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Led by vocalist Zoe Infante, Bittersweethearts are a new band out of L.A. who are beginning to make heads spin thanks to some thought-provoking songs and visually stunning videos. Zoe was on hand to talk about the latest single ‘Polly Plastic’, and how much she is looking forward to the debut Bittersweethearts European shows set to take place in January 2023.
It’s been a great first year for Bittersweethearts, you’ve performed gigs at legendary venues such as the Whisky A Go-Go and The Viper Room in Hollywood, that’s good going for a band still in its infancy.
Yeah, it’s been amazing, we’ve been super busy which has been super rewarding…and very exciting! The world has slowly been getting back to normal after the lockdown, live music is back, and I feel that it is a really exciting time for artists and people that play music. People want that in-person experience again, so it’s been amazing playing live.
The Whisky A Go-Go is especially synonymous with the L.A. music scene, it must have been quite surreal playing it as a brand-new band.
Totally. It was really special because my Dad played there with his band in the 80s. All of the music icons and legends have played there over the years so it just felt special to be in the same place all those years later…with the same goal…it’s really cool. There is great energy about that place.
You mentioned your Dad, he’s been in the music business for some time now I believe?
Yes, he’s played music pretty much his whole life, and it’s been great to grow up with him as a role model. He’s already lived through the “scene”, and the business side of it, and I’m just really lucky to have someone who understands it, and has lived through what I am living now.
Did he try and dissuade you from going into the music industry, or was he supportive?
He’s always been extra-cautious, like telling me not to be screwed over blah, blah, blah…this can be a tough world to live in, but as much as he is cautious, he is also so supportive…and just wants the best for us – myself and my twin sibling, we both play music – and that’s why he cares so much. He offers honest, real advice with no sugarcoating, “…this is how it is…and good luck”! I’ve been very fortunate to see the real side of the music industry because of my Dad.
Your surname is Infante, any relation to former Blondie bassist Frank Infante?
No relation to Frank Infante…although I have met him. He’s very cool. But no relation to him…unless it’s from thousands of years ago and I don’t know! [laughs] So let’s just say yeah, we are probably related somewhere down the Infante line at the beginning of time!
There is a hint of a Shirley Manson influence with you, a fair assumption?
Absolutely. I have a lot of influences from that time period and I think that the music that came out of the 90s had THE best vibe. But, yes, totally an influence…I love Garbage and she’s an inspiration.
The new single ‘Polly Plastic’ has just landed, that’s a killer, upbeat song, that makes you smile…
I love the energy in that song! It’s a special song to me and means a lot.
Everything about it, from the artwork to the promo video, is very positive, who came up with the concept for the video?
That was one of my many crazy ideas! [laughs] I just wanted to show a girl who was trying to fit in with all these crazy and unrealistic standards for women – especially in L.A. – who feel that they have to be perfect, and how fake that all is, and how hard it is to make a genuine connection. Living in L.A. is so picture-perfect from the outside, but that doesn’t mean that people haven’t got feelings, or want to have an authentic, real-life…instead of trying to impress, and act in a certain way that society holds women to. So the idea for the video was to be this “perfect” soul, but at the end of it, they can’t take it anymore and break out of it.
‘Polly Plastic’ is quite different from the debut single ‘Hate To Love’, two singles released in a few months, and both are the polar opposite of each other, there is a lot of variety in your music…
Yes, for sure there is a lot of variety, which is something that I love. We have ballads, we have stuff with a groove, we have stuff with more of a rock vibe…I don’t want to limit myself to just one genre, I like to have that blend of alternative and indie, and rock. I love melodies, and music that tells a story, it’s really cool if you can’t tell what is coming next.
After hearing ‘Hate To Love’, ‘Polly Plastic’ comes as a bit of a surprise…
And that’s what I was going for!
I’m interested to hear what the single number three will sound like…
Single number three I am so excited for this song to come out. It’s…how can I say this…it’s kind of like the death of my past self and the birth of this new person.
When can we expect single number three?
It will go out as soon as it’s ready, ‘Polly Plastic’ was supposed to come out later than it did but I said “…no, why wait, just get it out once it’s ready”. I need to pick an aesthetically pleasing date to release it…because I’m weird like that! I can’t release something on say, the 14th…it sounds weird but it has to sound even…like the 22nd…I don’t know…but I’m weird that way! So when I find my aesthetically-pleasing date for the release party…then it’s coming out!
What went through your mind as you were releasing your debut single? Nervous? Excited? Both!?
Releasing music has always been a vulnerable place for me. I was in a band for five years or so prior to Bittersweethearts. And that crumbled and burned when the pandemic hit. I always kind of hated releasing music, as you are really putting yourself…and your heart…and your words…out there, and in a sense you are letting people judge you through your words. Releasing music was always a scary feeling for me, but with Bittersweethearts, I feel that the past year has been so insane for me that [laughs] I don’t even care what people think! I am really happy, and I am at that point in my life when I honestly couldn’t care less what people think! If it reaches some people, and they enjoy it…then that’s all that matters.
In L.A. everyone is a musician, everyone has their own style and does their own thing, and it’s great because you CAN be different here and no matter what type of music that you make, there will be someone that likes it because here there is so much diversity in such a small place.
What are the plans for the debut album?
The goal was to have the album out before the tour, but that won’t happen. So we are releasing one more single with another video before the tour, and hopefully, when we get back from the tour we will have some traction and get it out there. We have more than half of it recorded, so we are looking at sometime in Spring 2023. It’s really exciting as I think that we have made a great album, I feel that it tells the story of my life from the past year or so…so it’s definitely a special album to me. I love this album.
Bittersweethearts are heading over to Europe in January 2023, with the London date taking place on January 25th…
Yes! I’m very excited as I’ve never been to Europe…
Are you prepared for the cold weather?
I love cold weather! Well, actually I don’t think that I’ve ever experienced truly cold weather…cold for me is California cold…like 60 degrees! So maybe not! We will see! But I’m so excited and I think that it is going to be a life-changing experience.
Connect with Zoe and the Bittersweethearts here.
Interview – Dave
All live images – credit Jack Lue photography
