Something new is coming down the pipeline from one of our favorite drag queens!
The wicked and beloved Kataya Zamolodchikova takes a break from the green screened “UNHhh” studios and watching Netflix shows with Trixie Mattel to join the Slamdance 2022 line up with her 3D immersive short film BE YOUR OWN DENTIST.
In this project, the “bright red scare with the long blonde hair” takes you on an immersive meditative journey (with a squeamish twist) to help you unwind after a long day - If you don’t mind a little blood, that is.
KATYA - Be Your Own Dentist (Official 3D Immersive Film)youtu.be
The film joins a stacked line up of unique projects at Slamdance spotlighting independent artists, including others in the DIG showcase, Blockchain Fairy Tales, Unstoppable Program, and many more diverse programs.
So grab your meditation pillow and a pair of stainless steel pliers to join Katya and experience the best of what true independent film has to offer.
It’s not too late to explore all the diverse, accessible projects available now on the Slamdance Channel.
The DJ-production drag duo known as Jawbreakers is asking people to take "Just a Taste" of their upcoming EP. That flavorful sample called "Boyfriend" is available now on digital platforms. If you're thinking, hey, didn't Ashlee Simpson have a song of the same name back in 2005? Yes, she did, but this version is a lot more club-friendly with an EDM edge.
The creative process has many layers as most dance songs do these days. It begins with the Jawbreakers producing the music then finding a voice to sing it. In this case, Amunda, formerly of the Australian group Operator Please. The song dismisses its punk roots and evolves into a banger bop with dancefloor disco sass much like its producers.
Kali Forni-Kate and Sabrina Babyslut are those producers and they call themselves Jawbreakers. But you can just call them Kali and Sabrina. Both are in their twenties but refuse to say on which end of the scale. What's abundantly clear is their love of pop culture and tapping into nightclub synergy.
They both live in Melbourne, Australia, or Naarm, as it is called by those who wish to respect traditional Aboriginal names. Kali lives in the southern area where modern artists and modern history collide. That is where the iconic Chapel Street is located. It's known for its shops, restaurants, and popular gay districts. Although they live a stone's throw away from each other, they always end up together.
"There’s a bunch of queer venues and events happening frequently and honestly any venue that books us and supports and uplifts the queer community is iconic in my opinion," Sabrina said.
JawbreakersAndrew Van Dorsselaer
Their pronouns are she and her when in drag, and they and him when out of it. We will refer to them mostly in the former for the purposes of this article. But ultimately they hate labels, "We both identify as queer and slowly trying to move away from labels as much as possible regardless of whether we are in or out of drag."
The two have been friends going on six years. They met each other while doing a Britney Spears tribute show at the deco-inspired historic Greyhound Hotel, now sadly demolished.
There’s a four-to five-year age gap between them; they met when Sabrina was 18 and Kali was 23. "I think we were surprised how instantly we clicked and that we had so much in common for a millennial and Gen Z," they explain. "From there we were inseparable pretty much trying to incorporate each other into every gig and then the rest is history."
In school, Sabrina studied costume design and music theory and she's played saxophone ever since she was seven years old.
Kali was a track and field athlete who admits to being, "a Uni drop out studying musculoskeletal therapy. I also love waterskiing, kneeboarding, and to be honest, still into Pokemon Go," she smirks.
Eventually they let their love of music and style win out over everything else. That makes sense because both have music in their blood. "I dead ass was in primary school listening to sonatas on my iPod Touch but I would listen to literally any genre of music as long as it was on 'Glee,'" said Sabrina who loves how technology has progressed the medium."Music has become a lot more synthesized but people have leaned into that embracing the electronic sounds."
"My dad is a jazz musician," adds Kali, "and mum was a dancer. [My] Sister was an opera singer so I grew up in a very musical industry going to interstate jazz festivals---and I played piano. I went through my pop diva 'Britney Spears in the zone phase,' to my emo My Chemical Romance phase and got my first Ministry of Sound CD when I was 10 years old, which is insane because I had so many CD’s with John Course’s name on them, and now [I'm] supported by his record label."
Which brings us to their latest project: the "Just a Taste" EP and their first single from that album, "Boyfriend." With so much creativity in their vains and drive in their hearts it's curious why they would choose to make an EP that averages four tracks per album rather than the longer format with three-times that.
"'With this EP we’re showing a few different sides of our musical personality ranging from pure pop to more club focused songs and we really wanted to give the listeners ‘Just A Taste’ and use this EP as a metaphorical tasting platter," they explain. The idea is to show their audience they are musically diverse, but still have something succinct. "Since this is our first body of work we're putting out, it would be risky to do a full album. It's better to dip your toe in and see what works and what needs tweaking before releasing an album, which is a huge undertaking."
Andrew Van Dorsselaer
Once they had the music track for "Boyfriend" laid down, they needed to find a singer who could not only bring a freshness to the vocals, but also understood what the DJs were trying to do. Upon the advise of Joel Siviour from Seismic Talent, they found that female voice in Amunda, an indie artist who used to sing for the popular Australian band Operator Please.
"Since the original track is a pop rock song from the 2000s we knew we needed something in that realm, so when we were introduced to Amunda we knew it would be the perfect fit because she herself had some big hits with Operator Please which had that pop/alt/rock kinda vibe to it. The track was pretty much done before we sent it to her and we were just looking for a topline and when she agreed to be a part of the project we let her have free reign with the topline and we were so obsessed with what she came back with!"
The completed project was perfect they say. "Boyfriend" is the epitome of who they are, "it’s a high energy dance track that just makes you want to get up and party and have fun! It shows how much we love pop culture referencing the iconic queen Ashlee Simpson but how we recontextualized the track for today's music climate. In the music video you truly get to see us and become part of (what I like to call) the Jawbreaker Cinematic Universe which is just this bubble gum pop world we live in and serve some iconic Y2K looks and be the biggest Y2K divas we can be."
Andrew Van Dorsselaer
That's no exaggeration. The video which recently released on YouTube proves it. Bubblicious colors, mod culture designs and 60s era couture, Jawbreakers is just like Kali's Pokedex: ready to evolve. Groovy chic and pink hair showcase the talent of these pop rocks. And the land down under is eating them up.
"The LGBTQIA+ community in Australia is sooo supportive," Sabrina says. "Every city has such an uplifting community that gets behind their up-and-coming artists in queer spaces. From painting, to acting---the sex and drag industry---the community is so insanely supportive. Like, we couldn’t imagine being straight because like there's no community and they don’t hype each other like the LGBT community does."
Jawbreakers is only beginning their reign. With "Girlfriend" finished and the "Just a Taste" EP dropping on April 1, 2022, the duo are poised for stardom. They aren't taking anything for granted either.
"We also have been so lucky to be offered some incredible gigs that are coming up this year. Now that borders are open we are about to head on an Aus tour starting at St Kilda Fest, and then heading on the Summer Camp Tour with a killer queer lineup. We also plan to get back in the studio and keep making new music. We truly are just ready to make the most out of all the opportunities we have been blessed with and do the most to make anyone who has supported us proud."
You can listen to Jawbreakers' debut single "Boyfriend" on digital music platforms and watch the video below.
Their full EP "Just a Taste" will release on April 1, 2022.
Jawbreakers - Boyfriend (ft. AMUNDA) (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com
With over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry, James Heath-Clark, a.k.a. Honey Davenport, has left an indelible mark on the New York City nightlife scene and beyond, touring the world as a singer, dancer, actor, drag superstar, and club DJ. They are a recording artist and vocal activist whose music speaks to the experiences of the oppressed, advocating for equality for all. Today they release a new EP, LOVE IS GOD, as well as a new video for “Thrive” featuring Kevin Aviance.
LOVE IS GOD is a collection of songs about love and overcoming dark times with an overarching story of judicial and sexual liberation. The five tracks draw upon a myriad of inspiration -- from pop, disco, house and reggaeton -- while spreading a message of social justice and change. It features the iconic house DJ / nightlife legend Kevin Aviance (of the House of Aviance) as well as drag superstars Manila Luzon, Tammie Brown, LaLa Ri and Jackie Cox.
Honey Davenport and Manila Luzon
Of the EP, Honey shares: “Mama Ru always reminds everyone to say love, so I choose to sing about it. I believe that love is the driving force of human existence. All of our emotions and our actions derive from our desire to feel and experience "love.” If there's one thing I want my listeners to take away from the LOVE IS GOD EP, it’s that love has infinite possibilities. I created some bops with my dearest drag sisters that really share a message of love and hope overcoming dark times.”
LOVE IS GOD: THE VISUAL ALBUM, a short musical film directed by Honey Davenport featuring a story woven together by all the songs on the EP, will be released later this year.
LOVE IS GOD tracklist:
Love is God (feat. Manila Luzon)
Thrive (feat. Kevin Aviance)
Paradise (feat. LaLa Ri)
Love Still Last (feat. Tammie Brown)
Lady Justice (feat. Jackie Cox)
More about Honey Davenport:
Hailing from West Philadelphia, Davenport holds 18 pageant crowns, six Glam Awards, a 2020 GIANT Fest award for “Music Artist Of The Year” and zero tolerance for discrimination. Since appearing on Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, they have released 9 singles, including “Draw The Blood” which debuted at #26 on iTunes. Additionally, they have appeared as a guest panelist on VH1’s Black Girl Beauty, will appear in the upcoming feature-length film God Save the Queens, and they were featured in an international ad campaign by Trustpilot in 2019. During the pandemic, Davenport’s digital content was featured in Rolling Stone, Pink News and Billboard, who called them a “practical master class” .
Honey Davenport’s off-Broadway theatre credits include leading roles in The Electric Highway and Trinkets as well as a major role in The Orion Experience. They also performed in the Broadway national tour of Hairspray. New York Magazine has called Davenport one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Drag Queens in America, Paper Magazine called them “a New York icon”, and RuPaul’s Drag Race declared Davenport “legendary.”
Bianca Del Rio, otherwise known as Roy Haylock, is a larger-than-life comedy queen from New Orleans who grew up the son of immigrant parents from Cuba and Honduras. Bianca has met success in a wide range of media, from standup to movies, starring in “Hurricane Bianca” (Netflix) and its sequel "Hurricane Bianca 2: From Russia with Hate” (Hulu).
Bianca Del Rio, for her new Unsanitized tour. Photo by Matt Crockett.
Bianca has also been the subject of the Logo original television special Not Today Bianca, she penned Blame It On Bianca Del Rio (Harper Collins 2018), she hosts the new Bianca Del Rio Podcast, and has her own makeup remover, a top seller on Amazon. She’s even got a vodka! Bianca also recently made her West End debut in the hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie where she plays the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle, and she returns to her role to do the UK live tour later this year.
You can catch Bianca in Nashville at TPAC on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show beginning at 8 p.m.! Click here for tickets and information! It’s been a couple of years since Bianca made it to Nashville, and we caught up with her in advance of the tour to catch up!
Interview with Bianca Del Rio
Bianca Del Rio: Hi James! How are you?
James: I'm doing well, how are you?
Bianca Del Rio: I'm alive, which is better than the alternative, you know what I mean? I think the goal here is "Do not turn on the news or read social media and you will be fine!
James: Exactly, exactly. If you can't stream it, it's not worth watching.
Bianca Del Rio: No, it's a hot mess. Oh my god! I'm so conflicted, but that's a whole nother story!
James: Speaking of conflicted, I'm going to jump to the question I was saving for last and ask you about Gia Gunn, since we're just gonna start with COVID...
Bianca del Rio: I mean it's just the irony of it all ... but go a head!
James: Normally your cutting remarks are so much more plentiful ... and your laughter at her announcement just seemed to say a lot!
Bianca del Rio: Well I'm just exhausted by the whole scenario! I mean, listen... I use social media as a tool for myself, for work and for ridiculousness. I don't discuss anything serious online. For me, sometimes you just don't have to tweet: you just don't have to don't have to tweet that you think COVID is a hoax, and you don't have to tweet that you've got COVID. And if you do, you have to be prepared for what everyone else is going to say! That's how social media works! So, I was just blown away.
I mean it was literally in the middle of the night—I believe it was—here in California when I saw it. The first thing that came to mind was laughing. I can't. I can't. I can't! I mean, people evolve and grow, you know, and I'm friends with Gia, one-on-one.
Through social media, I don't know what she's doing. And I truly don't know what she feels about me, but I just find it comical. I find it really comical. And it's a very difficult line to cross when you're a drag queen that was on a reality show and then you want to be an advocate for everything right. It's a challenging moment there, especially when you're doing everything wrong!
And it's a very difficult line to cross when you're a drag queen that was on a reality show and then you want to be an advocate for everything right. It's a challenging moment there, especially when you're doing everything wrong! Bianca del rio
So it's a really tricky scenario, and all I could think of was laughter, because there was nothing I could come up with or put into print because I'm just tired by all of it. It just doesn't make any sense to me! And I hope she feels better, and I wasn't laughing at the fact that she got it! I'm laughing at the irony of a complete turnaround from "It's a hoax" to "Wear your mask!" To telling people what to do from 'This is not real!' I can't, just can't. But it did amuse me, it amused me to no end.
James: This new show was mostly developed during the COVID pandemic. Did that have any, any impact on the comedy?
Bianca del Rio: Oh my God! Totally! I mean, I think that you know, in the beginning, I was scheduled to start a tour in Australia in the spring. I was expected to go to Australia, New Zealand ... things were supposed to be announced. So I was already planning the tour but obviously this huge setback changed the game for me. And so you know with each month you're hoping, "Okay in the next month ... or in two more months ... or in three months, possibly? It could not go on that long, right?" That was the game that I was playing.
Everything obviously in other countries got pushed back further, whereas America ... AEG who I work with were the first to say "I think we're ready to rock and roll in America!" And I was like, "Wow, already? Okay this is great!" I told someone else that it felt like sex was happening all of a sudden—there was no foreplay, there was no blowjobs, no kissing... It was just like immediately anal! That's exactly what happened. BAM! The world is open: we're going on the road!
... it felt like sex was happening all of a sudden—there was no foreplay, there was no blowjobs, no kissing... It was just like immediately anal! Bianca Del rio
In that time, obviously, so much has happened: we have a new president, we had COVID, we've had insanity online. The world is a mess, so things did shift and it is influenced by it, although I'm not going to spend the whole show harping on COVID or corona or the craziness of it. It's all bits and parts of it, because so much has happened. And I really haven't had an outlet to discuss it, with the exception of social media, so I'm looking forward to getting back out and seeing who can relate to my madness, because I've had no one to talk to this whole time! And not because of corona! I mean no one's talking me because they hate me so that's the real challenging part. I realize I'm the disease!
James: How is this show gonna be different from some of your previous shows?
Bianca del Rio: Well, just because I think there's more hot topics now... I mean there's more things to discuss. As I said before, we were kind of in this this cocoon, and people were afraid to... I guess there's such extremes. There's people saying too much on social media, and people not saying enough on social media. I have a lot of opinions on things, and you always try to find a way to make it funny. But in the funny there's always truth, so I'm curious to see if people can go along with me on this journey, to laugh at myself and at scenarios...
Bianca Del Rio, for her new Unsanitized tour. Photo by Matt Crockett.
You know, previously you would leave your house and go, "Keys, wallet, phone..." Now, "You're going keys, wallet, phone, mask, sanitizer, gloves..." I mean it's so much more shit that you have to have. So I'm wondering how other people deal with that. Have you gotten into your car and had to leave immediately because you forgot your mask? Have you taken a dirty sock and made a mask out of it? All of those things that I'm sure have happened...
It's definitely gonna be a different world. And also, I think, because of the restrictions and the fact that we've all been separated, it might be good to actually be amongst people again. As a drag performer, in the last 10 years I would say, when I was in New York City, we kind of lost touch with people. Even people who would come to shows or bars where I was working would just sit there and scroll their phone and not be interested.
I think having this cultural setback or this time apart is definitely going to hopefully bring a new renaissance of people out who want to be active again, to socialize and schmooze. So I'm looking forward to that, mainly, and I think that's going to be the difference between previous shows and now. I think people are wanting, entertainment and escape, and I hope I can deliver!
James: So besides developing this new show what, what else have you been doing to keep yourself from going sane during COVID?
Bianca del Rio: Well, I would love to say that I was baking banana bread or learning a new language, but literally I've been doing cocaine and hookers the entire time I've been in Palm Springs. I mean, it's been wild, because I just had moved here.
I was in London, flew home, and within two weeks I found a house that I liked and I bought it. And in that time, the craziness was ... we immediately went into lockdown. So I have not even experienced a normal life. I've been in this house, and I had to order all my furniture online, which was insane, because I mean I had nothing! My previous apartments, it was all IKEA, so I thought, "Oh yeah, this is gonna be easy!" Not so much during a pandemic. So it was challenging on that level, just to kind of get adjusted.
Well, I would love to say that I was baking banana bread or learning a new language, but literally I've been doing cocaine and hookers the entire time I've been in Palm Springs. Bianca del rio
So I was dealing with my house, and after the first two months of that madness, it was like, "Okay, now let's start gearing up for the show!" Then it was like pushed back, and then pushed back and pushed back... So yeah, I kind of had to make peace with it, but I did not come out learning a new language, and I don't have any good recipes. Basically I'm more bitter and nasty than I've ever been, and like most people, I've been drinking and gaining weight as much as possible, as everyone has... So I would love to say I've been at the gym and I feel much better but I don't!
James: But I guess all that drinking went to good use! You had the opportunity to help formulate a new vodka brand!
Bianca del Rio: Correct! Well, yeah, I think during this time we've all learned that we've got to do stuff to work, and I had not thought about a lot of offers and a lot of opportunities that were lurking. Whether it be a podcast or a vodka, I really never took the time to follow through with them, because I was always on the road. So that has been the bright side of all of this, to actually take some time to think, which can be really good for someone or really bad for someone like me. But in those moments, yes, those things were developed.
I mean, I didn't grow the potatoes and everything and make the vodka. It's kind of like, "Here, we're gonna give you some samples. Pick the one you like, we'll put your name on it!" And that's what happened! Bianca del rio
I mean, I didn't grow the potatoes and everything and make the vodka. It's kind of like, "Here, we're gonna give you some samples. Pick the one you like, we'll put your name on it!" And that's what happened!
James: Right! And as long as the samples came in gallons...
Bianca del Rio: You know, I'm not mad at it!
James: So, speaking of the podcast, who have been some of your favorite guests?
Bianca del Rio: Well, I would have to say ... anybody who said yes! I mean who would Want to talk to me? I mean I was quite excited and it was an interesting thing because it was working with Starburns Audio, who obviously deals with lots of podcasts and I didn't know how the podcast world worked. They had asked me for the past four years if I'd be interested in doing one, and just because of logistics ... I didn't think I could do it. But after the first six months of being home and getting settled, I thought, "Well, why not give it a chance, because it doesn't look like the world is going to get back to some form of normality anytime soon..." So I, I jumped on it.
I was able to reach out to people I knew, and I was quite shocked by the response, everybody from Vanessa Williams to Fortune Feimster. You know, I was honored that they even took the time to talk to me. Kelly Osborne was a hoot... I also was trying to stay away from talking particularly about Drag Race, because so many contestants have gone on and created podcasts, giving their opinions on the show. It's kind of oversaturated. I thought, "If I'm gonna talk to Vanessa Williams, I'm not gonna waste her time talking about fu%&ing Drag Race. She doesn't fu%&ing care, she's fu%&ing Vanessa Williams."
That was the nice thing ... to just get to talk to people about whatever they wanted to talk about it. However the conversation went is what happened, so I was quite honored that they all said yes. And so really anybody that agree, I appreciated immensely.
James: As as things are opening back up do you foresee being able to continue that or is that maybe like a one season sort of thing?
Bianca del Rio: Well at the moment I'm not able to. So I did my last one with Lady Bunny, so I'm on hold for the moment, only because I had some shows, and the US tour so it's pretty intense to scheduling. I'll be out for three months with the American version of the tour, and then I go back into a musical in the UK. So I'm tentatively booked until January of next year, so the schedule is pretty tight.
I'm hoping that we don't have any bumps in the road when it comes to the show. If by chance we do, obviously the podcast would come back sooner. It's just with the schedule, I don't know if I can make it happen, because in America, I'll be traveling by bus. It's very difficult to try to coordinate that from a moving vehicle with no Wi Fi with 15 fa@@ots on it!
James: So you're coming to Nashville on tour and you've been to Nashville a few times: what are some of your worst memories of Nashville?
Bianca del Rio: Nashville's always fun for me. The first few times I visited were when I was hit the hardest... I had been to Nashville, beginning with Drag Race, which was 2014, which is wild... And I was able to perform at Play, and many nights when I visited ended there at Play, which is a lovely establishment that is always very good to me. And you do Nashville and you do Louisville the same weekend, which was a blur.
Let me just say that they like to drink in Nashville, and I don't think it's a bad thing because I come from New Orleans. But I would say that it's an enjoyable moment. You just have to go, "Okay... I'm here... I'm going to drink... And this is what's going to happen!" I don't remember much of what's happened, but I always left with smile.
James: That's great!
Bianca del Rio: And there's always been good audiences in Nashville. I find Middle America or ... you know, people consider it the South but it's not the real south like New Orleans ... but I always say that they get me, you know, I guess cause that's where I come from. There's no translation required.
James: Well, one last question: what would it take to actually get you to do a lip sync?
Bianca del Rio: You know, this is my whole theory on this... Well you know it's very funny ... if you're referring to the situation that happened recently on Drag Race. I had called one of the producers because I was home, you know obviously thinking too much, and had the idea, "What if I'm a lip sync assassin but don't lip sync?" And he cackled and he's like, "Oh my God, that's so funny!" And I just thought they were gonna say, "You're ridiculous, this is not going to happen!" And they said, "Yes!" which was shocking!
So I literally had to take like 15 COVID tests and flew to Los Angeles to make this happen. And I tell you, when you watch it, I was literally there for that long, plus ten minutes. I was done in a half an hour at most, and that's getting into the venue, getting microphoned, going in and literally walking out. I mean, I didn't speak to Ru, I didn't speak to Michelle, outside of on the stage. I spoke with one producer that was bringing me back and forth, and that was literally it.
I just assumed they were going to cut it out, you know? I just kind of put it in the back of my head that I did this, because you know each season that comes out every other week, I don't keep up with it, so I didn't know where we were in the spectrum of it all, and then the producer called and said, "You do know that you're going on, that you'll be in the All Stars episode?" I was like, "Oh shit! I forgot all about that." And I said, "You kept it in?" And then I was like, "Oh God? What did I say? What did I do?" So I was quite shocked that they said yes to doing it!
Honestly, I have nothing against lip syncing. I mean when I started my career, I did. I mean, I think everybody did. That's what we did in the bars, you know, illusions! Illusions, where everybody would portray someone. So I've done it before, I just don't enjoy it! So that's one of the reasons why I've never been a part of it. And I think that there are people that are brilliant at it. Someone like Trinity K Bonet is amazing at it.
That's you, honey. That's not me. I've always distanced myself from it, because I don't enjoy it at all, and there's people that do it much better. So I say let them do it. But now that the rules have changed for the show, which is interesting, because on my season, you only lip sync when you were bad, but now with All Stars it's a different format so that's what I thought was so funny. And I came out unscathed in my season, so the goal here is you don't try to rob a bank twice. I'm good. There's people that would do it better. I just thought it was funny that they agreed to it, and I was ecstatic at their response, especially Jan, who was like, "WHAT?!" That made me cackle, because I'm sure that was many people's response at home, going "What the hell is she doing back?" But that was the whole point!
James: Well, thank you so much for taking some time, I know that you've got a busy schedule, and I look forward to seeing you in Nashville!
Bianca del Rio: Thank you. I will see you soon. Let's just cross our fingers that nothing crazy happens in America! I'm kidding, I'm kidding ... more material, more material!
Join Bianca's millions of fans and follow her on socials @thebiancadelrio and websites featuring her work and tour info.
JawbreakersAndrew Van Dorsselaer
Andrew Van Dorsselaer
Andrew Van Dorsselaer
Honey Davenport and Manila Luzon
