By the time Juliana Hatfield had reached her mid-20s, she’d become the poster girl for ’90s indie rock. She was looked upon as the thinking person’s alternative to the riot-grrrl phenomenon, and the future seemed rosy. Hatfield had formed revered combo the Blake Babies, launched a red-hot solo career, played bass on the breakthrough Lemonheads album and gained national attention when she told Interview magazine she was still a virgin and wasn’t too worried about it. The backlash from those without much of an attention span was inevitable. In the ensuing years, Hatfield has honed her art and produced a wealth of stirring, self-confident albums. Peace & Love, out next week on her Ye Olde label, is an utterly sincere revelation that proves well worth the wait. Hatfield will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our exclusive excerpt from her 2008 memoir and our brand new Q&A with her.
Hatfield: I took a three-day, intensive women’s self-defense course at a place called IMPACT Boston. They have branches in other cities, too. I recommend this for every woman. The program teaches you, through repetition of certain defense techniques, to fight your way out of various kinds of bodily attacks and to do so while adrenaline—real, heartbeat-speeding, shake-inducing adrenaline (which could normally paralyse a victim or with fear)—is surging through your body. You get to wail on the guy in the padded suit and helmet, with full force. Many times. From many different positions and in many different life-like attack scenarious. It is very emotional for some of the women—women who have been raped and beaten in the past—to relive the traumatic experiences. But it is therapeutic for them to know that they can empower themselves in a very real, hands-on way. I think IMPACT provides some scholarships so that women with limited funds can take the courses. Video after the jump.
