Reflecting Forward: An Interview with Brianna “B.B.” Sherrodd of The Drained

Reflecting Forward: An Interview with Brianna “B.B.” Sherrodd of The Drained

Los Angeles–based power‑pop outfit The Drained has been steadily carving out their identity through lineup shifts, stylistic evolution, and the unmistakable creative drive of frontwoman Brianna “B.B.” Sherrodd. Fresh off the release of their new EP Songs in the Mirror and a memorable acoustic performance at the Highwire Daze 35th Anniversary Show (Bar 10 at The Corbin Bowl), B.B. sat down with us to talk about the band’s journey, the stories behind the songs, and the personal growth that shaped their latest work. From navigating post‑pandemic changes in the LA music scene to unexpected NAMM show challenges, B.B. opens up about anxiety, inspiration, collaboration, and what’s next for The Drained as they head into a new year with renewed momentum.

We are here with B.B. from The Drained. First of all, give me a little background on your band and how long you’ve been together.
I started the band back in 2018, but it’s gone through quite a lot of genre changes as well as some lineup changes. Right now, I’d consider us somewhere along the lines of power pop—power‑pop rock, I guess. Our current lineup is me on lead guitar and vocals, Troy on bass and backup vocals, and Rudy on drums.

What do you think of our local Los Angeles music scene, and how has The Drained fit into it over the years?
You know, I feel like ever since COVID, there have been so many changes, and a lot of people have shifted over time. I used to be in a band called Street Lynx, and we were pretty active in the LA rock scene. The community was really strong—everyone was cool, and I definitely felt a sense of belonging back then.

More recently, especially with the genre changes The Drained has gone through, we’ve been finding our place again in that community. Lately, I feel like we’ve been really welcomed back. It’s been fun navigating the scene, reconnecting, and meeting a lot of new people in the process. It’s felt very welcoming.

Where did you come up with the name The Drained? It’s really dramatic in a way.
It really is! I love the band The Distillers, and they have a song called Drain the Blood. I was very inspired by that song title when I came up with The Drained. I was going through a lot mentally at the time, and I felt emotionally drained myself, so the name just felt fitting.

Let’s talk about the EP, Songs in the Mirror. What is the inspiration behind that title?
It comes from a lyric in the first song on the EP, Wing It, which was also our single that came out about a month before the EP release. In the second verse, I say the line, “She sings songs in the mirror.”

The whole song is about doing things just to try—just going for it. When I wrote it in 2023, I was all about trying new things. I’d go to concerts alone just to meet new people because no one else could come with me. I’ve met a lot of people that way simply because I thought, “You know what? Let me just do it and see how it goes.”

I’ve never been a very outgoing person, and I was used to doing things on my own. I wanted to branch out and become a little more charismatic during that time. So Wing It really represents what I was going through in 2023 when I wrote it.

Okay, and we’re going to talk about all the songs. Let’s go to the next one: Figured You Out. Tell me a little about that one.
That one sounds kind of like a breakup song, but it’s actually not. I think it’s fun when people find their own meaning in a song, but for me, it was about a past band member who left pretty abruptly. That’s just what came out when I finally wrote the lyrics.

I had the idea for the song years before writing the words. I wrote the instrumental part first, and it was probably another three or four years before I finished the lyrics.

Sometimes a breakup with a band member can be just as crazy as a breakup with a boyfriend or significant other.
I would say so, for sure.

Now we’ll move on to Good Morning. Tell me a little about that one.
That one is about my boyfriend—you know him, Ted. We were living apart for a while because of our jobs, staying with different family members. I wrote the song about how I felt during that time. I just wanted to be with him. It’s pretty straightforward.

And then we conclude with Text Me. Tell me about that one.
That one is more of a humorous song, I would say. Honestly, the lyrics are almost kind of gibberish—except for the chorus. It ties back to Wing It, too. I was really inspired to make new friends, but at the same time I was giving myself a lot of anxiety. I’d think, What if they don’t like me? I’d send someone a text, and if they didn’t respond for a day, I’d hype myself up thinking something was wrong. Then they’d reply and be totally cool, and I’d realize everything was fine. So, the song comes from that anxiety and fear of people not wanting to talk to me or be my friend—when in reality, I was totally wrong.

You recently played the Highwire Daze 35th Anniversary Show, and you played acoustic. What was the experience like performing these songs that way, and would you want to do it again?
It was such an abrupt choice. Our drummer had a family emergency, and he was also nervous about driving in the rain—which was understandable because it was really stormy that night. We talked it over and decided, “Let’s just do it if it’s cool.” We had never practiced acoustically before, so it was brand new for us. But in the moment, it was so much fun. It felt more relaxed and laid‑back compared to the full electric setup.

And since then, we’ve actually gotten offers to do more acoustic shows. We have another one on January 8th at Universal Bar and Grill. We were offered another one in about three weeks, but we had to turn that one down.

Have you and your boyfriend Ted ever collaborated on anything together—either him with your band or you with his band, Electric Hound?
Not really. We’ve played in each other’s bands here and there—I’ve done a couple of covers with Electric Hound, and the night before the Highwire Daze 35th Anniversary Show, he filled in for my band. He was supposed to play with us on Saturday too, when we were planning to have the full band. But he’s not a permanent member—just a fill‑in for now.

But we are working on a song together right now. It’s actually being recorded as we speak. It’ll be our first real collaboration on something we plan to release, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Who would be your dream collaborator if you could work with anybody?
I’d have to say Rivers Cuomo from Weezer. I’ve been a huge Weezer fan for over 10 years. They’ve always been a big inspiration for me, and I think you can definitely hear some Weezer influence on Songs in the Mirror.

When I met you, you were in a band called Street Lynx. Looking back on those days, what do you think of that music now in retrospect?
I still think the music is really cool. We had a song called Blackout, Blackout, and I think that’s still one of the best songs I’ve ever written. It would be really fun to play with those guys again. I still talk to them—they’re all still really cool. Kyle plays a lot now; I think he’s playing with Phil X, which I think is super cool.

I really liked that period of my music career. We played a lot of shows, and none of us had much going on outside of music, so we were able to get together a lot. But now we’re older—Ian, our guitar player from Street Lynx, has a baby now—so things change.

How did the pandemic affect you as a writer and artist?
I was really able to sit with myself and rethink what I wanted to do. I consumed a lot of music and band interviews, both new and old. I got really into White Reaper and another band called Post Animal—newer bands, younger, like in their 30s. They inspired me to move away from the metal and punk stuff I was doing at the time.

I started writing more along the lines of The Strokes and bands like that. I released a song called So Tired in 2021 that was more pop‑rock. I remember being so nervous to release it because it felt so different from what people expected of me. But the support for that song was more than I could have asked for. The response was so positive, and it made me really happy that people were embracing the new direction I wanted to take.

What was the experience like playing the NAMM show earlier this year?
That was very different. We went into it with totally different expectations. We were supposed to be doing two or three 30‑minute sets, so we planned to just play the same set three times. But when we showed up, they told us, “Hey, you can only play maybe one song every 15 minutes,” and there were all these restrictions.

We had to work around that and be prepared to cut off our music if they alerted us to stop. Other times they’d say, “No, keep going, you’re good.” So we had to stay really alert to make sure we didn’t cause any issues for the booth.

Yeah, we were having those same issues at our booth as well.
Yeah, I heard about that.

Are you involved with any other bands or projects right now outside of The Drained?
As of right now, no—just The Drained. The only other thing I have coming up is a short musical in December. I’m doing this show at the Colony Theater in Burbank. I’ll be playing bass for their musical Die Hard, which is basically the story of Die Hard told in musical form.

I don’t know if you know Nikki Stevens—Nikki Nacho—she’ll be playing guitar for it as well. I’m looking forward to it. We did a musical together a few years ago called Head Over Heels, which used Go-Go’s music in an original production at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2021. I haven’t seen her since then, so I’m excited to work with her again.

What’s up in the new year for The Drained?
I think we’re trying to become a five‑piece again. Normally, I like having two guitar players as well as a keyboard player. We’ve had so many lineup changes, and I really want to find our group of people and make that work.

I want to release more music than we have in the past—closer together, too. Hopefully we’ll release a couple of songs next year and get back into the studio. Beyond that, we want to make an impression on people, branch out into different cities, maybe even different states. We’ve been looking at possibly playing Arizona. We’re just going to go with the flow and see what happens.

IN CONCLUSION

As The Drained steps into a new chapter, B.B. Sherrodd carries the same mix of honesty, vulnerability, and determination that fuels every song on Songs in the Mirror. Whether she’s navigating lineup changes, experimenting with new sounds, or embracing unexpected opportunities—acoustic sets, musicals, collaborations—B.B. continues to evolve without losing the heart that defines her work. With fresh music on the horizon and plans to expand beyond Los Angeles, The Drained is poised for a year of growth, exploration, and connection. If this EP marks a moment of reflection, the next one promises a bold leap forward.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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