Killingbird

Interviewed via e-mail by Glenn Milligan, BA Hons CS

Glenn: What made you decide to call the band 'Killingbird'?

SKYLA: It was better than the other names the rest of the band came up with.

Why did you make the album a self-titled album as opposed to having a title for it?

SKYLA: It seems like a good thing to do for your first record. Helps turn the focus to just the name of the band.

What's the musical background of the band members?

SKYLA: Christian, August and I have been writing and touring together for years before Killingbird was formed. Marc grew up in Detroit playing in various Glam/Punk bands, and the bass player Gaz doesn't really have a musical background.

AUGUST: We've all been playing for a pretty long time. None of us are "trained" musicians, we just play what sounds right. Our background primarily consists of playing shitty ass bars and bleeding on stage.

What turned you onto the musical style of glam punk?

SKYLA: Have always been influenced by punk and just needed to add the excitement of Glam.

CHRISTIAN: The sound as well as the look.

AUGUST: It is what we grew up on and what we always wanted to play.

What influenced the song 'Cocaine Tongue'?

SKYLA: Drugs. All our songs are influenced by drugs.

CHRISTIAN: Watching some friends go from casual use to abuse.

Was 'Not long dead' written at a similar time as 'Cocaine Tongue' as they work well together?

SKYLA: "Not Long Dead" was the first song Killingbird wrote and "Cocaine Tongue" was added quite a bit later. We noticed the comparable aggression as soon as "Cocaine Tongue" was added to our live set.

Who would you consider your sound similar to and how would you say you
stand out from other bands of a similar style?

SKYLA: We concentrate on the songwriting and making the performance a good
time. Similarities vary in many opinions. We are just happy to be a Rock n' Roll band.

AUGUST: We have heard so many comparisons, from Buckcherry to Guns N Roses to Motley Crue. We have alot of influences and I think they all show through in our songwriting and live shows.

How were the songs recorded as they sound like they are done live?

SKYLA: We went into the studio wanting the record to sound raw. All the levels were run hot. We went more for an "Indy" sound with more bite rather than a
clean sounding commercial record.

Where did the cover idea come from? Who is the chick on the cover?

SKYLA: She was a dancer at this local strip club neighboring our rehearsal studio. She became one of our good friends if you know what I mean. She overdosed on
heroin shortly before the release of the record. We did some last minute cover changes to add her to the cover as some sort of dedication.

How is the US treating you and what have your best band times been so far? Any good groupie stories?

SKYLA: The U.S has been good so far. Getting to play our hometowns have been a blast. There are plenty of groupie stories. Some good and some bad, but all have been fun in there own way. I'd rather not go into details.You'll just have to wait for the DVD.

CHRISTIAN: We had some great shows on tour...Mt. Pleasant, MI; Spread Eagle, WI; Columbus, OH & San Francisco were all pretty memorable.

AUGUST: The US has been great. We have gotten a ton of support from some
cool rock stations around the country. We also had some great clubs that took rally good care of us when we went on tour. And of course the fans all rock.

What are your full names and why did you shorten them?

SKYLA: Skyla Talon. We like keeping things simple.

AUGUST: August

What made you cover 'Just like heaven' by The Cure?

SKYLA: It's one of those songs that everyone in the band was a fan of. We recorded it for fun. It ended up sounding a lot better than we thought so it was added to the CD.

CHRISTIAN: We really liked the song and thought we could make it a little dirtier.

AUGUST: It was a song that we messed around with in rehearsal and eventually tried live. It went over really well and just stuck from there.

How did the band meet and how long have you been going?

SKYLA: We all knew each other before in Michigan. We all one by one eventually ended up in California. We formed in 1999.

AUGUST: We've been writing and playing together for years. After playing together in Detroit we all tried a few other projects but realized we really needed to get back together. I think only 'we' and put up with 'us'.

How much control do you have over your music since you are signed kinda to EMI?

SKYLA: We have total control over our music. We basically do what we want. Since I had the honor to produce the CD I got to determine the bands sound the way we wanted it.

AUGUST: EMI has been great to us, as have the guys over at 2KSounds. They
really let us do our own thing and have a lot of control over how this band works. It's been a great relationship.

Who are your fave musical and vocal influences and why?

SKYLA: I have always been a fan of early Crue and the Cult, as well as other early 80's Rock/Glam. There was a sufficient amount of Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll and to me that's a nice way to live.

CHRISTIAN: Big influences on me have been Axl Rose, Rod Stewart, Billy Idol, Stevie Rachelle, and many many others. Those are the ones I can think of right now.

AUGUST: There are so many to name, but early on the people who made me want to get into a band were guys like Izzy Stradlin, Tracii Guns and of course Ace.

What are your fave songs on the album and what influenced them?

SKYLA: Each song hits me a little differently so it's hard to have a favorite.

CHRISTIAN: Down From My Cloud - About not letting others drag you down...be
yourself.

AUGUST: It seems to change every day for me, but lately I've been really been liking "Maybe I'm Afraid".

Do you plan to come over to Europe? Tour with who?

SKYLA: No plans at this time but we would like to arrange that into this years schedule.

CHRISTIAN: We would love to...We would tour with anyone.

Ultimate band(s) to tour with and why?

SKYLA: I don't think it matters who we play with as long as we are playing.

CHRISTIAN: I would love tour with Motley Crue, AC/DC, KISS, Aerosmith, Guns
N'Roses, Murderdolls, Marilyn Manson...

AUGUST: Another tough question. Backyard Babies or Hardcore Superstar would be cool. I've heard Hanoi Rocks is touring this summer...I'd kill to be on that bill.

What's Tarzana, Ca like to live in?

SKYLA: Everyone is scattered throughout the Los Angeles area. Tarzana is more less a central location set up for our fan base. We spend most our time in Hollywood drinking.

AUGUST: Los Angeles in general fucking rules. If you are reading this, move hear now!

What are your fave clubs and why?

SKYLA: Rock and Strip clubs !! Best nights out?

I think I can enjoy myself anywhere there are naked girls. I could never just pick one club. Some of our best nights out have been while we are on the road.

AUGUST: Strip clubs primarily and of course the Rainbow! Viper Room is
cool.

Who's out of their mind in the song 'Outta mind' - what influenced it?

SKYLA: I think Christian wrote that about himself.

CHRISTIAN: It's just kind of about having a friend, loved one, etc who has
kind of lost it.

Is 'Sometimes you're strange' a true story - what influenced it?

CHRISTIAN: It's not really 100% true, just kind of dramatization of a relationship gone bad. I think we all can relate to it.

What influenced the acoustic style of 'Slip'?

SKYLA: "Slip" is a song Christian and I wrote long before Killingbird. It
was just one of those songs that stuck with us.

A big thank-you to the Guys in Killingbird