INTERVIEW - VANITY BLVD
By Helen Hosie
When it comes to Sleaze/Rock we all know that no one does it better than
the Swedish. This is where the diamond in the rough that is Vanity BLVD
hail from. With the rocking, mesmerizing vocals of front woman, Anna
Savage to the hard hitting drums that is Frecko. The God with a guitar,
that would be Traci Trexx and last but by no means least we have the
bassist with balls and newcomer to the band, Pete Ash. How would I describe
Vanity BLVD????? They have a sound that fills a void in the music
industry, they offer something that is new, raw and enticing. Music that
keeps you hungry and wanting more.
I caught up with the guys and gal, not long ago and their interesting people to say the least. Here is how it went.
As Always, enjoy - I DID !!!!!!!!!!!!
Helen H x
Helen H : - First up Thank you for taking time out to talk with us here at The Rockpit.
Full Band : - Our pleasure …….
Helen H :- For anyone who hasn’t heard of Vanity BLVD, How would you describe the sound and style of the band.?????
Anna Savage:- Vanity BLVD, is a Rock n’ Roll with blues and soul
inspirations. We take our inspirations from many different places and
make it into our own sound. We always had that vision that a good song is a
good song, no matter what. We put a lot of heart and soul into our music
and we don’t think too much around the song, we do what we feel is best for
the track, then bringing it to life. When you come to a Vanity BLVD gig, we
will sure show the audience a good time. We always make sure that we reach
out to the fans as much as possible, and make sure they have as much fun as
we have.
Helen H :- That’s a good attitude to have, without your audience/fans a
band is nothing, a factor most bands forget, but one you embrace.
Anna Savage ;- Our fans are always important to us.
Helen H ;- Anna in my opinion you have an amazing vocal talent. How long
have you been singing? Also who are your influences and inspirations?
Anna Savage:- Thank you, I have been singing since the day I could talk
*Both laugh*
When I was a kid, I loved to perform and set up shows for my beloved
family and friends, who patiently sat down and watched me strut around and
sing my ass off (laughs) When I was 8yrs old I joined a musical where I sang, danced and performed at a theatre after
school, we set up around six different musicals, the year I turned 10yrs
old I was in music class at school where I played flute, horn and
saxophone. At sixteen I went to the public music school in Stockholm,
studying music for three years. The last year at school I found some good
musicians outside school in a city called Avesta, we had the same idea
about what we wanted the music to sound like. My inspirations come from
every corner of the music industry. From Luciano Pavarotti to Pantera. But
to name a few important names that made a difference in my life, I would
probably have to say, David Coverdale, Lita Ford, Jeff Keith, Ann Wilson,
Paul Rodgers and Thäström.
Helen H. - wow !!!!! So it’s safe to say you have a wide and diverse taste
in music. I think that is important for an artist as it leaves them open to
trying new styles in their own artistic direction.
Anna Savage :- Agreed it is important to keep an open mind, I am very passionate about all types of music.
Helen H:- Frecko, you’re the drummer of the band. How long have you been playing and who have been your inspirations been through life?
Frecko:- I’ve been playing drums since early in my life, I would say round about 15yrs on and off. I started off as a guitarist when I was young then ended up being interested in drums mostly to get my stress relief from and waste some pent up energy. I hit the drums most days, I have a few inspirations when it comes to drumming, Dave Abbruzzese (ex Pearl Jam) Igor Cavalera (ex Sepultura) and Tommy Lee, he has always been there in the background for inspirations.
Helen H:- I have to admit Tommy Lee has to be my all time favorite . Pete you’re the newest addition of the band, can you tell The Rockpit readers how you joined the band?
Pete Ash:- I got to know the looney bunch (BOTH LAUGH) a couple of
years ago and we were jamming for fun for a year back then. I was later
asked to fill in on a gig for their former bassist that couldn’t make it to
that gig. After that our contact was mostly online cause of distance but in
August and September they all started to make contact more often again,
like every day , just to check if things were alright and I got the hint
that something was about to happen. Then one night I got a phone call from
Traci, they were having a band meeting and I got asked one short
question………… “You Wanna Join The Band “ of course I said “ HELL
YEAH”!!!!!!!!
Helen H:- Traci you are Vanity BLVD’s guitarist, who is your favorite guitarist and how long have you been playing?
Traci Trexx:- I love Jimi Henrix as a number one guitarist of all
time……he created the music style “Hard Rock” we have him to thank for that.
Same as Guns n Roses…….Slash and Izzy are amazing guitarists and amazing
riff makers, the hybrid mix of rock and blues is fascinating. For the last
I am very influenced by Billy Idol’s super guitarist Steve Stevens….. I
love his style and passion. I have been playing since 1994, I guess so much
time and practice I have given to learning guitar but I need to feed my
passion.
Helen H:- Which bands would you say Traci influence you the most?
Traci Trexx:- Mötley Crûe……they are like the heavy groovy answer of Kiss for the 80s everything that reminds me of Kiss music….. Something happy, something you can dance and party to when you listening to it. So yes, Mötley and Kiss are a big influence. Alice Cooper´s music has influenced me a lot. There is a lot of inspiration from Aerosmith In our music -also Saraya… They are so cool, they touch my heart every time I listen to them. Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard and Journey when it comes to ballads we have a nice sensitive touch.
Helen H:- you have all given us some blinding bands there very rock n roll
Traci Trexx :- oh yeah it’s all about the rock n roll
(All laugh)
Helen H:- has there ever been an album, regardless of genre that has had a profounding effect on your life?
Pete Ash -My genre has always been rock n roll and my first two albums I ever bought of course had a huge impact on me. I listen to” Balls To The Wall” by Accept when I was going to bed as a ten year old kid and the year after I got ” Shout At The Devil” by Mötley Crûe and by then I was hooked for life. Later on in my teens I think there is four albums that sort of ultimate rock n roll albums and I still listen to them very often they would be” Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns n Roses, Skid Row first album and then their second “Slave To The Grind “and last but not least” A Bit of What You Fancy” by the Quireboys.
Helen H:- Over the decades there has been a lot of great music…. Which decade would you personally say rocked?
Pete Ash:- The 80’s without any competition
Helen H :- Your debut album rocked when writing new material where do you draw inspiration from?
Traci Trexx :- Thank you so much, inspiration comes from what mood we are in when I grab my guitar mostly the best tunes comes out when you are in the blues… It gets the best feelings and you get the perfect groove.
Helen H :- From all the tracks on the album, which is your favorite and the one you love to perform most?
Frecko:- I say 4 the love of rock roll and come dance are my favorite
songs on the album I do love to perform 4 the love of rock n roll live and
talk of the town is a great one to end the show with fast and hard.
Helen H:- Talk of the town has always been one of my favorites.
Helen H :- Anna what do you think of other female fronted bands that are around at the moment?
Anna Savage:- I don’t know that many female fronted bands that are around at the moment, it really doesn’t matter to me if you are a women or man, when it comes around to it it’s about the band or artist and not the gender.
Helen H:- Is there any individual artist or band, that Vanity BLVD would love to collaborate with?
Anna Savage:- Personally I would love to work with Whitesnake I have
listened to them for 14 years and David Coverdale is one of my biggest
heroes in music. So I would be honored to collaborate with him/them
otherwise I think we would get along fine with most bands and artists.
Helen H:- If you got the chance to tour with any band, what band would it be?
Traci Trexx.- I would love to play Mötley Crûe, Rolling Stones and Kiss, that’s my dream to be a support act for them
Helen H:- Frecko, you have been in Vanity BLVD from the beginning. What direction do you want to see the band take in 2012?
Frecko:- I want to see Vanity doing more gig dates a tour would be really good we are going into the studio to record a new album at august of this year getting our merchandise and live gigs out there to reach our fans around the world.
Helen H :- By the sounds of things Vanity Blvd are going to be very busy this year
Helen H:- which process do you view as the best potentially for Vanity
BLVD, to gain more promotion and a wider audience? What has experience
with internet promoting been like so far?
Frecko:- I would say networking as in Facebook, Myspace, Youtube and such
websites are pretty good potentially to get a band out there to an
audience. Spreading the band name out is always good to promote the band
website every day of course live gigs are the best for promoting so it’s
easy to say that internet promoting is free and good for us.
Helen H:- Indeed it definitely is the way forward for the music industry as we all know. You recently started to target the UK, how’s things going with that?
Pete Ash:- We’re making progress with our UK agenda, we are promoting for
different mags and stuff and we do get response from fans in the UK
already. We have only been targeting the UK for two months and it’s going
great so far. We are defiantly coming over to the UK for shows as soon as
we have a solid fan base there.
Helen H:- I think it’s about time that the UK had a bit of Vanity BLVD most definitely.
All band members :- Agreed -the UK need us!
Helen H :- Record labels have a reputation for leaning on artists and
pushing then in a particular direction musically. What has your experience
been like with your label GAIN?
Frecko:- Well for me I think that the band and label should meet half way
and discuss potential promotions, ideas and so on and try together to reach
the goal. That really never happened for us, which is sad really that it
didn’t happened. I am not slagging of Gain but a bit of an effort for a
signed band such as Vanity would have been a nice move from them.
Helen H:- I agree 100 percent when a band signs to a label all bands on that label should be treated equally and sadly this does not always happen. What do you think about the music industry as a whole right now?
Traci Trexx Holy cow…..It’s totally fucked up, some of the stuff out there
at the minute is bullshit. I just don’t get some of it what is the problem
with people these days (laughs) the industry are signing the same old bands
with nothing original I think it should be like the thinking of the 70’s
and 80’s “if you can’t sing or you can’t play you ain’t getting signed”
(laughs)
Helen H:- I agree with some of the bands that are around today I just
want to scream give me something new give me something original not the
same shit I heard before
Traci Trexx:- Yeah there are so many bands out there that deserve a shot and it makes me angry that these bands work there asses off and get nothing and others get it handed to them on a plate. But hey that’s part and parcel of the music industry, it’s just your damn luck.
Helen H:- Are you working on any new recordings at the moment, and are you able to reveal any longer term plans for release?
Anna Savage:- We are working on our second album at the moment, which will be recorded in August this year no actual date is set for the release but shortly after I presume.
Helen H:- Great I can’t wait to hear the finished article. Frecko you recently relocated to Scotland. How have you adjusted and has it affected the band i.e rehearsals and such in any way?
Frecko:- Yes its true I am located in Scotland now and love made me move
from Sweden to Scotland. I really enjoy it here and I am feeling well
adjusted to the new life I love it. The band won’t be affected in any way
at all. I fly from Scotland for rehearsals and gigs and it does work very
well.
Helen H:- Awww love and rock n roll a good combination I wish you well (laughs)
Frecko:- (laughs) thank you.
*Both laugh.*
Helen H:- Pete here is some questions for fun, As I have a feeling you are the joker of the pack... You are trapped on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?
Pete Ash:- Acoustic guitar, matches and unlimited stock of beer. The
guitar to write songs and play for fun, matches so I can build a camp fire
if I ever run out of wood I will set fire of the guitar to warm me up and
the beer doesn’t really need an explanation.
Helen H :- if you had to choose a super power what would it be?
Pete Ash.- I would love to be inspector gadget if anyone remembers him if I can’t be him I would have mind reading powers, x-ray vision I don’t need cause I already know how to undress a women with my eyes.
Helen H:- (both laughs) yeah I remember inspector gadget with his go go gadget arms, his trench coat was a bit dodgy though I wonder what he had under that (laughs)
Pete Ash :- naughty (laughs)
Helen H:- you started it (laughs) - before we wrap this interview up do you have any messages for Vanity BLVD fans and The Rockpit readers?
Pete Ash:- For the fans and readers I personally would like to say thanks because without you we couldn’t do this, and be sure to look out for what’s coming your way. New album is planned, recording starts late summer 2012 we are gonna rock as many venues as we can just to reach our fans and make new ones stay tuned and get ready to be rocked.
Helen H :-Thank you all of you for talking to The Rockpit and we wish you all the best in your future and endeavors...
Vanity BLVD :- Thank You!