Get to Know: THE SKIPPERDEES
Posted: August 29, 2012 Filed under: Brilliant Folks I've Interviewed!, Music, Southern Musicians - Georgia, Southern Musicians - Tennessee, Veg Restaurants I love | Tags: Banksy, Captain Underpants, Catherine Backus, David Rawlings, Emily Backus, Fried Green Tomatoes, Gillian Welch, Grease, Howard Finster, ilovemountains.org, Jill Andrews, sleater-kinney, The Grit, The Skipperdees, The Spice Girls, The Tomato Head, Tig Notaro, To Kill a Mockingbird, Vincent Cassel, Wendell Berry Leave a comment »
The Skipperdees (twin sisters Emily and Catherine Backus) hail from Oak Ridge, TN, a town mentioned in the 1989 film Fat Man and Little Boy which featured Paul Newman with a mustache. They write sad songs but are happy people. They are Capricorns and vegetarians. Come say hey at theskipperdees.com. or find them in one of the seven Waffle House locations in their current home of Athens, GA. The ‘dees will be playing Eddie’s Attic > on Tuesday, September 4th at 8 pm.
Name
THE SKIPPERDEES - Catherine Backus and Emily Backus
Occupation
Students??? (Not really making a living doin’ the singin and strummin thing right now)
My companion animals (names and personality traits)
C: EMILY REFUSES TO LET CATS INTO OUR APARTMENT so we are petless.
E: Cats are vile, fickle creatures. I stand by my decision.
The movie that best represents me right now
C: I’m gonna go with Fried Green Tomatoes because I’ve really been trying to channel TOWANDA lately (also I will watch that film at any and all times you’
E: Mystic Pizza (I’m Kat, the frumpy dreamer) meets Drop Dead Gorgeous (I so badly want to be Allison Janney’s chain smoking Loretta)
Obviously, my favorite musical of all time is
C: Grease
E: THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Catty is clearly wrong.)
The book that defined my childhood
C : To Kill A Mockingbird
E: Captain Underpants
Bucket list item that would surprise my friends
C: If music doesn’t work out, I’d love to pursue a career as a park ranger…
E: I think Seminary would be an interesting academic experience.
My favorite road trip so far in my life
E: Last time we drove up to Tennessee, there were some nice peeing-in-the-woods, commune with nature moments…
If I were independently wealthy I would
C:Follow Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on tour.
E: Run for president of these United States. (Backus 2032: Don’t Be An Asshole)
My weirdest hobby
We love a good cemetery.
My biggest fan
ANNE W BACKUS, THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD
My most favorite veg food or restaurant
C: The Tomato Head, in Knoxville, TN. They play great tunes in there, too.
E: I would be remiss not to mention The Grit, Athens, GA’s home to an incredible tofu Ruben.)
If I could afford it, I would want a painting or photograph by
E: Banksy
My (s)hero is
C: Tig Notaro
E: Wendell Berry; The Spice Girls
Most of my daydreams are about
C: Jill Andrews songs.
E : Vincent Cassel
My latest and most awesome project is
At the end of the fall we’ll be recording our “Big Girl” debut record with Jim White, and I don’t know that I could think of anyone I’d rather work with.
To get to know The Skipperdees on a daily basis, check out their website, or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
