| The Iron Maidens
 Q. Who are you and what do you do in the band?
Wanda: My name is Wanda Ortiz aka "Steph
Harris” and I play bass.
SARA:
Sara, aka MiniMurray - I play Dave Murray's guitar
parts, stage right.
AJA:
I'm Aja Kim, aka 'Bruce Lee' Chickinson
and, as you might have guessed by the name, I play Bruce Dickinson.
LINDA:
Linda McDonald and I get to attempt to recreate the magnificent drum parts
of Clive Burr and Nicko McBrain. Oh ya, I'm "Nikki McBURRain" in the band!
Q. How did The Iron Maidens come about?
WANDA: Before the band
formed, we already knew each other by playing in bands together or through
friends and acquaintances. Coincidentally, Iron Maiden happened to be a
favorite band for everyone so when the idea of a tribute was suggested,
everything just fell in place.
SARA:
I answered an ad in the Recycler looking for a sub guitarist for an Iron
Maiden tribute band in 2001. I was happy to find out there were female
musicians in the band cuz I used to play “The Trooper” with my original all
female band, so I knew it'd be a lot of fun. Especially playing a whole set
of Iron Maiden! I hadn't really heard of tribute bands before, but there's
a lot in Los Angeles. There was a buzz around town before our first show -
people tripped cuz mostly the girl players go for the easier stuff.
LINDA:
My original band, Phantom Blue, was looking for a bass player for some tour
dates coming up and some of us went to a club to scout out some people where
we met these girls looking to put together an all female lineup to tribute
Iron Maiden. Woohoo! Timing is definitely everything. It just went from
there are has not stopped since.
Q. Are any of you in other bands besides The Iron Maidens?
WANDA:
I sit in occasionally with a couple blues-based rock bands,
but it's nothing serious. I mostly do freelance work with orchestras in
the Southern California area when I'm not playing with The Iron Maidens.
SARA: The
Little Dolls is another tribute band I'm in with Linda; we play all Ozzy all
the time! I grew up on both Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden - thankfully
there's a blonde in each band so I don't have to wear a wig. How the hell
can you bang your head and have a good time on stage while worrying about a
damn wig?
AJA:
We all do other
things besides the Maidens - I'm a singer by trade, as well as by calling,
so I like to do as many things as I can fit in comfortably. Variety is the
spice of life! So I tour with former Tower of Power guitarist, Bruce Conte -
singing R&B and Blues and I also have a solo project, which is a kind of
rock and soul hybrid. You can find out more about it at
http://www.ajakim.com I’m also a session singer - commercials, TV. theme
songs - I love being in the studio and recording. It's different from a live
show and very rewarding in its own way. But the Maidens are definitely the
focus right now, especially with the recent release of our brand new tribute
CD!
LINDA:
I play in another female tribute
with Sara, called The Little Dolls. (www.thelittledolls.com)
It's a female tribute to all eras of Ozzy. Yes, another tribute with more of
my favorite drummers growing up in those songs. Tommy Aldrige, Randy
Castillo (RIP).... all his drummers are excellent! I also play with a
guitarist from Argentina when she is in the country named Carina Alfie.
She's like a female Steve Vai, so to speak. You'll be hearing more of this
girl in the near future I am sure. She just released a CD that I got to play
three tacks on called "Transmission", distributed through Steve Vai's label,
Favored Nations.
Q. Are there any plans for a tour or any live shows coming
up?
WANDA: We have a show in Long
Beach July 23rd. We're also trying to put together an East Coast tour for a
week or two in October.
SARA:
Oh yeah! The best way to find out
when we play is to sign up on our mailing list on the website.
LINDA:
But, of course! What's the point
of being in a band if you're not performing regularly? Yay!!!! We LOOOOVE
touring! We are aiming at the East Coast later this year and hoping a
military Japan tour will come thru for late September. Locally, July 23rd we
are in (SCREAM FOR ME) Long Beach at a hip little venue called The Blue
Cafe. For more info and the latest updates on our show schedule, please
visit us online at
http://www.theironmaidens.com/tour/shows.html
Q. Have anyone from Iron Maiden ever seen your show and if so
what did they have to say about it?
WANDA: No
one from Iron Maiden has seen our show yet, but that's something we'd like
to have happen.
SARA:
I seen the Phantom Of The Opera at
our last Galaxy show, but he disappeared before I could talk to him.
AJA:
Not that I know of for sure, although some of the band may have seen our
live video footage on our website. But earlier this year Wanda and I did get
to jam with Nicko McBrain when he was in town to do a benefit. He was really
nice and to hear him say "you sounded great" was music to my ears!
Especially because I was so nervous! We did invite him to come to and sit in
on our show at the House of Blues in Hollywood the following night but he
couldn't come because it was the same night as the benefit. Maybe one day in
the future - the fans would just go crazy if we had a real Maiden man on the
stage with us!
LINDA:
They haven't seen our show yet,
but their touring keyboardist, Michael Kenney, (also Steve Harris' bass
tech) sits in with us from time to time and allows us to perform some great
songs we could never do without him. He's played "Seventh Son of a Seventh
Son", "Moonchild", "Clairvoyant", "Can I Play With Madness", "Fear of the
Dark"...(what am I forgetting!!!!!)...with us on stage. He is a great guy
and very supportive of what we are doing. I'd absolutely love to do the
entire Seventh Son album/CD someday with him as a special guest! Woohoo! I'd
also LOVE to do Paschendale! Now THAT would be INTENSE!!!!!
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who would you be?
Why?
WANDA. There are so many
great people in world history that it would take me a long time to decide on
just one person. With that being the case, I'm not able to decide in time
for this interview. So...my answer is…I would have to think about that for a
while.
SARA.
Tony Hawk
AJA.
Hmmm, that's a
difficult one as all my heroes and heroines are people who have lived
often-tragic lives and met untimely ends! Plus, I just really like being me
in the here and now! But if I had to choose…maybe the Buddha - because I'd
like to experience total enlightenment.
LINDA:
Nobody. They are all already
dead. Eeek! Seriously though, I am eternally grateful to all the greats
in world history, but I am also thankful we get to live with the benefits of
all their trials and tribulations. Is that selfish? I hope not. I respect
them all, but wouldn't want to be anyone else but who I am.
Q. What are you listening to in you car/home stereo?
WANDA. I listen to a wide
variety of music from classical to heavy metal. Right now I'm listening to
Iron Maiden. :)
SARA.
The new System Of A Down, Opeth,
Aphex, Mickey Hart, Jeff Beck, Bumblefoot, Black Label Society
AJA.
Iron Maiden, of
course!
LINDA:
Eric Johnson, Soul Sirkus, Iron Maiden and
Ozzy. Sara...you have the new SOAD!?!?!? Call me later! And if I may do a
shameless plug here..........bwahahaha!!!!
You
should be listening to our new CD in
your
car/home stereo!!! It's a full-length
tribute CD to Iron Maiden, featuring 10+ tracks of essential Iron Maiden
tunes, complete with brand
new,
custom
cover artwork by the one and only,
Derek Riggs!!!!
We even recorded it at Silver Cloud, where Bruce recorded some of his solo
CD's! Okay, I'm done (and not ashamed - hee hee). I type too much! LOL!
Thanks so much for the interview! And thanks to everyone who is reading
this! Up the bloody Irons! \m/!
http://www.theironmaidens.com
http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens
nemo_dna
 Q. How
did you decide on the name nemo_dna?
A. I completely hate this question haha and
every now and then someone will ask me and I always tell them this. When I
was a little boy I loved a certain cartoon about a little boy in his pajamas
that flew around on a bed in the middle of the night. I wanted that to be
me. And if you look at some pictures of me online you can find one of me
around the age of 5 or 6 holding a guitar. I always wanted to make music.
And when I became a little older. I made my name nemo_dna, and I’ve always
kept it lower case and with the underscore. I don’t know why but it just
seemed to fit. So that’s the story. Oh and I’m sure some people know what
cartoon I’m talking about out there. Also in Latin nemo means no name.
Q. What are some of the negatives and positives
of writing, recording and producing all of your own music?
A. One kinda negative part to doing everything
myself has to be I do all the work, but that’s also positive in some aspects
and I'll get to that in a second. But a big negative is that I've been
promoting myself for a while with no help until recently with myspace.com
and some other websites where my music has started to get noticed a lot more
and people have started telling their friends. The biggest positive part is
simply this: I have all creative control and get to shape my ideas into
anything that I want ... and record them. And what you hear is all Chris
Murray and it’s all nemo_dna; it’s me.
Q. If you could only pick one song which one
would be your favorite off of artacia?
A. That’s a difficult question. But my personal
favorite would have to be vey_of_snakes. It has a lot of neat time changes
and some messed up guitar parts.
Q. How can we get a copy of the new disc?
A. To get a copy of the new nemo_dna album
artacia just message me on myspace or my main website saying " I want to
buy artacia " and I will give you the address to send 15 dollars to. Make
sure you send me your email also. As soon as I receive the payment I'll send
artacia that day or the next.
Q. Who are some of your influences both musical
and non-musical?
A. Musically I'd have to say Silverchairs’ "
Freakshow" and "Neon Ballroom" and Deftones "Around the Fur", but personally
I don’t think I sound like them much.
I’m also influenced by RPG games like final
fantasy and a bunch of other RPG games because I love a lot of the pretty
magical sounding tunes in those games not to mention the strange storylines
open me up to some pretty weird lyrics. Non-musical influences? Various
deities, psychic stuff, Egyptian mythology, premonitions, remote viewing.
Just stuff like that. I don’t believe in all that stuff. But its fun to
write songs from a point of view where that stuff is real. And there’s
always this one: you sound like a little boy that’s sick in the hospital. I
guess that’s my trademark, when I sing I sound sick. That’s fine with me.
Q. If you could be anyone in world history who
would you be? Why?
A. I would be "Ihy" from Egyptian mythology he
was always in child form and the god of music. I know he's not exactly a
person and I’m bending the question and the rules a bit but I couldn’t be
anyone else myself if I tried anyway. But if I could I’d be Ihy the child
god of music because I’d be able to make the most advanced hi-tech studio I
want appear before my very eyes. I wouldn’t have to spend any money. I could
just snap my fingers. I’m very unrealistic sometimes, well most of the time
actually.
Q. What are you listening to these days in your
car/home stereo?
A. I’ve been really disappointed with the music
coming out these days but I’ve been listening to really heavy sick stuff and
discord and really pretty digital stuff. Some bands like the new Mindless
Self Indulgence, the Dillinger Escape Plan, The Dissociatives, Norma Jean,
Postal Service, Aphex Twin, dzk, and just anything breaking away from
whatever they are playing on the radio these days. Don’t get me wrong some
stuff on the radio is really good. Anyway I listen to a lot of different
stuff so I couldn’t possible name all of it.
http://www.myspace.com/nemo_dna
http://www.freewebs.com/nemo_dna_veil
Note: Check out a review for artacia in
Issue 15
Violet Grey
Q. So how did you come up
with the name Violet Grey?
A. I believe a projects
name should reflect some aspect of it's intent. That's not a hard and fast
rule, just something that feels right to me. In this case I wanted to
portray something of the duality in the songwriting; something that was
moody without being too dark sounding. As silly as it sounds, I actually
closed my eyes and tried to imagine what the songs might look like, and the
colors I saw were violet and grey. The violet represents the passionate side
while the grey is a little more subdued, a bit darker but not brooding. It's
kind of a reflection of where I am personally right now.
Q. What would you like to
tell us about the April EP?
A. I think there’s been a
major shift in the way people view a record these days. They either see it
as a collection of singles with no real relation or a concept record that
has to tell a story. While April (EP) is not a concept record in that it
doesn’t have a central narrative or theme, it's not just a collection of
singles. There is a feel or mood that moves through the songs when they are
played in order. I think that's what I would want people to bear in mind;
that no one song is going to be indicative of the record as a whole.
Q. If you had to pick one
song off of the disc to be your favorite, which one would it be?
A. If I had to pick it
would probably be 'Glass Doors'. It's one of the most laid back pieces I've
ever written and one of the few that doesn't temper it's romance with some
sort of bitter aside. The title itself is a reference to something that
happened between myself and my partner Jessica, who runs Beau Ideal Records
with me. I wanted to write a song that was a little more dancy and
straightforward and it was a fun challenge to write the parts, particularly
the bass line. The song just makes me feel good when I hear it.
Q. Who are some of your
influences both musically and non-musical?
A. My mother is a huge
influence on me. She's an extremely intelligent person who is not afraid to
show that side of herself to others. She is also a very strong and
compassionate woman, educated, up to date, and fearless. She's a great
example to follow.
Musically my influences
are varied and hard to discern because I pick and choose little things from
many sources and recombine them for my own purposes. My musical heroes are
Jeff Buckley, Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins fame, Ian Curtis of Joy
Division, Kevin Shields and My Bloody Valentine, Michael from Soul Whirling
Somewhere, and so many more for so many reasons. Other non musical
influences mostly come from stand up comics; George Carlin, Robin Williams,
Bill Mahr, Bill Hicks, Dennis Leary, and Eddie Izzard. I love comedy and I
love to laugh. Also, comedy keeps the mind and tongue sharp, so I always
keep humor in my front pocket in any situation. I'm also a huge Batman
fanatic and I find a lot of meaning in the idea of a man trying not to lose
himself in a persona he has created, trying to stop the creation from
becoming a monster that consumes him.
Q. If you could be anyone
in world history who would you be? Why?
A. I honestly couldn't
imagine being anyone but myself. I went through a long period of time when I
didn't like myself, and I worked very hard to rebuild myself into a person
that I could get along with. I know the paths and choices of people in
history, so that's no fun. It's like starting at the end of a book to find
out who did it before you read. My personal story is still being written,
and with any luck, I have a lot of chapters left. So for now, I'm just
content to be me.
Q. What are you listening
to these days in your car/home stereo?
A. I do the iPod shuffle,
man. I've got 10 gigs of music that play on random, so there isn't any one
big thing right now. What I can tell you is what I have a lot of. I listen
to a lot of The Cure, Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, The Sundays, Hum,
Joy Division, System of a Down, Interpol, Mudvayne.... I've recently
introduced Bloc Party, Ivy, Kitchens of Distinction, and Peter Murphey into
the mix. And just for fun every now and then I like to run a mix of Pearl
Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Sloan, Matthew Sweet, Massive Attack
and a few other choice groups. Been listening to my share of Nine Inch Nails
lately as well. And William Shatner can't forget him. 'Has Been' is a great
record.
Q. Is there anything else
you'd like to share with us about Violet Grey?
A. It's great to be able
to make the music I want to make, the kind of things I would find
interesting to listen too. Being the sole creative entity has its ups and
downs, but I like having the consistency of vision and freedom from having
to compromise to please other people’s egos. I know that this isn't going to
be something everyone will get into and a lot of people will find me
pretentious, and that's all right. I just hope I can make a connection with
those people that do understand and enjoy the music, and I hope they'll help
me make the opportunity to continue doing what I love and sharing some time
in their lives.
http://www.myspace.com/violetgrey
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