I last spoke with Joanna Katcher and Maia Macdonald of Mitten in April of this year. A lot has changed since then. Mitten has scheduled dates throughout the east coast and will be headed to Portland, OR for a show this September. I was able to catch up with Joanna and Maia about their upcoming DC show, how summer 2011 has been and which Real L Word characters they despise the most (hint: it’s all of them).

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New Gay: So Mitten, how’s the summer going?

Maia Macdonald: This is a good summer. There’s been a lot of gallivanting, GBs (giant beers), bike riding, candy from the corner store, and probably too much time online. I had a fierce farmer’s tan that equalized when I got sunburned and then shed my exoskeleton. A few weeks ago we took a train down along the Hudson River, which was so gorgeous I didn’t even care we spent $11.00 on two cans of Bud Light. Have you been watching the Women’s World Cup? I have, and it is awesome.

Joanna Katcher: Agreed. Such a good summer. I currently also have a horrifying burn line from my time in the tropical vacation destination of Black Butte in Sisters, OR. GB’s have really been the central theme of the summer. I now get angry when I order beer and GBs are not on the menu. I’m working on molting as well. I hope to be ship shape by July 16th. I MAKE NO PROMISES.

TNG: You will be playing a Homoground and where the girls go show in Washington, DC on July 16th, how did you get hooked up with the Homoground crew?

MM: I can’t quite remember but we connected with Lynn online about Homoground, had a mutual friend – The New Gay – then met up for real in New York a few months ago. We had been wanting to get back to DC and started working on putting this show together.

TNG: Have you spent much time in DC?

MM: We played our first show in DC last September and had so much fun. I’ve been back to visit friends a few times and finally feel like I’m starting to understand the city a tiny bit. The lettered streets+quadrants combo can be a challenge to an out-of-towner when you’re trying to get home at 3am.

JK: Before Phasefest last year, I’m pretty sure I went with my Dad to DC on one of his business trips once when I was eight or nine. I’m also pretty sure he tried to expose me to the branches of government. Definitely a valiant effort which I totally rejected and asked where I could get soccer paraphernalia instead.

TNG: What are you favorite spots?

MM: The Looking Glass Lounge! A friend runs it and I had some delicious firsts there – fried pickles, espresso vodka, and so many new whiskeys I can’t remember their names. Also Phase One and Black Cat. There seem to be a lot of good venues all clustered together in whatever neighborhood Black Cat is in.

JK: We ate at this epic Tex-Mex (that could be wrong, it’s probably wrong) restaurant near Phase One last year. It might have been a combo of being starving and also drinking a lot of beer but it was PRETTY GREAT. Phase One is the jam too.

TNG: What is your favorite monument and/or museum?

MM: I remember thinking the National Air and Space Museum was pretty cool. I’d like to visit The Library of Congress and the National Arboretum eventually. I never do anything touristy anymore when I visit, but it’s about time for a trip to the White House. The White House. Does everything get capitalized in DC?

JK: My Favorite Museum Is The Same As Maia’s.

TNG: What have you been up to since the last time we spoke?

MM: We’ve been performing, writing, having fun, hanging out with our friends. There have been a lot of NYC shows and we’re pretty excited to play DC, Boston, Portsmouth NH, Philadelphia, and the Northwest over the next couple of months.

JK: Yes!! The Northwest. I am so pumped to be able to play back in Oregon. We also had the pleasure of collaborating with Mr. Zack Rosen about a month ago on his live version of “Losing My Edge”. It was foxy. He’s foxy. Can I say that? He is.

TNG: Tell me a story about one of your songs.

JK: The newest song in our set was written in approximately 2 hours. It doesn’t have a name yet except for 760.

TNG: Do you guys watch The Real L Word? If yes, who are your favorite and least favorite characters?

MM: OH MY GOD. I just saw it for the first time last weekend. I can’t remember anyone’s name except Whitney but they are all my least favorite. My first impression is there is way more nudity than The Real Real L Word.

JK: OH MY GOD. I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT. SHANE IS MY FAVORITE.

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