “First of all thank you!!! Second, I draw inspiration from so many different genres and music styles that it’s hard to pick sometimes, but right now I am listening to a LOT of No Doubt, Halsey, Lauv, The Regrettes, Paramore, YUNGBLUD, Waterparks, and LANY to name a few.”
Q: As you rise to stardom, there’s probably some end goal in mind. What accomplishment do you think will mark the moment you’ve “made it” as musicians? What is the end goal?
Liv: “I feel like there’s no real end goal. Sure, I would like to have a record deal to and yeah, it would be great to be number 1 on the charts, but even Ariana Grande hasn’t reached her end goal. Besides, just to have my songs want to be heard by fans, as long as I’m able to do that, that’s the end goal in mind.”
Q: You’ve been under the guidance of Jaret from BFS for quite some time. How have all the members of BFS collectively helped you & what kind of impact do you think they have had on your sound?
Liv: “Jaret has definitely helped us morph into what we are today. From taking us on tour to show us ‘his culture’ (laughs) to watching him play and talk on stage to thousands of people, Bowling for Soup has probably mostly helped us evolve our stage presence and taught us a lot about how to have fun! They let us share the stage in the middle of one of their mega-hits ‘Ohio’ on some of the biggest stages we’ve ever played.”
Q: You’ve played some awesome shows at incredible venues, including Warped Tour. What have been some of the biggest surprises or challenges you’ve faced while touring and performing?
Liv: “The biggest surprises or challenges we’ve had to face while touring is probably landing in the UK and having major jet lag and playing a show the same night!!!! We rented a mini sprinter and we could barely fit all of us with our gear inside of it and our dad’s had to drive on the other side of the road than they are used to. My dad ripped off one of our sound guys rearview mirror off their car door and that was a pretty big surprise and challenge. (laughs) Still had an amazing show!!!”
Q: In just a few months, you’ll be touring in the UK with BFS and Simple Plan. What were the thoughts running through your head when you found out you’d be touring on another continent with Simple Plan?
Liv: “My biggest thought was ‘Oh my gosh we are hiring a bus driver!!!’ (laughs) But seriously, I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS TOUR. We all got to watch Simple Plan on the Vans Warped Tour in 2018 and 2019 and they are amazing live!! I can’t wait to join forces with them and Bowling for Soup in another continent!!!! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! I want to hug all of you in the UK reading this!!!!”
Q: What things are you looking forward to about this tour?
Liv: “Ooh, I have been working on stage set up for a while now and I’m getting really excited about how it’s all gonna turn out. We also have a surprise for all of you out there.”
Q: Your latest single “Song About You” and the music video for it seem to represent your current state in life— teenage rebellion. What message do you have for your fans about growing up?
Liv: “Don’t steal a golf cart like we did in the music video. (laughs) But seriously, the message we have for our fans about growing up is that we are all in this together. I love having a fan base we can grow up with together because we are all going through the same emotions and people our age can really relate to our songs. So just remember you are who you are and don’t let anybody change that.”
Q: How do you think your music has changed or will change with you as you continue through your teenage years?
Liv: “Hopefully, our music will change a lot for the rest of our lives!! I don’t ever want to sound the same forever. That honestly sounds really boring. I like to have fun with different sounds. If I try to put us into a box or a category, it kind of ruins the fun of creating your own sound!! So stream ‘Song About You’ our latest single and tell us what you like about it!! Love you all!!!!”
Be sure to connect with Liv Haynes and the rest of Not Ur Girlfrenz on Instagram.
Grab your tickets to their tour with Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup here!
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