Premiere: Dirty Mae flip the fairytale script with ‘Big Red’
Ghost-folk trio turn the storybook tale into a timely piece on womanhood with a new song.
Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs’ 1966 hit “Li’l Red Riding Hood,” a provocative adaptation of the classic European fairytale, which has origins tracing back to the 10th century, strips away any literary weight for direct sexual overtones. There’s absolutely no ounce of subtlety to the language or frontman Domingo Samudio’s ravenous inflection, as he slinks his way along the soul-pop groove with nothing but lustful intentions. Sampling the Top 10 hit, New York City ghost-folk trio Dirty Mae turn the tables from a piece of typically toxic machismo to a conversation on womanhood and strength. Their own version called “Big Red,” premiering today in honor of Women’s History Month, borrows the sweltering and sticky hook but with an edge of a woman reclaiming her dignity and self-worth.
“Oh, mister, you misunderstood me for a damsel in distress / I ain’t lost in the woods / You better run fast / No food in the round / I’ll huff and puff / I’ll blow your little house down,” paints lead vocalist Cassie Fireman, her phrasing as flames crackling and snapping at her suitor’s exposed heels. In harvesting such a universal children’s tale, one originally intended to be quite gruesome and bloody, Fireman colors delightfully outside the lines and injects both the traditional storyline and the popular radio hit with a bit of potent femininity and a dusty western coating. Alongside band mates Ben Curtis and Robbie Frost, the group creep through the creaky woodlands for song that wields urgency and intimacy. “I feel good in my little red hood,” Fireman later sings, licking her chops before going on attack.
“We wanted to reimagine the story of Little Red Riding Hood as a jazzy, seductive twist where she’s not some lost girl in the woods. The feminine energy of this song sparked a desire to bring women together to let our voices be heard and to make a difference,” Fireman tells B-Sides & Badlands over email. Dirty Mae will host the upcoming inaugural Big Red Fest, a collaboration of women performing live music, spoken word and comedy at the Bowery Poetry Club set for next Sunday (March 31). 100 percent of the event’s proceeds will benefit survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence.
She continues, “Big Red Fest is an expression of that desire ⏤ female artists are sharing their creative gifts. It’s a reminder that music and art are a powerful medium for positive change.”
“Big Red” is the first taste of new music since last year’s four-song, self-titled debut EP.
Listen below:
Follow Dirty Mae on their socials: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
