“As a trans woman, I wanted to have a band that was comprised of other trans people,” she said. Her search led her to drummer Nicole Natalie Wescovich of bands such as Hippie Rooster and Silver in the Ashes. “She was just such an amazing songwriter and amazing collaborator that it was no question that she should be involved in it.”
Through gigging in the Bay St. Louis area, Charlotte was impressed by Rumours bassist Nicole McDyer. “When I met the both of them and started thinking more about doing an original project they were my first choices.” As the three members shared a love for Midwest Emo, a sound that they have now adapted to a more regionally appropriate ‘Southeast Emo,’ the trio was complete. “I got very lucky, that the two people I felt were the most talented and the best fit for the band both shared a love for the style of music that was the trajectory and my goal for the band.”
The trio quickly started assembling a 45 minute set of originals, bouncing both new and existing ideas between the three of them to shape the songs into the new DOLLHAUS style. One such song is “Anymore,” the opening track of the EP. It’s a song that has been sitting in Charlotte’s bag of tricks for some time, but never quite vibed with an acoustic solo gig. Now, it sets the tone for the band as an upbeat, melodic punk-infused jam. The self-titled EP, produced by multi-talented coast musician Dacota Berkowitz, follows up on the band’s self produced single and video for ‘Afraid’ which dropped on socials when the band first announced themselves in February. Other original material such as the high energy, body mover “Taco Tuesday Comes Once a Week,” a very few carefully selected covers, and more material still in development have the band looking to expand their catalog to do longer shows by summer’s end. It’s a musical direction that, as Charlotte describes as “Emotional and heartfelt, but also we don’t take ourselves *too* seriously.”
DOLLHAUS quickly began performing heavily across the greater coastal region and neighboring areas, carrying on into both established music spots for the members as well as new places. Right from the start they’ve been overall very pleased with the warm fan reception, hospitality and buzz they often receive. In addition to some of the area’s regular music hot spots and underground punk-style shows, they have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to be able to perform music at events for the trans and greater LGBTQ+ communities. ‘DOLLHAUS’ is itself a clever play on the term ‘Doll’ commonly used among trans women, and a spelling that welcomingly brings to mind English gothic rockers Bauhaus. The band plans to continue to be actively involved supporters of the community. As career players with roots reaching deep into the area’s music scene at large, they show a real passion for the shows they play, and they are here to connect with and bring music to anyone with a friendly ear.
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