Stoked on the Aquadolls: An Interview With Fullerton's Own Melissa Brooks

“Music has always been in my heart and soul”, says Melissa Brooks, a 23-

year-old with long, blonde hair, wearing metallic pink pants and high-heeled shoes.

The Fullerton native and Cal State Fullerton student is the founder and lead singer

of The Aquadolls, a female soft-punk duo that also features Fullerton local Izabella

Vroede. Combining sweet bubblegum aesthetics with a punk edge, the band has self-

described its sound as “surf, punk, doo-wop, and a little bit of psych”, citing Gwen

Stefani, Hole, and Avril Lavigne as musical influences. Brooks formed the band when

she was 17 years old, and the band has gone on to achieve local success, playing at

venues like The Observatory, The Echo, SOMA San Diego, and The Hi Hat, among

others. The Aquadolls have also gone on tour with popular alternative bands like

SWMRS, The Frights, and Hunny, to name a few.

But how did it all begin for Melissa and Izabella? According to Melissa, The

Aquadolls came to be out of a need to share her voice. She was part of a band her

senior year of high school, but they never took the songs she wrote seriously. “I still

pushed my feminine rage through my songwriting and performances, showcasing

my passion for self-expression”, says Melissa. “The Aquadolls came to be due to my

lack of being able to voice my own opinions, and for the first time in my life, after

releasing our first EP (We Are Free), I finally felt like people were listening to my

story.”

And listen, they did. Brooks’ influence can be felt on surf rock-esque tracks

like “Our Love Will Always Remain” and “Big Headed Alien”, or on slower tracks like

the popular song “Wander”. Fans of the band will mosh, stage dive, and have a blast

in the crowd to these songs, as witnessed at their set at the recent Vagabond Fest

that took place in Garden Grove, California on November 5 th , 2017. Brooks called it

one of the “gnarliest shows of the year”, referring to a member of the rowdy pit who

accidentally kicked the microphone into her face, giving her “a good-old fashioned

black eye.” A memory that might not invoke happiness for most, but Brooks smiles

as she recounts the incident. “The whole show, I thought the sweat dripping from

my face was blood and my adrenaline kept myself from passing out from the pain. It

was so worth it, though. My eye is still swollen too!”

It’s not always mosh pits and sunshine for Melissa, though. Brooks admits

that she struggles sometimes balancing schoolwork, her concert photography, and

the band. However, the thought of playing more shows is what keeps her motivated.

“Amidst all of my homework and school projects, running a merch store and

Depop, and doing photography at local concerts, at the end of the day I always

think of my next show and how I can improve my performances to make people

feel like they experienced something unique and special. Yes, I'll admit that my

schedule is really stressful. I find myself biting my nails, crying in bed, sleeping in

for too long, and avoiding my resDponsibilities for far too long until it all catches

up to me and I find myself in a stress-hole. Even though it isn't easy, I'll never

quit doing what I love,” says Brooks.

As a female in the music industry, she has also had to deal with her fair share

of unwelcome advances. People have gone as far to go on stage and grab her face

and kiss her without her permission, and her and underage band member Vroede

have been groped and inappropriately touched by strangers repeatedly at shows

while crowd surfing or moshing. Brooks has had enough with sexual assault in the

alternative music scene. “None of this behavior is acceptable and people need to

learn to respect others, especially at concerts as I want to provide a safe space for

everyone attending. I'm not sure if this has to do with my gender identity, but I

know this happens to a lot of other artists and the disrespect must cease. It's so

gross.”

Despite all of the challenges, sleepless nights, and rough mosh pits Melissa

Brooks has experienced in her time as an artist, she has one piece of advice for

young females looking to break into the music industry, which is to follow their

dreams full force. “If you have a dream, no matter how big or impossible or far

from reach it may seem, take baby steps towards your goal. Do a little something

every day to get closer to that. Most importantly, have faith in yourself. Through

my depression, sometimes I lose my drive to inspire, but then I always remind

myself that at the end of the day, I'll be able to accomplish something good

someday if I keep trying. Never give up.”