American Sugar Bitch
I've known about American Sugar Bitch for quite some time now. A few months
ago, I was invited to a show which, sad to say, I couldn't attend. But, my
good friend, Pete Madison, went and, with tape recorder in hand, he sat
down with the entire band and did an on the spot interview.
When he gave me the tape to edit, I couldn't really make out who said what.
So, when it came time to type this up, I decided to combine all their
answers into one. So, as you're reading this, please keep in mind that the
entire band answered the questions.
Shortly after this interview was conducted, guitarist Joe Corcoran decided
to leave the band due to personal reasons. In a recent e-mail I recieved
from the band, it mentioned that Tommy Crash of Sinn has officially joined
American Sugar Bitch.
They'll be back out on the road soon. They've got a new show, new tunes and
a new CD on the way. You can get their current release for only five
dollars. Be sure to check out their web page for more information.
With that said, here's the interview, conducted by Pete Madison.
Pete: First of all, American Sugar Bitch is a rather unique name. Who came
up with it and why?
ASB: Why? Because we couldn't think of anything else. We all came to the
table with a list of names and we combined them. We all hated each others
names. So, we picked one word off each of our sheets and we put 'em together.
Pete: Have you gotten any flack because of the name?
ASB: Only from our mothers!
Pete: What's the definition of an American Sugar Bitch?
ASB: Our bass player!
Pete: How long did it take to record your CD?
ASB: Two years. But, it seemed like ten. It was a long time. We actually
did everything ourselves. Joe did most of it. He did all the recording, all
the mixing. We did experimental takes on everything before we actually
burned it on to a CD. A lot of trial and error because we were using
digital equipment.
Pete: There's a lot of different musical styles on this album. Rap metal,
early punk, early Motley Crue, stuff like that. Was that your original idea
or was it just, let's record the stuff and see how it turns out?
ASB: It's just how it came out. The rap metal song, Joe wrote it as a joke.
It was real vile, a lot of cursing and shit like that. So, I re-wrote the
lyrics and I fought him all the way to do the song. He was fighting me.
"Hey, it's a joke song!" But, I thought it was real catchy and I liked it.
So, I kept pushing and now he likes it. I had to pry it out of him and he
wrote it. But, he didn't take it seriously until we actually got it down. A
lot of people really seem to like it.
Pete: Was it different being in the studio this time as compared to some of
the other bands that you guys were in? Like, what was the vibe, was it
different?
ASB: Completely different. We had all the time in the world. Very relaxed.
We had time to do multiple takes and, basically, we did pre-production for
a year and a half before we put it together. So, it was really cool.
Pete: There's a naked body on the cover...who had the idea for that?
ASB: That's our designer, Sid. She does our web page. People have been
asking who the chicks are. But, we can't really say.
Pete: Any radio airplay? If so, how's it going?
ASB: Radio? We actually got some radio airplay. The songs that don't have
any cursing in it. So far, it's going good.
Pete: Your look and image, it's very cool, very theatrical. How does it
compare to the stage show?
ASB: It's pretty much right along with what we're trying to accomplish,
which is really entertainment. Just a big show. We're trying to bring that
back. I've said this ever since I was a kid. You can go and get a six pack
and listen to Pink Floyd or you could go see 'em, it's the same thing. When
you go to see Kiss, you walk out, you're blown away.
Pete: Until they started playing fashion shows.
ASB: True, true. It's like, when you go to see a band that's up there,
jumpin' around, you get your moneys worth. We wanna give people something
to be excited about. We're giving the audience entertainment...that's what
they want.
Pete: That's what I myself like to see. Not only does the music have to
sound good, I want to be visually entertained.
ASB: Exactly. It's like when you jerk off...you don't usually jerk off
without pornography. You have to look at something. If you wanna jerk off
to us, go ahead!
Pete: You guys brought up Kiss and Pink Floyd, would you say those bands
are your influences?
ASB: We all have a lot of different influences. Yes, Pink Floyd, Alice In
Chains, Wasp, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley, anything that's good. We all pretty
much have a common thread with Kiss.
Pete: Back to the theatrical thing. Do you think a lot of bands are kind of
missing that point in terms of the stage show where they're playing and
they're not exactly reacting to it?
ASB: Absolutely, no question about it. It's been missing for too long. Look
at The Cranberries. I saw them on television and I would never go to see
them live. You could put a cardboard cut out up there, you know, it's the
same freakin' thing. It's an energy, there's a certain vibe, there's a
certain mystery that goes with the energy of rock 'n' roll and it's been
missing for way too long. Take Bruce Springsteen for example. Now, I'm not
a fan. But, that freakin' guy gives it everything he's got when he plays.
You've gotta hand it to him for that. That's what it's all about. People
feed off of that.
Pete: As far as questions go, that's all I've got for you. Is there
anything you would would like to add?
ASB: We want more chicks with big giant tits and shaved beaver. If they
show a lot of skin, they can get on the web page. We have this cool section
on our page of people who come to our shows and show a lot of skin and we
like to add to our collection. Have you seen it? If not, check it out!
http://www.americansugarbitch.com