kittje
t's a positive experience one can look back on, noting the
pleasant surprises on the outswing of it. My interview with
the women of Kittie was perfect. I have often been asked,
"What were they like?" or "What did they have to say?" Let's
get one thing crystal clear; we are not talking Britney Spears
or Christina what's-her-name. Kittie rocks, plain and simple.
They write all their own material. They always have. And they
possess the sonic talent it takes to back up a newly attained
(and growing) stature in the musical field, not to mention firm
footing when it comes to intelligence and well-roundedness.
Read on... you'll see...
Do you find people always want to stereotype the whole
girl-band thing?
Morgan: They want to put tags on us. They want to focus on the exte-
rior... our age, or the fact that we are female. But that has never mattered
to us. When we formed this band in 1996, we were four friends who got
together, had a common love of music, and had good chemistry. It never
occurred to us that it would become such a big deal. Even now, it's just
about the music and we try to push that to the forefront. A lot of people
want to group us into that whole 'girl band' thing, but I come much more
from the male side of things. I've never really had any female musical
role models.
What stands out most in the music that you enjoy putting
out there?
M: The diversity of a lot of the songs on the album. For instance, the
end of "Shalot"-it's almost a death metal thing. But in the same song,
there's the more acoustic part-subtle, flowing, and quiet. With this
album, there's a little bit of something for everyone. "Paper Doll" is more
acoustic on the CD and totally breaks out live. Then there are songs like
"Spit" which are completely different but still come from the same places
within us.
You have come up very quickly, and some people have
questioned whether your talent can back up your stature.
M: We've been very lucky, and things have happened quickly. A lot of
people aren't necessarily taking that nicely. We've had to work very hard
and have been doing this for about four years. All of a sudden, things
have really taken off, and sometimes being a female in this industry is
a hindrance.
Who are you looking forward to working with or meeting
that you haven't?
M: I'm a big fan of Pantera. They have longevity. They come across as
real people, unlike some of the untouchable rock stars out there.
Who handles the lyrics?
M: Mainly me. Mostly, the lyrics in the songs are based on something
that occurred, and because the band is so tight as friends, it's usually
happened to all of us, so we have this one emotion that makes us want to
strike out and write. It's therapeutic at times, really.
Some bands are afraid of the pressure of putting out a
second album, for fear that it might not be as well received
as the first. Others might have difficulty with the lack of
privacy that often comes with fame. How do you feel?
M: I definitely identify with the second album thing. It's not that I'm
afraid it won't be from my heart or a true album, because I think it will
be better than the first. I never imagined the songs on this album were
ones people would actually like or want to listen to. They were written
when we were 12-14 years old. We're so much more capable now, but
the simplicity is what's appealing about them. It's just so innocent, and
maybe on the next album we'll have a much broader perspective,
because of what we've all been through since then.
How long have you been playing?
Fallon: A little over four years... just before we started the band, really.
M: Since I was 8. I had to save all my allowance for my first electric
guitar. Some guy was selling it in the classifieds for $50; I saved up for
weeks to buy that thing, and it was the crappiest piece of shit I've ever
played. But I was stoked to have it.
Were your parents musically oriented?
M: My parents can't play at all, and they don't understand this whole
music thing. When my dad tried to play the guitar, it was horrible! But
my grandfather can pick up any instrument and play beautiful things on
it, even though he's never had a lesson in his life. Maybe it just skipped
a generation.
F: My father is the same way. He's always been able to make music,
and both her grandfather and my father are piano tuners.
When you start out so young, and you have this much
knowledge about music, maybe it's predestined. Maybe
you didn't choose music; maybe it chose you.
F: There's a lot of truth to that. Music
has surrounded me my entire life. It's
always been there. It's lingered
around, kind of
waiting for me
to say, "Okay,
I'll go with
you..."
M: Yeah. I
recall my sister
and I, in our earli-
est days, playing
piano and making
songs. We were like
5 years old, saying
we were in a band.
We didn't know what we were
doing, but it was always there. I've always
been a little shy in terms of singing; but I always
knew I could sing, so I'd go in my room, close the
door, and go for it. That's what I do now, only in a
public forum. We all are. We're doing this thing,
we're making music, and we're just going for it.
-Jenn (Whitehorse) Richardson
اله )
Λ
2000 Levi Strauss & Co
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