MUEN: WHO IS KILLINGS IN FASHION, AND HOW OLD ARE YOU ALL?

Sheldon James - Vocals/Guitar/Production - 26 / Brianna Tension - Vocals/Bass Guitar/Keyboard - 20 / Sadie - Vocals/Turntable - 21 / Jamie Christmas - Drums/Guitar Tech -17

MUEN: WHY DID YOU ADD MUEN?

SHELDON JAMES: Underground entertainment pretty much is our pigeonhole. Mainstream success, for us as we are now, is highly improbable, as our sound is sort of caustic and disturbing to most, if not just wrong or ironic. However, we aren't subcultured enough to fit into most fetish rock or electronica act clubs. So Underground best suits us. Oh and, your current profile song when we added you was amazing, which let us know you had impeccable taste.

*Note: the song on the player was Rorschach's "In The O" (MUEN Top)

MUEN: I KNOW, I'M GOING TO FIND THAT BAND AND THE SONG FOR YOU, I GOT THEM SAVED.. I'LL HAVE TO ADMIT, I FOR ONE USUALLY CHECK OUT EVERY BAND THAT REQUESTS US 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE GET TESTED ALOT, YOU KNOW FIRST YOU HAVE THE SPAMMERS, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE "ATTENTION SEEKERS" WHO ARE PRETTY MUCH JUST A WASTE OF TIME. BEING WE USE MODELS HERE, YOU FELL UNDER THE "ATTENTION SEEKER" MOTTO... BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOUR MUSIC WAS ACTUALLY QUITE APPEALING... GREAT MIX, GREAT SOUND, REALLY A CLASS ACT WHEN IT COMES TO PRODUCTION.. USUALLY THE "ATTENTION SEEKERS" SUCK MUSICALLY, AND EVEN LACK ALOT OF INTELLIGENCE.. SO HOW DO YOU VIEW MAINSTREAM MUSIC TODAY? HAS IT REALLY MADE YOU MAD?

SHELDON JAMES: Even though our target niche is the Hot Topic audience, I, personally am unable to go into the store, out of aural displeasure alone. We recently saw "The Bravery" play and they did a pretty good job of holding down the newwave electronic rock genre, all the while still seeming like rockstars. It was the first time I had seen or heard them. Very impressive. The Smashing Pumpkins also played and they were rather amazing. Otherwise, I don't listen to the radio or own a television and avoid reading corporate magazines due to their ability to make cleverly craft words into a web to trick you into thinking you might actually, honestly enjoy "the next big thing" which usually sucks. By the way, all our music is self produced, mixed and recorded in my garage and bedroom.

MUEN: HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THIS BAND GOING FOR, AND WHO DID THE FEMALE VOCAL PARTS ON YOUR SONG, "THE NEW BEAUTIFUL," ARE THESE GIRLS IN THE BAND TOO?

SHELDON JAMES: The Band has been together since about March 2006. I had been producing it as a solo act since December of 2006. Brianna and Sadie did the female vocals for "The New Beautiful", which employs a panning between their two takes to make it sound weird. We also do a cover of a Portishead song live where they sing as well.

MUEN: WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CALL YOUR BAND "KILLINGS IN FASHION?" WHAT IS THE REAL MOTIVE BEHIND THE NAME? I MEAN, I HAVE A CLUE, BUT WANT TO HEAR IT FROM YOU...

SHELDON JAMES: The name is not "killing is in fashion." It is plural, like "the killings that happen in fashion." Fashion being "prevailing custom or style of dress, etiquette and socializing." Killings is a bit more open ended, meaning death, or exhaustion or even profiting. The dictionary and the thesaurus are amazing. However, I hate applying metaphors to it post conception. I was in the middle of a methadone binge when I came up with the name. I'd love it if people all took their own meaning to it.

MUEN: OK WELL WITH ALL THE BLOOD, OFCOURSE IT'S GOING TO BE RED (just kidding) THAT WAY.. YOU KNOW TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M SORT OF GETTING BORED WITH ALL THE BLOOD, I MEAN WE'RE EVEN STARTING TO CALL THEM "THE BLOOD PEOPLE" NOW... IT'S ALMOST BECOMING MAINSTREAM ITSELF! WHAT IF ALL THE BANDS WERE USING BLOOD AND VIOLENCE AND IT WAS NOW THE MAINSTREAM? WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN? WOULD YOU BECOME TREE-HUGGING HIPPIES TO BE THE OUTCAST ONCE AGAIN? OK SERIOUSLY THOUGH.. SO ARE YOU PLAYING OUT LIVE ANYWHERE? AND WHERE ARE THE RECORDINGS YOU HAVE, AVAILABLE OTHER THAN YOUR SITE? ...IN CASE ANYONE IS AFRAID TO GO THERE:)?

SHELDON JAMES: You can purchase our recording directly from us, just email me at [email protected] and we'll work out a system of paypal or money order or whatever.... I have had my fair share of blood people. The onset of black metal and screamo with blood themes is ridiculous. We, as a culture have become desensitized to death and blood, but not in a good way. I could wax ecstatic about this sort of stuff forever.

We play locally in the western Washington area, from Ocean Shores to Tacoma. I'd love to find some venues that were a bit more accepting of our style, as we always get lumped in with bad indie rock bands and bad old "Tool fan" bands. Someday.... Speaking of which we'd love to get signed to a label, preferably one from overseas....any connections?

MUEN: I DON'T KNOW... I THINK WE HAVE CONNECTIONS, BUT THEY NEVER ANSWER OUR MAIL, I THINK THEY ARE AFRAID.. THERE'S NO DOUBT WE GOT THE TALENT IN THIS HOUSE, SO I GUESS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE... AT LEAST YOU ARE EXPRESSING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE SIGNED BY A BIG LABEL.... THERE IS SO MUCH ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THE "MAINSTREAM" THAT I GUESS I REALLY DON'T BLAME THEM SOMETIMES FOR BEING CAUTIOUS.. BUT ANYWAY, GOOD ANSWERS! ALTHOUGH I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE DESENSITIZED STATEMENT... ISN'T THAT EXACTLY WHAT YOU DO? SOUNDS SORT OF CONTRADICTORY.. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT...

SHELDON JAMES: Well, I never claimed to not be desensitized. I am a child of my society, as much as I'd love to bite and nash my way out of that paper bag, I have to accept it. however, the futility of life and the hope of the advent of chaos is something I respect and will never be desensitized to or take for granted.

MUEN: SORT OF LIKE GIVING UP,.. IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, THEN JOIN THEM? I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE LIGHT OF YOUR OPINIONS.. THIS IS VERY INTERESTING, AND YOU ARE VERY INTELLIGENT, AND SOMETIMES I NEED TO GO TO THE DICTIONARY.. JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AS BEST I CAN.. ANYWAY, I'D DEFINITELY PAY TO SEE YOUR SHOW, AND I WOULD BUY THE ALBUM, ESPECIALLY AFTER DOING THIS INTERVIEW...

SHELDON JAMES: One time I went to a very liberal college. The sort where everyone is anti-establishment, anti-government and anti-corporation. Some of, if not all, these same advent, angst ridden students all had financial aid, student housing, smoked brand name cigarettes and rode public transportation or drove their own cars or in some other way furthed the very way of life they were preaching to destroy.

If you open your front door and shout "revolution now!" people think you are crazy, zealous and a moron (or a visionary depending on the hope in your heart) However, if you become a super-famous celebrity rock-star and shout "revolution now!" you are suddenly a figurehead (or a moron, depending on the callousness of your thought process) and your legions of fans will find you inspirational and a true leader.

The higher your platform the harder the stones you throw hit and the more places you can pepper with those stones.

MUEN: BOTH LIBERAL AND ANTI-GOV? NEVER HEARD OF IT... OR DID YOU MEAN LIBERTARIAN? WELL I GET WHAT YOU ARE SAYING THOUGH.. YOU MAKE A VARY VALID POINT THERE.. I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU "WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR" OR "IF YOU WOULD VOTE" BUT HOW 'BOUT IF IT WERE AN EXTREMELY FAMOUS MUSICIAN WHO WERE RUNNING...? OUT OF ALL THE ROCKSTARS/ ..SOMEONE IN THE LIMELIGHT... WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR?

SHELDON JAMES: The college is liberal, the students are anti-government, as in anti current government, whatever that government tends to be. I happen to be a fan of the book "Brave New World." I find that dystopian society perfect. I dropped out of that college when I got in a giant argument with a few fellow students on how that sort of world would work much better than our world. I recently just read "Nation of Rebels" by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, which illustrates how counter culture has transformed into a consumer culture, thereby perpetuating the very thing it fights against. And have been meaning to read Christopher Lasch's "The Culture of Narcissism," which I hope is fascinating.

I am actually a larger fan of a major cataclysm wiping out the majority of the human race, even if I myself must perish as well, than I am a fan of voting in a presidential election. I am, I believe, rarely directly affected by government. Ignorance really is bliss. Politics pisses me off. Of course this could just be my imperiousness and a folly of my own youth and lack of experience.

MUEN: OK SHELDON JAMES, YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK... LOL... YOU ARE AN AMAZING ARTIST AND WE HOPE YOU CAN SUCCEED AT THIS. THANKS FOR DOING THE INTERVIEW!

Interview by G. Cataline