Saturday morning June 30th 2001. So, right off the bat, I'm excited as Swoop informs me that we're not only getting an interview with Darling Violetta, but that we're also getting to go in the studio with them while they rehearse. As we drive up to Los Angeles and have breakfast with Nikka, my mind is trying to think of all the questions I can get answered while I'm there and how overwhelming this is all going to be. Swoop and I, having parted ways with Nikka until later that evening, drive the dreaded 405 into the Valley to beautiful and hot, downtown Burbank. We pass the airport, the happy park, and countless industrial warehouses to eventually settle down outside an office building where I have about 30 minutes for Swoop to show me the finer points in the usage of digital cameras, in a barely passable manner. That minor detail out of the way, we proceed to the DV Rehearsal Studio to get the interview rolling.
The studio is a little misleading, as what looks completely like the front office/reception area is in fact a deserted area that nobody really uses (or at least not on Saturdays), and the actual entrance is a seemingly unimportant side door. Swoop and I figure this out not really on our own, but because a guy is carrying an amp in through that door. A brief query later, and 'a guy' turns out to be the newest member of Darling Violetta, bassist, Chris Pott. "Oh, you're here for us," he realizes, and Swoop returns, "You must be Chris, the one I haven't met". He leads us down to the studio DV shares with the Buffy famed band (Dingoes Ate My Baby) Four Star Mary. Signs of their presence are noticeable throughout the space and where Jymm Thomas [guitarist] and Steve McManus [drummer] are already setting up for the session. Steve puts it best with his succinct and direct greeting, "Dude!" and "Hey, there they are," from Jymm as he smiles with that boyish charm. At this point, I must sadly point out that Cami Elen [vocalist] was unavailable for the session, as she had prior obligations. It didn't take anything away from the day, it was still an unbelievably great time, but it did thwart my opportunity to dazzle her with my charm and wit. (Okay, so I was off in Seeker land there for a minute, but a guy can dream, right?)
Cami Elen in the Studio
The next few minutes are filled with introductions, a general break down of how the interview is going to go, and some ice breaking conversation. Chattering it up, I was quite impressed when Jymm stated that he had actually read my Article on KANE at CoA a couple months back and liked it. Jymm had never heard KANE and planned to join us for the evenings events later that night at the Viper Room to catch the country band whose front man was none other than Christian [Lindsay] Kane. I pride myself on my snappy banter, but right from the beginning, I can see I'm in exalted company as the guys break into a litany of off-the-cuff rhetoric and pop-culture references. Nurturing the kids along . . . it's like Indian food, same flavor but different. Leggos, same bricks . . . but new layers and Tinker toys . . more spices in the textures! It all makes DV who they are. They're a very easy going bunch, and it points out the irony of my breakfast thoughts. This wasn't at all overwhelming; it felt like we hang out with them all the time.
After a few sound tests, they played a couple of their new songs for us (sans vocals obviously), Bardot Barbiturate and Benediction (preview the song below). Both were rockin' tunes with rich base lines, a strong driving beat and that matrix combination of rhythm and melody of guitar, that will no doubt bode very well for the new CD. I was able to snap off a few pictures during the tunes, and for this, I was assigned the new moniker Camera Dude. (To be fair, I owe this to the band, Swoop had referred to me as camera-guy, and the band felt I should at least be upgraded to camera-dude for my efforts). It was here that Swoop began the Q & A portion of the program.
Chris Pott on Bass
We first had to welcome Chris Pott into this amazing ensemble. His addition to the band came about due to Atto Attie's departure, deciding to spend more quality time back home in Mexico City with his family. We asked Chris for a little background history as to where he hails and how he found DV. "Background history? Well, I grew up back east in the New York area, New Jersey actually." "Which means he's on the lamb from the mob," shouts Steve. "Holy Walnuts is on my trail," he retorts with a laugh. "I moved out here several years ago, I've been playing in a lot of different bands and I was doing a lot of hired gun kind of work for a while and looking for a real good, quality, original project to get involved with that I could really dedicate myself to. When I heard these guys were looking for somebody and heard their stuff for the first time - embarrassing, you probably know their stuff from earlier than I do, but once I did I was totally blown away and just said, 'Hey this a project I really want to be a part of,' lined up for the auditions and here I am." Well, lucky for the fans that DV saw something in Chris. His honest and open approach to their music will be an enjoyable add as well as his sense of humor. With his experience in various sources of music, his bass lines easily capture the mystical feel that encompasses their unique sounds which came true on their new work.
