Pop-rock singer-songwriter The Infamous HER, aka Monique Staffile, recently unveiled her latest single/music video, “Dare Me.”
On “Dare Me,” The Infamous HER entices a proposition from a potential lover. In so doing, she turns the solicitation around: she’s daring her target to dare her. She wants to hear something outrageous, salacious, eyebrow-raising, pulse-racing, and imagination-broadening.
In a way, every song she and her band make is a kind of dare. She’s always reimagining her sound, stepping boldly across genre boundaries, shaking up the old and the new like an audacious bartender mixing up a fresh cocktail. Her audacity has been her guide, and she’s been rewarded for her courage with an audience of true believers who expect to be surprised.
“Dare Me” matches a monster groove and a pure pop verse with a chorus that evokes the playful elegance of 1960s film soundtracks. As always, the writing is impeccable: smart, sharp, fun, and funny.
A song as sultry as “Dare Me” needs a video to match – something colorful, magnetic, and extremely suggestive. This is the sort of clip that feels like footage of a party that’s about to get too wild to film.
Guitar Girl Magazine caught up with The Infamous HER to discuss the inspiration for “Dare Me” and her tone.
What three things can’t you live without?
My dogs, my guitar, my Chapstick.
What inspired your new single/music video, “Dare Me?”
I never kiss and tell, so it’s kinda a secret. But, let’s just say I took a dare and kinda liked it.
With “Dare Me” what was your main focus? What did you really want to try and achieve with this track?
I wanted to write a fun, flirty, inspiring song to go out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Who directed the video and where was it shot?
David Dutton directed it. We have worked on a bunch of my videos together. We shot the whole video at my house.
How did you get started in music?
I’ve been playing music my whole life, had my first gig at CBGB in NYC when I was 13.
Which singers/musicians influenced your sound?
That’s a tough question but growing up in NYC I was influenced by Blondie, Beastie Boys, Madonna, and Velvet Underground. Lots of NYC roots.
What kind of guitar do you play?
My current favorite and newest guitar is my orange Gretsch Bigsby. But all my guitars, from Fender Teles to Gibsons, have different songs in them.
What is your definition of tone? And is your tone evolving?
I’m always a sucker for a dirty tone. I’ve never waived on that. My first pedal was an Electro Harmonix vintage Big Muff and it’s still my all-time favorite!
Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?
I love writing and performing. Taking a song from noodling to a stage is where it’s at. Recording isn’t my favorite, cause it’s hard to capture the rawness of a song when you’re trying to get the “perfect take.’
Based on your own experiences and lessons learned, what guiding principles or words of wisdom would you share with aspiring artists looking to carve out their own path in music?
Do YOU! Create your own sound and your own path, and never listen to what others think, cause no one knows you better than yourself. Don’t be afraid to take chances.
What’s next for you?
To rule the world!
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