Debora Iyall needed just nine words to become a rock star: “I might like you better if we slept together.”
That refrain from Romeo Void’s edgy 1981 breakthrough single Never Say Never catapulted the young San Francisco band into the mainstream. Their meteoric career was short-lived — after making three albums, Romeo Void broke up in 1985, and following one poorly received solo album in 1986, Iyall went back to school and eventually became an art teacher. But now, she’s taking a stroll down memory lane, thanks to the new Romeo Void album Live From Mabuhay Gardens November 14, 1980, which documents an early, pre-Never Say Never club show by the band. Shortly before the LP arrived for Record Store Day, Iyall Zoomed in to talk about the old days, being recognized in the classroom, her Indigenous heritage and more. Enjoy.
