Written By: Alexa Lee
Post Date: 2/27/17
Talk about the inception of the idea for your show. Did it occur to you suddenly in a moment of brilliance, or was this a gradual labor of love?
Doris: The initial idea was to have a show that was grandma themed. We went in the first episode and decided we would have a segment analyzing some song lyrics of a new rap song, but once we were in the booth, that part just really took off. There was just too much good music for us not to continue.
Mildred: When discussing what we wanted to do for our show, Doris and I both identified deeply as old souls and at times felt like two grandmothers living in a young person’s world. Senile Soiree began as an exploration of elderly lifestyle but thanks to D.R.A.M. and Lil Yachty, it evolved into an exploration of rap lyrics through an elderly perspective and we haven’t looked back since.
What is the developmental process behind putting together such a creative show with two hosts? Is it mostly improv or are decisions made together in advance? What makes the two of you such a fabulous duo?
Doris: For the most part it’s improv. We will come in with a theme or maybe some songs we heard and were really interested in analyzing, but the analysis and banter is off the cuff. Mildred came on my show last spring, and we had so much fun that we just had to make it more of a thing. We have good on air chemistry which is what makes Senile Soirée so easy and so much fun. We are able to get in the booth and just talk, and hash things out in a really organic way.
Mildred: Yeah, aside from the songs that we decide to play on air each week, the show is mostly improv. Sometimes we might pick a theme for the show and make some talking points off of that, or if we are doing an activity like knitting or drinking prune juice, we’ll plan that out first. After having so much fun as a guest on Doris’s show last year we decided to do a show together this year. Plus, Doris and I are good pals off air so I think that really helps us have such great chemistry on air.
Your show centers around old people confronted with music in the modern world. What music being made today do you think will be hailed as “classic oldies” when our generation is old?
Doris: Hmmmm. I think some of the classic oldies will be Drake, Yeezy, Kendrick, and Chance. Maybe Thugger too. But that is a scary thought. I wonder what they will all look like at 85…
Mildred: Honestly, the first person that always comes to mind for me is Beyonce. I also agree with Doris about Kanye and Kendrick for sure.
Similarly, what current music do you hope will be buried in the past forever?
Doris: I don’t know if there is anything I really hope will be buried. A lot of what our show goes into is how our culture and the music we listen to reflect on each other, so I think all music has a story that is important to someone. That being said, I don’t need to hear Katy Perry ever again.
Mildred: I don’t think anyone wants Nickelback to come back. Ever.
What is one thing people need to know about you and your show?
Doris: We play bingo every show! Listeners can tune in and get more numbers and the winner at the end of the quarter gets to go with us to our favorite Californian-Italian restaurant, Earth Wind & Flour. Also, it’s knit.
Mildred: We love getting callers and/or being messaged on the website while on air! Tune in and call us and talk about rap and the best types of prune juice with us.