In Bloom: A Look Inside Jigsaw Youth

A few months back, I had the opportunity to see the most excellent all-girl rock band at The Roxy in Los Angeles. These ladies gave a performance that was full of energy and raw edge. This band is called Jigsaw Youth, a hard rock power trio that reminds me of the sound coming out of Seattle in the early 1990s. The band is comprised of Maria (bass, vocals), Nastacha (guitar, vocals) and Alex (drums). After ending their powerful set, I was still shaking with adrenaline. Jigsaw Youth was one of the opening acts for the punk band, Destroy Boys, that went on a tour around the country. This band was by far the most impressive out of the four bands that preformed, injecting a fresh dose of heavy rock that makes you want to get up and go nuts.

I was recently able to talk to Nastacha about the band and their experience with touring, forming an all-girl rock band, and her beginnings as a rocker.

Interviewer: How was the tour that y’all just finished? I bet it was nuts. A lot of parties?

Nastacha: It was crazy. I love having energy for the shows, I’ll never drink or smoke but afterwards I’ll kick it. But if I’m driving, I have to be up at eight. I have to pack and get ready to go while everyone else gets ready. During the tour, we were going to bed at 3am and waking up 8am, going to bed at 4am and waking up at 8am every day. So, I was pretty down by the end.

Interviewer: You drive usually?

Nastacha: Well, it was me, Alex, and Jess driving. Maria wasn’t driving. Every tour we’re usually the ones driving. We had like two tours where we didn’t have to. But that’s because we were able to bring roadies with us. But this tour was too long for me to pay for another person’s room.

As I mentioned before, Jigsaw Youth recently did a national tour with the punk band Destroy Boys for about two months. The tour went to major cities around the US like Boston, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

Nastacha: I didn’t know what to expect on this tour. I was like “Who knows? Maybe people don’t even like us.” I didn’t know if we were going to make money or not. It ended up going really well, better than I thought. The drive really wasn’t that bad. It was just the weather and time changes.

Interviewer: I’m sure y’all had a lot of fun though.

Nastacha: Oh yeah. I’m ready to hit the road again. Like I would pack up and leave tomorrow.

Interviewer: Well especially with streaming, touring is so important for bands as a way to get their sound out and make some cash.

Nastacha: Oh yeah, you have to keep the momentum going. As long as I’m financially able to get out there, I’ll always say yes to tour.

Jigsaw Youth was brought on to the Destroy Boys tour after receiving an offer by email from one of the band’s reps. The band was sent a message about the tour in June of ’21, the band confirming around September of that year.

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite city you played at during the tour?

Nastacha: I would say either the Market Hotel in Brooklyn, NY or San Francisco. They were beyond crazy. Which makes sense since we are from New York, and everyone threw down over here. San Francisco is where Destroy Boys is from, so it was crazy over there. Philadelphia was sick too. I wasn’t a big fan of the venue, but I think we had the biggest crowd there. Maria completely smashed her bass at the end of the tour. For the last song, we cover “Milk It” by Nirvana, and she completely wrecked her shit into pieces. And people somehow got the pieces and asked us to sign it.

Interviewer: Do you have a dream venue or place?

Nastacha: I can’t remember but there was one show that the Foo Fighters did where they were on a beach. I’d love to play wherever that was. U2 did a show in the mountains. I’m not the biggest fan of outdoor shows because of the sound. But just the scenic view and playing, I love that. Seeing nature or being swallowed by mountains while playing our hearts out. I’ll play anywhere at any time. I love playing,  as long as people are there to receive it.

Interviewer: And you mentioned you have brought roadies?

Nastacha: We have before. We used to have a problem where were too young, were still too young to rent a van. You have to be 25. So, we would always be panicking. I’m 23, Maria is 23, and Alex is 24. We would work it out that if a friend came to get the van and drive, we would pay for their food and what not. We’ve had a couple guys come help us. But I don’t think I would ever tour with guys again.

Interviewer: Oh yeah? Why not?

Nastacha: (laughs) It’s just drama. Drama within the guys. Alpha male shit. Beefing like cats. I remember we were in Miami, Florida and one of the guys is still a good friend of ours. But it was funny because I said to the boys “Listen to me right now, I will leave your asses here and I will continue the rest of the tour without you guys. So, figure your shit out.” I was trying to tan and shit. And I don’t tolerate negativity. So, for them to be like “Who’s the better driver” or “Who’s muscles are bigger”. I’m not doing that.

Jigsaw Youth has been around for six years, forming when Nastacha and Maria were 17 years old. The band has done four tours so far and in the process of potentially doing a fifth tour in the next few months.

Interviewer: How did the band get started? How did this formulate?

Nastacha: Maria and I met on accident from Tumblr. I was desperately trying to find people to form a band and nobody I was really friends with was taking it seriously. I got a direct message from her off Tumblr. We both had anonymous blogs, so it was just a shot in the dark. And Maria was like “Hey I like your blog; I like your bio.” We started chatting and both realized we were both sixteen, both girls, both from New York. She played bass; I play guitar. We both were looking for people to start a band. We skyped and I was like “Okay, she’s a real person.” We both loved a lot of the same bands and introduced new music to each other. Before we even met, we wrote song off Skype. It was called “But You’re Not Dave Grohol”. And then we met in Manhattan and shot the shit. And I was like “Yep, this is my best friend and soul mate. From there, it was all about the band.

Nastacha: What’s going to be the name? The logo? We were writing songs left and right. We went through a couple of drummers before we brought on Alex. I met her through college. I was in marching band there and fucking hated it. She was also in marching band. I was only in marching band because I was getting paid by the school to do it. I played bass and I hated it so much that for every practice, I was just leaving. I didn’t even know who else was in marching band. I was telling my old music teacher one day how I was desperately trying to look for a drummer and she was like “You know, there’s a girl drummer at the Wagner marching band you’re in.” and I was like “No, there isn’t.” And she was like “Yes, her name is Alex.”

Nastacha: I ended up being at the basketball court one day, waiting for everyone to get there. And then she (Alex) walked in, and I was on top of the bleachers. I basically crawled down and was like “Fuck it, imma just do it.” And I was like “Yo.” And she was like “What’s up?” We had never spoke before, but she was holding a snare that day. I asked her if she played drums and she said yeah. So, I was like “You wanna be in my band?” She asked what kind of music we played, and I was like “Oh, like 90s punk/grunge, alternative.” So, I asked her if she had a drum kit and a basement and she said yes to both. And I’m like “Alright, practice is at eight at your place and once you’re in the band, you’re not allowed to leave. Literally what I said. And she was cool with it.

Nastacha points out that Alex has been serious about the band since day one. From the beginning, Alex has learned the songs inside and out, bringing a new element to Jigsaw Youth.

Nastacha: She was in a jazz ensemble at school. Alex is like a G. She’s great at everything. I was like “you are NEVER allowed to leave.” And that was a couple of years ago. Ever since then, we got the band logo tattooed on us and we literally don’t have friends but each other since we are constantly with each other. That’s how we all started.

Jigsaw Youth recently went through a major rebranding change a year ago. The band took all their previous music off of streaming services since Alex wasn’t part of the band when the songs were written. Nastacha points out that the band has matured significantly since they started six years ago, being better musicians and wanting improved recordings, marketing, and style. The band dropped the first piece of music since the rebranding last February, “From the Mudd” EP, on Nastacha’s birthday.

Nastacha: The sound is very different from what we used to be. We used to be like that Black Flag or Sex Pistols, punk thing. But then we became a very melodic, dark grunge. Almost like a Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana type feel. We’ve gotten a lot more offers and recognition since last year than we have gotten in the six years.

Interviewer: It sounds like you’ve been the one who’s all brought this together.

Nastacha: I would say out of the three of us, when it comes to branding, the photography and marketing, it’s definitely me executing that. But we all have a say on it. Last year we all sat down, and I was like “Look, I love all these songs we have out now but it’s not even us anymore.” We’re so much older now. We’re young women instead of confused teenagers. I still feel like though, a confused teenager. But I’m more aware on who I am now. And we know more people, who to call when we need certain things executed. So, our team has gotten better. I revamped the Instagram page. I’m like, “No one touch the Instagram except me.” I need everything to be centered, to be color coordinated. There’s a certain composition you need. But everything seems to be working out, so I’m happy about that.

Jigsaw Youth has an impressive social media presence, which is important in today’s modern landscape. The band focuses on putting as much content out as possible, as often as possible. This includes posts, photos, new merch, and videos.

Interviewer: Tell me how your relationship with music and how you got into the music scene.

Nastacha: No one in my family played an instrument. I’ve always been a creative person. My dad showed me Led Zeppelin when I was twelve and that was it. That was literally it. I’ve always had this weird feeling when I was a kid that I had this weird purpose to do something bigger. And I was struggling for a few years with what that even meant. I had extreme passions. I loved martial arts. I loved dancing. I thought I was going to be a dancer. But once my dad showed me that, it was it. I saw Jimmy Page doing his thing and I was literally shaking. I was swelled. I almost had tears in my eyes when he showed me “Stairway to Heaven.” And I was like “I need a guitar. Like now.” We went and got a guitar the next week and they were trying to talk me down into getting a cheaper guitar, to see if I liked it. I wanted the 400 dollar one, but they wanted me to try it first to see if I liked it. And I was like “No, this is something I will do for the rest of my life.” I felt it in my chest.

Nastacha: I eventually wanted to create with people. I didn’t want to just be in my room by myself. A lot of people watch a lot of shows or go to parties in high school. When I was in high school, I didn’t do any of that. I just was at home watching concerts of my favorite artists, constantly. I knew everything about every 90s Seattle band and who they liked and who they were related to and where they were from. I had a whole web. That was my shit! I just romanticized about my favorite artists.  

You can hear the love and influence of the Seattle sound with Jigsaw Youth’s music. Their sound is very melodic but raw and powerful.

Interviewer: I have to ask, since you kind of brought it up. Do you think Kurt Cobain killed himself?

Nastacha: Yes. (laughs) yeah.

Interviewer: I know there’s a lot of conspiracy out there…

Nastacha: That’s just people in denial that unfortunately our idol did that. And people do it a lot. I think people always have beef with Courtney Love and she’s crazy as fuck. Definitely not someone to look up to regarding her personal life. But aside from that, she also is another huge reason why I wanted to be in a band because of the whole riot grrrl movement was a major thing for me. Her, L7, Kathleen Hanna. We used to have in our band bio and when we played shows that we were a feminist punk band. But I stopped that a few years ago, even though we are feminist, because I don’t want to categorize us and put a label on us that we are only a riot grrrl band. But that movement definitely influenced us, and we have the same goals. I just didn’t want to label us that because we are more than that.

Interviewer: Yeah, you have some people that think “feminism” means that you hate men.

Nastacha: Exactly. And it’s just means equal rights for everyone pretty much. I mean, I love men. But I just want to get paid the same amount and be equal.

It’s important that bands like Jigsaw Youth are getting their music out and exposing young crowds to their sound. A young, hard rock band of three women helps those girls in the crowd see that people like them are still rocking.

Nastacha: We’re hard to swallow for most people because we’re very loud and Maria has a very raw voice. I wouldn’t want to have any other voice in our band. We’re very tight. We sound like a coherent band; we practice all the time. It’s not a joke to us, not a hobby. I stopped working as much because of the band. Over the years, people have commented that we should switch it up or not to scream as much or maybe try something different. They were throwing out empty advice. Meanwhile they have never created, published, or distributed any sort of art in their lives. It’s like “Maybe you should write a pop-punk song”. And “Smother”, if you sit down and really listen to it, is a pop song. There’s a hook, has the same formula. I’m just happy that it’s translating and this entire tour we had with Destroy Boys, we didn’t have to change our song. If anything, our sound got heavier. We’ve always been ourselves and we’ve gotten this far. And we will only get better. I’m happy that it seems to be working out.

Jigsaw Youth is unique because they have been able to walk that line between not sounding too much like the bands that influence them while taking their influences into their music. When I saw the band at The Roxy, the audience loved the aggressive rock that Jigsaw Youth presented. They had the biggest mosh pit out of the other bands and even encouraged people who have never moshed to join in.

Nastacha: That was our first country run. Everyone that came to the show was very open to it. They wanted to move around, they wanted to mosh, they wanted to crowd surf. It was a breath of fresh air. Compared to shows where even if they life you, people are too afraid to show it and stand with their arms crossed. I’m just over those weird vibes.  But this past tour everyone seemed to enjoy it and it was a couple thousand people. It gave us a nice reassurance that we are doing something right.

Jigsaw Youth currently has two EPs and a single out. Their most recent, “Fight or Flight”, features three songs including my personal favorite “She’s Alright”.

Interviewer: I see that you have a few EPs out, including a recent one. What was the creative process like for those?

Nastacha: Our process, usually it’s me or Maria, we will have a structure for something. Or normally I’ll have progression or a whole ass song with just instrumental. And I’ll send a demo and we will practice it. But sometimes I’ll have a melody and I’ll hum it. And I’m like “Maria, that’s all you with the lyrics, if you want to fit it into that. Unless you have something totally different, do your thing.” She usually will write her own bass notes. It’s really free range. Alex does her thing. But if I hear something particular, I might suggest it. Sometimes if we’re in a rut at practice we will stop playing and smoke a blunt, usually listen to some songs to get the vibe. Like the other day we were sitting their listening to “Rocket Skates” by Deftones. We will literally absorb the energy and it will help with whatever we are doing. Very rarely will I have something completely done and show it to them. I’ve been so distracted by the business side of what we’ve been doing that it’s been hard to be creative. I mean I’ve always been able to write. But when it’s like what photo should this go with or why isn’t this promo code not working for this person, I have to be on the tiny details like with customer service.

Nastacha: We usually have an engineer. We have a very close friend who did “From the Mudd” and we are working with him to record a song we did on tour. But it usually depends on who we’re working with. We’ve gone around to different parts of the state to record different instrumentals and parts of songs. I’ll probably never do that again though. I hate being in a studio. I would rather be at a friend’s house. I can be playing Mario Cart or watching a UFC fight in the same room Maria is doing vocals or Alex is working on a drum track. There’s no judgement. The guy we work with, our friend Pete, works really fast. So, it helps keep the momentum for me going. If some things take too long, I will begin to not like the song. With Pete, we will record, mix, master, shoot a pic for the song and promo. I did everything in eighteen days. Other times it can take months and I can’t do that anymore. I just have to put my foot down. I just have to sit with the team and be like “Listen, we are not in the position to not release music for a while. We just got off tour, people want new things, they want to be active.” We did the giveaway. We did a limited-edition vinyl that sold out in an hour.

Jigsaw Youth currently has five music videos on MTV (Don’t you miss MTV? We wish), on their YouTube page. Three of them include the new music that has been released part of the band’s rebranding.

Nastacha: As far as the music videos go, I have to wait for the songs to be mixed to have a better idea about the video. There are certain frames that need to be shot and you might add certain things to the songs, and you want to be able to show that visually.

“Into the Mudd”, “Attacks”, and “Fight or Flight” feature some cool artwork and graphic design that draws attention to the band while radiating a level of coolness.

Nastacha: As far as the album art, I always try to shoot that as soon as possible. I’m in charge of sending out due dates and mood boards. Tony Fertada is our main video editor. I’ll switch up photographers here and there but he’s usually the one doing it. We recently hooked up with an artist who will start doing our stuff now. I finally found someone who understands my vision and I love her work. Her name is Emma Knight. I have to make sure that the drops line up. For example, for this new single, we are recording Saturday. And then I’m getting film developed to see if I like any of the shots for the cover. If not, I have to sit with the girls and come up with some imagery we can schedule a time with Tony to shoot. While were doing that, I’m looking at certain stuff for the mood boards to send to him. And then we have to shoot something for the promo which has to be 30 seconds to a minute. We drop a promo a week before release. But we have to release the song a few days before you want to do it since that’s how the distributor works. But I enjoy it.

Interviewer: What are the goals for the band? Where do you see yourself in the next few years?

Nastacha: I would love to tour with another band or even be the headliner. I just want to play for more people. I will go anywhere if it makes sense. In the next five years, I would love to have a team that really has our backs. I’d love to get a manager, an agent, or get signed. I would love to not work my other day jobs and fully immerse myself into my music. To constantly be playing and flowing. That’s where I see us. I don’t know if we will play arenas but even smaller places like The Barclay Center. I just want to be doing this more often. I want to take this band to a new level, outside of music. Maybe we would have a comedy show or collab with a sneaker brand.

Jigsaw Youth’s music is available to stream on all major platforms. The band is planning on dropping a new single in the next few months. Check them out on their website jigsawyouthnyc.com