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VELOCITY
GIRL
interview by Rick Rotsaert
SHERIFF
FAKE GUN
atm
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Xeno
Distortion heads beware, there's a new chick in town and her name is
Velocity Girl. Actually one gorgeous gal and four nerdy guys bred in
Silver Springs, Maryland, VG is armed with a Sub Pop contract and a
license to deafen. Up till now mostly a 7" band, Velocity Girl finally have
a full-length ear buster full of melodic pop fused to high decibel output.
I jogged and went to McDonalds with Archie and Brian on their journey
out west for a Sub Pop showcase at the '93 Gavin Convention.
What encouraged you to get the band going, Archie?
A: Well, right now there's a really great punk scene in DC, but there
wasn't much going on at the time. It was really more pop-oriented, which
is what we were listening to, then we just started making noise together
because we couldn't really play our instruments. By the time we learned
a few chords, we tried to make more melodic stuff and started recording
It. We knew nobody else would put it out, especially locally, so we start-
ed a label called Slumberland.
So, the first 7" had which bands on it?
A: It was a compilation called What Kind of Heaven Do You Want? and it
Included Velocity Girl, Powder Burns and Black Tambourines.
Did the name Velocity Girl come from a Primal Scream song?
A: Yeah. We just thought it was a good name. It's not a tribute meant to
be interpreted by anybody. In fact, we figured it'd be more obscure than
it is. Every time we get interviewed, somebody knows what it's from.
So, you and Kelly switch off playing bass and guitar?
A: Yeah. Everybody else has pretty standard positions, but generally if I
write a song. I'll play guitar on it and if Kelly does, he will.
Your original singer, Bridget Cross, went to Unrest?
A: Yeah, she still plays bass in Unrest. She recorded the compilation with
us, our first single, and a live compilation called The Pre-Mood Syndrome
from a club called DC Space.
Do you connect yourselves with British psychedelic pop?
A: We're always compared to My Bloody Valentine, but we consider The
Wedding Present more of an influence. We're not into most British music
that's out. I'm a big fan of the Too Pure label in Britain. Th Faith Healers
and Stereolab are my favorite bands.
How do you feel about being on Sub Pop?
B: It's good they're signing bands with different sounds. It's not all
grunge. It's good to be a part of something that's constantly in change.
Was Jim involved in music in high school?
A: I think he was in a hardcore band that opened for the Bad Brains
once. They were called Darkness at Noon or something. Although he's
our drummer, he's the best guitar player in the band.
When did Sarah join the band?
A: Around the summer of '90, Jim hooked us up.
Did she provide any influence in the band?
A: Yeah, she did. It seems like nowadays we all write our own parts.
Live, do you guys turn it up?
A: We try to work up a sweat and play really loud. It's much rawer than
our records. I think some people are taken aback when they see us live
because they expect us to stand around and look at our feet.
Feedback echoes through the hall, a warm-up for what's about to
explode. A drum roll breaks the din of distortion and with two snare hits,
chaos erupts as Mouthpiece bounds into a song named "Frame."
A five-piece hardcore unit from the central New Jersey area, Mouth-
piece have garnered recognition for their manic emotional stage persona
and a no-bones-about-it attitude towards their straight edge convictions.
In January of 1990, Mouthpiece formed as an attempt to bring back
everything the band saw going down the drain within the local scene.
After getting out of the basement and into the halls of hardcore, Mouth-
piece gained notice for their spirited live performances which resulted in
many knocked over drumsets and broken mics, stages and ceilings.
Since then, Mouthpiece has recorded a foursong release for New Age
Records as well as appeared on the compilations Words to Live For and
It's for Life. While helping acts such as Resurrection and Lifetime get gigs
and eventually releases, Mouthpleca has played numerous shows on both
coasts. Through shaky line-up changes the band has settled on the solid.
line-up of Tim McMahon on vocals, Chris Schuster on guitar, Pata Rielly on
guitar, Dave Rosenburg on bass and Jason Jammer on drums. At the
moment, they are working on an Lp to coincide with a summer tour with
Pennsylvania's Flagman.
-Tony Rettman
X
mouthpiece
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