Kittie not the girls they used to be
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The number of all-female metal bands with a national rep can be counted on one hand.
Narrow that down another aspect — all-female metal bands that have been around for a decade — and you're down to one finger.
There's little question that Kittie — co-founder/singer/guitarist Morgan Lander; her sister, drummer and co-founder Mercedes Lander; guitarist Tara McLeod; and bassist Ivy Vujic — rocks with an attitude that puts many male metal bands to shame.
Kittie headlines Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Scout Bar. Morgan Lander, 27, was looking forward to returning to San Antonio when she phoned 210SA from her home in London, Ontario.
Kittie's debut album,Spit, came out in 1999, and you just released your fifth record,In the Black, on Sept. 15. What similarities and differences stick out on this one?
In the Black stands apart from them, really. It also has some of those things from other albums, I guess. It definitely has the production style of (2002's)Oracle, a lot of the aggression ofSpit andOracle, but at the same time, the same melodies of (2004's)Until the End and (2007's)Funeral for Yesterday. But to be honest, it's capturing the emotion and aggression of the first two albums. For us, it's a nod to the past and getting back to the basics of what we do best.
Your vocal style has always been a mix of death-metal growls with melodic choruses. How challenging is it to do both within the same song live and in the studio?
Oh, it's not. Not at all. It's something I've been doing for years and years. There wasn't a lot of singing per se on the first album because I didn't know how to sing that well back then. We've become a better band and toured more, and it's become easier. Doing both helps me express the different landscapes of the song, and it evokes a different emotion.
How was the name Kittie chosen?
(Chuckles) Honestly, when we were 12, 13, 14, which was really a long time ago, we wanted something that would be completely contradictory to the style of music we were playing. We wanted to go with the worst and (laughs) nonthreatening name we could come up with. If I could go back, I might change it, but it's stuck all these years. It doesn't necessarily represent who we are now, but it's an indication of how long the band has been around.
Any special memories from playing in San Antonio before?
San Antonio is one of the best places to play in America, and that is the truth. We have played San Antonio at least once on every tour, from Sunset Station to the White Rabbit, and we're playing a new place this time. Every time, the show is full of energy. You guys represent whenever Kittie's in town.
Jay Nanda | 210SA contributor
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