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MM - Tell us a little about your musical background, where you hail from,
and why you decided to become this feisty rock chick in the first place.
I was born in Kentucky, raised in Virginia – took off for NYC and then LA
…I started performing at 8 and playing piano, then flute…wrote poetry,
short stories, studied opera and classical music. And as I started living
life, having opinions, felt the need for self-expression, the electric
guitar and I found each other and the rest is history.
MM - Where does the band’s name ‘RPM’ originally come from and what does the
name signify? What’s you real name (or is that a well kept secret)?
RPM is my real initials, I’m a solo artist who has a band I play with
live…and, yes. It’s a pretty well kept secret what it stands for so
far…until I happen to give an interview trashed it’ll probably stay that
way for a little longer…
MM - You're very young and you have a lot of time ahead of you to keep doing
what you're doing. What do you think are your long term goals with this?
Am I young? I guess. Not compared to the poptarts, but whatever…my
long-term goals are to keep making music and playing and effecting people
– hopefully on a global scale.
MM - For anyone who isn’t familiar with your music, how would you describe
your music and who do you see it most appealing to?
It’s been called modern rock, alternative rock, hard pop/rock…it’s
lyrically driven with a strong base in melody and guitars. Anyone who
likes rock with a little substance will dig it.
MM - You’ve been hailed by many as the next Avril or Alanis. A strong female
singer with a stronger image and a lot of emotional troubles to spill out.
How do you feel about this? Are you afraid people might perceive you as
just another angry young women with too much PMT and not recognize your
full potential?
Jesus Christ that’s depressing. Ok…Not anyone who has listened to the
music & lyrics would get me confused or pigeonhole me, I hope.
Actually, there isn’t a single song on Irrational Anthem that is dealing
with any emotional instability. I deal with universal issues like
religion, war, suicide, oral sex, school violence, hypocrisy…and I tend to
hate PMS Lilith Fair music. And I think therapy is the appropriate place
to deal with emotional troubles.
Part of what sets me apart from Avril or Alanis is content. People need to
compare to feel comfortable. I get that. But except the facts that we are
female and singing music, we have little in common. Very little.
MM - How would you like to differentiate yourself from these other female
artists that are currently hitting the airwaves? What would you say is the
trademark of ‘RPM’?
The trademark, again, is content. I have opinions and am not afraid to say
them. I didn’t have a deal at 15, or 20. I still don’t have a major label
deal. I have struggled and experienced life in a way that a normal person
would…and continue to do so. And you cannot replace experience with
anything. I actually have an identity.
I don’t have any problem speaking out against Bush, against organized
religion – I educate myself and will go toe to toe with anyone on social
issues. The chicks on the mainstream airwaves, at least in America, are
homogeneous – all the same and they don’t seem to have definitive
personalities or opinions on anything of any real importance. Or, they are
afraid to voice what they think. I’m not sure which is worse.
MM - A lot of your songs appear to be a sounding board for your anger at the
country you live in and the people you have encountered in your life. Is
this intentional and does life really piss you off that much?
It’s intentional that I express discontent with the state of affairs in
the USA, in the world, with people I have met. To say it is simply anger,
though, dismisses the depth. Yes, it deals with anger, resentment…and
issues of responsibility, growth, self-reliance, reflection. Life. And
life, reality, pisses me off. How could it not?
MM -You’ve just released your debut album ‘Irrational Anthem’. In case your
CD cannot be found in everyone's local CD store, can you recommend some
online retailers who carry it in their catalogue? Also is there anywhere
on the net people can listen to snippets of your songs?
Definitely. There are clips of all the songs on my website
www.rpm.tv …and
you can
buy it online there, too. Or cdbaby, amazon.com, Itunes, Musicmatch …
MM - Would you like to tell us about some of the high points in making your
new album.
This being my first full-length album, it was an incredible learning
experience. The high points come now, daily, when someone new hears it and
has a reaction to the music.
MM -What can you say about the final result? How would you say the
finished product varied from your initial vision?
My initial vision was that I would re-record the whole thing with a
budget … string section instead of keyboards, other musicians, the whole
deal.
This album is a result of compiling together my demos that were recorded
without any other musicians (just me & my producer), without any pro
equipment, in a living room. But, waiting for a budget meant sitting on
the music – so fuck it. And I think it sounds amazing, especially given
that there are no tricks involved. In terms of content, style…it’s exactly
what I set out to do.
MM - How do the audiences react to your live performances and on-stage
persona?
99% of the time that is their favourite part. If you like the CD, you love
the live show. It’s harder, more raw. It splits the difference between the
cd and the Rants on my website…
MM - Do you get much chance to perform live and do you have any intentions
to tour with this new album?
I can never play enough - Getting on a tour has proven to be political and
expensive … I am trying everything I can to get on one. I try to play no
less than a few shows a month in LA or the surrounding areas.
If I could, I’d play a different town every night. I’m working on it. And
I’d love to come to the UK. I’ve gotten a great response there and think
it would be a blast to tour.
MM - With all the changes that music has gone through over the years, what
do you personally think of the current music scene?
I think what’s on the radio generally sucks and has no originality or
personality. The underground music scene has more depth…but it’s
frustrating as hell to be part of it and see first hand how hard it is for
anyone break out into the mainstream. There are some amazing artists out
there who just can’t get heard.
MM - Do you feel that rock bands in general don’t have that genuine sense
of hedonism we saw in the past?
Absolutely. Where the fuck has the counter culture gone? Since when was
rock acceptable? Since when do we allow mainstream media and the FCC
dictate rock? And hedonism? In a culture where one staged girl on girl
kiss is considered scandalous, I’d say hedonism needs some real
re-defining. I’ll get on that.
MM - What’s the most important bit of advice you were given by another
musician?
No one has ever given me good advice. See Don’t Be You on my record…”free
advice is expensive…”
MM - Do you think it’s weird that without bands, music channels, magazines,
labels and venues would not even exist but now they exert so much
influence over bands that they almost control them?
I think it’s crazy. And sad. And short-sighted. But artists have a choice
in selling out. And how far they can be pushed.
MM - What are you listening to these days yourselves? Old classics or
modern bands? What's your favourite tune right now (own material not
accepted)?
Everything…what’s in my cd player? Incubus, Neil Young, Velvet
Revolver…Um. Cypress Hill…A couple more. Fuck. Closure and The Eels maybe?
I don’t know what my favourite tune is but I love to hear Slash on
Slither.
MM - OK, Now tell me which ‘RPM’ song is your favourite and why?
That changes every day. Today it’s Play God because I played a show last
week and sang it just with guitar and I love the melody and the content.
MM - Generally are you an optimist or pessimist? Is your glass half full
half empty?
I’m driven. So that is often perceived as optimism. But I’m a
realist … which I guess makes me a pessimist, or Machiavellian.
MM - When you're not performing and recording new material what do you do
for a living?
Nothing right now…I’ve held a lot of crappy jobs since I was 15 though…and
probably will again.
MM - If you could have anyone locked in a room so that you could torment
then for a day, who would you choose, and how would you torment them?
George Bush. I would use some new virtual technology to make him
experience the war in Iraq first hand.
MM - Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to all our readers out
there?
Keep Rocking, Keep Thinking. Check out my website
www.rpm.tv
. And, keep
your eyes out for an EP of some new songs in the next couple months…And,
thank you to Little Linda for taking the time to interview me. |
