Interview- Curiosity

GC:  Who are the current members of the band?

I am the band: vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano, programming, I do all of it. If I had enough arms, I would play guitar and keyboards at the same time. (But it would be difficult to find off-the-rack shirts, I'd imagine.)

GC:What are some of your highlights as a band?

Aside from being one of the few girls who performs every instrument singlehandedly, I dress in Gothic Lolita fashion, which is a Japanese style often seen in Shinjuku and Harajuku. It is influenced by Rococo France, as well as Victorian children's clothing.

GC: Tell us about your own unique style of music.

I refer to it as 'Gothic Lolita Industrial Jazz Music,' because that sounds snappy. There's a dark electronic evilness which permeates through it, as well as my vocals, which aren't the typical wispy Goth vocals, to say the least.

GC: What are your musical influences? 

I'm very obviously influenced by Industrial music, as well as Rogers and Hammerstein musicals, Big Band, and the like. That's where the whole "jazz" connotation comes from. "Jazz" can mean several different things, but mention "showtunes" and the audience might run for the hills.

GC: What is your live show like?

I sing, and switch between guitar and keyboards depending on the song. I use backing tracks for samples and drum parts. Sometimes I drink NyQuil or throw Mardi Gras beads.

GC: How do you go about writing songs?

I usually start out writing a melody and will sing numbers in lieu of lyrics, so I won't forget it. Then I sit at the piano and compose the music, writing substantial lyrics last. My lyrics go through several stages of revision before I'm happy with them, and sometimes I'm revising right up to the moment I'm supposed to be singing them in the studio.

GC: What is your latest news with the band?

I'm currently in the process of recording my second album, Liquorice. I'll be touring the midwest and east coast starting in August to support its release, so be on the lookout for that.

GC: Where do you hope to be in 5 years with your band?

Backstage, watching Miyavi open for me.

GC: How are people currently reacting to your music?

You'd have to ask them, but for the most part the response I get is "I've never heard anything like this before." And I know every band says that when asked to describe their music, but not every band gets to hear those words repeated back to them. I've never had anyone tell me that they don't like my music, or that it's not any good. (Not that I'm soliciting this type of response!)

GC: How did you end up in the dark underground scene?

I've been Goth since I was a 12-year-old, so it seemed like a logical transition. It works out well since I'm a misanthrope with a bleak worldview.

GC: What is your best experience as a band?

My best experience so far has been playing a showcase at the Elbo Room in Chicago, where 10 bands played for 10 minutes apiece. It was my goal to perform the highest number of songs that night for a single band in the given time limit, and I believe we crammed six in there. This was twice as many as the given average.

GC: What is your worst experience as a band?

I had a Halloween show where I was scheduled to perform at midnight, and the band that went on before me was absolutely horrible. They claimed not to be a cover band, but half their set was covers. Even though they played well over the allotted time slot and cut into my set, the employees at the venue would not tell them to get off the stage because the lead singer was quite belligerent, and also hopped up on several different substances. After they finally stopped playing, the band stood around in a circle and bullshitted to each other for several minutes instead of moving their gear offstage, until one of my friends walked over and bitched at them. 

GC: What is most important to you in your band?

Making music that I believe is of high quality, stuff I'd personally want to listen to. The second that I start thinking my own songs suck, I'm going to throw in the towel.

GC: Do you have a personal favorite song, could be your own or other, and why?

One of my all-time favorite songs is the immortal "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung. It's such a breathtakingly well-crafted song. 

GC: What was the hardest song to write and why?

It's the stupid slow ballads that are always the most difficult. I wish I didn't have to write any of them, but they tend to be favorites for a lot of people. The up-tempo numbers usually come in a flash, and I don't quite toil over them the way that I have to with the slow ones. 

GC: Remixes? Do you have any or working on any?

I remixed Nine Inch Nails' "Survivalism" once the source tracks were released, and it's available from the NINWiki. I know a few people heard that remix and made a better version of what was esentially my intent, which doesn't bother me. I only used the vocal track, because I prefer to re-record all of the instrumentation myself.

GC: What do you think of the current gothic/ EBM/ Industrial/ noise/ synthpop etc scene today?

It could be bigger, and better. There's just no honor anymore. I remember when guys I dated would spend more time on their hair and makeup than I did, and nowadays I'm the most elaborately dressed person almost everywhere that I go. Comeon, kids, let's change that.

GC: What music do you currently listen to, and why?

I listen to a lot of Japanese rap, because I love the seemingly flawless combination of Japanese and English. The new m-flo record, COSMICOLOR, is astounding. Anything Verbal touches is typically brilliant by association. I'm also a huge fan of Heartsdales,Teriyaki Boyz and SOUL'd OUT. 

GC: How do you keep changing your music from album to album or plan to change it?

The new album is much longer. That was one of the central complaints about my first album "The Forced Magician," so I attempted for full-length this time. Also, little song snippets which last 30 seconds or so have made their way onto this CD. But musicially, it hasn't changed all that drastically. I mean, you can still tell it's a  Curiosity record.

GC: What kind of recording environment do you have?

I'm running a G5 tower with Logic 7 right now. With lots of peripherals.

GC:How long did you spend on your latest effort?

I'm still working on it! It's been over a year, to say the least. I'm not all that prolific, and it takes me a long time before I'm satisfied with something.

GC: What is the hardest thing about being in a band for this genre?

The hardest thing is not exactly fitting into this particular genre, or any genre for that matter. If I were cut-and-dried Industrial or Gothic or EBM, and had a familiar, pre-packaged sound, I'd be much easier to market. And it would be simpler to group me with similar bands for performances. I'm never going to lament the fact that I don't have a cookie-cutter sound, quite the contrary, but it doesn't make things easy. 

GC: Feel free to do any shameless self promotion here of you band, now is your turn to talk about anything you want about your band, ideas, or life in the band.

I speak fluent Japanese, and want to tour Japan in the near future. I perform several original songs which feature a few Japanese lyrics, and I also play covers in Japanese from time to time.