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Interview by Juliet Reynolds
JULIET REYNOLDS: How did you both get into DJing? You guys obviously are a duo, so . . . how did you find each other?
ZOEY McJUNKIN: It’s our favorite story. [laughs]
BAILEY FLETCHER: [laughs] We met through our ex-boyfriends that are best friends. They were both, like, “Oh my God, you guys will like each other.” It felt like a play date. They were like, “You guys both have dark hair… you both like music…”
JR: You’re both girls, it’s perfect. [laughs]
ZM: [laughs] You’re both girls, you're going to love each other. We only met each other the one time, and then we both kind of broke up with them a few months later.
JR: It wasn't meant to be.
MINISKIRT: But we were meant to be. [laughs]
BF: At first, we just wanted to do something together, and the first thing we thought of was a podcast, which is so embarrassing. We came up with the name Miniskirt first, and then we went out on a night and went to go see some DJs, and we were, like, “Lowkey, we could do this.” Then we were kind of just, like, joking around with it.
JR: And now it's not a joke.
BF: Yeah, and then suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore.
JR: Where did the name Miniskirt come from?
BF: We were in a McDonald's parking lot.
ZM: After a set at Palabra.
BF: Which is the set that we were, like, “We could lowkey do this.” And we were coming up with names. My first one, which was really bad, was B to Z. [laughs]
ZM: [laughs] Mine was also kind of bad; I was like, what about turtleneck?
BF: But like, girl, I never wear turtlenecks.
ZM: But I love a turtleneck. Like, I really do.
BF: We were listing items we wear or something, and I was like, I wear miniskirts. Then it was just like, “Write that down, write that down.”
JR: Has that name transformed into anything different now since starting last summer?
BF: I feel like it's a little bit of a movement.
ZM: It’s definitely stuck with people. I think it's a little bit… dare I say, special to me?
BF: It also puts us in a joint identity, which I think is cool. Throughout this experience, we've learned to mesh ideas, our personalities, and our whole brand. Miniskirt is both of us. I'm Mini, and she’s Skirt.
JR: You guys are on Instagram, and these promos that you make with Ronnie Takeover, what is the kind of brand you guys are crafting there?
BF: I feel like we're crafting a little bit of a party girl image. There's not, like, a specific thing in mind, especially with making all those videos. I think we use our real-life personalities and what we want.
ZM: I was gonna say party girl as well. Party girl? She's multi-faceted. Party girl can read and be tired. [laughs] I remember when I was eight years old, watching movies of people going out to the club, and being, like, “Oh my God, I need to be there.” I just watched Party Girl with Parker Posey, and I feel like that’s Miniskirt.
BF: I love that movie. If you can brand a cool party, it's the same as your mind when you're, like, thirteen watching Skins or something, and you’re like “I want to do that.”
ZM: Yes! You can do anything you want.
BF: One of my favorite aspects of Miniskirt is the branding and creating. I’m a film school dropout times two. [laughs] I hope that's what people take away when they watch [our videos]. Like, “Oh, I kind of want to do that, too.”
ZM: I think we both really just do what we like. Play what we like, wear what we like.
BF: Do what we like and think about it later.
ZM: I think we kind of both don't know sometimes. That's kind of what's helped us curate this image, the fact that most of the time, both of us are just like, “You know what? Let’s do it.”
BF: It’s literally “what the hell, sure” every day.
I've been making art since I was, like, five years old, . . . and I've always led with, “Even if it sucks, I'm still gonna do it because I can’t live without it.” So, it feels very instinctual with [DJing] as well. That’s why it’s always kind of funny when people say we’re performative, or, like, indie sleeze cosplayers, because I’m actually just doing what I feel like. Being performative is kind of a joke right now. It sounds cheesy, but I have a low tolerance for inauthenticity. Leading with who we are is always gonna carry us.
ZM: I think people should be more corny and more embarrassing. The only way to get better at something is to practice and to do it. Our sole intention isn't to be the greatest or the best at what we do. It's literally just to do what we want, what we like, and what we love. You know? Maybe that's the vision.
BF: If we had waited until we were ready, I don't think we’d be here.
ZM: And what even is ready?
BF: We are very, like, emphasis on: let girls DJ. In the art of the Addison Rae era, just like, let girls do anything. And even if they suck a little bit, whatever!
ZM: Even if they are bad, why can't you let people try?
BF: Because we are a duo, one of us can DJ and the other one can dance. And I feel like that's kind of new, . . . at [the time we started], it was kind of fun.
ZM: We are usually pretty back-to-back, so usually someone's dancing, and I think that's really cute. I think people like . . . to see people mess up a transition and dance, as long as we're right there with them. We're also dancing with them and playing songs that they like.
It’s really nice to see how many talented, amazing people are around us - people that we've been so lucky to work with. It really does remind me how blessed I feel to be even involved in this space, you know? I think Phoenix is very welcoming to the artists. And that's something that I really appreciate. I think it is really special about Phoenix that you can be new, and you can make mistakes, and people will still be there to support you.
BF: I feel like everyone's inspiring each other a little bit. What’s that meme? If we keep making Instagram posts-
ZM: If we keep making Instagram posts, DJing, and curating-
MINISKIRT: Everything is going to be okay! [laughs]
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