Rock This Look: SISU Frontwoman Sandra Vu’s Take On “Pretty Androgyny”

by Selena Fragassi

Published Dec 19, 2013

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Dave Grohl did it. So did Phil Collins. And let’s not forget Karen Carpenter. That is, all three did the unthinkable, making the leap from drummer to front-person. And they all quickly proved themselves as great ones.

You can add Sandra Vu to that list. Having played percussion for such notable bands as the Dum Dum Girls and The Raveonettes, Vu is now the latest artist making the transition from drum kit to front mic as she releases her solo project, SISU. Though, she still admits it’s nerve-wracking. “It’s like the first day of high school every night,” she says about the anxiety during her recent tour to promote SISU’s debut album Blood Tears. The band mixes Krautrock (rock and electronic) and industrial, led by Vu’s charming schoolgirl voice and flute-playing. “You worry about your personality and confidence, if your shoes are right, and if you’re going to say the right thing,” she says of performing.

But all anxiety aside, Vu is made for the stage. The dark-haired, doe-eyed musician possesses impeccable style that moves beyond the monochromatic, goth-punk look of the Dum Dum Girls into something she describes as “a mix of Siouxsie Sioux and NWA; I like the idea of being contradictory and vague, both androgynous and pretty.” Her clashing eclecticism works well for SISU, too. “Like my music, my style isn’t centered around a uniform, which allows me to shift and get weird,” she says.

That’s something Vu’s learned since she was a teenager. After a childhood of piano and flute lessons in Santa Ana, California, she craved something less conventional. “Grunge happened and then I discovered punk rock, which changed my life,” she recalls. From there on, the singer’s style completely changed, as she became more immersed in heavier rock sounds, which eventually evolved her style, too. “I taught myself guitar and drums and played in my first band at the age of 13. Since then, it’s been an obsession!” she says.

Vu actually pursued the idea of SISU, and fronting the band, before Dum Dum Girls, but the group’s busy tour schedule sidetracked her, until now. “SISU is my main creative outlet, which is very important for me to have. It wouldn’t be enough for me to just play drums, I need to challenge myself to write my own songs. Whenever I get too comfortable, I get stir crazy. I always need to find a new code to crack,” she says.

Of her beauty routine, Vu has one overarching philosophy: “Do what feels right to you because, at the end of the day, it’s more fun to not really care.” Here she gives us the lowdown on her look, from head to toe.

Rock the Hair

“There’s one product that’s really great for touring,” Vu says: Bumble and Bumble Black Hair Powder. “It gives you instant texture and does double duty as a dry shampoo”—perfect for when you don’t have a shower at your disposal. Vu’s thick, pin-straight mane and bangs are well maintained with Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco Shampoo and Conditioner, too. “I can’t use any other brand now because I can tell the difference right away,” she says.

Rock the Makeup

“Being in different bands pulls me in different directions, style-wise. I like new and different but only if it still feels like me,” which for Vu means fusing together various, disparate Cali influences: “West coast ’90s rap, the Raiders, leather, military, goth, punk, and [a staple of] dark purple lipstick.” Her pick: MAC lipstick in Cyber: “It’s my all-time favorite,” she says. Although sometimes she’ll change it up and go for a classic red lip; her go-to is CK One Pure Color Lipstick in Bite Me.

On eyes, Vu opts for Sephora Color Proof Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner because “the felt tip is dark and inky and it’s relatively inexpensive,” plus YSL’s Volume Effet Faux Cils Baby Doll Mascara. Vu likes Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream for a little coverage, and doesn’t wear foundation regularly. But when she does, she’ll first apply Hourglass Veil Mineral Powder (“why can’t my skin always feel like this?”; if you’ve tried the product, you know exactly what she means!).