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Kittieworld (KW): How did you meet up with the members
of Kittie?
Jennifer Arroyo (JA): My old band "SPiNE" played with Kittie, Disturbed and Queens of the Stone Age on the
t.v. show Farmclub that aired on the USA Network a couple of years ago.. we hung out and always kept in touch.
KW:
How does it feel to be the new member? Is there any kind of pressure placed on you to live up to the fans expectations or
anything?
JA: In a way it really doesn't feel like I'm a "new member" since we've known each other before and everyone
is so down to earth and talented that it's just an awesome position to be in.
JA: In a way there is pressure but, it's
a pressure that I put on myself. I figure it like this.. people are spending their hard earned money to come see a fucking killer
show.. there is NO WAY that I'm going to let anyone down.
As far as living up to fans expectations, I think a lot of
fans really have no idea what to expect.. which is great.. and then after the show they come up to me and are like.. "whoa..
you can really play and your just crazy" That always puts a smile on my face. :)
KW: What do you have to say to the
people that were hardcore fans of Talena and were really sad to see her go?
JA: Well, it's a bummer without a doubt
and I can see where they are coming from but, there really isn't much else that I can say other than if they are a real kittie
fan, then they will continue to be a fan of the MUSIC.
KW: Now that you've played a few live shows, how have Kittie
fans reacted to your joining the band?
JA: AMAZING.. I mean it when I say that Kittie has the best fans.. my first
show there was people chanting my name before we played and people welcoming me to the band.. I mean.. how fucking cool is
that?!!!??! The second show was in front of 6,000 folks in Hartford, Conn which was COMPLETELY INSANE and then some killer
fans made us all cupcakes in Portland Maine and there was nothing but, welcomes and hugs. It's a great feeling.
KW:
What kind of vibe do you get from Kittie fans overall at live shows?
JA: That they are loving it and that they wanna
throwdown. I love seeing the elbows and legs flying, the folks in the front that yell every word to every song, and the
people in the back giving the devil horns.. it all rocks ass. It's all in the name of metal. :)
KW: What's your favorite
Kittie song to play live?
JA: DAMN.. that's a tough question! I absolutely love playing "Mouthful of Poison".. that
song is just brutal.. I love playing No Name, Wolves, Severed, Pain, In Winter, What I've always Wanted, Spit, Brackish, fuck..
this is a tough question.. no fair!!! ;)
KW: Are you singing any backup vocals?
JA: Yes, I'm doing a lot of
backups.. loving it.
KW: Any idea when Kittie is coming back to tour Canada?
JA: Not soon enough.
KW:
What bands would you like to play live with?
JA: Oh.. 18 Visions, Lamb of God, Down, Hatebreed, Shadows Fall (already
done but, we have to do it again), Dog Fashion Disco, Dillinger Escape Plan, Poison the Well, Burnt by the Sun and Nothingface.
There are tons more but, right now those bands are currently rocking my world.
KW: Has Kittie started writing new material?
JA:
Yes, it's begun and it will split everyone's wig off and once the wig comes off, it will instantly catch on fire. I can't
wait.
KW: How did you first get into metal, and why did you choose the bass? I thought everyone wanted to play lead
guitar :)
JA: I heard Cliff Burton play and said.. YES, THAT IS IT RIGHT THERE. Cliff 'em all is one of my favorite
videos to this day.
I also have to say that Biohazard was a huge influence on me as well.. I remember being 13 seeing
them and just watching the reaction of the crowd and how they commanded the stage... that was enough for me. I knew that THIS
was what I wanted to do.
KW: Who are your favorite bands and bassists?
JA: Well.. as for bands.. Biohazard,
old Fear Factory, cliff era Metallica, Agnostic Front, Life of Agony, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Dillinger Escape Plan, Dog Fashion
Disco, Eastcide, Imogen Heap, Earth Crisis and Poison the Well.. I like too many bands. Too many to list. :)
Bass-wise..
well.. Cliff Burton (duh), Ryan from Mudvayne is amazing, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is just sick, Billy Shennan,
Jaco Pastorius and any bassist that throws down and puts their heart into it. It's all about heart.
KW: Besides music,
what other interests do you have?
JA: I'm very into the whole tattoo/body modification community. I love tattoos, piercings
and the whole spirit behind it. I love getting new ink. It's like adding another chapter or closing a chapter in your life.
Good stuff.
I'm also into news/politics/world events.. must be that nasty ass D.C. water. ;)
I enjoying writing
in my journal when I get the chance.. so I don't forget all these crazy times.. I love reading.. hanging out in a cool city
with cool people.. anything with the ocean I'm down with. I love beaches.. I'm Puerto Rican and Puerto Rico has some amazing
beaches... and one day I hope to have a small clothing company and I definitely want to manage some bands in the future.
KW:
Anything else you'd like to say?
JA: Well, first off, thanks for the opportunity to do this.. kittieworld.com rules.
I'm looking forward to meeting as many of you as I can.. don't be shy!!! I'm usually just hanging around and I would love
to chat.
Thanks for all the support and we'll see you on the road!
An interview with Talena and Mercedes during Ozzfest 2000 done by shoutweb.com
Shoutweb: It's been a long time since we first did an interview way back in the summer of last year... Back then you guys
were just signed and had recorded "Spit". Did you ever expect Kittie to go this far and do this well? Mercedes:
No not at all, it came as a complete surprise. We had good reactions when we played before the album was released, but we
didn't expect anything like this really. Shoutweb: After seeing you guys in your early days before you were signed
playing to clubs of twenty people and on your fist national tour supporting Skinlab to Slipknot and Ozzfest 2000. What's that
like for you guys? Mercedes: It's going to be a lot of fun, but the sound is different and you have to rely more
on this like monitors instead of amps for shows as big as Ozzfest. Shoutweb: Who are you excited to play with the
most on this year's Ozzfest? Mercedes: PANTERA! Can't wait to see Pantera! Same with Incubus. Talena:
I actually really wanna see Godsmack. We met them but... we played a show with Static-X and Godsmack showed up, but weren't
playing. Shoutweb: Is there any pressure for your live show on the second stage on Ozzfest to be that much better
considering you're playing with some of the best live bands in the scene today? (i.e. Pantera, Ministry, Ozzy etc.)
Mercedes: Of course there is, but that's everyday ya know? Talena: Whether it's a twenty club venue or five
thousand people we just strive to do our best no matter where we're playing or no matter who we're playing for. Shoutweb:
I know you guys are fans of some Death and Black Metal like Nile and Cradle Of Filth... When you guys headline your own tour
who would you like to take out with you? Mercedes: We have a few bands lined up for that like Shuvel who opened
up during the Sevendust tour. Also One Minute Silence who were on the Slipknot tour in Europe and who else? The Workhorse
Movement and The Step Kings who were on our last headlining tour. Shoutweb: I'd love to see you guys and Skinlab
hook up for another round of touring.... Mercedes: That's in one year. It's the re-union tour. We made a pact that
in a year we have to tour again. Shoutweb: Is there already pressure on you guys to make the next album when this
one has been hyped up so well? Have you even thought about the next album? Mercedes: You know people have been asking
about our next record but our record has only been out.... Talena: Our record hasn't been out that long! We're gonna
let people get this album and we're gonna tour for it. Mercedes: Even though our record hasn't been out that long
we have started writing. Talena: It's pretty much up in the air but we have ideas. Mercedes: We pretty
much know what it's gonna be like. Shoutweb: Any idea of how long you'll tour to support "Spit"?
Mercedes: As long as we can. Talena: As long as we can without killing ourselves cause we don't wanna die! (Laughing)
Shoutweb: What's it like to come from a place like London, Ontario where there is virtually no metal scene (Although
there are a small group of bands here) to go on to totally be embraced by the metal scene worldwide? Mercedes: It's
really exciting to see people feeding off your music and enjoying it. It's really cool I enjoy it a lot. Talena:
Having played London only once I don't have much say! (Laughing) But I'd say generally no matter where you go the crowd is
the same. Common sense is not to buy tickets for a band you don't wanna see and people are all the same. They move to the
music and enjoy it. So whether its a big town or a small town they all respond the same to it. Shoutweb: Do you
have any favorite places to play already? Mercedes: Madison, Wisconsin cause it's the best show we've ever played.
Talena: Not the best show we ever played just the best reaction we've ever had for a show. Mercedes: During
the Sevendust tour we did a one-off there. It was a sold-out headline show and the people literally tore the place apart.
Pushed the stage back two feet! The light rig was falling down! My drum riser was bending from the pressure of people pushing...
Talena: People were bent over those guard rails they have in front of the stage. I was pulling people out cause
they were passing out! Mercedes: Seriously that crowd was fuckin' crazy! Shoutweb: In a short period of
time you guys have amassed an online army! There are even Tribute pages to individual band members (i.e. Fallon). Most bands
work hard to get this kinda thing going on for their band... Why do you think people have grabbed a hold of Kittie and worked
their asses off to spread the word? Mercedes: The Internet was always been a big part of what we're doing. We've
had our site up for two or three years and it's taken awhile to build up the whole Internet thing, but in our old days we
used to promote our site a lot. Ya know a lot of people that listen to metal music go on the Internet and stuff... Shoutweb:
Is it kinda scary seeing individual tribute pages to one member of the band? Mercedes: I think it's really cool.
It's OK to be into the person or into the band but there is a line and so far nobody has really crossed that line. Shoutweb:
That kinda brings me to my next question... Any encounters with obsessed fans yet? Last time we talked it hadn't happened
yet but you guys hadn't even released your album yet. Talena: Actually I saw one page on the net that did cross
the line, and one of our fans, Rick from Florida, e-mailed him and was like "You have no respect for these women! You
shouldn't be degrading them. They're people too." It wasn't an individual page but they were just being really degrading.
He actually e-mailed and apologized for degrading us as women so badly 'cause he was saying a whole bunch of vulgar and sexually
explicit things. Shoutweb: I was on Billboard's Top 200 web page today and saw your record ranked at number 79.
Your out selling Rage Against The Machine. Is it weird for you guys to see yourselves moving more copies than bands you've
listened to and were influenced by? Talena: See we don't see the stats! Mercedes: See we don't really
pay attention to that stuff. It's cool and all but... Talena: It's nice to know that it sells but we're doing this
for the fans and ourselves and the joy of playing music. Mercedes: Selling records isn't important or first and
foremost a priority... Shoutweb: What is happening with your old bass player Tanya (Whom they recorded "Spit"
with)? Is she still involved in music at all? Mercedes: Yea... I still talk to her. She goes to my old school. She
has a new band now... It makes no sense 'cause I can't understand why she left in the first place. Talena: The timing
wasn't right. She's still a nice person though. Shoutweb: Part of one of your songs was used in an ECW commercial.
Are any of you guys wrestling fans? Mercedes & Talena: (Both raise hands) Shoutweb: Personal favorites?
Mercedes: Undertaker & Edge. Talena: Kane and the Hardy Boys. Shoutweb: Really??? Ohhhhhh
I'm a fan of the Dudley Boys myself so.... Talena: NO WAY! Hardy Boys can kick their ass. I'm sorry... Sit down!
(Laughing) Shoutweb: NO WAY!! The Dudley's would kill the Hardy Boys! Mercedes: You know I am a wrestling
fan and we both like wrestling. We're the only two members in the band who like wrestling. We wanted to support an indy kinda
feel with wrestling and we wanted to show our support for the wrestling community. Wrestling and metal just work so well together!
Talena: You can't have (sings) "Hit me baby one more time!" when you have a big wrestler coming in and
he's like... (making angry faces) Shoutweb: Yea it doesn't exactly work when some guy is getting a punch in the
face or going through a table. (Laughing) Mercedes: Ahhhh no not really...
An interview with the whole band, done by headbangersdelight.com
Rich & Pat) Kick ass set tonight. Yeah, you put on a good show. Kittie) Thanks. Rich) So what
do you think of Grand Rapids? Morgan) We really didn't see much of it. Actually, we were here in the summer. We
played at Sub Culture I think. Is it Sub Culture?..... Rich) Yeah. Morgan) ...with Skinlab, it was
a little club tour. It was fun. Rich) So are you guys still trying to do any schooling through your tour?
Morgan) No, we are taking this time off. What I think we're gonna do is take some correspondence courses so basically
we're done with school for now and this is a one time opportunity so it can wait. We can always go back. Rich)
How old are all of you? Morgan) We try not to focus on the age because it's not really a contributing factor
to our music. Rich) That's cool. So how has the tour with Slipknot been going? Talena) Great! Morgan)
Oh my god it's been fun! Rich) Are you guys pretty stocked up on touring this summer? Morgan) Yeah
we have a lot on our plate. Mercedes) We're going to be on Ozzfest this year. Rich) Yeah, I heard about
that. Morgan) Yeah, we're doing a little second stage thing, it's gonna be fun. Pat) Second stage is
always were it's at. Morgan) I know, it's like more intament Rich) How did that happen? Morgan)
Actually, Sharon Osbourne called and asked for a package and stuff, she was interested. You know I think on Ozzfest there
hasn't been a lot of female artists on things, it's good to have a different mix. So when she called and said do you guys
want to do it we were like, Uh-ha! Rich) I bet you were all really excited about that. Talena) Yeah,
very much! Morgan) We were scared, we were like jesus christ were gonna play Ozzfest! I'd even play in the parking
lot, I don't care. Fallon) That would be a great place to play don't you think. Everybody is getting out of their
car and you're in the parking lot. Everyone's like yeah, there we go. Morgan) I think that would be a good idea
for a band. If there is any local bands around there that wanted to get their shit set up and just play in the parking lot.
That would be wicked. Pat) Yeah, and just fuckin jam out. Rich) You guys are signed on NG Records right?
Morgan) NGujhy and Artemis yeah. Rich) How did that come about? Morgan) Actually, in '98
we recorded our very first demo and we sent it out to a lot of Indie record companies, a lot big record companies. We got
a lot of them sent back, but NG Records got a hold of one. I think they actually threw it out, but they had listened to it.
In March of '99 we played CMW which is the Canadian equivalent to CMJ. It's where you pay for a spot in a festival, it's an
industry type of thing. A representative from NG Records was there and he saw our show and said he thought we had a lot of
talent and we could go places sort of thing. So we struck a deal and we signed it in June or July of '99. Rich)
Have they been promoting the band real well? Morgan) Yeah, oh definitely. They have been doing a good job and
we recorded the album in May before we actually signed the deal. We wanted to do it our own way, so we did all that before
hand. Pat) Do you have any new material for anything in the future? Morgan) Oh we always do, always
something brewing. Mercedes) Actually were on the Pink Floyd tribute album. Pat) Yeah, (during your
show) I didn't even realize you were doing Floyd. I was like, hell yeah! That was a really good job on that, I love Floyd.
Fallon) Thanks Morgan) That's coming up, I don't know exactly when, but I think it should be out by
spring or summer. Pat) So what's life like on the road for you guys? Morgan) Sleep, eat, play, repeat.
Telena) Sleep, and sleep, and sleep. Morgan) It's exciting. Everyday is sort of like a new adventure
and you don't know what's really ahead of you, but... Mercedes) We get lost a lot. Morgan) ...yeah, and
you can expect to put on a show and have a lot of people who are interested in us. Rich) Well, thanks a lot for
the interview, good luck. Kittie) Thanks.
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