Based in North Park, Bitter Sober is an indie pop/rock band discovered on MySpace in late 2008 by
Beth Ladwig of Elliotthedog Music, Inc. Since releasing their first EP and video, they’ve toured and opened for Devo and Blake Lewis.
In late 2009, members of the all-girl band appeared on Fox-TV’s hit show Glee. The fictional Jane Adams School for Delinquent Girls band included drummer Emily O’Bannon, percussionist Megan Carchman (aka Megan Jane), guitarist Alicia Champion, singer/guitarist Sherry Soto, and DJ Dirty Kurdy on turntables.
“They were looking for an all-female band that could pass as thugs,” says Emily O’Bannon (Runhoney). “I guess we fit the part! During our scene, we mimicked playing a song during an amazing dance routine for one of their competitions.” O’Bannon – who also played drums on an episode of My Name Is Earl - works at the newly opened Gossip Grill, operated by Chris Shaw, formerly of the Flame.
“It was nice to release my inner thug,” says Megan Jane (Bitter Sober, Veronica May). “I ended up playing percussion, which was a relief, because they originally had me on keyboards, which I don’t play.” Though the band didn’t have any dialogue during the all-day shoot in June, she says, “They did full makeup and hair for us and provided wardrobe and accessories if what we brought needed a little extra flair.”
“I think all but one of us wore our own clothes,” says Alicia Champion, whose Fox-TV connection asked her to round up the Delinquent Girls. “They needed a handful of minority race females with edgy hair and piercings or tattoos, who can play a variety of instruments.”
Bitter Sober proudly proclaims itself part of the local “queercore” group of homosexual music artists. In 2011, they began recording their first full-length album with Beth Ladwig of Elliotthedog Music.