Wheelchair Sports Camp on Perfectionism, and Oh Imperfecta

Kalyn Rose Heffernan speaks about osteogenesis imperfecta, abolitionist politics, and ten years of songs finally finished

Transmission 361: Interview with Wheelchair Sports Camp

Wheelchair Sports Camp is a Denver-based hip-hop project fronted by Kalyn Rose Heffernan, a wheelchair-using rapper whose work sits at the intersection of punk, hip-hop, and performance art. Backed by drummer Greggy, the band has extended its activity well beyond conventional touring into museum takeovers, prison tours, theatre, film, and permanent installations. Heffernan has osteogenesis imperfecta, a brittle bones disease, and the condition sits at the center of the band’s new record, oh imperfecta, released on Alternative Tentacles; the album draws a direct line between a lifetime of external scrutiny over her body and a compulsive drive toward overcompensation that shaped her entire approach to rapping.

The record collects songs written across the past decade, finished only after Heffernan picked up the drums for the first time since middle school and wrote a track with Greggy on guitar, a decision that reframed what the album could be. Collaborators include Jello Biafra, appearing twice, alongside Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches, Olivia Jean, Junia-T, and journalist Amy Goodman. Radio Pete, whose real name is Mark Bliesener, also appears; he is credited with giving Biafra the Dead Kennedys name during their shared time in Boulder, Colorado, and oh imperfecta marks the first time the two have worked together musically despite knowing each other for around fifty years.

Featured image: © Erik Ziemba

<a href="https://wheelchairsportscamp.bandcamp.com/album/oh-imperfecta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oh imperfecta by Wheelchair Sports Camp</a>

What were your first musical influences? Who shaped you as an artist?

TLC was my everything! I loved Left Eye so much. I got hooked when I was only 5 years old.

How did the collaboration with Radio Pete come together?

Mark Bliesener was once our manager but he is more so my spiritual advisor. He’s one of my closest friends, best buds and I’m lucky enough to see him often. He is my biggest connection to Jello and even though they’ve known each other for like 50 years now they never played music together. Dead Kennedys wouldn’t be without Mark giving Jello the name when he was a teen and WSC would certainly not be the band we are without Mark! I run everything by him first and sometimes the stars just align.

Wheelchair Sports Camp, Denver Art Museum, © Julia Vandenoever

Looking back at your catalog, what patterns do you notice in yourself that you couldn’t see while you were making the music?

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Sometimes I realize things when we’re playing live and two songs will have some similarities that I wouldn’t notice if we didn’t play them together. Like the last record No Big Deal I feel like I talk about the “industry” or lack thereof. I can tell that in my 20s I wanted things to happen and was always flexing. The rapper in me thought I had something to prove and I had to fill up all the space and be so wordy. Now I’m looking for less, simplicity, pauses, space. I realized that I’m not really flexing on this new album. Well only a little.

What does performing inside a correctional facility change about the music and about you?

Touring through prisons was wild. We autographed bibles. We connected with some people who really connected with the music in ways many don’t. I think what changed me the most was being inside and realizing how much support we’ll need to provide when we free them all. I still am an abolitionist and don’t believe in the prison system as a means for free labor. And now I know more about all the housing and healthcare and programs it would take to transition folks properly. Ending such a mega system without putting support in place will lead us into more trouble. Like what happened when they let everyone out of mental institutions without housing and now everyone just lives on the streets.

What was your guiding principle in choosing collaborators for this album? Which collaboration on this album surprised you the most, and why?

Sometimes the stars align. I always have dream lists of people I want to make music with but it’s all about timing and connection. I feel so lucky to have Kimya Dawson on the album and that she was down to sing with me. Jello is so amazing to learn from, he’s so theatrical when he gets in the zone and I’m always in awe. Junia T put out my favorite album of 2021 Studio Monk and he really took the last few songs to the finish line.

Which song on this record had the longest journey to completion?

Probably On Hold — it’s such a weird wonky tune which I love but it always felt like something was missing. Until Junia put some keys on it and it glued everything together. Denim also took forever. From the concepts to the costumes and I knew it needed a video. Then we added tuba and accordion from our Devotchka friends and even got the baddest Abe engineers to mix and master it. I even got a telephone number to market the release party. I went all out on that one.

Where did “EAT MEAT!” come from?

EAT MEAT! came from Greggy‘s garage on a Tuesday. We were playing with silly ways to play with and against each other on stage. I thought maybe we could drum battle. Like if all these guys can play shitty guitar why can’t I play shitty drums? I hadn’t played since middle school and Greggy doesn’t play guitar but we tried it and it was the most fun we’ve ever had. Fastest song we ever wrote. Since the album is about perfectionism and embracing the imperfect, I think this song really nailed the concept. All of a sudden we stripped back and simplified and it worked really fricken well. Unlike my wordy raps, I had to be direct and simple because I’m playing drums at the same time and Greggy is driving me on his shitty guitar.

What draws you to working outside of music, in spaces like museums, theatre, or film?

Well I’m pretty all over the place creatively. I really struggle staying in one lane and I’m grateful we’ve ventured out because it really makes the music so much better. Making music is at our core, but stretching our imagination and skill sets to be in different arenas really makes us better artists, better leaders, and better in relationship to ourselves.

What were you listening to while making this record?

Oh boy, well some of the album started so long ago, there isn’t a specific era of music. However Studio Monk got me through the pandemic days, making music with James Acaster for the Temps album really unlocked some things in me. And we got to see ESG in Oakland and I’m now pretty obsessed with them.

What has Denver given you as an artist?

Support, stability, gratitude, room to grow. Denver is a really great place to be a creative.

What do you think art can actually do politically?

Art is the most powerful tool I know. It’s infectious. Letting the music take over us is the closest to freedom I’ve ever felt.

What comes next?

Album release show is coming May 23 at Dow Wolf. So excited to play the record live and can’t believe Jello’s still coming even after surviving a stroke. It’s gonna be one for the books. Playing Calgary in June and Tentacle Fest in San Francisco June 27!! Oh ya and we’re playing Red Rocks in July and really just can’t wait to record some new tunes with this energy boost we have.

Photos courtesy of Wheelchair Sports Camp

Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others