Christopher Owens, one-half of the indie rock band Girls, has described a past so tragic and bizarre that it seems destined for the big screen.
• He was born into the former Children of God cult.
• His older brother died as a baby because the cult didn't believe in medical attention.
• His dad left, and he and his mother moved around a lot.
• The cult sometimes forced his mother to prostitute herself.
• As a teenager, Owens fled to Texas and lived on the streets before a local millionaire took him in.
• Owens moved to San Francisco, where he and Chet "JR" White formed Girls in 2007.
During a recent phone conversation, White acknowledged that his past influences the way people hear their music.
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"I'm sure it does," he says. "I think it would be impossible if it didn't."
But that doesn't mean that the music doesn't stand on its own. It does. And then some.
Girls' debut album, simply titled "Album," has been a huge hit with fans and critics alike. It's a collection of infectious pop tracks that serve as a showcase for Owens' terrific voice (think: Elvis Costello meets Buddy Holly).
Pitchfork gave "Album" a rating of 9.1 out of 10 and called it the 10th-best album of 2009.
The band will play Club Congress on Tuesday.
White, who was a chef and amateur music producer before he teamed up with Owens, recently talked to Caliente by phone from his home in San Francisco.
Christopher has a colorful past. Is there anything people don't know about you that they'd be surprised by?
"No. I think I'm a little more censored. If they don't know they're never going to know."
You just got back from a gig in Tokyo. What was that like?
"It was a single show in Astro Hall. It was great. It was sold out and a different crowd. One of the things when you play a show you get tired of, is when you're playing you can hear people talk. But the crowd here was completely silent. And after you finish a song, they clap and yell, and then it's back to complete silence again. So that's not something I'm used to, but it was really great."
Do you have any plans to get back in the studio anytime soon?
"Chris and I have a few things coming up. We're thinking of doing an EP. . . . Someone we know has the ability to make flexi discs - the old plastic vinyl records you'd tear out of fanzines. We were talking about how it would be cool to make flexies, and a friend of ours actually decided to build a machine and corner the market. So we're going to do a song that is only going to be available on flexies. I think we'll not make it an MP3 unless somebody physically puts it on the computer themselves. Once it's gone, it's gone. I like the idea of it being a thing with a life span. There's no release date yet."
Chris says his inspiration is Ariel Pink. What musicians do you look up to?
"I like the Smith Westerns. Stuff that's fresh. New music."
The Arizona Daily Star's Battle of the Bands competition is coming up (Feb. 19). What advice do you have for young bands?
"Keep it creative and explore. Christopher and I were fortunate that we weren't a band when we started recording. We made a record without any kind of influence. There was no label. You fall into your own repetition. When you're in a band, you find a sound and stick to it a little too much.
• What: Girls in concert, with opening act the Smith Westerns.
• When: 7 p.m. Tuesday.
• Where: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
• Cost: $10.
• More information: hotelcongress.com
