Skating Polly

Skating Polly
Peyton Bighorse & Kelli Mayo of Skating Polly, 2016
Background information
Origin	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Genres	Riot grrrl, indie pop, punk
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Nice People, Chap Stereo
Members	Kelli Mayo Peyton Bighorse Kurtis Mayo

Skating Polly is an American alternative rock band formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, in 2009. The band was founded by multi-instrumentalist step-siblings Kelli Mayo (born March 29, 2000) and Peyton Bighorse (born July 11, 1995), who were just 9 and 14 years old when the band formed. The band is noted for its members alternating instruments, poetic lyrics, intense live shows, melodic arrangements and an eclectic array of songs that vary in style from riot grrrl to piano-based indie pop.

Kelli and Peyton met after Kelli's father began dating Peyton's mother. The girls' families eventually moved in together and they began playing with various musical instruments that their parents owned. The band's first setup consisted of Peyton on drums and Kelli playing a basitar, a two-stringed bass instrument most notably used by novelty punk band The Presidents of the United States of America (band). (Kelli's father made her a basitar after she complained that a traditional six-string guitar hurt her fingers.) The girls played their first show at their family Halloween party in 2009, with Peyton playing simple drum beats while Kelli played her basitar and improvised vocals. They named their band Skating Polly because they considered it "ironically juvenile." Kelli soon taught herself to play basic piano and drums while Peyton taught herself guitar. They began writing songs at a furious pace, trading off instruments and lead vocal duties. They were eventually discovered by Chris Harris, owner of the small indie label Nice People Records based in Norman, Oklahoma. Harris showed Kelli's father how to utilize home recording equipment and the girls began recording their first album, Taking Over the World, in their living room.

Skating Polly is often compared to bands associated with the riot grrrl movement such as Bikini Kill and Babes in Toyland, but many songs bring to mind artists such as Kimya Dawson and Beat Happening. Skating Polly does not have a front person in the traditional sense, as both Mayo and Bighorse typically write and provide lead vocals for their own songs. The band is known to cover other artists and has put its spin on songs by Spacemen 3, Neutral Milk Hotel, Dead Boys, Portishead, Perfume Genius, The Left Banke, Ol' Dirty Bastard, M.I.A., AC/DC, Nina Nastasia and Syd Barrett.