1. Hi Kym! Please introduce yourself to those who might not know you. 
Hey y’all — Kym here, also go by Hawk. I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and I’ve lived in a lot of places because I’m a curious bird. I finally ended up in LA in 2006 to appease my 5-year-old self.

I’ve been an actor since I was a kid, but I leaned more toward the weirdo artist route. That being said…what the hell do I do? In short, I tend to create spectacles — with rock ’n’ roll, wild clownish characters, and immersive environments. I play a lot of instruments, but mostly bass onstage, and I sing. My main goal is to spread joy.

Basically, I’m a clown / performance artist / musician.
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2. How did your connection with Shira and Gritty In Pink come about? 
Randomly! Or shall we say, serendipitously. The booker from The Satellite (formerly Spaceland), a venue in LA, hit me up because they said some all-female night needed another band and asked if STUNTDRIVER wanted to step in. And lo and behold — that was the first Gritty In Pink event! I was like… wow, who is this whippersnapper? (aka Shira)
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3. You’ve been rocking with Gritty since the early days — from opening the first show to hosting. What do you recall about that first show, looking back?  What’s it been like watching it grow, and how has your role evolved along the way? 
I remember thinking, “Wow, what was the last all-female event I’d been to, other than a baby shower?” Then we walked in and felt so welcome, at home, and with no weird competitive vibes :) That was February 2020, right before the lockdown. I became involved with the team, led a few workshops online during the pandemic, and hosted some jams. I am so proud of Shira for pursuing this path!
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4. When did you first realize music was your path? Was there a specific moment or influence that solidified being an artist as your dream? 
Well, from about the age of 5, I wanted to be a movie star. I was always putting on shows with my friends for our parents, neighbors, and anyone who would watch, usually playing some kind of rock star personality. We created these whole immersive spectacle situations. Not much has changed, ha!
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TBH, I can’t remember the exact moment that told me I wanted to perform. I think it was more of a feeling  – or a knowing that I MUST do this?!
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5. Your band, Stuntdriver, is described as “Adventure Proto-Punk.” What sonic influences, themes, or live-show energy shape that sound, and how does it set you apart from traditional punk? 
I often cite The Distillers, Peaches, Siouxsie Sioux, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs as sonic references. Currently, I really love IDLES, Viagra Boys, and Amyl and the Sniffers.

Thematically: fuck the system, wash off the habits that don’t serve you or the collective, and connect with others, we’re essentially all in the same boat.

Live shows involve major audience participation: a human tunnel for people to crawl through and release their shit. If that doesn’t help, we pass out yellow sponges so everyone can wipe it all away later. I also get wrapped in plastic by the evil burlesque dancers (Warped Whores).

It’s set apart from traditional punk in that there are dancers, sometimes clowns, and alter egos that I play, but it’s also heavy, and I don’t scream the whole time… just some of the time.

These days, “we” is a 3- or 4-piece band plus two burlesque dancers.
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6. How did the name Stuntdriver come about, and what does it represent to you?
I’m obsessed with stunt driving. I tried to name another band, but they didn’t like the name — good thing! What the name means to me is taking risks, going out of your comfort zone, and having FUNNNNN and adventure.

7. Your latest single “Dickface Sweetheart” definitely grabs attention right away. What’s the story behind the track? 
Well, it started out as two different songs, which you might feel in the different sections. But the song emerged from reflecting on how certain people are perceived as sweethearts, how we present ourselves, what lies deeper, and how we want to be remembered when we’re gone. And obvi, we could use more sweethearts in the world!

8.  You move between so many worlds artistically- your  Stuntdriver persona, your solo artist self, and your theatre work with Loser Lion. How do those different sides of you connect, and what does each one let you express that the others don’t?
They all connect through the goal of spreading joy and having fun. There’s music and comedy in everything I do — sometimes one medium just takes the lead over the other depending on the project.

STUNTDRIVER is kind of about good vs. evil and the resistance movement, but it obviously allows me to really sing, write songs, and play bass live with a band. My solo artist self is always open to letting new creations come in and trying them out in front of live audiences to see what sticks. I try not to fixate on it being one medium or another, although I gravitate toward clown and rock ’n’ roll.

And of course, when I hop into someone else’s script or a film/TV project, it requires me to access other parts of myself. Loser Lion is the buffoon (a sub-category of clown that loves messing with people in a fun way) — it’s really an exaggerated, unfiltered version of the self. And really vulnerable!
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9. What’s been the biggest challenge navigating the music industry as an independent artist/band? 
Getting people to the show for the 1st time!
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10. Which artists helped shape you as an artist musically or aesthetically?
Peaches, Cindy Sherman, Siouxie Sioux, Pee Wee Herman, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Motley Crue.
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11.  If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be? 
Pee Wee Herman
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12. If your life were a movie, what would it be called and who would play you as a kid, teenager, and adult? 
“Not Nasty, Just Naked” 
Kid: Drew Barrymore (Firewalker era)
Teen: Parker Posey (as a teen)
Adult: Juliette Lewis
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13. What’s a musical achievement from this past year that you’re proud of?
Both STUNTDRIVER singles landed on major Apple playlists and racked up a significant number of plays in the first week — without me doing much playlist hustling, tbh. Ahhhh, the numbers game. Gotta play ball though.

14. What’s next? 
STUNTDRIVER – EP, regional shows, summer tour, Vegas festival.LOSER LION PARTY BUS – Performing the show on an actual bus as an immersive experience. I also play a character called TRASHWITCH in an upcoming movie written, shot, and directed by Connor Storrie (Heated Rivalry). I’m always developing and trying new comedic (clown) bits on stages across Los Angeles.
‍https://www.stuntdrivermusic.com/https://linktr.ee/kympriess
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