Meet Meghan McDonald of Queen Frequency & The Twats and Pink Nites Series in DTLA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan McDonald.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Music is my first love. I’ve been making weird mouth sounds ever since I was an infant (which apparently would terrify the babysitter), and still find myself making bizarre instrumental sounds as an adult. While I’ve attempted careers in other fields, I made the decision to put music at the forefront after forming the music performance act Queen Frequency & The Twats.

Queen Frequency has a feminist/Sci-Fi theme — I love the idea of combining story and visuals with sound, creating a more theatrical rock experience. I can count on one hand the number of love songs I’ve written, instead focusing on sensory overload, mental health, death, suffocating gender roles and ego.

In regards to music, it would be impossible to speak about my relationship with sounds without also touching on autism. Autism is a completely different mental operating system as far as processing sensory and social information goes. Sounds have such an intense grip on me that it feels like I’m constantly being touched and prodded by noise. This can be unpleasant when it’s a loud, unexpected sound, but also very calming and fun when it’s music — like being hugged by watery air. When writing, I really resonate with guitar loopers and tend to go for a wall-of-sound effect — forming organized chaos and interweaving layered melodies.

It is autism that also makes me resonate with the alien characters in Queen Frequency (the Twats) because social differences make me feel like I’m never on the same page as anyone — like an anthropologist amongst my own species or like an alien on a foreign planet.

I think that there’s a feeling of empowerment with having a performance mascot such as The Twats being based off of a female body part that we’re taught to feel ashamed of or even grossed out by (the vagina). Coming from a strict family, I was fed a lot of negative ideas about being a woman and gender roles that didn’t fit my wants or needs. I love unlearning these themes while also creating music and a story.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been an incredibly bumpy road, and I love it. For a lot of creative fields, there isn’t really a paved path to get where you want to go, so you’re forced to constantly build new routes for yourself. I love learning, and I love when I end up in places I couldn’t have anticipated even if I tried.

Some of the less enjoyable struggles have been miscommunications, burnout and learning that sometimes you’re just not compatible with a collaborator. I think it’s imperative to not take most things in life personally and that sometimes you just need to agree to disagree.

Burnout is also something I struggle with a lot — I become so intensely obsessed with projects that I forget to take breaks and have meltdowns because of my “go, go, go” enthusiasm. Learning balance is a constant lesson to learn and relearn for me.

Please tell us about Queen Frequency & The Twats and Pink Nites Series.
Queen Frequency & The Twats is different from a lot of musical acts in LA because it’s a combination of different genres — pop rock, bluesy rock, punk rock and even a touch of metal.

At some shows we have a live projectionist with awesome visuals and we’re working to incorporate The Twats characters more. If you want a rock concert with theater and space femme elements, Queen Frequency is that act.

Another favorite element of music is creating community. I’m working with other badass women in the LA indie music world to create Pink Nites, a music and art series that spotlights womxn musicians. It’s really important to pass along skills, resources, and contacts to others and to view other artists as community — not competition.

The second Pink Sounds event will be in October 30th at Hotel Cafe (Halloween themed!). We’re always looking for new womxn acts, so please reach out and come out for a great show!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We’re wrapping up a rock opera album (2020) produced by Freeman Recordings that I’m incredibly proud of, so keep an eye out! And follow Pink Nites for more awesome events spotlighting womxn artists!

Pricing:

• Pink Sounds event is $10

Contact Info:

• Email: queenfrequencymusic@gmail.com
• Instagram: Queen Frequency: https://www.instagram.com/queenfrequency/
• Facebook: Queen Frequency: https://www.facebook.com/queenfrequencyandthetwaats/
• Other: Pink Nites: https://www.instagram.com/pinknitesla/

Image Credit:
Images by Holly Kaplan and Cameron Dunbar

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