The Cover-ups are an 8 piece, all girl ska band from Los Angeles, CA. It all started in 1997 when Cris and Mini were working for a local retail store in Santa Monica. While listening to The Bodysnatchers and pretending to look busy, they got to talking one day, about how their projects (i.e. their bands) were not working out the way they had hoped. Mini, bassist, was trying to form a traditional-style ska band and Cris was going for a 2Tone-style ska band. Both were suffering from a lack of able musicians who were available, into ska music, and reliable.
They casually talked about how cool it would be to do an all-girl ska band side project. About a year later, when Cris's 2Tone project broke up, she called Mini on the phone and suggested to make the all-girl idea an actuality. Mini's various traditional projects were not panning out at that point and she was up for the idea. After a few phone calls back and forth of brainstorming on song ideas and girl musicians they knew, Mini suggested her friend, Amanda, who played alto sax with her in her other traditional projects. Amanda said yes. At the same time, Cris thought of her friend, Stacey, who had played bass in her 2Tone project, and knew she wanted to try singing. So, she asked Stacey if she wanted to sing with her in the band and she was immediately interested.
The 4 of them planned their first practice at Amanda's house in July, 1998, with Mini on bass, Amanda on alto sax, Cris and Stacey on vocals, with Cris filling in on keyboards for the meantime. Mini had known a female drummer, Nina, who was in a all-girl punk band in high school. She called her up and brought her to the practice. She seemed interested, and stayed ever since! Next, Stacey ran in to an acquaintance, Gina, at a local ska festival in the fall of '98, and mentioned the search for a female ska guitarist. Coincidentally, she played guitar and was looking for a band to join! Around Christmas time, Nina had been talking via email to a girl, Lauren, who played piano and was into ska and interested in trying out for The Cover-Ups. So she tried out and was immediately accepted into the band. The Cover-Ups line-up was finally complete!
The Cover-Ups have been officially complete since January of 1999. They started playing shows in March, 1999. So far the reception has been positive. The band was a little concerned about how the sweet sound of their all-girl ska would be accepted in the local scene. But they were relieved to find out that people seem to like the unique blend of traditional ska, rocksteady, skinhead reggae with 2Tone ska sounds. And of course, the feminine touch of the sweet harmonies of the vocals and horns. The Cover-Ups bring a refreshing perspective on today's local ska scene!