In the saturated digital age, Riot Pop duo WASI seems to have found a way to remain grounded. Partners Jessie Meehan and Merilou Salazar have been making music together since high school. Now, years later, they have released multiple projects, including their recently released debut studio album, Riot Pop!, and have had huge success with their activism.
Just last year, Meehan worked with the ACLU to establish an inclusive bathroom policy for Walgreens, and Salzer co-founded the Women Fuck Shit Up Fest LA, giving women a safe, welcoming, and empowering space to share their art.
Now, following the release of the debut studio album, they are embarking on the Love Is Gay tour with Luncy and La Mer and Polartropica, following Pride festivals across the United States. At each stop, they will be working with LGBTQ+ organizations talking about music and art while spreading messages of pride and acceptance.
Juliana sat down with Jessie and Merilou to talk about their musical roots, album, the gear they’re excited to use on tour, and successful activism in the current political climate.
How would you describe WASI to new listeners?
Angsty, uplifting punk-inspired pop aka “Riot Pop.”
You both had a small go with another band in your youth. How did experiences with music when you were younger influence your desire to pursue music in your adult life?
When we had our first band together, we were constantly told we sucked. We hardly knew how to play our instruments and we did the best we could, but instead of being encouraged we were shoved out of certain shows and communities. Now that we’re older, we OWN what we do. We write and perform and produce our way as to us playing music is more than just being the best at our instruments. It’s about the story being told and the people it touches.
The band in the previous question was The Midol Poppers, an all-female punk band. What inspired the transition to pop music, and how do you reference your punk roots in the new music?
Punk has and will always be in our roots. It comes out in the live show in the writing of our music. That being said, we’ve always been fans of hooks, melodies and pop songwriting. Both of those genres live in us as songwriters, and it definitely shows. In the lyrical content, the music and the soul – it all shows.
Speaking of newly released music, congratulations on the upcoming release of your debut album, Riot Pop! What was the most rewarding part of the album making process?
Thank you for the kind words! The most rewarding part of the album making process is hearing the mixes back for the first time. Much of this album we recorded in our closet (literally) and put it together the best we can before The Fund (the production group we work with) throw on their magic and mix it. When we get it back, it’s the best feeling ever. It’s just a moment where we sit there and listen and soak in the “wow, we did it” feeling.
Was there anything surprising about working on a full length-album vs. the shorter projects you’ve done in the past?
I wouldn’t say anything was surprising per say because we knew exactly what we wanted to do and the overall story we needed to tell. It was definitely challenging at times (to have the discipline to finish what we started) but we knew that going in.
You’re just about to head out on the Love is Gay tour. What has it been like curating the songs for live performance? Do you have any gear you’re stoked to be using?
We’re so excited for the tour! These live shows will be different from the ones that we perform here in LA as Jessie (who usually plays bass and sings) will be singing from the electronic pad the Roland SPD-SX. She learned all the tracks on drums (she writes most of the beats anyways) so that will definitely create a new dynamic to the live show. We’re so excited to try this out as doing things like this excites me. It creates a new touch to how the music can be perceived and performed.
Do you have a song you’re looking forward to performing the most?
With this new set up, we’re definitely excited to perform Ball in My Court. That one is super energetic but with a melody and message that needs to be heard, so balancing it all is a fun challenge we give ourselves!
This is one of the first times in modern history that people have been able to be openly queer, and share openly queer art on a level where it is being consumed by the general public. How does it feel to be apart of this? Are there any other queer artists you’ve been taking inspiration from recently?
We’re so grateful to be part of the movement today, and we’re always thinking about all the hardship and what people in the past had to go through to give us the freedom we have. While we’re still far and it’s not the same all over the world, we’re so grateful to be able to use our voice to tell our stories.
We’re always taking inspiration from different queer artists, be it singers, songwriters, designers, painters, actors etc! To be honest, a story we’re really following right now is Anne Lister of Gentleman Jack. She paved a way for queer visibility and the way the show portrays her is brilliant.
You recently just worked with TomboyX for your Run music video? How was partnering with them? Do you find it important to partner with companies who are run by people in the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, women, etc.?
Working with TomboyX is amazing! We’ve always been huge fans of the work and message, and are so grateful that they got to be part of our RUN music video. We want to support as many minority groups as we can, as growing together is how we stay strong.
Not only is it great to support each other, but we get each other’s message. It’s not all just a marketing campaign or whatever. It’s about creating community, a camaraderie, authentically.
You both have been involved with a lot of successful political activism. The American political climate is very tense and people often feel like they don’t know where to begin or what to get involved with. How have you worked your way through some of these same feelings in your activism?
When we think about the world as it stands and depressing hole it can be, it’s definitely hard to even find inspiration to move. For us, we start small and before you know it adds up. And we do things that are important to us in that moment. Something new might come up later on, but we deal with that later on. We work with what we got in the moment as that fire attracts others. And before you know it a wave is started.
Something as simple as teaching for a day at the Rock Camp for Girls LA and OC, being part of a peaceful protest, signing a petition or just standing up for something that is important to me. Activism is about those moments and realizing that the world is bigger than the anxieties in our heads.
We’re not perfect. There’s always more we can do. But we try to be intentional with what we can control. We try to do our best.
On each stop of the Love Is Gay tour, you will be stopping to work with LGBTQ+ youth spreading messages of pride and acceptance. What organizations will you be working with here in Portland, and is there any way for others to get involved?
We’re so excited to be working with Future Prairie on the Queer Variety Show in Portland! I believe we take volunteers as well. There’s a company we also work with in Portland called Marmoset who help license our music. A portion of all of their profits go to local non-profit organizations, and we’re excited to meet with them as well!
WASI will be playing the Queer variety show at the Hollowed Halls in Portland, OR on 6/21, and it’s a show you want to have on your radar.
The rest of the Love Is Gay tour dates can be found here.
(Interview by Juliana Bigelow, featured photo by Olivia Hemaratanatorn)
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