What Kittie Says
When it comes to girls being tough, Kittie dominates over previous attempts, like The Runaways, Girlschool, maybe even Sleater-Kinney. Getting a chance to chat with Kittie’s Morgan Lander was a joy and an honor. Like some of rock and metal’s hardest acts, the artists involved in creating rip the paint off walls distortion are often the kindest people you’d meet. Such was the encounter with this true lady.
What are some of the biggest victories and the biggest challenges that Kittie faces right now in this point in your career?
Oh wow, haha. This is a tough question that I could possibly go on forever and ever. I mean, obviously in terms of victories: being able to overcome all the obstacles that we have overcome in these past few years is a victory in itself. You know, just being here still as a band and being able to create and be musical and play in front of people is a victory for me as well. You know, we had a lot of success really early on, and in some ways I think it was too much too soon. Um, back when our first album came out and after that we had a lot of trouble with our previous label as well as, you know, a number of line-up changes ... and just to be able to have a second chance at, you know, proving ourselves as a band, and sort of being reborn anew is, um, a victory in itself. That I’m able to talk to you sitting here in the back of a tour bus riding through North Carolina – we are so amazingly grateful to still be a band. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that after being in the industry for a good 8 years and sort of learning as we go along... you know, I guess have taken control of our situation and we’ve started our own label, so that’s really cool – being able to be in control and that’s sort of what has given us our second chance. As far as challenges, they kinda go hand in hand, you know? It’s a challenge of continuing to be a band, to get along, to further ourselves musically. These are all things we readily take on as challenges, but I think it needs to be recognized – not just for being women in a band... I think it’s definitely something that we’ll have to overcome eventually, but I think things are definitely starting to open up in terms of peoples’ acceptance of women in hard rock and metal. Definitely in the mainstream it’s a lot easier now, but still people tend to, you know, pigeonhole bands and … uh, I think it’s kinda unfortunate. I mean, if we were solely relying on a novelty, I don’t think we would still be here. So, there is obviously some substance going on with the music... I don’t know, like I said, I’m just happy to be here. I think we’ve been given a 2nd chance and we are just so grateful for it.
If you were honest and had to categorize, um, some of your favorite bands or bands you listen to quite often into 3 different categories. 1 category was: “I kinda listen to this so people can hear me listening to this and build credibility”; 1 category is: “I listen to this and I close my eyes and I’m kinda in heavenly bliss; I don’t care what anybody else thinks; it just brings a smile to my face”; And other music you listen to, to maybe challenge yourself or pay attention to what the artist is doing, in more of an analytical musician sort of way...
Wow, um… that’s difficult. I mean, my tastes have definitely changed a lot over the years. I think, you know, the way that we express ourselves is through hard rock and metal music. But, as I’ve gotten older I definitely don’t listen to it as much anymore. And, usually when I go back and listen to some of the bands I used to listen to ... you know, 7 or 8 years ago, it’s more of a nostalgic thing for me. And, so I would probably have to put a lot of the, like, death metal, you know, power metal, you know Swedish kinda style metal in that first category of, you know, I’m listening to it, I listen to it because, you know, I draw from it, you know, because it’s metal music, but its not necessarily something that I listen to, to challenge myself and, you know, ‘I have to be metal, because I’m in a metal band.’ You know what I’m sayin? Haha. So, I would put that in the first category. I don’t know, I think that the 2nd and 3rd category kinda go together a little bit. I’ve never really been ashamed of any kind of music that I’ve ever listened to. But for me, there is a lot of stuff that’s definitely on the lighter side of things. Bands like Far, the Gathering, even, like Massive Attack, that sort of thing for me is music that ... Code 7, even .... uh, bands that I enjoy listening to because they’re different and they’re musically kind of challenging. For me, it’s not always about the message and what they’re singing; it’s a lot more about the emotions that are being conveyed, and I can appreciate that kind of different style of music, because I don’t think it’s something that I could ever do, and so I appreciate the variety.
What Kittie Says - Finish this feature by Doug Van Pelt in the new HM Magazine. Available now, Issue 131 can be found at select stores or for a reduced subscription rate.
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