For the last FANGIRL Diaries of the year, I wanted to do something special–something that would take me back to the reason that I started this column in the first place. So, naturally, I got on a bus to Portland to meet up with the multi-faceted rock outfit, Skating Polly, to capture their final two shows of the year.

For those not familiar with Skating Polly, allow me to give you some lore. Formed in Oklahoma in 2009 by step-sisters Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse (aged nine and 14 at the time), the duo released their first album Taking Over The World in 2011, and haven’t stopped since. In 2017, two became three when Kelli’s brother, Kurtis Mayo, joined the band on drums. This addition gave Kelli and Peyton a break from repeatedly switching out on drums, and allowed them to blossom into the powerful force that they are today!

Skating Polly have been a huge part of my life since we met at Bumbershoot in 2018. I hardcore fan-girled over them after their set, and we immediately became friends. I became super close with Kelli over the pandemic as she navigated a rough diagnosis of a vocal chord cyst in 2020–one surgery turned into two when a second cyst was found during recovery. Imagine being 21 years old and needing double vocal surgery because you’ve been actively touring since you were a literal child–Kelli is one of the most bad-ass people I know. After a year of vocal rest, she began prepping to go into the studio again. That album would become Chaos County Line, an 18 track double-LP  that I had the honour of photographing the cover art for. During that shoot, I had an accident that resulted in a couple of broken fingers on my right hand, but the shoot went on thanks to some vodka and finger splints from CVS. Now, I have a crazy story to tell, and a few wonky looking fingers.

Now that you’re up to speed, let me bring you back to present day. As we sit backstage at The Polaris Hall in Portland, I’m sure that our giggles can be heard throughout the entire venue. We celebrate being reunited, and try to catch each other up on everything all at once. I’m so excited to see them that I forget for a minute they’re about to play, and I get to see one of my favourite bands live. I’m even more excited when they show me the 20-plus song setlist.

A Skating Polly show is best summed up by the cliche “You had to be there!”–from the highest high kicks you’ll ever see to everyone in the crowd knowing every word to the deepest of deep cuts, it’s truly an experience best served in the front row.

The way that Kelli and Peyton’s voices blend together gives me chills every single time, and hearing it live is extra special. You can hear their connection and love for each other in every harmony.

The next day, we head to Seattle for their show at The Vera Project–an all ages venue situated beside the legendary KEXP and the Space Needle. When in Seattle, I think that it’s mandatory to eat a bag of Dick’s–the iconic cheap burger spot–and eat multiple bags of Dick’s we did as we walked around in the rain prior to soundcheck.

Doing my makeup in the green room mirror, Peyton’s isolated vocal serenades me as she sound-checks one of my favourite songs, “Louder in Outer Space” (the studio version features Louise Post and Nina Gordon of Veruca Salt.)

Can you hear that harmony?

I can hear it in my sleep.

I can hear it even louder in outer space.

No strangers to collaboration, you can find the album Lucifer Hearted Women that Kelli put out this year with Exene Cervenka (of X) at their merch table. Speaking of merch, I’ve never seen the same merch at a Skating Polly show–they always have something new or D.I.Y. to offer–for these shows, they’ve taken old clothes of theirs and hand embroidered them! The idea of owning a piece of your favourite band’s old clothing is something that my fan-girl ass can absolutely get down with!

This is their last show of the year, and what a finale. Maybe it’s because they’ve been a band for 16 years, or maybe it’s because they’ve genuinely never put out a bad album, but they have some of the most die hard fans that I’ve ever seen, and it’s always surprising to me that a major label hasn’t scooped them up yet.

For our final day together, I enlisted help from two of my favourite Seattle photographers: Bella Petro and Rachel Bennett. Bella was kind enough to open her studio to us, and the three of us photographers took turns shooting the band for maximum content and fun. Now that is my kind of collaboration!

And just like that, my three days in Skating-Polly-land came to a close. I’m left with thousands of photos and even more memories.

What does next year have in store for Skating Polly? New music! This time, recorded and produced entirely by the band themselves.