Embarking on Their First Headline D.C. Show at Songbyrd: An Interview With Boyish

India Shore and Claire Altendahl catch up with District Fray prior to headlining their second show ever on June 23. 

India Shore and Claire Altendahl started out playing music together fairly unintentionally in a practice room at Berklee College of Music. Years later, the now Brooklyn-based pair calls themselves Boyish and are fully in sync with one another — so much so that they emerged onstage for their show at Songbyrd in matching school-girl skirts and red, puffy blouses.

Outfits aside, Shore and Altendahl know exactly how to write queer anthems and ballads that cut to the bone. From their angsty breakup track, “F–K YOU HEATHER” to their heartbreaking love song “mom i think i’m gay,” Boyish’s openness as songwriters lures you in. Now, after announcing going on tour with long-time friend and queer icon, King Princess, the two just released a track with her titled “Kill Your Pain.”

Ahead of their second headline show ever, we sat down in the Songbyrd green room with the queer indie duo on June 23 to talk about their origin story, their latest single with King Princess, and upcoming projects among many other things.

District Fray: I know that the both of you met at Berklee College of Music, but when did you know that you both would work so well together as a musical duo?
India Shore: We knew pretty much off the bat we were compatible. I needed a guitarist for an audition showcase at Berklee called the “storytellers audition.” We did not get it, but we met up in the practice room and got along really well. So we would do that a couple of times a week for six months. And then never talked to each other…outside of it. One day we just had lunch because we kind of forced it, after a rehearsal with the band.
Claire Altendahl: We were like, “We’re going to the Caf [the dining hall],” then everyone else ditched.
IS: We [realized we] get along, we should be in a band.

I have to ask, what’s the inspiration behind the name Boyish?
IS: We were called The Blue in college for like a long time. Then we’re both like, “This is a bad name.” We battled for many months trying to pick a name. Boyish is the name of a Japanese Breakfast song and there’s a line in the song: “Here we are, we’re just two losers.” I think that really capsulated how we were feeling. 

I think it goes without saying that being queer has a heavy influence on your music. When the both of you come together to write music, do you find that having that in common makes it easier to writer music together?
IS:  I think there’s just more of a level of relatability between the two of us than if we’re in a session with a straight man. We’re automatically already on the same page.
CA: This time was the first time we actually wrote music about being queer. I feel like that just opened up a whole door.

How did the two of you find your collective sound over the years?
CA: We were a country band for a long time which was really weird. I was like, “We could be the first gay country band.” Then we [realized] we don’t really like country.
IS: We got together and we were like, “What music do we both like? Why wouldn’t we do that?”

What are both of your biggest influences?
CA: Of course, Japanese Breakfast is one of our main ones.
IS: We both like Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers. Also Bon Iver. I’ve been listening to a lot of The Strokes and the Pixies recently, bringing it back a little bit.

So your song with KP just came out a few days ago; tell me what it was like to work with King Princess on your collab song “Kill Your Pain?”
IS: Honestly, kind of mind-blowing. We were both in shock watching someone work on the level that she works on. She did everything that she needed to do in 30 minutes. She’s a really good producer too and knew what it needed.

How did the collab with KP come about?
CA: We met her actually 5 years ago because our manager Nicole knows her bass player Logan and we were doing this tiny show in Brooklyn. She came and watched. We hung out a little bit, she gave us advice about the music industry and software.
IS: She’s been a mentor in a way. She just came to our LA show and got back behind the counter, selling merch with us. She’s just awesome.

I know you’ve opened for a lot of artists before like MUNA and Japanese Breakfast, but I believe this is your first-ever headline tour. How does it feel to be hosting your own tour?
CA: It’s kinda scary. When we had the conversation about doing this, I was like, “This is a horrible idea; no one’s going to come.” And so far, it’s been really great.
IS: I was definitely nervous before the LA show, but it ended up being one of my favorite shows we’ve ever played. It’s just so much more rewarding to play for people who actually want to see you.

D.C. is your second show on this tour. Do you have any fond memories of touring this city?
CA: Every time we’ve been here we’ve tried to find the White House and — this is at night like after a show we’ll want to drive by the White House —we’ve tried twice now, and we can’t find it.
IS: It’s so stupid. We just drive around and around and we’ve literally never been able to see it. Tonight could be the night.

There have been three singles you’ve released this year so far. Should we expect something on the horizon?
IS: We have one more EP coming out that we just finished, called “Little Demon Boy” and it’ll be out soon. And then I think, we’re going to make a full-length album after that.

Boyish at Songbyrd on June 23. Photos by Jenna Schwartz.

Jenna Schwartz