New girl band to launch limited demo CD tomorrow at Scorpio's

When I spoke to Becky she was on a lunch break from her job in a marketing role for an accountancy firm in Maidenhead. Not quite as rock and roll as her band, Rouge, who were put together at the end of last year.

Nicole Burnard, 20, from Totteridge is on the drums, Simone Picknett, 21, from Harrow is the other guitarist and singer and Ruby Lee, 19, from Beaconsfield is on bass.

The Widmer End resident is currently on a gap year, and is going to university to study business management in September, with her ultimate goal to be full time musician.

So how did Rouge come about? She said: "One of the things I have always wanted to do is put an all girl band together. I always wanted to do it but I have never been able to have the time to put it together.

"Then in late 2012 I spoke to a friend I used to work called Nicole with who was a drummer- it is really difficult to find a female drummer. It is a very unusual thing.

"We started to have a couple of jams together in her shed.

"Before I started this band I was a solo acoustic singer and I met a lot of musicians. We asked around for another guitarist, which is when we met Simone.

"Then in March time we had been searching for a bassist for months and we couldn't find anyone. I was telling my friend, Ruby, and she offered and I taught her from scratch."

Then in late April they had their launch show at the Bucks New Uni students union, and have recorded music at KMD Studios in Chesham.

In September they aim to have their first official release, and will pick a recording space soon.

So why was she so keen on putting an all girl band together?

She said: "I suppose I am a bit of a feminist. I just always liked the idea of girls playing music together.

"I have been really influenced by female singers. Janis Joplin was my biggest influence.

"I have also been influenced by a lot of other girl bands- The Runaways and Haim. It is a very powerful thing."

Becky, 19, has been playing the guitar since she was 10 and has always been in bands as a hobby.

She said: "Now I think I have finally found a band as committed as I like to think I am."

Becky chose the name Rouge as it kept coming into her head when she was thinking about band names.

She added: "It is a really good word. It is quite girly and rough at the same time.

"Red creates a lot of strong feelings from love and hate and danger and sex and all these big emotions."

And she said the band's music is gritty blues rock as all the members of the band come from different music projects so there is quite a mix of music genres.

And how would she describe their image?

"We are all very individual. Our manager is having a nightmare trying make us all look the same.

"I like folk and country so I like cowboy boots and things like that. While Ruby is very girly and likes glitter.

"Simone is more masculine and won't wear anything girly and no make up.

"We are all individual- being all girls brings us together as an image."

Ruby works in a boutique in Beaconsfield, while Simone goes to uni in London studying music performance, which is what Nicole is going to do in September.

But they will keep returning to London Road in High Wycombe where they rehearse.

The band's strictly limited free handmade demo EP will be released on Saturday evening at the Rouge Summer Party at Scorpio's in Crendon Street, with support bands.

Becky said: "It is going to be really good. It is good to play a home town show.

"Scorpio's has pretty much become the place to be in terms of live music. It is really exciting to play my favourite place in High Wycombe."

For everyone else, their EP will be available for free download on the official website (www.rougegirls.com) for a limited time.

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