I’m In The Band: Ana da Silva

Hosted by: Allison Wolfe, Produced by: Jonathan Shifflett, Photo Credit to Peter Cox

In the early days of British punk, Ana da Silva formed experimental band the Raincoats with art school pal Gina Birch. Later enhanced by former Slits’ drummer Paloma “Palmolive” Romero and classically trained violinist Vicky Aspinall, the Raincoats challenged traditional song structures to reflect the conflicting moods and tempos of the lives they led.

While hailed as heroes in the canon of underground, feminist punk, the Raincoats have been somewhat overlooked by rock historians. Illuminating the Raincoats’ body of work as “a celebration of the female interior life,” author Jenn Pelly profiles the band and cements its legacy in her book The Raincoats. In this episode, da Silva describes growing up in fascist-era Portugal, obsessing over modular synths, and influencing riot grrrls and “riot boy” Kurt Cobain.