Different Rock’s Wild Baby on Music, Mayhem, and Center Fingers! – JamSphere

March 26, 2025

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Sarah Herrera doesn’t simply play bass and scream into microphones—she crafts sonic mayhem with a wink and a center finger. As one of many driving forces behind the Tommy Lasorda Expertise and Pancreatic Most cancers, her music is as chaotic as her band names recommend. Now, together with her solo album ‘Me Me Me Me Extra Extra Extra Mine Mine Mine’ on the horizon, she’s proving that her specific model of insanity can’t be contained to only one undertaking. Whether or not she’s flipping the chicken at musical conventions, translating lyrics by means of Google simply to see what occurs, or recording songs backwards due to dyslexia, Sarah Herrera operates on a stage of unpredictability that makes each new launch really feel like an inside joke you desperately need to be in on. Her newest album with Pancreatic Most cancers, ‘Yelling “Freebird!” At Funerals’ pushes these boundaries even additional. On this interview, we dive headfirst into her world – the place VR porn conjures up idea albums, pool hustling is a professional facet hustle, and Aerosmith’s fall from grace nonetheless stings. Buckle up. You don’t have any thought what’s coming!

You’ve performed in a number of bands with, let’s say, “colourful” names. How does every expertise form your sound and method to music?

Sarah Herrera: My expertise in every band actually introduced one thing a little bit completely different to the desk. Once I was in RAPE!, it was all about stepping into a extra hardcore course. Exploited Cocks actually pushed me within the course of ska and ska-punk. These are two very completely different kinds of musicianship – in RAPE!, I used to be simply principally screaming, whereas in different bands I actually needed to emote with my vocals and play cleaner bass traces. And in Taking It In The Ass from John Holmes, my first band after I was 14, it was actually extra about studying to not be terrified taking part in in entrance of an viewers and attempting to recollect the precise songs I had written. I had heard in an interview with some musician or different that the trick was to think about the viewers bare. I’m severely dyslexic and get confused usually, so as an alternative I began imagining myself bare on stage with everybody pointing and laughing. As I bought older and my substance abuse issues turned extra extreme, that did really occur at exhibits greater than as soon as.

Pancreatic Most cancers is dropping an album quickly. What impressed this undertaking, and the way does it differ from The Tommy Lasorda Expertise?

Sarah Herrera: Properly, really not an enormous distinction, Pancreatic Most cancers was my earlier band, and it’s nonetheless me and Jimmy, solely my brother Matt is on drums. So, the sound may be very related – vocals, guitar, bass – the one distinction is that Matt is classically skilled in taking part in Jamaican metal drums. So we’re at exhibits attempting to play some punk and he’s standing there in shorts and a floral shirt taking part in this enormous metal drum and asking for suggestions. I believe he tried to braid some lady’s hair as soon as. I suppose that’s why we went with Miguel once we began The Tommy Lasorda Expertise. Matt’s my brother, and I like him, however generally after I present I might simply homicide him by operating him over with my automobile after I was drunk once we youthful!

Your solo album ‘Me Me Me Me Extra Extra Extra Mine Mine Mine’ is popping out quickly. What do you hope listeners take away from it?

Sarah Herrera: Oh boy. I would like them to really feel. I would like them to assume. I would like them to giggle, and to cry. Principally I would like them to soil their pants. Actually the excretion of any bodily fluid, ideally onto another person – that’s my purpose with this album

You talked about ‘The Ungodly Doc’ as a lyrical supply for this album. What’s the weirdest or most sudden line that made it right into a tune?

Sarah Herrera: Can I’ve 40 traces tied for first? Haha. So, this doc was one thing I (apparently) wrote throughout a 3-day blackout. It’s practically 40 pages of single spaced sentences, one after one other. For some motive, each single sentence contained the phrases “paying taxes”, “my lawyer”, “drink and drive”, “rape/molest”, “homosexuals”, or “stealing” So I’ll offer you one which follows the rule, and a bizarre exception that I discovered. I actually love the road “I like paying taxes to allow them to discover out why a grasshopper is inexperienced”. That speaks to me. There was additionally a line in there that stated “I’m a skinhead as a result of my penis is a skinhead”. Once I get up screaming in the midst of the night time, that line is normally in my head.

Your artistic course of for ‘Me Me Me Me Extra Extra Extra Mine Mine Mine’ concerned watching films and pulling lyrics from them. Did any movie stand out as significantly inspiring?

Sarah Herrera: All of them! I can’t select between my seven favourite movies, that’s like selecting between punching a cop and punching a firefighter – how do you select? My one remorse is that I had already tailored (stole) traces from A Clockwork Orange for an earlier album, and couldn’t reuse it. That will have been cool. I like TV and flicks. Our tune What’s Happenin’ (from the album The Could Have Been Others) is in regards to the present of the identical identify, and a a lot earlier tune was principally an endorsement for Shirl from that present for President, and there are an unlimited quantity of Sanford and Son references in our music. I don’t know, I suppose I simply need to return to the 1970’s. And be Black.

‘How do you steadiness writing music to your solo work, The Tommy Lasorda Expertise, and Pancreatic Most cancers? Do you method them otherwise?’

Sarah Herrera: I do. It is a little tough to speak about, however I undergo from DID (Dissociative Identification Dysfunction), what within the unhealthy outdated days was known as a number of personalities. There was some childhood trauma involving circus clowns and the nation of Bulgaria, it’s exhausting to get into. However, as an illustration, being within the Tommy Lasorda Expertise is disturbing, we’re a giant band, the opposite ones are fairly small. Once I get overly burdened, or scared, generally Jessica comes out. That is what they instructed me on the hospital, it’s not one thing I’m aware for. And her type of writing may be very completely different from mine. She writes about sunshine and lollipops, and I’ve to return and alter sunshine to rape and lollipops to drink and drive.

Your band has recorded songs backwards due to your dyslexia, after which had your producer reverse them within the studio. How insane is that? Have you ever ever thought of simply releasing a complete album in reverse for the hell of it?

Sarah Herrera: It’s one thing I considered very briefly, however the one drawback is that only a few individuals would be capable of take heed to it apart from myself and the others within the assist group. However sure, it’s difficult. I do the quilt artwork, after which our document label has to reverse it as a result of I did it backwards, after which if I’m sporting a t-shirt with a band’s identify on it or my Dispoze-A-Bowl t-shirt, that comes out reversed due to reversing a backwards picture is like triple backwards or one thing. It’s an adjustment. Oddly, I sign the unsuitable means after I’m driving sober, after which appropriately after I’m hammered. It’s bizarre.

When you might resurrect certainly one of your outdated bands for a one-night-only present, which one wouldn’t it be and why?

Sarah Herrera: in all probability Taking It In The Ass From John Holmes, simply because I’d like to be 14 once more. For a number of causes – life was extra carefree, every part was easier, and my alcohol tolerance was a lot decrease. Might get a pleasant buzz off three six packs as an alternative of the consumption I want immediately. Additionally coke was means cheaper.

You’ve written and carried out in a number of languages—type of. How did Google Translate affect your Spanish songs, and have native audio system ever corrected your lyrics?

Sarah Herrera: Oh, haha. Sure, English, Spanish and German. The English and German are fluent, the Spanish is non-existent. I did take singing classes with Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban salsa singer (salsa is type of my jam, by the way in which) and he taught me methods to roll my r’s correctly and all that. Do I do know what I’m singing? Not within the least. It’s all phonetic. And backwards. One neat factor, there’s a line in a single tune that was taken from you’ll be able to in all probability guess the place, “I’m not a prostitute as a result of I’m solely a slut”. That doesn’t rhyme. While you translate it into Spanish, prostituta and puta really rhyme. Sort of a neat accident.

The monitor listing for the album ‘Yelling “Freebird!” At Funerals’ is wild. Which tune are you most excited for individuals to listen to, and why?

Sarah Herrera: Wow, you’re asking me to decide on between punching a meter maid and a priest once more – methods to determine? I’ll give a number of solutions. “Aloha Spicoli” might be the most effective tune musically. “Eat Your Sacred Cows” I’m most happy with lyrically. I’m very a lot not excited for individuals to listen to “No Anesthesia (bass solo)”, that’s simply me taking part in bass within the studio and swearing and yelling at myself, and it was recorded and launched with out my information. However on steadiness, the tune I’m excited for individuals to listen to is “It’s Time To Get Critical About Drunk Driving”. So many individuals are simply not taking drunk driving severely, they should know the fundamental guidelines I’ve outlined within the tune in order to not get caught or hit too many individuals, and simply loosen up and luxuriate in being a large pinball taking place the highway.

You grew up with a Colombian father however didn’t communicate Spanish at house. Has this influenced your identification as an artist in sudden methods?

Sarah Herrera: It has and it hasn’t. I’m significantly within the tradition and the language. However Miguel (Estrada, the drummer) is Latin, and I hate him for the way in which he treats me. Possibly that makes me Anti Semitic, I don’t know. It is best to see the video for Full Disclosure (I Am A Stalker) that we simply did, it’s as much as like 20,000 views on YouTube already. The videographer requested me to simply stroll round and attempt to be attractive. I’ve bought the products, so I did as he requested, all of the stripper strikes I discovered as a baby, et cetera. The video premiered, and spliced in between footage of me being attractive had been clips of the fellows within the band sitting on sofa laughing at me. Welcome to being a chick in a male dominated style. I ought to have simply made music like Taylor Swift or another shitty pop singer.

You may have a tune known as ‘I Like To Drink And Drive As a result of I Need To Be A Big Pinball Going Down The Highway’. What’s the craziest factor that’s ever occurred on the highway?

Sarah Herrera: My lawyer has instructed me to by no means reply that, and my lawyer is three attorneys.

You’ve toured in some questionable methods. What’s essentially the most absurd pretend gig your supervisor has ever tried to ebook?

Sarah Herrera: Need a listing? Cemeteries. Crematoriums. The Museum of Saliva. The Bronx Psychiatric Heart. A yarn retailer. A NAMBLA chapter assembly. The Museum of Saliva. Homeless Shelters. Dunkin’ Donuts, Archie Bunker’s Home, dialysis facilities, practice platforms, the boys’s room at Meadowlands Area, the listing goes on. There’s one thing very unsuitable with the man. The opening night time of our tour, he scheduled a present in entrance of my residence constructing, so in fact there are tickets on sale proper now that actually listing my house deal with on it. I’m not popping out of the constructing that’s for certain, I don’t need my neighbors understanding what I do for a dwelling – they assume I’m grownup movie star, and I favor it keep that means. Possibly I’ll do a Mardi Gras out the window if there’s a requirement.

When you might drive certainly one of your songs onto the Billboard charts simply to confuse most people, which one wouldn’t it be?

Sarah Herrera: Humorous it’s best to ask, I used to be simply interested by that. We mentioned my new album Me Me Me Me Extra Extra Extra Mine Mine Mine, and it’s really a monitor that bought minimize from the album that I would choose. It’s known as “Track For My Niece”, it’s a tune I wrote for my sister’s 3 12 months outdated daughter. What occurred was, the fellows within the band spent a number of nights writing down every bit of profanity I yelled at them after I was drunk, they usually typed all of them up and the tune is principally me simply singing them, or really screaming them. And I should have been fairly hammered, as a result of the tune begins off with the traces “cockholster syphillis spreader motherfuckwagon shitmonger cuntzilla vomitbucket assbasket jizzmopper thundercunt fuckmustard” and simply goes on like that for a extremely very long time. I appear to be extra artistic after I’m drunk. I actually drive extra creatively.

You are taking offense at being known as ‘unusual.’ What’s essentially the most un-ordinary factor about you that individuals don’t understand straight away?

Sarah Herrera: in all probability that I’m within the Nation of Islam, I’m a hardcore 5 percenter. I transformed after a 2 to 4 bit I did a number of years in the past (it was knocked right down to 18 months with good habits). So I adhere fairly strictly to the teachings of the Elijah Muhammad (peace be unto him). While you see these guys yelling on 42^nd Road, for those who see a white lady with blonde hair ranting about “white devils”, that’s me. The N.O.I. forbids alcohol consumption, in fact, so I admit I cheat a little bit there. Additionally smoking, medication, consuming haram (pork) and sleeping round are prohibited, I’ll not adhere utterly to these, to be trustworthy.

Aerosmith turning right into a ‘Celine Dion cowl band’ impressed Love Me Anyplace (Besides In An Elevator). What different bands have allow you to down on this means?

Sarah Herrera: Oh. There’s one band, however they’re my shut associates and I’d get killed! So let me have a look at my music library in alphabetical order. Okay, I’m seeing Aerosmith first, that’s not useful. I’ll begin with Z and go backwards. There it’s – ZZ High! Wow, did they fall off the cliff with that synthesizer shit and songs about legs. I LOVE Wesley Willis, he actually let me down by dying. Van Halen. Nonetheless going backwards. DEFINITELY not Sha Na Na, that’s the one band that has by no means let me down, we are literally attempting to collaborate with Bowzer and it’s only a scheduling situation, but it surely’ll occur. Scorpions. Ozzy (don’t print that, he’s bought an enormous authorized workforce). No Doubt. Motley Crue. Metallica, what a shitshow they changed into after Grasp of Puppets. Okay, I’m uninterested in this.

What’s the worst drunk textual content you’ve ever despatched—for those who dare to share?

Sarah Herrera: I don’t know. I’ve to make use of an app that deletes all my texts instantly after I ship them, it’s in our document contract. However I’m certain it’s fairly horrible. I’ve a number of associates in legislation enforcement, and I usually textual content them whereas drunk driving, and I can solely think about what a few of these messages are like. My automobile doesn’t have assist for Android Auto, so I’ve to tug out my cellphone and steer with my knees.

You’ve talked about your love of VR porn. Hypothetically talking, for those who wrote a tune about it, what wouldn’t it be known as?

Sarah Herrera: It’s not hypothetical. We now have a tune known as “Goddamn, I Watch A Lot Of VR Porn”. It’s really up on Bandcamp, as a result of once we began out, we thought Spotify and Apple Music really had requirements. As soon as we realized they didn’t and we began getting onto the streaming providers, we type of deserted these crappy websites that no person listens to and are actually extra geared towards housewives shrieking their grocery lists right into a microphone or no matter.

If somebody made a biopic about your life, what could be the title, and who would play you?

Sarah Herrera: I hate to steal from my very own tune titles, however I’m gonna – it could be known as “I Drink And Drive As a result of I Need To Be A Big Pinball Going Down The Highway”. Who would play me? Would like to see it go to James Earl Jones, however he is likely to be useless. Slappy White might be useless. So perhaps Laurence Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson, a type of two. Possibly Woody Allen, I dunno. Is he out of jail?

What’s the weirdest or most unhinged piece of fan mail or interplay you’ve ever acquired?

Sarah Herrera: A human foot. No return deal with, and I’m stunned they delivered it, as a result of the field was completely dripping blood. I usually don’t get my mail, junkies break in and steal it on a regular basis searching for AARP reductions or no matter, however they wished no a part of this. I exploit it as an ashtray, its type of dialog piece.