Dulcie Younger appeared on the Californian scene sometime around 2002. Two years later she produced and released her first album with Deke Dickerson on guitar, Zack Shedd (Satan's Teardrops) on bass and Sid Matthews on drums. If not faultess, some songs are a little bit flat and maybe writing, singing and producing was a little too much for the young lady and some mistakes could have been corrected, it's quite enjoyable to listen. Sadly for the moment we can only imagine how her second album would sound. In 2006, Dulcie Younger stopped her musical carreer and went back to her Jewish roots to become a Torah-observant and lived in Israel for some months. God only knows when she returns to music.

Fred "Virgil" Turgis
 
   
 
So, how long have you been doing music ?
I’ve been singing in the shower since I was a little girl, but I got serious about music in high school. I grew up Orthodox Jewish and music is so integral in prayer that I always had a strong sense of the spiritual nature of music. When I was in Junior High, I played piano, violin, cello, and trumpet. High school was a very tumultuous time for me, and I started songwriting as an emotional release. My high school had an incredible music program, and I joined an African drumming circle, took vocal lessons, joined glee club, and started an a capella group with a friend. I learned a lot about different kinds of music, rhythms, and melody structures.

How did you get started ?
I put together a band, recorded a demo, and booked a show (at The Bowl-A-Rama in Eagle Rock, CA).

Did you grow up in a musical family ?
Not unless you consider my father’s high pitched falsetto singing along to 70’s music on the radio musical. Oh, I had a tone-deaf uncle who played banjo for a short period of time.

Do you remember the first record you bought and/or the one that made you think «Woahhh, that’s what I want to do !»
The first album I bought was in Junior High School. It was Rancid’s «Let’s Go». I was really into punk rock and classical music when I was younger. I remember being seven years old and reading that Mozart started composing at age 5. I was seven years old when I read that, and I remember thinking, «I’m so far behind.»

What are your influences as a singer and a songwriter ?
I’ve been influenced by musicians like Peggy Lee, Ann Margret, Eartha Kitt, Wanda Jackson, Elvis Presley, Janis Martin, Buddy Holly, Kim Lenz, Charlie Feathers, Gene Vincent, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Johnny Burnett, Marti Brom, Hank Williams, and the list goes on and on. Kim Lenz was probably the biggest early influence on my writing...she has a very clever style of crafting lyrics. I tend to write the most about heartbreak and struggling with love, but I also write about everyday problems. I wrote «Figured Out» at a time when I was very frustrated with my finances.

What about your band, where do they come from, were they in other bands before ?
My band membership changes on such a regular basis it’s difficult for me to answer that question. Let’s just say I’ve had more guitarists than boyfriends, and I’ve had a lot of boyfriends!

Do you remember the first show you played ?
I was so nervous and shaking. It wasn’t really fun....my father was a real jerk when I was growing up and I had always been very shy about singing. Even when I did vocal recitals in high school, I was a nervous wreck. I actually had to give myself a pretty harsh talk after the show. I realized that the positive voices in my head held the same amount of power as the negative ones which had been programmed in there at a young age by my father.

Does it change something being a woman on the rockabilly scene, is it harder ?
Sometimes it doesn’t matter but my experience is that it makes it much harder. People have alterior motives when they work with you a lot of times. Many people don’t take you seriously. Men often have issues with women who hold the power in a band situation. One musician I worked with on tour flipped out and tried to kill me and the drummer, and I don’t think that would have happened if I was male.

Don’t you think that things change, that we see more and more rockabilly women (Marti Brom, Josie Kreuzer, Kim Lenz, Carrie Lee…) than 15 years ago ?
That’s an interesting question. I think the punk rock scene helped bring women into rockabilly. I mean, back in the ‘50s it was taboo for women to sing rockabilly, but more recently I think the rock movement in general has made it more accessible for women to have attitude and take charge of their music careers.

How did you meet Deke Dickerson ?
I live very close to Deke, and a good friend of mine a while back dated his bassplayer. That was how we first met. I recorded my first demo at his house, and I think that was the first time I really talked to him ---- after recording just shooting the breeze on his front porch.

About your album, was it your first experience in the studio. Did you release anything before that ?
I recorded a 4-song live demo at Deke’s house. That was nerve-wrecking. It was never officially released, but there’s the occasional burned CD-R copy that floats around. The original version of «Bad Luck Baby» was on there. I had a piano player back then, too.

Wasn’t it too hard to write, sing and produce the album at the same time?
It was more than that ---- I wrote, sang, produced, and worked a full-time job. I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. I got sick. I re-dubbed the vocals on «Make Me Mad» when I had a sore throat because I knew it would sound breathier. Originally, Eddie Nichols of Royal Crown Revue had agreed to co-produce the album with me, but he backed out at the last minute unfortunately. I love Eddie, but good Lord, did that turn the pressure on!

Was it done live in the studio ?
The instrumental parts were done live, but since I ended up producing it myself, I couldn’t sing and instruct the musicians at the same time. I recorded the vocals separately --- in the same room the Stray Cats used to record. It was pretty fun!

What is the most memorable gigs you played and/or went to ?
I played in Las Vegas last year and kissed some boy I didn’t even know right in the middle of a song. It was pretty funny. He thought it was staged, but it wasn’t. The best gig I’ve gone to ---- I’ve gone to so many. I always love seeing Reverend Horton Heat play.

Your cdbaby bio says you studied burlesque showgirls, can you tell us more…
I went to burlesque shows out here in Los Angeles, and I watched a lot of 1950s musicals. I just studied how people moved.
A friend taught me how to run up the bass while singing. I fell off one time and have a pretty big scar from it. Got right back on.

A last word ?
I should hope not, you’ll be hearing from me again!