| The Divine Nine: Q & A with You're Pretty They restored your faith in hard rock. Now can they restore your faith in the hard rock interview? (suite101.com) Adam McKibben August 28th 2001 You're Pretty's Beautiful Accident is one of the most satisfying indie albums of 2001. Singer Beth Musolff, bassist Chris Stenger, guitarist Steven Kern and drummer Dave Keckeisen chat about past, present, and future. ADAM: How's life, gang? YOU'RE PRETTY: Great! Things are moving along very well. We had some time off to write, and are looking forward to upcoming touring dates in the States, and possibly Europe. We're just finishing off the final details to a distribution deal in Europe. ADAM: I read before the release of Beautiful Accident that you guys had enough material for at least one other album. Are you planning to record and release those tracks or are you moving on to newer material? YP: We are always revising and writing new material. Our goal is to try to release new material, whether it be a full-length or EP, at least once a year. Unfortunately, time does not always allow that, but if it did our new material would probably be a combination of both ADAM: The four of you split songwriting credit on each song. Do you each come in with your own material and then flesh it out as a band? And at what point are lyrics added to the mix? YP: We write as a band. We basically jam in our practice space and then record it and listen, if anything strikes us we work on it together, each adding our two cents until we collectively feel that it is finished. The lyrics are the last thing that is added. Beth was still finishing some of the lyrics to songs on Beautiful Accident in the car on the way to the studio. ADAM: You've toured extensively over the past few years, hitting both coasts several times over. What lessons has the road been teaching you? YP: That our sense of direction sucks; we get lost a lot. Also, never buy a van for 2,500 bucks because it will break down in Santa Rosa, New Mexico and you will have to finish the rest of the tour in the back of a cube van. On a serious note, it has taught us endurance and has made us wiser. It has made us better songwriters, better performers and better people. Basically it has taught us the ropes of this industry. ADAM: I was pleasantly surprised by how you've avoided the doom-and-gloom of many of your peers. Do you find that some people expect (or interpret) you to be angrier and darker than you really are? YP: Thanks for not grouping us into that category because everyone else seems to. So I guess the answer is yes, people do interpret our music as angry and dark. I think it has a lot to do with the lyrical content, people seem to confuse passion with anger. In life there are ups and downs and our music reflects both sides. ADAM: You've been generating a healthy buzz, from critics to the labels to fellow musicians like Staind. What's the next step for this band? Are you waiting for the right offer from the right label? YP: Good question. Right now we are doing what You're Pretty feels is best for You're Pretty. We are following our own path and paving our own way. With all the technology today (Internet, etc.) you can do a lot on your own. If the right deal would come along at the right time, though, I don't think we would turn it down. Right now we are trying to build YP's reputation so the right deal will come along. ADAM: Much has been made about the stale state of affairs in the music industry, especially when considering the artists at the top of the sales and radio charts. Have we reached a low point? YP: No, history is just repeating itself. We are waiting for the pendulum to swing. With all the mergers only 5% of acts that labels sign turn a profit, so the labels have to make sure that the 5% generates an incredible profit, hence all the cookie cutter acts. The public will soon grow weary and we will see a change. Kind of like the late 80's pre-Seattle bomb. ADAM: OK, the world ends tomorrow and the Ticketmaster upstairs has to book the eternal house bands in both Heaven and Hell. Who's playing where? YP: Heaven - Faith No More, The Who with Keith Moon, KISS (1975), Motorhead. Hell - Poison, Huey Lewis and the News, The Hee-Haw Band, Dangerous Toys, Hootie and the Blowfish ADAM: You four are supposed to get together for a rehearsalm but nobody's in the mood. What do you each do instead? YP: We are basically a family, so we would probably get together to drink and listen to practice tapes. But, seperately, Beth would either sleep or do her hair, Steve would play Atari and brush up on his Regis impersonation, Chris would watch B-movies and go check out bands, and Dave would eat and practice his hilarious faces and personalities which keep us so entertained on the road. |