The Ettes are a family that have followed each other across the United States and around the world, even when they didn’t know each other.
Lead singer Coco, grew up in central Florida. Bassist Jem moved from New Jersey to Florida when he was 12. Drummer Poni moved to Florida from Queens, New York during her early years as well. They all lived within the same vicinity of each other. Frequenting the same places, seeing the same shows, yet never meeting. It wasn’t until Coco and Poni moved out to L.A. that they finally met at a shop where they both worked. The two quickly became friends and their shared love for music turned into the desire to form a band.
Coco sang and played guitar, and Poni took up drums specifically for the band, learning how to play in just a few weeks. “I took a couple lessons, and was like, I got it, but I didn’t,” Poni said about learning to play. “I had so much to learn.”
That was back in 2004. Six years later, The Ettes are as strong as ever, in the middle of touring and mixing their latest album.
“A lot,” Coco responded simply when asked how the band had grown since its inception. “I don’t know which way, upside, down or around, but we have evolved,” Poni added.
Indeed, the group’s evolution was apparent as they performed at Austin City Limits to a throng of happy music lovers.
Poni, as she attacked the drums with vicious precision, looked as if she had been playing them all her life. Coco played guitar and sang effortlessly, with great presence and power. Jem undergirded the band on bass, providing heavy, energetic lines that added to the overall urgency that is The Ettes’ music. Johnny, a recent addition to the band, rounded out the Ettes’ stage presence, further adding to the their raw, melodic sound.
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