Making Sweet Music: Amber Goodwyn
“Right now I’m lucky to be an artist pretty much full-time, which allows me to access themes that speak to me as they come up, including sex,” reveals Amber Goodwyn of the Montreal band Nightwood. “Also, as a friend and lover, I’m open to supporting those I care about whenever they have something sex-related they’d like to discuss, so in those ways sex is still involved in my life (outside of having sex, that is).”
It would seem that sex and rock ‘n roll are intrinsically linked and Amber connection to her music is almost palpable. “Being in a rock band, sex is always present in intangible ways: when I write something I’m excited about or when I lose myself in a performance, I can’t help but relate those feelings and sensations to other exhilarating moments I’ve experienced, including sex and desire.” At the same time, there are challenges with societal expectations. “Being a female-identified cis-gendered being also impacts on how others receive me as a performer and sometimes it’s fun to emphasize or downplay the effect that has on people. I have to admit that most times having my gender and appearance remarked upon instead of the music or musicianship can be frustrating. You know: sexism and all that shit is a drag.”
While she admits that sex isn’t what inspires her the most these days, she did make a huge and memorable impression when she launched Lickety Split smut zine a number of years ago. A fantastic and provocative blend of sex, art, literature and intelligent fun, Amber’s inspiration for the zine wasn’t always the sex itself. “For me the zine was about giving a variety of people a voice and an arena to share what moved them about desire,” she reveals.” “And in so doing made bold statements (by their own example) about how sexuality is a normal facet of human nature that deserves more creative exploration and critical discourse in the arts. In that way, I felt that publishing the zine was less inspired by sex than by justice and the zine was the tangible result of my sex-positive politic.”
Moving on from the zine world, Goodwyn still finds herself influenced by sex heroes Annie Sprinkle and Susie Bright and the current Audio Smut collective. But music is where much of her inspiration lies currently. “I’m most excited by positive, prolific and out-going musicians like Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips), Patti Smith and folks that exude creative exuberance! I’m always moved by the introspective-yet-face-melting guitar music of Marnie Stern and I’m really digging the psychedelia of Sun City Girls at the moment. I’m also inspired by landscapes and dreams; my non-sex-related work, like films and music, has always been inspired by a sense of place.”