CR 060: L7’s Donita Sparks on 40 Years of Music and Mayhem

The legendary frontwoman talks about the 40th anniversary of L7 and her solo work.

Donita Sparks, photo by Robert Fagan

Long before Bikini Kill, The Distillers, Hole, or 7 Year Bitch hit the scene, there was L7. Founded in 1985 by frontwoman Donita Sparks and guitarist Suzi Gardner, L7 was a band unlike any other—an all-female lineup playing brackish heavy metal mixed with sneering punk rock and a heaping dose of snarky humor. Though it took a few years for the band to find its footing (not to mention a suitable bassist and drummer), by the late ’80s L7 had a steady lineup and was making its mark on popular culture. The band opened for Nirvana, performed on the main stage of 1994’s Lollapalooza, made a cameo in John Waters’ Serial Mom, and partnered with the Feminist Majority Foundation to launch Rock for Choice, a series of benefit concerts for abortion rights. Both their 1990 release, Smell the Magic, and 1992’s Bricks Are Heavy were included on Rolling Stone’s list of “50 Greatest Grunge Albums,” and their song “Shitlist” served as the soundtrack for a memorable s…