Christa DiBiase and Amanda Guilbeaux were backup singers in various bands over the years; Guilbeaux also sang in Turbonegra, an all-female band that played songs by the Norwegian band Turbonegro.
The San Francisco duo decided to take guitar lessons in February and in June, after they had composed a half dozen songs, they recruited other band members.
DiBiase is the main songwriter and composer.
Lineup: Christa DiBiase, guitar, vocals; Amanda Guilbeaux, guitar, vocals; Mike Ingram, lead guitar; Hugh Caley, lap steel guitar; Carl Horne, bass, vocals; Jefferson Marshall, drums.
Was there a band you heard when you were young that inspired you to become a musician?
CD: I was blown away when I saw Van Halen the first time. I loved the sword dance that (David Lee Roth) did; he was jumping off the drum riser and swinging the sword all around. That's when I realized: You have to entertain on many levels and try to wow the crowd and draw them in.
How does living in the Bay Area affect your music?
CD: The people here are open-minded and diverse. They are into everything. I take the best of what I hear and mix it up. You aren't pigeonholed into being a certain genre. I like the blurred lines because you can truly make your own "sound."
Which of your lyrics best defines your band, and why?
CD: "Us Again." It was the first song that we wrote together. The song tells the story of a couple that has unbridled love for each other but gets caught up on the small stuff, which ultimately breaks them apart. It's hard to control a passion like that. We are a passionate bunch, and that's what makes for good songs.
How did you name your band, and what does its name mean to you?
CD: I met a guy with a beautiful female silver pit bull back in the '90s. He named the dog Felony. I thought that was so clever and cute. I love taking a word with bad connotation and turning it into something sweet.
Check it out: www.sweetfelony.com
Next gig: 10 p.m. Friday. With Sugar Ponies, Demimonde. $10. The Connecticut Yankee, 100 Connecticut St., S.F. (415) 552-4440. www.theyankee.com.
- Tony DuShane, bandwidth@sfchronicle.com
