Interview with LUIZA SA of CSS

Interview by Scot Bowman for The Sky Report

Firstly, it should be noted that CSS are #1 on my all-time LastFM chart. It should also be said that this chart only reflects the last year and only songs played within my computer (not including my iPod or DJ sets). Nonetheless, I'm pretty crazy about CSS.

Luiza Sa, guitarist for Brazilian pop-electro-rock sensation CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy), recently dropped by The Sky Report on a sweltering post-Memorial Day evening in Brooklyn. We drank lots of sweet white wine, enjoyed a delicious Pumpkin Dumpling dinner (courtesy of the lovely Rachel Rosen) and she let me freely interview her for well over an hour. Among the many things I learned from Luiza, some highlights include:

-CSS are not and have not ever been involved in the baile funk scene, despite Pitchfork Media’s proclamation of such a fact.

-The next single from the debut album will be ‘Music is My Hot, Hot Sex’.

-The follow-up album will be recorded early next year and should hit shelves by June 2008.

-CSS turned down opening slots from such heavy hitters as BJORK, KYLIE MINOGUE, PEACHES and SCISSOR SISTERS due to scheduling conflicts, but will in fact be opening for GWEN STEFANI in Europe come September.

-COURTNEY LOVE really did storm the CSS trailer backstage at Coachella.

-LOVEFOXXX is indeed very much in love with Simon Taylor of KLAXONS


Here is part one of the Luiza Sa interview:

THE SKY REPORT: I saw you at the Mezzanine (San Francisco) almost a year ago with Bonde do Role and Diplo. How did you and Bonde do Role originally meet each other?

LUIZA: Okay, so we’re about to tour and we have this manager, Eduardo. He saw us, like the third show we did in Sao Paulo and he wanted to sign us. And at that time we were like, “We don’t need a label. Fuck this.” He used to work for this label that releases all Matador (Records), Domino, Warp, Sub-Pop. All these cool things. He’s the one that brings that to Brazil. And later he was pushy and he got us onto the label. At the same time he was working with Bonde (do Role) and he met Diplo while he was in Brazil. Diplo came to one of our shows. We already knew M.I.A. At the time we didn’t know if it was a good idea, because people are going to go to this ethnic baile funk show and we’re not that!

TSR: But you got labeled in America as being a part of baile funk.

LUIZA: You (The Sky Report) do your research, but journalists, they think they know it all. We have nothing to do with baile funk. Baile funk is something from another city. We never experienced that. We like baile funk. We think it’s cool. We like the philosophy. But it’s not in Sao Paulo.

TSR: Is it only in America that you got labeled as that?

LUIZA: Mainly. Really reliable people like Pitchfork (Media) saying “Oh, this band is baile funk!” Like what the fuck are you talking about? We’re so obviously not baile funk. And it’s like “I know Brazil”. No you don’t.


TSR: So, I wanted to ask you about the new album. Have you started it yet?

LUIZA: We have some stuff. Like five to eight songs. We’re playing two or three or four songs at the most in shows. But don’t really have time to work on them.

TSR: Do you guys have a timetable of when you’re going to record it?

LUIZA: Yeah. We’re gonna record it next year. We’re going to start end of February or March. We’re going to record some stuff here (New York), I think. We’re having ideas. I think it’s so good that we don’t have to record in that like- We’re processing. We’re already playing songs and they change. Processing the ideas. That’s how we want to do it. We just released the album in the UK. There’s no reason we should rush. The first album is so special to me.

TSR: Do you guys know who’s going to produce it yet?

LUIZA: We’re thinking about some names. Some people are expensive. We want the best, which we cannot afford. We’ll probably go back to Brazil. I think it’s going to be good.

TSR: And you think it will come out late spring?

LUIZA: June (2008).

TSR: Let’s talk about Coachella. How was that experience for you?

LUIZA: Amazing. I want to play Coachella every year! It’s so much fun!

TSR: Paris Hilton was dancing-

LUIZA: (interrupts) Right next to me! There was a PA and she was behind it, so people couldn’t really see her. And I was like, “Come onstage!” And she was like, “No, I’m shy.” And the song ‘Meeting Paris Hilton’…it was so funny.

TSR: Was she actually dancing during that song?

LUIZA: Yeah! We got onstage and Ira had some problems with her bass. The bass stopped working. She was really nervous. And I was right next to her so I was like, “Oh my God!” And then I looked at my side (of the stage) and it was like Paris Hilton, J.D. Samson (of Le Tigre) and Peaches. And they were all dancing together by me. It was a great time.

TSR: Wait, I feel like I have to sneeze.

LUIZA: Look at the light!

TSR: Seriously?

1st Photo by Scot Bowman ©2007
All other photos by Amos Mac ©2007