Composed of Alyson Palmer (vocals/bass), Elizabeth Ziff (vocals/guitar/electronic programming), and Amy Ziff (vocals/cello), the trio band “BETTY” has been together for long enough — 38 years — that they can’t agree on exactly how they came up with the name.
Palmer has previously noted that “it just appeared out of the universe when we needed it.”
One thing is for certain: They are just as ebullient as they were way back when they performed their first number, “Carnival.” While some things haven’t changed in their music — which they describe as being “centered on longing, sex, sisterhood and food” — there’s been some evolution.
“I’m less angry than I was before,” muses Palmer. “I’m more … irate, so it’s more inner. I have more of a sense of humor now than I did before, thank God!”
“I think that’s part of being a feminist,” adds Elizabeth Ziff. “Otherwise, you can’t be in society – you have to be able to laugh at it. You see it get better, and you see it get worse”.
They’ve just released their 11th album, “EAT,” and they are “stoked about it!” Featuring an 80s-inspired sound — with heavy doses of drum machine — the disc features danceable odes to gay pride (“Pride”) and body pride (“Big Size Love”), as well as a cleverly arranged ( and not at all ironic) a cappella version of the Bacharach/David hit “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”
The project got off the ground with a successful Kickstarter campaign and finished with a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Mayor’s office. While Amy Ziff notes that the hardest part of recording the thing for her was “being cooped up in the studio all day,” for Palmer, it was “raising the freaking money!”
“We’ve been independent since the beginning of time,” explains Elizabeth Ziff.
“Artists have to put out so much money for their art, but you don’t get it back because nobody’s buying music anymore,” adds Palmer. “It’s a one-way street”.
But, she adds, “We were all mortified by doing Kickstarter to begin with, but once we realized how much people wanted to create something with us, it became really fun.”
While they all live in lower Manhattan, BETTY limits their shows in NYC to “keep it fresh.” They’ve “played all over the world”, won two Emmys and an honorary award from BMI, among other honors.
In addition to a record release show at the Cutting Room on Sept. 22, they will do an outdoor show at Washington Square Park as part of The Village Trip festival. Scheduled to play there last year, they were unfortunately rained out but are very much looking forward to making up for it on Sept. 28.
“It’s a funny story, how we ended up there,” says Elizabeth Ziff.
Apparently, she left a photo shoot to ride home on her bike — its name was Stella — and found that it had been totaled by what must have been a truck. The trio rang its bell one last time and sang a goodbye song to the bike, while a couple stopped to listen.
“You’re wonderful singers,” they said.
“We’re in a band,” the girls replied.
“We have a festival!” the couple responded. And that’s how they ended up booking The Village Trip show.
“It was one of those amazing New York moments,” Palmer says.
Palmer relishes their fortune, which for her means that “you work towards something and maybe it happens and maybe it doesn’t, but BETTY has been working for a very long time for huge things like changing the world. And along the way we’ve done some phenomenal shows and great good times and met some wonderful people.”
But, Amy Ziff interjects, “I’m not happy with it! I want more.”
“She wants less work and more fame,” Elizabeth Ziff explains.
Amy Ziff, like the others, has a pretty good idea of what they want their audience to take away from their music.
“I want people to get inspired from our music,” she says. “Inspiration to laugh, or remember, or cry, or dance, or think, or write, or protest, or complain, or sing…maybe all a little differently from how you usually feel or do”.
“It’s all about community,” Palmer says. “The only way we can have strength as human beings is to come together. When people are singing along to our songs, making a joyful noise, that’s the pinnacle”.
“I just wanna get laid,” says Elizabeth Ziff. “Nah … at this point, I’d rather have a chocolate cigar. I do want to have good conversations, make friends, travel, and make beautiful music”.
As for BETTY, it looks like they will be doing that for a long time.
“We never planned on being together for this long,” admits Elizabeth. “It never even entered our minds.”
“Whoever thought there was an alternative?” asks Palmer. “We’ve always been extremely in the present about the next show, the next good time. We’re just leaping on lily pads from one gig to the next”.
More info about the band at Hellobetty.com, on Instagram at @Bettyrules and on Facebook at facebook.com/bettyverse.
Cutting Room tix are at thecuttingroomnyc.com/
