They definitely look the part in their Converse All Star shoes and plaid shirts. But the girls from local rock band We’re Not Dudes can actually play, too.
“When I was a baby and it was Easter, I would take two eggs and bang them together, and they said, ‘She’s got rhythm,’ ” says Mahrly Murphy, the band’s 8-year-old drummer who attends Lakewood Montessori School. She has also appeared in plays, including male roles such as Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol” at the Dallas Theater Center and, most recently, Richard Duke in “The Executioner’s Son” at the Bath House Cultural Center.
When Mahrly started scoring 90-100 percent on the Rock Band video game, it was time for a real drum set. About a year ago, We’re Not Dudes formed, comprising Mahrly on drums, Alex Belland as the lead singer and keyboard player, Kaia Brown on bass, and the oldest, 13-year-old Molly McNulty, on lead guitar and vocals. They all attend the School of Rock in East Dallas, and local singer-songwriter Sarah Jaffe recently asked them to open for her show in Fort Worth.
“At first, I was kind of nervous. But once I started playing, I was like, ‘This is awesome,’ ” Mahrly says. Kaia, an East Dallas resident, comes from a musical family. “I chose the bass because no one really plays just the bass,” Kaia says. “It’s challenging when you have to play really fast.”
Last month, the girls recorded their first original song, called “Someday You’ll Thank Me for This”, at Klearlight Studio. At the School of Rock, the girls are learning more about what it means to be a popular band, but for Mahrly, the best part is hanging out with her bandmates every week.
“I love being able to interact with each other. We have a good chemistry.”
