Claire FitzGerald lives a double life. From performing as a drummer in Los Angeles almost every weekend to showing up to class on Monday morning, she lives the best of both worlds..
“I feel like I’m like Hannah Montana sometimes,” said creative producing freshman Claire FitzGerald, who in addition to her studies at the university, is also the guitarist of punk rock alternative pop band Madam Bombs.
Madam Bombs is a three-piece band from Southern California made up of drummer Samara Ellis, a student at Los Angeles Recording School, bassist Jaden Cordova, a freshman at California State University, Northridge and FitzGerald.
Since 2018, Madam Bombs has played over 150 shows at venues like the Whiskey a Go Go and the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles, the Punk Rock Bowling festival in Las Vegas and Kids Rock For Kids in New York City, the latter of which the band was flown across the country for by the festival.
Photo Courtesy of Jack Lue
Wherever they play, Madam Bombs spreads a message of femme punk empowerment. They recently released their six-song EP, “Girl With A Fuse,” an energetic collection of songs about speaking one’s mind and embracing emotions of envy, frustration and excitement.
“Over the years, and especially once we started writing original music, we’ve had a lot of opportunities: songs played on the radio, festivals and we got to travel and be paid to play our music,” Ellis said. “It’s cool to see how we’re just some girls who like to play music and that this is where and how far it’s taken us.”
Ellis and FitzGerald have been playing music together for over 10 years now. Cordova joined the band in winter of 2024 after a series of bassist lineup changes since its start in 2018. Ellis, FitzGerald and Cordova have evolved over the years and their individuality has in turn impacted Madam Bombs’ music style.
Photo Courtesy of Jack Lue
Their current music is comparable to The Runaways, Veruca Salt and The Donnas, though their style can be expected to shift with Cordova’s storytelling influence.
“Me, Jaden and Samara all kind of bring a different flavor and taste to the table, but that’s kind of what makes Madam Bombs,” FitzGerald told The Panther. “We’re not trying to fit a certain genre. We’re just what we are, and we let exist what our music turns out to be.”
Their early music, written in Ellis and FitzGerald’s high school years, was inspired by the pressure to fit into society. Today, Madam Bombs has shifted thematically to writing more about relationships and standing up for oneself. Since Cordova’s arrival, the band has started songwriting with the ultimate goal of releasing an album.
“We love Jaden so much. We are trying to push forward with a new era of music and have material with her on it,” Ellis said.
The band is also striving to play shows of a higher caliber. Currently, they play an average of two shows a month, but with Cordova’s recent entrance, Madam Bombs has regained momentum as a performing band. They are playing four shows in April 2025 and hope to become more selective with the venues they accept.
“We primarily play out in the LA area, so not too, too far from Chapman,” FitzGerald told The Panther. “But we’re slowly integrating closer to Chapman. We’ve just recently played a show in Long Beach, which wasn’t too far away, and I dragged some of my Chapman friends out, which was quite fun.”
Madam Bombs has built a presence at the university in other ways. They recently appeared as a werewolf band in a Dodge College of Film and Media Arts senior thesis film “Battle of the Bands: Rock N’ Rampage,” directed by film production senior Lauren Hazel. Madam Bombs wrote an original song that will feature in the film.
“It was so funny being dressed up as a werewolf and pretending to sing while a track of me is singing,” Cordova said. “I can’t wait to see what it actually looks like, because in my brain, I was laughing and my prosthetic nose was squeaking.”
Photo Courtesy of Samara Ellis
FitzGerald found this clash of worlds a great opportunity for Madam Bombs and a way to introduce her band members and Chapman community to the other side of her life.
“Everyone in the Chapman film community is so supportive of all the arts, not just film,” FitzGerald said. “That was a big concern for me, that film people would be narrow minded. But no, everyone that I’ve encountered has been super supportive of band and thinks that it’s really cool.”
In the past, FitzGerald has struggled with splitting her time between the commitments of school and Madam Bombs.
“Sometimes people at film school can’t understand why I’m not on set every single weekend, or my band doesn’t understand why I want to be at Chapman over the weekend. It’s hard to appeal to both audiences and give 100% to each project.”
Despite this balancing act for FitzGerald, Madam Bombs is thriving. They anticipate a fruitful summer of performances and they aim to concentrate on writing, playing and releasing new music in the fall and for the remainder of spring.
Madam Bombs’ music is available on all music streaming and social media platforms. You can read more about them on madambombs.com and find out about upcoming shows on their Instagram page. “Battle of the Bands: Rock N’ Rampage,” in which they appear, is screening in the Folino Theater on May 16.
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