By Guitar Gabby, Jennale Adams and Fayola White
As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Guitar Girl Magazine Special Edition – I Belong – July 2023
Xtine & The Reckless Hearts is an all-femme post-punk alt band that started in Los Angeles, California. Reminiscent of Jem and The Holograms or The Runaways, Xtine & The Reckless Hearts draws aesthetic and musical inspiration from classic bands. In this interview, Christine Fullwood explores how her childhood led her to become a rockstar. Look out for the new EP from Xtine & The Reckless Hearts and their tour in 2024!
Who are Xtine & The Reckless Hearts?
Xtine & The Reckless Hearts is a femme post-punk alternative band from Los Angeles, CA. We started playing in the Los Angeles area in 2019 and headlined our first tour in the UK summer of 2022. We are a concept band; I always wanted to be in an all-girl band of rock ‘n’ roll femme fatale heroines having epic adventures; I mean, who hasn’t dreamed about that? Lol. I loved the concept of Jem and The Holograms and Josie and The Pussycats, but I never got to see anything like their existence in real life. So, the idea of Xtine & The Reckless Hearts was created from that.
The band was formed member by member, and here we are today. I love comics and fantasy adventure stories/films, so we immediately ran with the comic book concept; each person has a color, symbol, back story, etc. I wanted this band to exist in a universe where anything is possible; there would be epic adventures, no limitations, and we would just play music and be “heroes.” I love the story of the anti-hero, who didn’t plan on saving the world but was thrust into the position. As women, we are experiencing a time when we need even more female role models and leaders. We need people to feel empowered together, and we hope to help fill that gap with our songs and stories. There’s no limit to one’s imagination in storytelling, so why should there be with music expression?
We plan on releasing our full concept story soon; until then, we just released new music and video for our first single, “Dead Weight,” which is co-produced by Tim Armstrong of Rancid and engineered by TJ Rivera (Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, The Bronx). We are gearing up to release another video for our single “Savages.” We plan to do more touring in the USA, the UK, and maybe Asia. The sky’s the limit!
What inspired you to become a musician? How did you know music was the path for you?
My father. I grew up watching him play shows with legends in some of the biggest stadiums; it was a wild yet fantastic experience. My father’s story deeply affected my decision to walk in his footsteps and become a musician. I knew music was what I was going to do before I knew I was going to do it; it’s like the decision was already made for me, and I had no control over it. I’ve always been drawn to it, and I love performing. As a child, I couldn’t stop imagining myself performing on stage; it was my happy place. Music is a way of expressing my most authentic self. I’m pretty shy; when I’m not in my element, I shut down, so performing became a way to free myself and heal from anything I’ve been burying. It’s a feeling I can’t explain; it’s like adrenaline I can’t help but chase. I love playing music and am thankful to come from a musical family.
What was your experience having roots in reggae through bass legend George “Fully Fullwood” as a dad? What was his advice on following your dreams?
Having roots in reggae music with a legendary musician as a dad is rad! I’ve seen him play some fantastic shows and in epic venues! Growing up, I had an experience that most peers couldn’t imagine. I got to run around the halls of stadiums, have The Wailers over for BBQs, and other unique experiences. The reggae scene is very different from the rock scene; the experiences growing up behind the scenes helped shape me and teach me some things at an earlier age than I would have learned if I had not been born into music. I got to see everything that happens behind the scenes to make the shows happen, go to recording studios, witness the stress, and also be a part of an Andrew Tosh music video as a small child.
Regarding advice, my dad has set an excellent example of humility. He showed me the importance of being a good person and told me always to follow my heart. I watched his actions and observed how he treated those around him and what people would say about him. I was always taught to be someone people want to work with and be around. He told me to always listen, take notes, and do your best. My dad left a small, poor island with his bass guitar and has traveled worldwide following his dreams. If he can do that, so can I. I can achieve any dreams or goals I have in life without complaint.
I’m constantly thinking and imagining things and coming up with ideas; that’s what I love about my band; it challenges and allows me to be creative.
What motivates you to stay creative?
My mind won’t let me not be creative. I’m constantly thinking and imagining things and coming up with ideas; that’s what I love about my band; it challenges and allows me to be creative. I love challenges, so having something like a band challenges you to keep up with promotions, marketing, and thinking outside the box is fun.
Talk about your songwriting process: What does that look like, and where do you draw inspiration? What do you want your music to mean to your listeners and fans?
My songwriting process can be intense, lol. I zone out a lot during the process, and before I know it, a few hours go by, and I have finished demoing an entire song. When writing, I will go into a hyper-focus state and zone everything else out until I’m done. Something takes over, and I will just write up a storm. Then I have days when I can’t write or focus, and nothing gets done.
I let the songs write themselves; I don’t want to influence what organically wants to come out. I’ll listen to what I write after and then let the song tell me what it wants to be called, and I use the new title to write the lyrics around it. It’s all a feeling, I used to write entirely differently, but I felt like I was forcing the music and style. I wanted to hear what I sounded like, not just what I was influenced by but what I wanted to say and put out there. So, I started just listening, and the songs started writing themselves. I love writing songs; writing heavy guitar hooks is my favorite!
I also draw much inspiration from movies, politics, and whatever I’m going through or feeling. My mind plays mini-movies in my head of the songs I write as I’m writing. I see things in a film view, so watching movies dramatically helps me. Get me an excellent action fantasy adventure flick, and I’m juiced! If I can see the music as a small film, it’s like my ears are getting the experience my eyes would get; it’s exciting and a ride. I want music to take me somewhere, wherever the songwriter intended.
Let’s talk about gear; how do you select the gear you use on and off stage?
I used to work at a music store, so I learned about gear pretty quickly and early on. My dad always had great gear, so I learned that if I wanted to play the big boy shows, I would need to step up my gear. I’ve always admired the guitar tones of bands like The Refused, Jimmy Eat World, and From First To Last. Their tones are meaty and complete, but you can hear every note without clutter with such clarity. It’s a wicked heavy-driving guitar but with auditable leads. With the amps they use, I knew I needed that sound. I love Matamp; if I could get my hands on one of those amps, I would just freak; they have epically great tones! I’m the proud owner of an early 2000 Boogie Dual Rec and a Soldano. My Mesa is dialed in, where I love my heavy beefy tone, and the Soldano has a brighter gain with more clarity. I don’t use any pedals besides a tuner.
My guitar is a Gibson SG STD early 2000s with a fat neck and stock humbuckers. I love my guitar; it is a massive part of my sound. I use heavy .11-gauge strings and .71/.73 picks. I like to play a lot in Drop C#. The lower tuning allows for a nice heavy tone that compliments my voice, plus it’s fun to play in.
My sense of style is another way to communicate and connect with people.
How would you describe your sense of style? How do you use your style to connect with people?
My sense of style is another way to communicate and connect with people. It’s a way to bring people in; if I can attract them with style, maybe they will listen. Expression through clothing style or music style is very connected. I mean, look at punk aesthetic; it’s a way of connecting to the music through another form of expression. On stage, I’m in battle armor; my clothes help get the music into your ears and eyes, leaving an imprint in your mind. Clothing is another way to travel into the music and become one with it. Every character in a film has a style that is part of their persona and helps the viewer get a peek into the character’s mind and who they are. Same thing with music; your style is another way to tell your story and boost your message. I love fashion and connecting music with it, telling a story with it, and using it to connect people to my music.
As far as music style, I’ve blended post-punk with alternative. Like I mentioned before, the style of The Refused and From First to Last but with undertones of Saves the Day, Armor for Sleep, Taking Back Sunday, and some fun and fast Rancid, Distillers, Lunachicks vibes. I’ve been heavily influenced by late ‘90s, early to mid-2000s punk and rock music; lots of nostalgia over here.
How would you define your tone? What influences did you pull from to curate your unique tone and that of your band?
My tone would be heavy, fat clarity. I pull my tone from bands with heavy driving tones that are moody and full of bite but with clarity so that you can make it all out. I’m all about emotion and how it makes me feel. Moods can influence the way you hear something as well. My tone sets up what I want the listener to feel. I want to wake you up but also make you feel something. My guitar playing is like my second voice, so the tone is essential.
What drew you to punk music?
What drew me to punk were bands like Op Ivy, Rancid, NOFX, Saves the Day, My Chemical Romance, Thursday, The Living End, Lunachicks, and The Clash, which were all bands that I loved listening to growing up. Also, weirdly, the Christian punk scene in Orange County was huge for me. I’m not religious, but those were some of the best shows ever! They provided a safe space for kids to watch up-and-coming punk bands, where someone was there to help them back up if they fell in the pit. I learned about many bands through that scene; Showbread, Underoath, Dogwood, Squad Five-O, Noise Ratchet, and Blindside. Those shows were everything to me and drew me way more to punk music. The big push was the Vans Warped Tour. If you want to talk about motivation, my first time attending a Warped Tour was mind-blowing. I couldn’t believe how epic, how many bands, how big, just everything about it was amazing. I left that day saying to myself that I would one day play it, and years later, I did multiple times. Those bands, the music, and the shows marked me as a punk music fan for life. The Warped Tour was life-changing.
What did you look for in your bandmates when putting together Xtine & the Reckless Hearts?
I was looking for bandmates I could grow with, girls I could be real friends with. When in a touring band, you should like the people you will be with most of the time. I write the songs, so I wanted to find people that like my writing style; it’s essential that the people in your band also like the music they are playing. Lastly, I looked for how we click together on stage; presence is prominent. I’m very drawn to bands with significant stage presence. Ultimately, I wanted badass babes that could play, were rad to be around, and had a wicked presence. I’m super stoked about my bandmates. They are incredible players, amazing people, and they throw down!
Why is the acknowledgment and representation of female and gender-expansive artists vital to you? How do you want to use your voice to inspire the next generation of punk rock stars?
That acknowledgment and representation are vital to me because I am female, and I grew up in an industry that was already a “boys club” but was not very friendly to people of color in rock music. The double whammy of being female and a person of color playing punk has been a struggle. Often, no one takes you seriously. Sometimes, people will think you are someone’s girlfriend instead of one of the musicians. Sometimes, I won’t even be considered because it’s not the genre I “look like” I should be in.
Growing up lacking female, LGBTQIA+, and POC representation in rock music was difficult. I had a lot of male influences because of the lack of representation. I’m ecstatic to see how many women and POC there are now in the genre and that we are getting our voices finally heard and being seen. It’s huge! When I see girls that look like me on stage, I am so pumped and proud that we have finally made it to a place where we are being seen and heard. With what platform I have, I especially want to inspire more women, women of color, and gender-expansive folks to follow their dreams, be seen, and be heard! You have a story; tell it! Don’t let anyone try to quiet your voice, your art. My music is where I put my messages; I hope they find people and help inspire them to reach for more.
It’s a big deal for me to represent women and women of color.
What are some of the most rewarding experiences you’ve encountered in your music and acting career?
Some of the more rewarding experiences I’ve encountered in my career so far have been hearing from girls at our shows that my band is one of their inspirations. It’s a big deal for me to represent women and women of color. I never got to see someone that looked like me fronting an all-girl rock band growing up, so for me to be that person now and have little girls look at me and know they will finally be represented is amazing! Seeing the eyes of some of our female fans get big as they express how they feel seeing an all-girl band is beyond worth it! It makes playing music worth it knowing that I helped inspire someone to follow their dreams. Also, sharing the small achievements I’ve gained so far with my dad is rewarding.
What’s Next for Xtine & The Reckless Hearts?
More music, including an EP on the horizon. We are discussing returning to the UK this year and touring the USA and EU in 2024. Watch for our next music video, “Savages,” dropping later this June.