New in Store: Anchors Away Jacket

New In Store: Anchors Away Jacket (M/L) 

I almost kept this one for myself after shooting it for the store, but sadly it’s a tiny bit too big for me…Super cute!

Cherry Cola!

The Man, the Myth, the Legend....

This face I'm making sums up what I really think of Two Bags....ha ha

Black Black Roses aka The Liza Graves Experience

You Ain't got Nothing if you don't got Stache....

Me, The Tech (before we sent him HOME!) , Suz, and Danny (the secret member of Social D)

Jesse got super scared and ran away after this picture....civet girls can be a little overwhelming or maybe he was afraid someone was gunna do all his drugs in the dressing room if he stayed outside too long...

Back to Black

Just a girl & her Gibson...

I am happy to report we are home & made it through tour! While it was pretty short (about a three week run...it hit the spot!) We had a great time & there's something about playing music that truly feels like nothing else in the world!  This time around things were waaaaaay different in a good way! We left Suz  at home (she was in school at the time) &  even played a new song "Ride". On this run I got to hit the road with my fiance.  I'm very lucky in the fact that I fell in love with my best friend who I make music with anyway! I always had issues in the past of feeling like I was leaving that other person to do what I loved & that was soooo hard on my relationships. I know now that it's NOT really a relationship when you only see someone 5 months out of the year because you both are touring. That's just a hot mess. No one wants to be the one left at home. I also think people are lying to themselves if they don't admit that the temptation on the road and the combination of not being able to connect with your significant other doesn't make eveyone fall. I watched it with my own eyes. I've done it myself.  I've seen good people get lonely and it's just not fair to themselves or the person at home. That said I'm on the road with my person;  knowing what I know now I wouldn't tour solo if I was in a relationship I wanted to keep.

Christian working on some "Blue Steel"

This last year off the road went by fast.  I launched Viva Bandita....I got engaged (yay!)....I lived a little and did some non band traveling...I wasn't broke for once! I don't care what anyone says, without sounding like too much of a pessimist, being in a band is HARD. You make money if you are lucky, but there's not like Lady Gaga money coming in if you know what I mean! A friend and I were talking the other day about how people used to say all the time "oh they sold out" or something to that effect when a band started making money. I really thought that stigma was dead, but the other day I heard a Spinnerette song being used on a Cadillac commercial & I looked it up on google (as with everything) ha ha...anyway someone was like "oh that sucks, such a sellout move...etc." It's stupid....because people who work normal jobs for a living are allowed to make money off WHAT THEY DO, but an artist can't be paid for their work they do or they are selling out?! How is that fair? Now I don't feel like we were ever giving such a big opportuniy that we got labeled as sellouts I really feel for bands that work their whole lives to just make money doing what they love & then be hated by the original pack of diehard true fans that should be sharing in their success!

"Get in the VAN!" While having time off allowed me to renew my love for music, I would be lying if I said I missed being in the van! Am I too old to be in the van? Ha ha kidding! I'm still really young, but I did get to live in a double decker bus last summer & it's hard to pile into the regular ol' van. We pimped the van out put some nice bunks in it....What I really do miss is all the fans and excitement, but we moved so fast for so many years that I never got a chance to focus on myself! I feel I've found a pretty good balance now & I'm even working on some new music stuff....I've been blogging a little on the Viva site & a little bit here...writing feels almost as good as making music does! I'm so optimistic right now it's almost sick ha ha...Glad I have ppl to share it with & an audience that continues to grow with me as I go on 14 years of CIVET! xo

THIS scrzya (crazy) bitch ha ha...

Ghost Writer

Hey everyone! I've taken my blogging elsewhere! Please check out my site I just launched showcasing me & everything Civet! Www.VivaBandita.com is where I take on Music, Life, Fashion & all things artsy....oh and ROCK N'ROLL! I missed writing too.....So I set up a photo/super crazy writing blog to help me channel that inner Neil Strauss.....Please come check it out!

http://www.vivabandita.com/blogs/news

xo

Liza

“Cause you have grace on a bad day...” The Explosion

I haven’t been online much lately (even though I’m out on tour & doing what I love!)because I was trying to show my relationship the right kind of RESPECT as it got sorted out in a difficult time. As some of you may already know, Tobe & I have decided it’s time to call it quits. I’m not here to place blame on anyone or try to make anyone the bad guy, but I also would like to say a bit about it. I have always tried my best to be an amazing girlfriend & I feel I did more than my part in this relationship to make it work. Unfortunately, due to recent circumstances, I don’t think it’s the best thing for either of us to be together. I realize we had a lot of mutual friends and band friends & I would love for everyone to show us some respect during this time. This isn’t about taking sides or proving whose more popular, but about letting two people who were in a very public relationship keep some privacy. I am thankful for the times we had & I wish Tobe (& his Street Dogs) all the best in the future. Thanks to all the fans & friends who stood behind us solo and as a couple...

AP - Sexism in Punk

A small part of this ran in the feature below, but I wanted to share the rest!

http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/do_you_feel_like_a_man_ben_weasel_incident_opens_discussion_about_sexism_in/

-What do you think the incident with Ben Weasel tells us about sexism in both punk rock and music in general?

Unfortunately, I think this shows us that sexism is still alive and well in the world today. It also tells us that the lines between what behavior is appropriate and what is not, have been severely blurred. A few decades ago hitting a woman was so insanely taboo there wouldn't be any discussion about it. The fact that there's even been discussion on boards and social networking sites about that girl "deserving" it because she was in the audience, is insane. I wasn't there to see the incident firsthand, but my experience fronting an all girl band for over 10 years has taught me a lot about sexism in music and the need to respect everyone regardless of what you do for a living! Times have definitely changed, but integrity never goes out of style.

-Is sexism still an issue in the punk scene today and how is it manifesting itself beyond the Ben incident?

I've done a lot of interviews where this question comes up and honestly the amount of sexism I've experienced is pretty rare and far between. There have been a few times where people have spoke down to me or tried to take advantage of me as an artist, but I've always just seen that as an opportunity to right the wrong. Since I fronted all female band for over 10 years I became good at stopping sexism in its tracks and actually helping said person realize why what they were doing wrong. I guess standing up for myself was my own personal way of creating change.

-Is there a difference in the way bands treat their male and female fans? Is this specific to any genre?

There will always be those bands that talk shit and call their fans out, but that is what the fans of certain come to expect. Some fans are actually fans of bands BECAUSE of this particular reason such as Guttermouth (who we have toured with and were totally respectful!)... Or if you want to think back to GG Allen times, that's another example. The difference between this and the Ben incident is that a lot of that "stage" abuse is just for show. It appears that Ben just snapped and forgot he was the singer of a band and a person that has to answer for his actions. At the end of the day it is never acceptable to hit a woman and really it shouldn't be acceptable for anyone to hit anyone. Period.

-Are the doors open for women to both be in punk bands and to work in the music industry outside of bands? Is there any resistance from their male counterparts?

There are more women in punk music today than ever before! Whether it be working in the industry or being in an actual band I believe that these women are gaining respect by doing what they love. There doesn't seem to be very much resistance at all. People will only treat you how you allow them to treat you and I believe that a lot of the women in the industry don't take sexism or bullshit lightly. This in turn sets a great example for women not in bands, etc!

-What does a female musician have to endure in order to survive in the punk scene today? Is there anything positive that comes from it?

Female musicians have to develop a thick skin in order to be in the game to begin with. Punk rock is by nature rough and dangerous and I've found that you really have to back your shit up if you want to play punk rock. Pay your dues, respect all other bands, play well and do what you love...I think any female musicians playing punk rock helps the cause! The more the merrier!

-What should we take away from the incident with Ben and how can we use that to change things for the better?

I really, truly think that at the end of the day this should be an eye opener to people to really just treat each other with respect. Male or female. And musicians shouldn't take advantage of their position or think they can get away with certain behavior because they are who they are. On the opposite side however buying a ticket to a show doesn't warrant verbally abusing the band, it just doesn't give someone the right to assault you. We have made so much progress, let's not set ourselves back or set a bad example by letting this kind of behavior slide!

CIVET FANS PLEASE READ!!!!

It breaks my heart to have to write this letter to you right now. I believe in this band with all of my heart and I’m not about to let it go without a fight. I wake up everyday just to live, breath, eat, sleep and bleed this band. It is my passion & my one true love in life. Over the last 10 years my sister Suzi and I have given everything we have, and sometimes what we didn’t have, just to play music. Yeah, I admit at times it was tough, like when we had to put our stuff in storage in order to tour, or deal with losing a member, or leave jobs, or people we loved, but at the end of the day all sacrifices were worth the one thing we really believe in, which is music.

We do it for ourselves, but more importantly and ULTIMATELY, we do it for you guys. The truth is that being in a band is just like being in a relationship. When you lose someone it always hurts, but when you lose two people who are supposed to be your family, it’s almost unbearable. I am sorry to have to share this right now, but Suz & I really feel like we need to just be honest with everyone and hopefully your love and support that has kept this band going will help us to heal.


It is heartbreaking to come to you guys today to share our bad news. In the middle of our Nashville Pussy tour our rhythm section walked out on us. Granted, Jacq gave us a little more notice than Roxie, but in the end it’s all one and the same. It is unfair to leave the band in the middle of a tour and leave us scrambling to piece our lives back together. We have a finished record on the way and all the opportunities in the world, not to mention the BEST fans anyone could ever ask for! These are things to be truly thankful for, not to run away from. We can’t speak for them on why they left, only that it’s hard to understand is why two people we loved and trusted would do something so selfish and leave when there are still shows to be played and commitments to be fulfilled. The fact is that this hurts YOU, our fans…. it hurts the people that believe in us. Suzi and I are brokenhearted to lose two people who were our best friends, but we cannot give up on our dream because others decided to grow up. We realize that we are a huge inspiration to others and need to stay strong. It was a tough decision, and we didn’t want to send the wrong message, but we are gunna be brave and finish this tour. We have some friends flying in to do the last 6 or so dates, and we would really, really appreciate your support and understanding. At the end of the day this is OUR dream. Suzi & I wrote you guys one hell of a record that we cannot let fall by the wayside because of other peoples actions. We do it for you guys & YOU give us the opportunity to be able to do what we love…. It breaks my heart to write this letter, we are as hurt and shocked as I’m sure all of you are. We promise to come back bigger and badder than ever & we’ll definitely see you on the road next year!!!! Please rally behind us and help us to continue what we love and come out swinging with our new record in February….


Thank you for your love and support, it means the world to us!
Xo
Liza