Newspaper Page Text
Page 6
• flagpole Magazine
April 8, 1892
Hot Lava in Aphrodisia
I have never made any bones about my affection for
Lava Love. They’re cute, feisty, sexy, and damned good
musicians. Their new album Aphrodisia is a hit parade of
lustful angst and relationships gone good or bad. And
there's that Esta Hill, one of my favorite dreams.
The band sprouted up when Hill, Drew Cavins and
Paul Bracken found themselves living in the same trailer
park . They hung out at Esta’s place because she had a
satellite dish. Dianna "Cookie“ Brindle was wooed away
/' om Romeo Cologne Trailer Light Orchestra by a bribe (that
she’s still waiting for), and eventually they got the services
of Drew Richardson (late of Fetchin’ Bones). Since then it’s
all been ablur, says Esta. “You know how it is.... thedames,
the drinks, the laughs..."
Naturally, I jumped at the chance to do a phoner with
Esta. It’s pretty obvious that I woke her up, even though she
graciously pretested that I didn’t. So the interview took off
on a groggy note. But once she woke up, her bubbly
personality began to shine, and it turned out to be a most
enjoyable 45 minutes of conversation and laughter. The
band will play the Colorbox on Thursday night, April 9.
Flagpole: So, you have a new record. I like it a lot.
Esta Hill: Well, thank you, we’re very very proud of it.
FP: Can you tell me a little about what went into making this
new one?
EH: Ummm. well, the past couple of years we’ve been
touring a lot on our old record, and I guess we've done a lot
of toughening up over the last couple of years, changing.
Although this record isn’t all that different from our last one,
it’s more mature. What went into it? A lot of our sweat and
tears. There hasn't been any blood yet, but I’m sure it's
coming.
FP: Oh, you guys aren't about to come to blows over this
thing, are you?
EH: No, I mean we worked very hard and sacrificed a lot
for this record, and well that's basically the gist of it. About
half of this one was written around the time our first record
was released, and the other half was written all of last year.
FP: What is your writing process like?
EH: Well, there’s no formula. The core of the songwriting
is me and Drew (Cavins, guitarist) and Paul (Bracken,
bassist) to some extent. And then the others add their parts,
and if their part is really critical to the song, then we give
them songwriting credit too. Music and lyrics though, are
done by me and Drew. There is no formula, although most
of the lyrics are mine.
FP: One would get the impression—let me go with the title
of the album,"Aphrodisia *—there seems to be a running
theme through the whoie album, through the band's stage
presence, which is very sexual. Is that intended?
EH: Well, Aphrodisia, we really intended for that word to be
like the name of a place, like Rhodesia. Kinda like a state
of mind. Plus we wanted to pay tribute to the Goddess of
Love. Yeah, I guess that sexual themes, sex, sensuality has
a huge impact on the band. The songs are about lust versus
love, relationships, and love, and sex, and pornography,
and voyeurism, and that kind of stuff. I don’t think that was
our main intent. Aphrodisia seemed to fit the theme of the
album. And the cover...
FP:... oysters & champagne...
EH: ...yeah, it's kinda romantic and sensual, and it all fits.
FP: And your live shows are kinda exuberant...
EH: Yeah, exuberant. That’s it. You see, I don’t really see
them as being sexual, I see them as being a joyous
celebration of sensualtiy. Not as being nasty, dirty.
FP: Is there a difference between sexy and sexual?
“...In Rolling Stone or Creem,
they're not going to write about
acts unless you're one of the
advertisers
EH: Some people are just sexual beings. They just walk
around and don’t even know it. But then there are some
people who have to try to be sexy, maybe they accomplish
that. I know that when I'm onstage, I'm not trying to be sexy ..
FP: Now you guys did the new album with Mitch Easter
How do you think he influences the band?
EH: I think the best influence is that he doesn't limit us.
When we get into the studio, he doesn’t try to limit us. I think
he wishes that we were a bit more over the top. We’re
probably a bit more conservative than the way he dreams
of us being. He loves to try new things, and play with all the
new kinds of studio toys. We have a really good time with
him. I can’t imagine us doing another record with anyone
else; that’s how much he means to me. It’s so much fun.
FP: I've always liked his productions a lot. ..
EH: I ’m glad you’re bringing him up, he’s such a great
natural resource of the South, and I think he’s being ignored
these days...
FP: You're still very much an independent band You
release your own records, and don t get any tour support.
Are you getting any nibbles from the majors yet?
EH: We’ve had a few nibbles. The main thing is that we're
doing something that really isn’t in vogue right now. In fact,
we’ve gotten a couple of rejection letters from some major
labels who have said that we would have no problem
getting signed right now if we were from Seattle. That’s the
truth! MCA did make a reference in their letter that they
wished we were from Seattle. Isn't that ridiculous?
FP: Being from Atlanta means they can’t market you as the
next Nirvana...
EH: We’re not from Seattle, we’re not doing grunge, and
we’re a real band. What do they do with us? There aren’t
very many bands out there playing their own instruments
these days, and if they are, they’re from Seattle.
FP: Are you showcasing?
EH: We go out and tour, and if it happens, it happens.
Maybe that’s why we’re not on a major label, because we’re
not trying hard enough. Basically, it would be nice to have
more people to hear our records. Sky is trying really hard
to get us on radio and get us publicity, but when you’re on
our level, it’s really hard. As far as the national press goes,
national press is owned by the record companies who do
advertising, and someone like Sky can’t really afford to run
an ad in something like Rolling Stone or Creem, and they're
not going to write about acts, unless you are one of the
advertisers. As far as freedom of the press is concerned,
it’s basically owned lock stock and barrel.
FP: How are the reviews going on Aphrodisia?
EH: They’ve been really good. The only slam that we’ve
gotten is from our hometown, and that's David T. Lindsey...
FP: Of the cities you visit on tour, where do you think the
strongest following is?
EH: We get a good hometown crowd, and we do really well
in parts of North Carolina, like Nags Head, and parts of Florida,
and bits and pieces of Alabama and Virginia. We just die in
Tuscaloosa or Birmingham, but Mobile has a loyal audience.
Let me tell you. New Jersey is kinda like the Alabama of the
north...New York, though, is fabulous. We get great audi
ences there, and it’s not anything like the stereotypical
image of New York at all. The club owners are nicer and the
audiences are nicer. Everything is a gamble in the north,
though, because there’s so much competition.
FP: Are you supporting yourselves with the band, or do you
have to pick up the odd job here and there?
EH: Well, it's kinda weird. I didn’t have a job while we made
t. .e record, so we took a few months off before we made the
record, so I got a job as a bartender. Last year, I made
about S6000 from the band, and about $1000 from bar-
tending. We’re barely surviving, but we're making it.
FP: But you have to suffer for your art...
EH: ...ain't that the truth.
j.e. sumrell
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