Interview with the Mescaline Babies by Kris Prudhomme
- Ok guys, to start introduce yourselves:
Sydney Mars: Hi, I’m Sydney Mars and I’m the throat user of the band. Kalle: Hi! I’m Kalle! Guitar! The other member is Black Jester on bass but now he’s on holiday!
- Alright, just for basics, would you guys mind giving a history of the band and how you got started?
S.M.: Well, basically me and Kalle decided one day to form a deathrock band… it was just after Faith And The Muse concert in Vicenza, the atmosphere was amazing. After a few homemade songs we realized that that songs wanted to be played properly live: so we’ve completed the line up with Luca (drums) and Daniele (bass) and started to tour around Italy and Europe. After one more year we’ve finished our first full length album ‘Crush’, found a new stable bass player (BJ) and a session drummer and continued to gig. Basically in 2012 I’ve moved to London, Kalle followed in 2013. Now we’re starting the writing process for ‘Crush’ follower.
- Ok, to ask about the bands preferences and attitude, you guys still like keeping a tongue in cheek attitude about your lyrics while keeping the punk attitude in the music, did you get your start in the punk scene like a lot of deathrockers or were you attracted to it just because it’s something radically different from what you were used to doing?
S.M.: We were actually from very different environments: Kalle was in a grunge band, I was in an industrial rock band… But we’ve always been both interested in a certain kind of sound, which is what we try to propose with our songs.
K.: We usually listen to deathrock, so why don’t start a band?
- You’ve got quite the discography for a newer band, two EP’s and two albums, what things do you usually prefer to write about? Some bands talk politics, some talk religion, others prefer just being campy or pissing people off.
S.M.: If you read ‘Crush’ lyrics, you can find a lot of different stuff: politics, hatred, bedtime stories, people in general. Now I can tell you, I’ve personally been through many important events (happy and traumatic as well), my lyrics are starting to become more introspective and cryptic… A bit of time ago I’ve written a couple of pieces about the writing act itself, for example. Basically I like to lay my fingers on the keyboard, and see what comes out.
- With bands like Secular Plague and Lost Tribe coming into existence and bringing about a more raw sound to deathrock from styles such as D-Beat and Anarcho, do you guys think it helps you find more diverse shows so you’re not stuck just playing goth and deathrock events? I imagine it would make it to where you could play with the line ups a bit so you’re with bands that all sound different and take other approaches to their music.
S.M.: I have to say that it’s a phenomenon that helps a lot the scene, even ’cause of course it brings new interest (and new audience) to deathrock itself. As a band we all love punk enviroinment, so we’ve always been happy of playing in squats and similar, even ’cause this kind of scene is somehow more genuine than some ‘posher’ club nights.
K.: We played in Bologna with an anarcho band called “ANXTV” and it was amazing! I think it’s ok if a deathrock band plays with some punk bands… I think we are all in the same family!
- You’ve got other bands with a more romantic view of things from the Italian scene such as Oltratomba and Chants of Maldoror and Christine Plays Viola, do you associate with those acts or do you prefer to just stick to the more punk crowds and venues? I know it can be a bit much after a while because of the goth scene’s attitudes and deathrock isn’t much different sometimes.
S.M.: Well, I personally love both environments, and even more mixed ones, like goth parties in squats. Honestly, I feel linked as a musician to both these realities: the goth and the punk ones.
K.: From the Italian scene I personally prefer Horror Vacuii, Dystopian Society and Date At Midnight.
- Do any of you guys do other projects at the moment in different mediums such as painting, film, sculpting, etc?
S.M.: Back in the day I used to write poems and short stories, but it’s a while I’m not doing anything.
K.: Sometimes I help a non-profit organization in Italy named “Lo Stato Dell’Arte” who organize exhibitions in Padua. Sometimes I draw something but only for myself. And I have a comic strip on Facebook but I don’t want to reveal the name.
- Just to ask a typical fan question, Rozz or Valor? Silly yes but it’s always a fun one to ask just to hear the answer.
S.M.: What if I say both? It all depends from the period. Of course I love the first albums of Rozz’s period, but I like much less the latters; and I really like the first album of Valor’s leadership.
K.: Rozz.
- Have you guys had much interaction with the other European goth and deathrock scenes in places such as Germany and Finland? I know Germany had a thriving scene for a long time and Finland has produced some great stuff like Murnau’s Playhouse.
S.M.: We’ve toured in many places, and I have to say that we’ve found a great attitude and good people everywhere… and, of course, a lot of good music and good bands! By this side I’ve rediscovered Italian deathrock scene, for example.
K.: All the underground scene in Europe hides some great bands, I like to touring on Europe and play with unknown bands because sometimes I can find new ways to play a song, or a style, or simply funny guys to spent a night together!
- To finish things off, any upcoming shows or even better, booking info for the getting the band to America haha
S.M.: Well, right now we’re a little bit stuck in trying to alternate the writing process to our respective jobs… but we’re craving for gigs, so we won’t wait for too long for new ones! If you want us to play in America just write us a PM on facebook, we’ll respond ASAP!
K.: Now we would like to booking some gigs around Uk and Europe, but maybe for the next years we can play there! I really would like! So, like Sydney said, write us!
Cheers!
