IN THE MAGAZINE

THE DUCHESS OF YORK

On the Town With Bloody Wounds

Published November, 2009

BY LISA CRYSTAL CARVER
PHOTOS BY KEITH NEWELL

There is nothing interesting about York/There is no life/It’s killing me to be here.
—Bloody Wounds, “York”



Bloody Wounds is a strange person, and she makes strange music that is so undefined by conventional genre, you end up finding yourself in it. I hear a helpless, distorted-thinking, ambitious little person up against a vicious town with nothing but music as a shield, because that’s who I was as a kid. The photographer I took with me to Bloody Wounds’s hometown of York, Pennsylvania, noted her obsessive need for control over her environment—the towels folded military-style in threes in her bathroom—because he’s that way. A pop-culture referencer saw William Hung. An ugly, unimaginative woman I know remarked simply, “Hideous!” Well, that’s my whole opinion about that woman too! A guy who grew up overweight and repressed and then, through drug abuse and sex with strangers, transformed himself into someone rich and chic and perfect and now sees potential anywhere he goes said, “She’s so beautiful!”

Her open and unusual heart acts as a mirror. Go listen to her here and see who you are.

Bloody Wounds: This is Bloody Wounds.

Vice: How old are you?
Twenty-six.

Do you work?
No.

How come you keep missing my calls?
Well, earlier today it looked like we were going to get a tornado, so I had to go to the store. The sky was mad black.

I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks!
[offers no explanation]

Do you read a lot of books?
Not really. The one book that I would say, if I would ever read a book in my life, the one book would be... it’s by Derek Jeter... Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams.

Is music like your best friend?
Yeah, it is. It is my best friend.

Do you really think Hollywood would be different from York, no “gossip and hate” like you sing about?
Honestly, I think there’s gossip and hate anywhere you go. A lot of times I get messages on MySpace just hating on me, bashing on me, telling me I sound like an eight-year-old with…

With what?
It’s... pretty inappropriate.

Why do you think they say such things?
I think they’re jealous.

If you become successful and move to Hollywood, there would be more people to be jealous and dump on you. So, in a way, the better things get for you, the worse they will get.
Oh, of course.

You don’t mind?
No. I think it’s important people don’t let all that hate get to them and they follow their ambition, their destiny. I don’t think enough people out there are doing that.

In one of your photos you’re wearing a Spider-Man t-shirt. Do you like the story of a life transformed, after the bite?
I just like the colors.

I like King Kong myself. A tragic individual.
I know the Hulk—he’s green.

Did you ever attend a rodeo?
No.

Did you go to the prom?
No, I didn’t.

Do you go to the beach?
I’ve been to a beach... Virginia Beach, when I was younger.

Ever witnessed a group of kids bullying a kid and a teacher looking the other way?
Definitely. I was one of them.

How so?
Just kicked, punched, beat up.

Aw. What happened about it? Did you report it?
Nothing happened. I didn’t tell anyone.

Was that in high school?
High school, middle school.

Ever been to Six Flags?
I may have, once.


Every once in a while you hear about a person whose inner world and outer appearance are so different from your own or anyone you’ve ever met, you don’t know what to think. Remember the first time someone played you the Shaggs? Or showed you a Ligabue painting? Each time I’d come across some great outsider art like that, the artist was either dead, old, and living with their mother, or cured and fat and family-oriented: It was all over. Bloody Wounds is right now! Everyone I introduce her music to goes bananas. All across the nation, people are downloading her songs and emailing her photos interoffice, trying to figure out what is going on.

Wooing an article out of her proved difficult. At first she would only speak to me by phone, and then only irregularly, unpredictably.


Bloody Wounds: I was kind of worried that you wouldn’t call today. I was waiting it out, waiting it out.

Have you ever done an interview before?
Yeah! I actually have. I just did a Flipside magazine interview this morning at 11. That was my first one.

Hey! I’m your first!
OK, OK, I’m sorry. You were the first, yesterday. Flipside was the second. Now it’s back to you.

How was it? What kind of questions did they ask you?
They asked about my musical influences.

[laughs] Flipside has been asking everyone their musical influences for 25 years now, God love them. Let’s do some more “ever” questions. Have you ever done something that needs to stay in Vegas?
HAHAHAHAHAHA! No, actually. Not yet.

Not yet! Did you ever meet a famous person? Gone backstage?
No. Never. I wish. I’ll be on my own stage someday!

Yeah! Did you ever win an award?
No.

Do you prefer mountains, sea, forest, or field?
Some days I don’t go outside at all.

Ever been out of the US?
No.

Tripped the light fantastic?
What?!

I’m asking if you ever did psychedelic drugs.
No. That one was weird, I’m sorry!

Ever done something so awful that you know you’re a different person from that moment till the day you die?
Oh, definitely.

Are you going to tell me what you did?
No.

Will you give me a hint?
No.

---

See all articles by this contributor

Comments

Anonymous, on Feb 6, 2010 wrote: how can you people even call this music? its NOISE.
Anonymous, on Feb 5, 2010 wrote: Fucking hell. I’m not sure whether this is the funniest thing I’ve read lately or the most pathetic, but either way, her music is fucking horrible, self-indulgent whiny crap. I’ve strugged with depression, honestly, this strikes me as a cry for help of some sort. If she were really all that anti-social and "different" or whatever, she damn sure wouldn’t be putting music on Myspace.
Anonymous, on Jan 2, 2010 wrote: what the fuck is it? it doesn’t look like a girl, or a boy. it looks like, well, an it. the fucking thing sounds like it has down syndrome or something.
Anonymous, on Dec 28, 2009 wrote: i went to school with this thing and she was in the special classes. she tries to make her life seem so bad. seriously, grow the fuck up already.
Anonymous, on Dec 27, 2009 wrote: Really? I don’t get it. Its terrble music and she dosen’t seem like a bright person at all, or even someone so mindless its fun...no she is just dumb
Anonymous, on Dec 22, 2009 wrote: Hey yal i am bloody wounds and yes i am serious and i dont give a f**k igf you hate on me cus your a bunch of haters
Anonymous, on Dec 17, 2009 wrote: I think the Anon. before me might be right...practical joke?
Anonymous, on Dec 16, 2009 wrote: I think the Anon. before me might be right...practical joke?
Anonymous, on Dec 12, 2009 wrote: This made me laugh, hard. This lady can’t be for real.
Anonymous, on Dec 11, 2009 wrote: It’s like the writer is trying to frame her as a disturbed talent.
Anonymous, on Dec 10, 2009 wrote: If she’s so crazy and weird and disturbed how can she make esthetic decisions about hair dye and piercings. Sometimes I wonder about these damaged types.
Anonymous, on Dec 10, 2009 wrote: Is this shit for real? I never comment, but her music is such a big pile of garbage, and fake angst really bothers me... A book by derek jeter is her favorite? She doesn’t know what a philospher is? Basic white trash lesbian, stuck in a run industrial city, apparently watching pokemon, avoiding telling her mother she is gay. Her Music is the ultimate worst
Anonymous, on Dec 4, 2009 wrote: this interview should win a pulitzer. i’m serious. i’ve been feeling on this girl for about three days- then i happen upon this gem. perfect.
	Kinch Kinski, on Dec 4, 2009 wrote: I read the article, I enjoyed the article. I’m not one for the more severe brand of sociopath personally but I figured there must be something to the music, but after painfully enduring three songs I’ve got a few words for you - scam, charlatan, publicity driven musical non-even. Well, that last was more like a sentence fragment. In the article she mentions some comment to the effect that she has been told she sounds like an 8 year old and was insulted, but the insult is to 8 year olds - Mozart was already writing symphonies at that age, my sister was a much better musician at 8, and I could do a damned fine run-down of songs from The Lion King when I was barely 6. There is nothing to this but hype, as far as I’m concerned. Wow, that was really mean... K. Kinski
	Manos Turbo, on Dec 1, 2009 wrote: I love you fucking hipsters have to name-drop Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston (have you actually listened to a Daniel Johnston record? How is bloody wounds doing anything resembling his output?) Take her music on its own terms. You’re pretty god damned immature if you think schizophrenia is cool. I agree with the Jandek comparasion, though
Anonymous, on Nov 29, 2009 wrote: fucked up shit. what the fuck.
Anonymous, on Nov 25, 2009 wrote: Gym teacher rave dog who spends her days cruising the streets of her economically devastated former factory town selling oxycontin out of her late 90’s Mitsubishi Diamante to unemployable dirtbags and recording completely unlistenable hogwash that is in turn eagerly championed by edgy tastemakers.
Anonymous, on Nov 25, 2009 wrote: england? york is west of philly, lol.
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: A FEMALE DANIEL JOHNSTON. as simple as that. siiiigh
	rufiomania, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: i’m beginning to understand where all the "anti-socials" come from in england.
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: myspace link doesn’t work!
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: is this a joke
	turd to your mother, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: 95% unemployment? good lord.
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: this music makes me want to take a shit... on her.
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: WADDY must hook up with this chick.maybe then he’ll get more work e-l cape town
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: She makes me think, but I’m not sure what about. Like the anonymous post two below mine, "I don’t get it."
Anonymous, on Nov 24, 2009 wrote: this music is captivating
Anonymous, on Nov 23, 2009 wrote: I don’t get it. Beyond the bizarre/comical/sad aspects of this story, there’s some really boring music. Its weird in a novelty Wesley Willis way, but much darker and sadder. This girl sounds like a victim of traumatic abuse. Great article!
Anonymous, on Nov 20, 2009 wrote: I love lisa yes I do, I love lisa how ’bout you
Anonymous, on Nov 19, 2009 wrote: is her music not crap?
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