In This Moment Interview 2007
Jason: Your band started out in LA and used the internet as a promotional tool while starting out. How did you decide to use the internet to grow your band?
Maria: Yeah. We were just on MySpace and started a website on there for our band. It just started getting a lot of feedback really fast and kind of caught on. We thought hey since we're not signed and we don't have management and we wanted really to start touring that we knew that it would be a cool tool. So like when we roll through Connecticut or wherever we are basically that's the only way those people know who we are is because of the internet. So it helped. My guitar player Chris would sit on the computer every day adding friends. We'd made fun of him but it wound up helping us before we were signed. It's a great tool to use.
Jason: Especially now with the internet being so popular.
Maria: Yeah it is.
Jason: So this was a different way for you guys to get into the industry?
Maria: Yeah. Not necessarily the industry. I think it can help you with the industry. But it helped us get out there to the fans and the kids and people who don't know who you are. I think it does help with the industry as far as obviously if they see that your page gets 2,000 views a day they think like "huh, maybe there's something there". I think it's a small part though. Because you have to be good live. You have to be touring. There's so many things that incorporate what it takes. But I definitely think it can help unsigned bands for sure and then once you are signed you can keep in touch with fans throughout the world.
Jason: Now that you are signed with Century Media do you still actively participate in MySpace?
Maria: Yeah. I mean we're really busy now so we have some people who actually help us run the MySpace too. But yeah we still look on it all the time. We check it and really intimate messages that we get we respond to you. We really just try to still be involved with it as much as we can.
Jason: Since the album came out you've been constantly touring.
Maria: Yes. It hasn't stopped.
Jason: How has that been?
Maria: It's everything combined. You know. It's awesome. It's exhilarating. Just to have the opportunity to play in front of the crowds that we have. You know the tours we have been a part of like Ozzfest. Megadeth. You know. Next Ozzy. So we're so appreciative but we also do get tired of course sometimes. But it's like we're a new band and you have to pay your dues. You have to keep working hard so everyone knows who we are.
Jason: You've been called the breakout artist from Ozzfest and are now on some high profile touring packages. Did you expect any of this to come so quickly?
Maria: Well we're definitely like big dreamers and believe in manifesting your destiny. So we definitely had high hopes but we didn't think about all of this happening so fast from our album just coming out in March. We didn't think it would happen this fast. These opportunities that we're having. These bigger tours. Like playing Madison Square Garden. So it's definitely a bit mind blowing. We thought eventually we would get there but we didn't think this quick we would.
Jason: You have Blasko (Ozzy's bassist) as a manager.
Maria: Yeah.
Jason: How did he get involved with your band?
Maria: Um. He wrote us on MySpace. (laughs)
Jason: Really?
Maria: Yeah. One of his bands that he was managing or something like that told him about us. So he wrote us on MySpace and we didn't even think it was really him. We thought it was a joke. Then it was him. He wound up coming to our house a few times. Checking out our band. He said he wanted to manage us. So Mercenary Management has played a really big part with us. They work really hard for us. You know. Along with Century Media. But they're a big tool in like everything we've done.
Jason: You've been on two tours with Ozzy this year and when you're out on the road Blasko is also on that tour. Is there a bit of extra pressure because the manager is there watching you?
Maria: There is. It's like the principal being your dad. You know. You kind of like have to be an example and it's like your manager is there and we're always try to like you know. But he's also our friend and he's like family. So for me personally. Yeah. There's always a little bit of pressure.
Jason: As a female in the metal industry you are part of the new breed of America front-women. How does it feel to be part of that scene?
Maria: It feels great. It feels exhilarating. I feel strong. I feel good. I love metal. Rock. Pop. I love all music. I really do. I know there's not tons of women in metal in the United States. So just for us in general to be successful with music period feels great. Whatever genre people want to call us. Like people call us metal. Hard rock. Hard core. Metal core. I like it though when they call us all those different names. Because then it is not so easy to just put your finger on categorizing us. So I think that's actually a good thing. But it feels good. I feel happy.
Jason: Your band plays a mix of different music. You also sing in different styles. Where did you come up with the idea to mix screams with melodic vocals?
Maria: I just think that it's just kind of who I am. I don't know. It wasn't like I was like "hmm, I'm gonna like". Just one day I was singing and I definitely like to sing strong and push vocals. I'm just a really emotional person. I just wanted to let it out and just let out a scream one day at band practice. It just felt really good. The emotional part of it too. You know how when you get really stressed and you feel like the world is on your shoulders. You just want to scream. So it felt really great. So I just wanted to incorporate it and stuff. It wasn't even like I was like "yeah, I'm gonna be a heavy metal screamer and I'm gonna be just as tough as the boys". It's not even like that. It's just like I did it and it felt really good and this is where I am. (laughs)
Jason: Do you have bands you listen to that influenced your style?
Maria: Oh for sure. I love metal but like I said I love all genres of music. I love Sarah McLachlan. I love Deftones. Pantera. Metallica. I love. You know. I even loved Madonna when I was growing up. You know what I mean. So I'm definitely inspired by all different types of music.
Jason: You have a family. Is it tough being on the road with your son away from you?
Maria: Yeah. I mean the summers are easier because he comes out on tour. You know like Ozzfest. When he's not in school. But he's 14 years old my son. So he's popular and cool and like the captain of his football team. So he doesn't like to always be on the road. It makes me sad. It makes me frustrated sometimes. But at the same time he knows that everything I do, I do for us. It also makes me work harder because I know what I want to do and accomplish for us.
Jason: You wrote the song He Said Eternity for him too. How emotional was that?
Maria: It still is emotional. We did an acoustic show today. Earlier today. And I sung. We do that song acoustic too. The song I wrote for my son. I got all teary eyes. So yeah it still affects me. I'm an emotional person. I'm one of those people.
Jason: You've done a lot of touring with female bands such as Kittie, Walls Of Jericho, Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation. Do you want to be more involved in the female metal scene?
Maria: It wasn't like we necessarily did all those like saying we want to tour with girls. It just all kind of happened that we wound up touring with all of them and it was great. Like I get along great with Within Temptation. Cristina. Candace. Kittie. Like we all. It's good because I'm completely surrounded by men all the time. So it's really nice when I wind up on tour with a girl because we're women. There another bond there. So it always feels great. Me and Candace definitely hit it off great. Cristina too. She's so sweet. But I want to play in front of all genres. Like I want to play with everyone we can. We're playing with Ozzy. I mean god. You know. But I want to play with yeah women in metal. Women in rock. Men in rock. Deftones. Everybody. You know.
Jason: Now that you are gaining popularity how has it been with your female fans looking up to you?
Maria: It's definitely like. I don't know. It's a weird question. I'm definitely getting tons and tons of internet things and people writing me saying that they are really inspired by me and stuff. It's definitely flattering. If anyone was to think of me as a role model I definitely try to have a positive message. Especially young girls write me a lot. So I try give them a positive message and be positive.
Jason: You put on an aggressive stage show. Has that always been part of your personality?
Maria: I don't think I'm always that aggressive. But definitely the most challenging tour so far out of all of our tours that we've done is opening up for Megadeth. Because a lot of Megadeth fans are like hardcore Megadeth old school fans. So I think I'm a little bit more charged up for this tour than I always am. Definitely spunky and have a lot of energy on stage that's for sure. But I think I'm a little bit more aggressive for this tour. I don't know. It's going great though.
Jason: You wear interesting dresses on stage. Where do you get them from?
Maria: Yeah. I just love dresses period. I collect all kinds of dresses and things of the sort. I have a friend of mine who's a clothing designer. Her name is Sheri Bodell. She designs my stage dresses for me. Most of them. So yeah. I'm fortunate. (laughs)
Jason: You use your femininity on stage a lot.
Maria: Well yeah. I feel that I'm a feminine woman. That's why I feel strong. I definitely go back and forth because sometimes I'm pretty and you know and then you say I'm also aggressive and like "roaaaar" so I don't know. Maybe I'm schizophrenic and I don't know it. No I'm only kidding. (laughs) I like to still feel like a woman and be classy and still at the same time be able to be strong and have a high energy show. I try to balance it.
Jason: As far as the band goes. Have you started to work on material for a second follow up album yet?
Maria: Um. We're just now starting to realize that we really have to start doing that. So we're starting to write now. Because you know. Our new album will probably come out in like the beginning of 2009 so in theory in like seven months we will have to start getting ready to do our album. With our last album we had almost two years to write. So now it's like we're on the road so much it's gonna be like all of a sudden you know you have three months until you album. We're going to be like "oh my god". So we want to obviously step it up for our next album. So we're going to start writing on the road more. Starting to record. Starting to get ready to do that stuff.
Jason: You've done so well with the album and touring. What kind of expectations do you have for the future?
Maria: Um. Like I said. We want to really just work as hard as we can. I want this to be like full time careers. You know. Sell as many albums as we can. Some people are like "yeah, if you sell a million albums you're a sellout". That's ridiculous to me. We want to sell as many albums as we can. Work as hard as we can. Play the biggest venues that we can. Just keep this as our full time career. That's our goals.
Jason: You're doing a great job of it so far.
Maria: Thank you. We're trying. And having lots of fun doing it.
Sonic Cathedral would like to thank Maria for taking the time to perform this interview. More information can be found at the following websites: www.inthismoment.com and www.centurymedia.com.
