Page 13 - NY Waste Fall 2014

New York Waste
“Sorry, we're not looking for mixed race children right now. That's what they used to tell her. And this was in the, like, mid to late 80s, and now you can't swing a dick without seeing an ad without a mixed race child in it, or commercials, or anything like that. And my mom was like, “Fuck you, my baby is beautiful and how dare you!”. I've always fallen through the cracks esthetically, because I didn't fit into what's called an 'art type' of beauty... forever, it's always been like that. Only now do you start seeing more people of mixed race in commercials, or advertisements or whatever, stuff like that...blablabla... but when I was coming out as a kid, audition- ing and working and whatever, it was like, 'oh, well, we don't know what is that 'at- titude', not sure what that type is. The type hadn't been identified yet.”
“The money wasn't there yet. It wasn't the new generation of potential spenders.”
“The fact that Cheerios just had an interracial couple, that was protested and taken down because people were rejecting this interracial couple to represent their cereal, well... that was my life. So what's wrong with it, you ask, because they are not a 'real' family because they are interracial? Well, to me it's like well, you're only gonna see more of it in the future.”
“Oh, one race, the human race!”
“Right.”
“We should all marry someone of a different color, then we would all be the same.”
“Yes, then everyone, eventually, is gonna look just like this! LOL!!! I”m like a prophet of the future...”
“Apparently blondes are on the decline in the world anyway...”
“Well, you know what, sometimes the mixed race kids come out blonde!”
“Yes, just like there are Lebanese blondes.”
“Yeah, it's around, it's around.”
“Of course it's around.”
“Anything's possible, but I feel like, mixed race type hadn't really become identified until recently.”
“Well if we are talking about advertising agencies, they rule the world, right? Be- cause they are saying it's okay.”
“That it is socially acceptable.”
“Do you think that Gap helped to do that, their fantastic adverts with all the danc- ing, they had everybody
from all sorts of races
doing brilliant dancing. AS
much as I hate the Gap and it's clothing and it just sucks, forget about that, but their advertising campaign with all the dancers was pretty magnificent, they were competing with Benetton weren't they with all their 'colors'”
“Benetton was very for- ward thinking with that. Yup, I had a Benetton bag whenIwas9or10years old, that was the thing, but I liked the message of it too. But there's not that many companies that have that message anymore, really...
...I go the country, and I go
there often, LOL, because
my band's play there, it's
not, it's not sooo – forward,
maybe in another 10 yrs.
You know, I've play places
that have white power flags on the wall...”
“Brave woman...”
“Yeah. I call my mom sometimes and I say “there's this club that I'm playing at and they have a white power flag on the wall, I could get shot on stage tonight and if I don't I'll call you afterwards!”.... LOL! ..“Or bottles thrown, you know...”
“And you know, luckily for me, that's never happened.” “So what was the first band you ever saw live?”
“My fist rock concert was Duran Duran.”
“ahhgghh!”
“I know, terrible, but to me it was everything because it was the first time I'd ever
Roctober issue 2014
been exposed to a live band with make up and outfits and guitars and synths and that energy. People showed up dressed like them and it was kinda 'new wavy' but it was kinda rock 'n' roll. I was so young, I was the youngest person there, by far. I was with my parents, my god. I had to stand on the seat to see because everyone was standing up and dancing and I remember just being like, “how do I do this?” “how can I get involved in this?” “how can I be part of it?” like, I want the make up, I want the guitars, I want the synths, I want it! I want the experience, I want the energy, I want it all! And it seemed so far away.”
“so what was the first band you saw on your own?” “ L7”
“oh, cool!”
“yeah, that was the first band I saw on my own. At Fletchers in Baltimore, there was hardly anybody there, I was soo obsessed, I was listening to Bricks Are Heavy like everyday. I was so obsessed by L7 because it was the first time I heard an all girl band make that much noise. And I was like, 'who are these girls?' they are dirty and middle fingers up to the world. It wasn't like typical shit, they weren't in heels, they weren't in titty outfits, they were feminine as fuck but it was unbridled, it was- n't restrained by stripper body language or whatever, it was just so their own thing, it was so powerful. I was like, whatever that is, that's what I feel like I am, I'm in that. Whatever that raw rawkussy energy they have, like it was very mischievous and it was like very gnarly and I identified with this more than anything I've seen in my entire life. I always wanted to be in a girl band.
When I was in school, no one played music, nobody, it was very disappointing, I think most people just weren't that musical. I went to all girls private school with uniforms and everything, so I honestly felt like such a lone wolf, always left to my own devices, but without those experiences I wouldn't have decided to do what I do
I say it and I mean it, I have been a lone wolf for sooo long... I've always been that drifter, very comfortable in my own skin and most people being uncomfortable with me, I'm just used to it. Most people are just dying to fit in, or they already fit in so they don't need to even think about it. But when you are constantly pointed at, it changes you. It definitely changes you. So I think it's the whole point of me putting this album out at the end of the month...
"right, this is what I'm supposed to be talking to you about... LOL!! You have a solo album! Tell us about it, why solo?”
"I've been plotting "BAIT" since 2013. The tentative title was "Flattery" and I was going to sim- ply feature songs that 'I wished I wrote', with spoken segments by me in between them- sort of a "Storytellers" type vibe. But then as the vision for "The Villainess" became more defined, it was im- portant to me to define my sound and spell it out to the listener be- fore releasing my originals. I wanted my message to be clear, different and unique- to re-imag- ine and re-invent these songs from an intensely female and modern approach. Various songs were put into a list of about ten or twelve. Then I posted the list on Facebook and let my friends and supporters pick what they most wanted to hear me sing. Those are the songs on the album.
For the first time ever, I thor- oughly enjoyed the entire record- ing process. Goodness gave me Mike Wolpe (Producer, PSR Stu-
dios, Hollywood, CA.) We met through mutual friends and I thank heaven and hell everyday for him. It's such a relief and a thrill to finally find a producer that can translate my brain to track... which is no easy feat. In the studio, I dubbed it that he's the only producer that gets my barbaric "YAWP." He's a magical mutha fucker, en- dearing person and friend.
I brought in 2 guest guitarists on the album. My first phone call went to Omar "OG" Gusmao (Divinity Roxx, Lonely Drunks)- my go to guy for the last few years, when I play shows on the left coast. Then my second call went to Doc Coyle (God Forbid, Rebel Noise Group). He had just moved to LA from NYC and was looking
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