AntiMusic.Com - Interview!

[Photo by Kayla Wren] 

Mick and I would like to thank music journalist Morley Seaver of AntiMusic.Com for taking the time to speak with us about the making of our album 'A Southern Revelation' and what we are currently working on in and around My Ruin. Morley is a longtime supporter of our band and it's always a pleasure speaking to him about our music. Below you will find the interview which we have re-posted from www.antimusic.com

xo

Mrs M 

  "It often seems like no other band has experienced more turbulence in their career than My Ruin. The list of infamous events is quite amazing. Consider this when you hear the next artiste complain about the backstage catering. Over the course of their 12 year career the band has dealt with: band members who have quit on the eve of recording sessions; a near-death experience during another recording session; labels signing and then turning their back the band; hired musicians who flip out on their employers during overseas tours; visa problems getting into and out of countries on tour and during recording; backlash from press regarding many matters unrelated to the actual product…. It goes on and on. Yeah, I know. All bands have encountered one or more of these setbacks. However try rolling them all together in one long string and also splitting all the heavy lifting between two people. There's no entourage, manager or record company families to help shoulder the burden. The latest nightmare came in the form of their record contract with Tiefdruck Musik for the record Ghosts & Good Stories in 2010. After enthusiastically courting the band, the label owner promptly changed gears and became Hyde to his previous Jekyll character, essentially "stealing" the band's album and leaving them high and dry. As sure as the sun coming up in the morning, there was only one alternative, the band sighed once again, dusted themselves off and merely went about the business of funneling their anger into what I consider to be their greatest outing yet. A Southern Revelation has been almost universally acknowledged by the rock press as a whoppingly savage yet brilliant piece of work.It's always a thrill and a pleasure to get to speak to my friends Tairrie B Murphy and Mick Murphy. We got together recently to talk about the crazy situation they had just come through as well as exciting plans for the future. I can't think of anybody I respect more in the music biz. As well as being one of my favorite bands, these are talented individuals who work incredibly hard despite often having the odds stacked against them. Other bands would have laid down and died. They keep fighting. You can still download A Southern Revelation for free HERE "   - Morley Seaver ----------

antiMusic: By this point, everybody knows what happened with your former label. How familiar were you with Tiefdruck Musik when you signed with them?

Tairrie: We didn't know much about the label. We did some research after they approached us but apparently it wasn't enough because shortly following the announcement of our signing we were contacted by an old friend [Shaun Glass of Soil & Dirge Within] who warned us not to trust the label owner Daniel Heerdmann based on his previous business dealings with him. Unfortunately it was too late as our album Ghosts and Good Stories was about to be delivered. We were concerned about what we were told and openly addressed it with Daniel who at the time seemed to have many well-oiled answers for all of our questions. He portrayed himself as professional and was very convincing in his act so we believed him. We've always believed that you get to know someone based on how they treat you, not rumors or gossip because we would like for people to do the same when it comes to us. In the beginning Daniel seemed like a cool guy and being that he was a former musician himself, he made it a point to relate to us and was very supportive of our band from all our Skype conversations and emails. He said he had been a fan of mine since he first saw me in Manhole when we toured Germany with Fear Factory back in 1996 and was excited about the album and working together. We were looking forward to meeting him and everyone at Tiefdruck when we went to Europe in the coming months for the tour we were planning at the time. Unfortunately we had no idea the little warning we had been given from Shaun about the man was indicative of what was to come with us but on a much bigger level.

antiMusic: Can you describe the chain of events that led to what you say was a breakdown in promises by the label boss? What were his reasons for not following through? Was this purely a personal vendetta and if so, why?

Tairrie: We have no idea what happened. There was no reason for him to have a personal vendetta against us but it certainly began to feel like he did as time progressed. Things were fine during the recording process and the relationship was great but as soon as we delivered our album artwork everything got weird. We quickly began to realize the guy was a total con artist and he seemed to have a split personality that was Jekyll & Hyde level scary. We've had to deal with some bizarre behavior over the course of our career but Daniel Heerdmann was by far the worst. His long time in house press officer Mona Miluski [vocalist of the German-based rock band A Million Miles] also left the label around this time. She was aware of everything behind the scenes and did not trust him or agree with the way he was conducting himself and treating his artists. It got to the point where we had to have our attorney step in to deal with him because his emails were so disrespectful and outrageous. On top of this, his lies had begun to affect our tour for which advance tickets had already started selling. This ultimately forced us to cancel our dates due to circumstances beyond our control and this was the turning point when put our band, career and reputation in jeopardy. We let our attorney know we were done and he agreed with our decision. We wanted nothing more to do with the label so we ended the relationship and stopped all communication with Daniel. He was a cancer that needed to be cut out.We continued to work with Mona who after leaving the label, started her own independent publicity company called Platinum PR. Mona helped me handle all the press for Ghosts and Good Stories on our own without Tiefdruck as well as the press on A Southern Revelation. Had Mona not had our backs they way she did at the time everything went down, G&GS would have been completely dead on arrival so we're very grateful for her loyalty to us as a friend and publicist. She's an amazingly strong woman as well as vocalist in her own band A Million Miles.

antiMusic: What was your reaction when things began to unfold with the label as they did? Describe the mixed emotion that you must have felt after delivering what I feel was your strongest work to that point and then, with the turn of events, wanting it to do well but not wanting it to financially benefit the label.
Mick: We felt betrayed and extremely angry because of the realization that we were working with just another liar. The music industry is full of them. It's impossible not to take it personally when you put so much of your life into your band while the label that has agreed to help support your new record and tour breaks their promises causing months of hard work and planning to go down the drain at the last minute. Our reaction was to start writing music and lyrics for what would soon become our 7th album A Southern Revelation. Tairrie: We invested a great deal of time and trust into what we were being led to believe was a real label run by a decent guy. We were fooled on both counts and we were angry. We had a right to be and we still are. Ghosts and Good Stories is one of our finest albums and we were very passionate about those recordings. It sickens us that it was given to this label to do nothing with and that so many people have not had the chance to hear it because he made such a mess of everything. My Ruin was not the first band Daniel Heerdmann manipulated into believing his lies and we were not the last from what we have heard. We are simply the first to go public with what he did rather than keep quiet like most bands do when this type of thing happens. Once we announced we would be releasing another album and offering it as a free download it was time to let our story out and the truth be told. This was when we were contacted by other artists who had been signed to his label sharing similar horror stories and some asking us for advice on what they should do in their current situations. The amount of bands this man has wronged is truly shocking. Apparently he also owes money to many people on other sides of the industry as well from what we've been told by editors and writers we've done interviews with.

antiMusic: Was this a one record deal?

Mick: It was a two record deal but we weren't about to give the label another album after all we had just gone through.

antiMusic: How did the idea of offering the record for free come up?

Tairrie: It was my idea. It came to me one evening while we were in Knoxville recording. I shared the idea with Mick and our co producer Joel to see how they felt about it and when they both liked the idea so I ran it by our attorney and press officer and everyone agreed it was the best way to release it. Simply put, it was our gift to the fans and our middle finger to Tiefdruck Musik.

antiMusic: What has been the response to this method?

Mick: It's been great. I think a lot of our fans were initially surprised that we chose to do this but we really had no other choice at the time. We're happy with our decision. Tairrie: When we released it many people began writing us asking if they could pay for it or donate towards our band in some way which was a nice surprise so we decided to create a donate button via pay pal on our site at www.myruin.net. Being that we do this all ourselves with no label it was great to feel that type of love and support. We truly appreciate it and our fans.

antiMusic: Have you heard from the label since the release of your new album and do you think Daniel has heard it?

Tairrie: Yes, we know he has heard it but no we have not heard from Daniel. We're not interested in anything he has to say at this point. Apparently Tiefdruck Musik is no longer functioning as a label. Ironically all the staff quit shortly after our album came out and the office in Hamburg, Germany has officially closed down. The label website is defunct as well. The link to it now goes directly to a store where he seems to be selling off the last of Tiefdruck's albums from his home address. It's a pretty sad state of affairs. He fooled so many bands into believing his bullshit over the years and seems to have no remorse or self respect. The music industry is a dirty world and it's rare that you deal with someone who is actually in it for the right reasons. There are a lot of Devils and deceitful people behind the scenes.

antiMusic: When you started writing the music, did you know that the songs would be addressing the situation with your former label? If so, did that affect the mood or direction of the music?

Mick: Yes. The mood of our albums usually comes from what we're feeling at the time. I was channeling my rage and frustration into the songs and Tairrie was doing the same thing in a letter which would eventually inspire many of the lyrics and song titles on the album.

antiMusic: At what point did the idea of an open letter or retribution record start to take shape in your mind?

Tairrie: We never planned on writing, much less recording another record so soon after releasing G&GS. It just happened naturally because of the situation we were going through at the time. We felt helpless and needed to vent so we did what we do best and wrote. The first song, which was "Reckoning" just sort of poured out of me like an open letter because much of it was initially written as one.

antiMusic: Where was the bulk of the music written, LA or Knoxville where you recorded the album?

Mick: The music was written and the pre-pro demos were made entirely at home in LA. Tairrie wrote the lyrics in both LA and Knoxville. She didn't demo anything with me beforehand; her first vocals were recorded in Knoxville and are on the album.

antiMusic: How did Knoxville influence the songs, if at all?

Mick: Knoxville influenced the overall vibe of the record in many ways. You can feel East Tennessee all through it, not to mention a cold chill that came with our recording in the dead of winter.

antiMusic: Usually I get you to break down the songs of a new record but in this case the material is pretty self-explanatory. Clearly songs like "The Soulless Beast" and "Highly Explosive" take direct aim at the label. What was the song that started it all for you and did you ever feel the need to have to rein in your venom?

Mick: "Reckoning" was the song that started the ball rolling. Some of the riffs were in a song that didn't get used during The Brutal Language era. I reworked it, played it for Tairrie and it came together very quickly. Tairrie: I've never really felt the need to rein in my venom because it's usually well deserved when delivered with an intended message. I've learned over the years to be as thoughtful as possible when it comes to my lyrical content because a song is timeless and I want the emotion of the words I write to stand the test of time no matter how many years pass from when I first recorded them. Sometimes a song comes easily but other times you have to work at it and dig deeper to find the right words to fit the story you are trying to tell. "Soulless Beast" is one of my favorite tracks on the new album because the music is very doom-laden and epic. It evoked a haunting feeling that spoke to me immediately when I heard it. I found myself drawn to the idea of wanting to paint a vivid lyrical portrait and describe a very dark side of a man and the evil that he was capable of which I felt we were experiencing first hand. The idea for this song came to me one evening in Knoxville while reading the Book of Revelation in the Bible. It sums up the album as a whole and the story behind why we felt the need to record it. "Highly Explosive" was actually based on one of many freaky emails which Daniel Heerdmann had sent to our attorney using this term to describe me. I couldn't resist throwing it back in his face because we found it so funny.

antiMusic: "The Soulless Beast" channels the essence of Mr. Iommi. Did you have his sound in your head while writing this one, Mick?

Mick: Yes, I was thinking about vintage Sabbath on that one with a nod to classic Aerosmith as well.

antiMusic: Tairrie, Mick has come up with some material that is a slight change up from your back catalog, in particular "Walk of Shame" and the intro to "Vultures" (which sounds like it was taken from The LVRS). Were these songs more of a challenge for you to fit your lyrics to / vocals over and were you surprised that because of your mood that the music Mick came up with wasn't quite as heavy as your last record?

Tairrie: I agree with your thoughts on "Vultures". It does have a LVRS vibe to it although that wasn't the intent. "Walk of Shame" was a slight challenge but "Vultures" came very easy for me to write and record because of the spoken word style delivery which I have always tried to incorporate into my vocals. My only difficulty with this song came from the subject matter itself.

antiMusic: "Vultures" has some pretty pointed declarations about friends. I assume it is at least partially directed to your former best friend (telling by the line "The sky is far and wide to London from LA"), among others, including former band members. At this point, considering you write that "every friend is a future enemy", are you now gun-shy with regards to personal and professional relationships?

Tairrie: Both "Vultures" and 'Tennessee Elegy' which was a eulogy for the death of a friendship, were inspired by the same person. There are no songs directed at former band members on this album and yes, we are extremely gun-shy in regards to all relationships we enter into these days whether business or personal, for good reason.

antiMusic: My favorite track on the record is "Walk of Shame". Tell us how that riff came to you and why you felt it fit in with the rest of the record.
Mick: That riff came from me just walking around the house playing guitar. We like to incorporate elements of classic rock in our music and "Walk of Shame" is one of those songs.

Tairrie: I have no idea. It just sort of presented itself as an idea one evening and although the lyrical content of this particular track really does not fit the overall theme of the album, the song seems to feel right at home.

antiMusic: Musically speaking, the material is not as lumbering as say Throat Full of Heart. Did you purposefully set out to take your foot of the gas pedal, so to speak?

Mick: Not necessarily. Those were the songs that came out of me at the time. I feel that ASR is very riff based and guitar oriented.

antiMusic: You guys do a wicked cover of "Mean Street" and it fits the record perfectly. What else was on your short list of covers and why did you settle on this one?

Mick: There was no short list. "Mean Street" was it.

antiMusic: You've started incorporating these cool little breaks in your songs that depart from the rest of the song like in "Walk of Shame", "Tennessee Elegy", and "The Soulless Beast". Thinking about it, this goes back for the first time to your little bass solo in "Cold Hands, Warm Heart", which admittedly is not quite the same. But when do you know what song would benefit from one of these segments?
Mick: Some songs just call for a "middle jam" or "departure section". I know when I'm arranging a tune what will work and what won't. We try to use a dynamic approach to our music with a few unexpected twists and turns to keep it interesting.

antiMusic: How did you come to record the songs with Joel Stooksbury in his studio?
Mick: Joel is a friend from the early 90's Knoxville, Tennessee music scene. His old band Immortal Chorus and my old band Hypertribe used to play shows together back in the day. He digs My Ruin and has an awesome studio (Soundtrack Black) in his home. The idea of recording there came up so Tairrie and I extended our Tennessee Christmas trip to do the record. It was an absolute pleasure and one of the best times we've ever had making an album. I think you can hear it in the recordings. Joel and his wife Mindy are truly great people.

antiMusic: Before we get to exciting news about upcoming plans, can you get some comfort out of the horrific situation with your former label from the knowledge that it produced what I consider to be your finest work to date, A Southern Revelation?
Tairrie: Well, I appreciate you saying that. I don't get a lot of comfort out of that because I felt and still feel really close to Ghost & Good Stories. It was a really precious record for me. Personally, it's my favorite My Ruin record. I love A Southern Revelation but that was a retribution record and that's one of the reasons on the new record that we're doing, I wanted to stay clear of that whole vibe. Ghosts & Good Stories was, for me…lyrically, musically, mentally, physically….such a heavy under taking. So much went into the making of that record and I feel like that man raped me. He took something really personal from me and I'm not sure if I can ever forgive that. That's why we felt so strongly about coming back the way we did with A Southern Revelation. Don't get me wrong, I love the record but I was in a very angry headspace when I was making it, as opposed to the darker headspace I was in when I made G&GS. I was seeking vengeance. Luckily I had a great time with Mick &Joel while we were recording. The environment and overall atmosphere during our time we were in the studio helped me emotionally get through it and allowed me to vent my frustrations the way I needed to at the time which was very healthy and therapeutic.

antiMusic: It's all supposition really, but do you think you had that record (A Southern Revelation) in you regardless or did the emotional upheaval of that whole scenario pretty much guarantee what you produced?

Tairrie: I think the emotional upheaval guaranteed it, yeah. The entire record was not dedicated to this man as a response to what he had put us through but a lot of it was extended from that situation and influenced by our state of mind at the time. Maybe it all happened for a reason or needed to happen in order for us to make that record. We would never have made it otherwise. It's very hard for me. I go back and forth with it. Knowing what I'm writing right now and where my head's at I probably wouldn't have written that record, the way I did if the circumstances had been different behind the scenes.

antiMusic: You're starting a new chapter in the book of My Ruin shortly with the recording of album #8 on the horizon. I realize you don't want to give away too much information at this point but will this one be a brother or sister record to A Southern Revelation or more like a distant cousin?

Tairrie: We often describe A Southern Revelation as the older, meaner sister to the moodier Ghosts & Good Stories but the new songs we're writing seem to be taking a bit of a different direction than both of those. While the new album has very dark and doom-laden elements, it's not an angry confrontation album. It's more introspective and there is an otherworldly ethereal feeling to it. I would say it's a very deep sleep-deprived record. I suffer heavily from insomnia. This is something which has plagued me most of my adult life. Mick on the other hand, can fall asleep very easily. It's something I envy. I'm often awake late at night and alone in my own head a lot. I tend to do most of my writing and being creative after midnight and into the witching hour. The new album definitely reflects this mood. There is a very hour of the wolf, esoteric vibe and feel to it.
antiMusic: Kind of like "Diggin for Ghosts?"

Tairrie: If I had to compare, I suppose it would be along the lines of "Diggin for Ghosts", "Long Dark Night", "Deathknell" and "The Soulless Beast".

antiMusic: Can you say in general terms any muse that played a role lyrically this time around?

Tairrie: I usually find something on my bookshelf that will inspire my thought process and this time around, I've been reading a lot of work by Sylvia Plath, Dorothy Parker, Anne Sexton, William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley. I also came across an old book of illustrations by Gustave Dore which really spoke to me along with a painting by Hans Memling. We're also covering a blues song that was originally recorded in 1958 by one of my long time favorite artists. He didn't write it but he certainly made it famous for the way he delivered it. It's very cool, sexy and tough. I think people are going to be shocked when they hear our twist on it but I think it's going to fit on the album nicely and although the lyrics were written for a man to sing, they are actually very appropriate for me [and a little bit sarcastic] given my reputation.

antiMusic: Mick is handling drum duties again on this record?

Tairrie: Yes, Mick has written all the music for the new album and will be playing drums and guitar as well as co producing with Joel Stooksbury at his studio once again but this time, we've asked Luciano Ferrea to play bass on the album. He's been in the band for a couple of years now and he's an awesome bass player and friend. Although Mick and I can easily make the album ourselves, we want to share the experience with Luciano this time so he'll be joining us in Knoxville.

antiMusic: What is the update with regards to a drummer for any live shows? Is Marcelo Palomino behind the kit for the next while?

Tairrie: Marcelo played our last LA show with us and he'll being doing a few more when we need him but I think we may be looking for a more permanent drummer in the future because music is not something he really wants to do full time. We've had a couple friends in other bands offer to sit in with us when we're ready to tour again so we're not stressing at the moment but it would be nice to find someone like Luciano, who can be a more permanent part of what we do. We've met a lot of freaks with crazy personalities along the way so we're not very open to letting just anyone in our band at this point. It's really hard to find a good drummer who is a good person, especially in LA and in the style of music we play. At the moment things are cool the way they are.

antiMusic: Yeah. Gigging around town is one thing but when you're stuck with somebody who is crazy when you're on the road must be a real problem.

Tairrie: Well, you never really know someone until you go on the road with them, that's the true test of a musician but it can also be the test of your patience if you're dealing with an asshole. It's like any relationship, you may think you know a person but often when you live with them, it's a different story. It's then you find out all their quirks and weird shit you had no idea about. Some people you can deal with and others you can't. There has to be a mutual respect and respect for each others space. Everybody gets on each other's nerves at times, especially when you're in close quarters like a van, hotel rooms or backstage but when people feel the need to go out of their way to act annoying it creates a really bad atmosphere for everyone. I've been touring for many years and I prefer to be around people who know how to handle themselves as adults and handle their alcohol if they drink. Not act ridiculous.

antiMusic: Congrats on the Xbox thing. How did that come about?

Tairrie: Thank you! It's very cool. They actually contacted us through an old friend of mine in UK. He dropped me an email one day which was a conversation between him and someone from company called That Authoring Group which works directly with Rock Band. He sent him a link to check out our new album and the guy really liked it so we started the conversation and ended up signing a deal with his company to have A Southern Revelation released on Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz later this summer. The first song "Walk of Shame" is already available for download and there will be more tracks coming in the following weeks.

antiMusic: Excellent. That's great.

Tairrie: Yes, it was very nice and unexpected that it came our way. We're happy that we were asked to be a part of it and hope to have our next record on it as well.

antiMusic: On top of your music, you're also still exercising your entrepreneurial spirit with your custom jewelry line you call Blasphemous Girl Designs. How was you last collection received and when can we expect the next one?

Tairrie: My last collection went great. I actually sold out of everything. I have a very loyal and devoted congregation of amazing women [and a few men] from all over the world that not only support my music but also my art and are a part of my BGD family. I try to create a new collection every few months and I always bring as many custom pieces as I can on tour with me to have in our merch booth so that fans can have something a bit more special and handmade. It feels more personal than just a typical t shirt or CD however, it's harder than it used to be traveling with lots of stuff because there are new laws now which limit the amount of luggage you can bring with you and on top of this, musicians aren't allowed to bring instruments on board without being charged extra baggage fees [unlike athletes with sports equipment] so it costs a lot more to travel and tour overseas these days. I have just put my finishing touches on a new collection for August which I am getting ready to photograph and online soon. The new collection features my signature leather & metal scapulars, rock candy rings, cameo rings & necklaces and reliquary pendants along with my first lockets & poison rings filled with solid perfume which are amazing! I also designed three custom rings with the London based jewelry company Seventh Circle Artworks. They deal in high-quality silver and metals. The owner Alex Palmer had seen my some of my BGD pieces online and approached me about doing a custom piece for the release of A Southern Revelation, so I designed this really cool seven-band knuckle style shield ring with him. The seven bands were in honor of our seventh album which included two rosary bands and a thick engraved center. We followed the original with a more simplified version of the full court design and a band. Each ring is handcrafted in England where it is oxidized and smoked to give it a subtle vintage, aged effect and features the Spanish inscription "Mi Ruina Por Vida" which means 'My Ruin for Life'. A true statement piece for your middle finger if ever there was one! Alex is a rocker himself and is in a band. He's an awesome guy and we had a great time working together and I hope we can again in the future. My collaboration with him follows on from SCA's other work with doom metal legends Saint Vitus, Candlemass, Macabre and VON, Kirk Windstein, Jimmy Bower and Philip H. Anselmo from Down alt. model/clothing designer Nina Kate and bass legend Ron Holzer of Trouble. antiMusic: In previous interviews with me, you have always been reluctant to draw attention to the various adversities that the band has faced with every record. At this point, it cannot be denied that you've faced more than your fair share of challenges. To quote 'Reckoning'… "Woke up today and saw our life flash right before our eyes. Were left for dead but once again from ashes we will rise". This incident is the latest in a career that would have sidelined lesser individuals. To what do you owe your resolve in not only surviving but actually thriving?
Tairrie: I wouldn't say that we've been reluctant to draw attention to many of the challenges we've faced because we actually confront them head on in our songs and have no problem calling people out on their bullshit which is most evident on our current album. Being in the music industry is often like being in an abusive relationship with someone you love and care for very deeply. It can be both wonderful and horrible depending on the day and situation. I sometimes wonder how we manage to have the heart and stamina to continue after all we've been through but we do because at the end of the day it's about the music. This is who we are.

antiMusic: What's next for My Ruin?

Tairrie: We recently premiered a new video for the song "Deconsecrated" which includes footage from our last UK tour earlier this year. It was filmed and edited by Tor Burrows of Notorious Design who co directed our previous video for "Tennessee Elegy" with me and is currently working on a documentary she filmed on My Ruin. We've been in pre production for the last two months here in LA for our next album which we are recording in August in Knoxville. There are also some interesting things going on behind the scenes for us at the moment which we're very excited about as a band and we hope to share soon.

www.antimusic.com

An Armchair Critic Interview with Mick Murphy!

Recently Mick spoke with Jonathan Taylor from An Armchair Critic.
Click HERE to visit his online music blog and check out his new interview below!

    [Photo by Kayla Wren]

"In the wake of a tour and the winding down of travel, the development of new material and the rigours of being in a strong and durable rock band, Tairrie B and Mick Murphy always find time to keep their supporters informed and included in their day to day life as My Ruin. When approaching this latest interview I wanted to do something that went beyond the format of a regular interview. I wanted to try and gain a vision of what it meant to be in a touring DIY band, and to feel the emotion that is put into that. I talked with Tairrie about how to approach this and she thought an approach used on Proust maybe an interesting way to construct an interview. So I sent the questions over and awaited the responses. When I got them back I was over the moon with the way it worked, I got a better understanding of how committed and determined both Tairrie B and Mick are to their art, and what it means to let people see you laying bear your soul. The interview is in two parts this is part one of two." 

- Jonathan Taylor 

----------
What quality is it you like most about your music?  It makes me feel alive. There is a lot of passion that Tairrie and I put into writing, recording and performing our music.    Your least favourite thing about working in urban environments?  Having thieves break into our vehicle.
What philosophy gives credence to your lifestyle?  Live and let live.
What song first made you think ‘Fuck yeah!’?  100,000 Years – the KISS “Alive!” version.
What was the last album you enjoyed?  The bonus live disc (featuring Randy Rhoads) that comes with the latest Ozzy – “Diary Of a Madman” Remaster.
Which female inspires you most?  My wife.
Your favourite song of the moment?  Shake the Devil - Tommy Bolin
Do you follow a routine on arrival at a hotel when touring?  Not really.
Is it a challenge being a couple while on the road?  Tairrie and I usually have a pretty good time on the road together.
What male in the music business generates the most anger from you?  There is no one in particular but modern mainstream music videos generate a lot of anger in me. What a bunch of horseshit.
What aspect of recording and producing My Ruin do you dislike the most?  I like it all.
Is it possible to enjoy a tour when relationships within the band are breaking down?  It’s difficult but possible. I’ve gotten better at dealing with that sort of stuff over the years.
What historical monuments you have seen on tour do you consider awe-inspiring?  Stonehenge!
A challenge that you hope never to endure?  I don’t want to tempt fate by answering that. We all have to deal with tough challenges in life at some time or another.
What do you consider to be your major flaw?  I can be pessimistic and cynical.
Name four people instrumental in you becoming a professional musician?  Sam M Murphy Jr (dad), Peggy Murphy (mom), Sam M Murphy III (brother) & Tairrie B Murphy (wife).
Which musician do you consider has left the greatest legacy?
Jimi Hendrix immediately comes to mind.
Do you ever envisage religion having a positive effect on My Ruin?
Catholic imagery and religious metaphors sure haven’t hurt us.
What is the least tolerable thing about interviews?
It’s annoying when the interviewer obviously knows nothing about your band or history.
On what occasion do you lie?  When I don’t care. I find it very hard to lie to people that I care about.
Other than your chosen medium of music what other genres do you enjoy listening to?  My ipod is usually on shuffle playing classic rock/metal, instrumental fusion, early alt/punk/hardcore/thrash, stoner/doom/underground rock, & old school rap.
What is your perfect tour breakfast?  Eggs over medium, bacon, hash browns, toast & hot coffee with a splash of cream.
Does home ever become tedious for a member of a band that clearly thrives on live performance?  I like our home but adjusting after a tour can take a couple weeks.
Having a touring band must make it hard to replicate the personal feeling you put into the recorded tracks, is it hard to let go? Yes and no. It’s true that nobody really ever plays the material exactly the way I recorded it but that’s ok unless what they are playing contradicts the song or blatantly changes the feel of something.
What is your current state of mind?  I’m feeling pretty damn good lately.    =MM=

[Photo by Al Pulford]

Taste Revenge - Interview with Carl Begai!

We would like to thank Rock scribe extraordinaire Carl Begai of Bravewords.com for taking the time to chat with us about our new album. Below you will find the interview as it was posted in full today on his website. Revenge is sweet. This is our spaying of the BEAST!

xo
Mrs M



MY RUIN

★T a s t e R e v e n g e★

Nobody in their right mind wants the publicity Tiefdruck Musik label boss Daniel Heerdmann is getting these days. Granted, it’s small scale recognition that likely won’t make it to a CNN news reel, but his so-called business practices have been yanked out into the open by My Ruin. A tale of band vs label conflict turning ugly is hardly unique, but My Ruin’s recent test of will is one for the books; or in this case, an album. Their new outing, A Southern Revelation, is a response to a record deal gone painfully awry, which saw the band’s 2010 album Ghosts And Good Stories die a premature death at the hands of Tiefdruck Musik. Not ones to go meekly into the night, vocalist/founder Tairrie B. Murphy and guitarist-turned-multi-intrumentalist/husband Mick Murphy chose to call Heerdmann out directly in response, first in a press release, and then in the lyrics on the new album. The attack is direct and leaves no question as to who’s leaving the ring with a bloody nose, metaphors be damned, and Tairrie is quite content being the one doing the damage.

Tairrie: “At this point I really don’t give a fuck. This man conned us; he snowed us big time. Calling him ‘The Soulless Beast’… it’s really true. He led us to believe that he was going to do all these things for us. When he approached us about the record deal – and we had a lot of conversations with him on Skype – he was cool. He told us that the reason we weren’t bigger is because nobody had ever promoted us properly because they didn’t know what to do with the band, but he could do the job. We were thinking ‘Wow, this guy really gets it.’ He told me that he’d been a fan since my Manhole days, that he saw me on tour supporting Fear Factory on the Demanufacture tour in 1996. I felt that we had a connection with this guy, which was amazing.”

“We got the deal going, and it was almost like a friend thing with this guy. We announced the signing while we were in the studio recording Ghosts And Good Stories, and soon after we got this really weird email from an old friend, Shaun Glass from Soil, who is now with Dirge Within. He told us we had to be really fucking careful because Daniel Heerdmann is a lying sack of shit. We wanted to know where that was coming from, and we told Shaun we were going to confront Daniel about it. I’m very open and forward when I want to know something.”

“So, I went to Daniel right after that and told him what Shaun had said, and Daniel had a comeback for everything, which was fine. At this point we’d signed the deal; what were we going to do? Daniel tried to really explain himself, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt because God knows people have had run-ins with My Ruin. There have been altercations, and I know some people out there talk shit about me and my husband. It did worry me a little in the back of my mind, but we decided to walk our own path, and as we got deeper into the record Daniel became even more supportive. He wanted to hear what we were doing and how the songs were coming along, and we’d never had that experience before. It was great. But, as soon as we got done with the record and we delivered it – and it was something we were so proud of – this guy did the Jeckyll and Hyde thing overnight.”

“It started spinning out of control with this man, to the point that my old self really would have gone at him, telling him to fuck off. I didn’t do that, I let my attorney handle it, and I cut off all contact with him. And this clown says to my attorney, ‘They deleted me on Facebook…’ It was like, ‘Really?! You asshole, you deleted our tour!”

Mick: “We were three or four weeks away from a European tour and a show at the Whiskey (in Los Angeles), we were flying in our drummer Matt LeChevalier from France, we were waiting for all this stuff, and we were basically in limbo.”

Tairrie: “Money transfers… Daniel bold faced lied to us saying that he did it, and then later ‘I never did it, I was never gonna do it.’”

Mick: “It was truly insane. So, we had to cancel Matt’s trip from France, cancel the tour, cancel on the Whiskey, and it was horrible. We were so let down and angry and betrayed that we eventually said ‘We’ve gotta write a record about this.’”

Keeping the nightmare scenario in mind, it’s surprising to find that A Southern Revelation isn’t a screaming, skin-flaying shitstorm of violence. On the contrary, it’s a step away from the grit metal approach of Ghosts And Good Stories, instead featuring a foundation rooted in hard-edge Southern rock. My Ruin hasn’t toned down their trademark attitude by any means, and there’s nothing soft or sellout about A Southern Revelation, but it’s definitely a different animal from its predecessor.

Mick: “I think this one stomps a little bit harder than Ghosts And Good Stories. I joke around with Tairrie about this – and in no way and I putting My Ruin in the same league as KISS – but I think Ghosts is like our Destroyer and A Southern Revelation is our Rock N’ Roll Over (laughs). All the music was written in LA because we had downtime, but I wrote differently this time. I just started playing guitar like the old days. I plugged into a practice amp and just started playing riffs and made little changes that way, instead of doing it in front of a big recording rig with guitar, bass and drums, trying to get a song done in a few hours. I took more time and wrote like a guitar player first. I think that changed the vibe a little, too. I’m really proud of the guitar on this record.”

Tairrie: “We weren’t really prepared to write another record. This thing sort of came to us naturally. We were sitting at home with a cancelled tour, pissed off and angry, unable to vent our frustration, and Mick started writing music. Me, not really paying attention to what he was doing, I was kind of writing my own letters to Daniel in a way that I may send some day. I was working out my thoughts on what I wanted to say to this guy, and I suddenly realized that I was writing lyrics. Next thing you know I had the song ‘Reckoning’. Mick told me he’d been working on new music, and things started to come together and fall into place as if they were meant to be.”

“For me ‘The Soulless Beast’, ‘Middle Finger’ and ‘Tennessee Elegy’ are the meat of the album lyrically. They encompass the theme of the album. ‘Soulless Beast’ was a song I worked on when we were in LA, and I wrote it several times because I couldn’t get it where I wanted it. In the beginning I wanted to write it like a biblical parable, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go with it. It wasn’t until we got to Tennessee, and it’s the funniest thing because we were staying with Mick’s family, and his mother pulled out her bible and some religious books for inspiration. I started to read the Book Of Revelation, and I hadn’t read it in a really long time. It was like I was having my own revelation. This is our seventh album, and the number seven figures very prominently in there. The Book Of Daniel is part of it, and it was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!” It started unfolding itself and I started thinking about how the Beast is the abomination that causes desolation, which is what we were dealing with. So, the Book Of Revelation took center stage for me.”

Mick: “It’s like we’re starting our second decade reborn and even more focused, with our own definitive style.”

Tairrie: “The other thing I really love about this album is that it’s got a very heavy spoken vibe. I’ve been doing spoken work for many, many years and I’ve incorporated it on a lot of our albums, but I wanted to get a bit heavier with that on this record. I didn’t want to make it a full-on screaming record. I think ‘Soulless Beast’ really comes through with that style in there, breathing the vibe and energy of The LVRS project we do in there, which I really like.”

“I think that Ghosts And Good Stories and A Southern Revelation is our best work as artists to date. If anyone is discovering us right now, this is the time to do it because you can really get to know who we are.”

A Southern Revelation was recorded over Christmas 2010 during the Murphy’s holiday visit to Mick’s family in Knoxville, Tennessee. With no plans to record and no budget, they were invited by Mick’s friend of 20+ years and co-producer, Joel Stooksbury, to use his home studio to lay down the tracks. It was a gift they couldn’t refuse, just as A Southern Revelation is a gift to the My Ruin fans as a free download. Another surprising and risky move by Mr. and Mrs. Murphy.

Tairrie: “Basically – and I hate to say that this is the sad fact of it – a lot of people think that because we’re in magazines that Mick and Tairrie are rolling in dough. Fans don’t understand a lot of the business behind the scenes. They see you in a magazine or on tour, and they think you’re doing so well. We’re a do-it-yourself band and we always have been, so no matter what labels we’ve been on or what management we’ve had, in the end we’ve done it ourselves because no one seems to do their jobs when it comes to us. With Ghosts And Good Stories, that thing got out there and had so many downloads via torrent sites, and I couldn’t believe it. I was thinking that if that many people bought our record we’d be really successful. It blew my mind. So, when this whole thing with Daniel came about, we decided that we weren’t giving this man another record. No way in hell.”

“As we were making the new album we came to the conclusion that the biggest ‘Fuck you’ would be if we gave this record away for free. It didn’t cost us anything to make except time, and we wanted everyone to hear it. We wanted everyone to know what he did to us. And maybe this album will open the door for us, because we’re able to say ‘You’ve never heard of us, but here’s our new record. Download it, check us out and you’ll see we’re not a goth band (laughs), maybe you’ll like us.’”

Mick: “The way the industry has been going, the physical CD format is dying out in many ways. Most people download their music now. Physical record sales for a band our size, there isn’t much of a profit for the band. Why not give it away, and that might lead to more shows. We’d like to gig more.”

My Ruin have been in the trenches long enough to have earned a loyal fanbase, however, so although A Southern Revelation is free to all comers, they’ve received donations from those that believe the band deserves to profit (for a change) for their efforts.

Tairrie: “After we announced that the record was going to be free, we were bombarded with emails from people saying ‘I’ll pay for the record. Is there a place where I can donate money to you, because you’ve been through so much.’ We didn’t really think of that before they mentioned it, so we talked to some people about it, and now it’s possible for the fans to donate money for the record on the My Ruin website. We’re very appreciative of it, because we do everything ourselves.”

And that do-it-yourself drive is what keeps My Ruin kicking and screaming for more. At the very least, A Southern Revelation proves that so long as My Ruin have their pride, their friends, and the fans, the leeches within the music industry can’t bring them down.

Tairrie: “Some people say ‘When are My Ruin gonna give it up?’ Why do we have to give it up? I’ve been in this business for a long time and I’ve seen a lot of bands come and go. In the Manhole days there weren’t a lot of women around doing what I did. I’ve definitely watched the change. I feel like a veteran in this, and in many ways I feel like a woman that opened the door and kicked down some barriers for other women to come in, grab a microphone, and scream on it this way. I didn’t even know what I was doing when I started out. I was a fucking rapper, for God’s sake (laughs).”

“I remember sitting backstage at a Pantera show once, and I was watching a lot of the girls walking around back there. They’re all dressed sleazy and I’m listening to the talk about who in the band they were going to have sex with. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I don’t wanna fuck Phil, I wanna be Phil.’ I didn’t want that, I wanted to be that. That’s when I knew I wanted to be out there screaming and bloodletting and having those emotions. It wasn’t about that other shit and it never has been. It’s never been about money or those other rock n’ roll things for me or Mick.”

Ultimately, it’s about the love of music, which explains why Tairrie and Mick chose to put the nail gun away and end things on a positive note. Namely, a cover of the Van Halen classic, ‘Mean Street’.

Tairrie: “I love the fact that we have the ’70s Southern roots with Mick, and with me, in the early days I was going to Black Flag shows, NWA shows, I went to see the Go-Gos, so we have this melting pot of ideas. I did listen to KISS back in the day, and that classic rock is where we come together. We decided to cover Van Halen on the new album because we really loved doing the AC/DC thing (‘Have A Drink On Me’) and got a great response.”

Mick: “Fair Warning is one of the biggest records in my life. It’s almost underrated in Van Halen’s catalogue, but it’s a thick, chunky, mean record.”

Tairrie: “I think it definitely encompassed our feelings when we were making this record. We also felt at home, in a way, doing up the song like that.”

Mick: “Yeah, My Ruin lives on Mean Street (laughs).”

www.carlbegai.com

Thank you to Maggie Young

for the live photos and "Blasphemous Girl" photo

which accompany this interview.

The Beauty of Being Blasphemous: Interview with Carl Begai!

It's always a pleasure chatting with rock writer extraordinaire, Carl Begai of Bravewords.com- Mr B is a longtime supporter of My Ruin and it was nice to take a moment away from talking rock shop to discuss my other passion. Check out our latest interview for BGD reposted via his personal website at CarlBegai.com and visit my store online at www.bgd.bigcartel.com to see my current
one-of-a-kind custom jewelry online now!
xo
Mrs M

+++++++++++

"THE BEAUTY OF BEING BLASPHEMOUS"

Interview with Carl Begai

::::::::::::::
My Ruin vocalist Tairrie B. Murphy doesn’t subscribe to the mythical glitter of stardom, nor does she believe it’s necessary to get her assets out to sell her music. She’s an artist in the truest sense of the word, suffering both figuratively and – as the need arises – literally in order to get the results of her creative energy out to the masses. And, like many of her kind, she isn’t restricted by the “musician” box checked on her resumé. For sheer love of creativity, Tairre has her own business marketed under the banner Blasphemous Girl Designs, offering up one-on-a-kind custom jewelry for those interested in wearing a piece of in-your-face inspiration. Certainly not as high profile as selling hot sauce by the case or moonlighting as an actor, but it’s another pursuit that gives Tairrie a sense of accomplishment.

“I’ve always been a do-it-yourself girl,” she begins. “Back in the late 80's and early 90's, when I was a rap artist, I used to design custom pieces of jewelry that I would have made for myself at the Slausen Swapmeet in Los Angeles where Eazy E and NWA used to get stuff made. I was really into two and three finger rings, nameplates and cut out earrings. Before that, I was designing custom jeans and jackets that I would cut, bleach, sew, paint and embellish with various patches, vintage fur and found objects. I remember having this woman come up to me at an underground club I used work at one night, and she was a buyer for a really upscale store in Beverly Hills called Camp Beverly Hills. She asked me where I got my jeans and when I told her I made them myself she gave me her card. Next thing I knew, I had set up a make shift factory in my grandfather’s garage to hand make 80 pairs. It was crazy!”

“I have a lot of old videos of underground fashion shows I used to be a part of at clubs like Scream and Lunch back in the day, when I would design a whole custom collection and get my friends to model for me on the makeshift runways, strutting my designs to early Public Enemy and Malcolm McLaren records. It was a lot of fun, but it wasn’t until I was in my previous band Tura Satana that I started to design various pieces of jewelry to wear on stage and in photo shoots. I began seriously designing my own band’s merch once I started My Ruin. This is also when I started to create specialty pieces for our fans and friends. I think there’s a beauty in making one of-a-kind things by hand and from your heart that you can’t get with sourcing it out to a company to be mass produced, but it’s really hard work and time consuming to do it all by myself. When the time is right it might be nice to take it to the next level at some point and get a few of my ideas backed by a larger company.”

My Ruin fans have seen enough of Tairrie to know that she concerns herself with artistic expression first, income second. With that in mind, the question is raised to whether she’s ever second guessed herself with regards to turning what was a hobby into a potentially lucrative business. As in, if Blasphemous Girl Designs were to become large scale successful, does she worry about the diehard My Ruin fans consider it selling out?

“Not really. I honestly find it hard to imagine the fans of my band ever thinking I’m a sell-out in terms of what those words truly mean. I’ve been so underground in everything I do for so many years now that I highly doubt the term ‘sell out’ could ever apply to me at this point in my career. Musically, I’ve never been the girl looking to make it big on a commercial level because I believe it would mean giving up a great deal of myself and my personal integrity to make that happen, and that’s not what I’m about. There’s a fine line between keeping your artistic credibility and whoring yourself out to the highest bidder in whatever field you’re in as an artist. That being said, it would be nice to have my company grow over time and reach out to more people on a larger scale, while still having a bespoke boutique vibe about what I do. I think the possibilities are there, and I think those who have been with me on my journey would continue to support and stand behind me if and when I made that leap.”

Given the items listed on the website are often tagged as being sold out, as well as the sheer number of items available, it’s clear that BGD’s inventory consists of mostly one-of- a-kind pieces. A potentially painful situation in letting some of them go...

“Most of my designs are one-of-a-kind creations, but on occasion I’ll make two or a small collection that is relative to each other, with slight variations within the pieces to keep them all unique in subtle ways,” Tairrie reveals. “Sometimes I’ll find it hard to let a piece go depending on what has gone into the designing of it and the back story of the materials involved. I’ll admit, there have been times I’ve become attached to certain designs while in the process of bringing them to life. I often feel like I’m letting go a part of myself as I’m wrapping them and sealing the packages to be mailed.”

“I sign and scent everything with my signature oil that I mix by hand and have worn for years,” she adds. “I sometimes sell vials of it in my store as well. It’s one of my most popular items and I’ll have people come up to with a design they purchased months ago telling me they can still smell the oil on the leather, and how much they love it. I love that!”

“It’s a weird feeling to let your designs go but one that I have also come to enjoy knowing the people who will be wearing my creations will appreciate all the time and love that went into making them. I think that’s why I like the idea of selling to fans of my band rather than total strangers. I like having that personal connection and possibility that I’ll someday see them wearing it, whether it be in a photo they send me or front row at a My Ruin show. That’s the part about expanding my company that I’d miss.”

Tairrie offers a look inside her creative process for Blasphemous Girl Designs:

“I’ve been creating what I call my Blasphemous Girl Designs since 2001/2002. It started with making a few pieces for one off shows we played in LA on Valentines Day or Dia de los Muertos and then branched out to my making custom clothing and jewelry for our tours to go along side of our merch. I also used to sell pieces to a store in Hollywood called Blest, which was a really cool place to find custom designer one-off pieces that were a bit more high fashion and even couture. In 2009, I opened my first online store and things just sort of took off from there. I create about five collections a year at this point. I was heavily into deconstructing clothing for a while but I really prefer making jewelry these days, although every now and then I will stud a jacket or paint a shirt or vintage slip. It’s become a nice little fun side business.”

“I believe, as an artist of any kind, you have to create when the muse speaks to you and the mood strikes. It’s the same with song writing; I feel a cathartic energy and an almost inner therapeutic release when designing. I often incorporate found objects, vintage keepsakes, classic images and religious icons within my pieces to help each tell its own story, and I suppose in a way, my own story. When I write a song, I usually do a few re-writes before I am ready to record it, and even then, when I’m in the vocal booth things always change at the last minute. There’s a long process when it comes to lyrics that goes from structuring the subject matter in my own mind, to arranging the words line by line on to the delivery, and ultimately the mixing with the music before the final master. I think you need to know when to let go. I think many musicians have trouble with this and will work on a song for months and months, re writing, recording and mixing it again and again until it loses that special something it had when it was first conceived. The same can be said when it comes to art. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut and feel with your heart rather than over-think it all with your head.”

Religious imagery is a common element in Tairrie’s songwriting. It bleeds down into her art, to the point that it’s become something of a BGD calling card. And, of course, depending on the mindset of people outside of the My Ruin circle, some of her jewelry designs have been branded controversial.

“I can’t really explain my attraction to religious imagery,” Tairrie admits. “It’s something I’ve often tried to understand in my own mind but have never really been able to define verbally. While there’s an unspoken comfort for me found in the beauty of certain images I’m drawn to, there’s also a fear and loathing behind the ideas of what many of those images and icons are meant to represent. This is where the dichotomy of the struggle within my own head lies when it comes to how I interpret them at the time. Whether I’m writing a song or designing a piece of jewelry, I’ll usually let the images guide my subconscious mind to the darker side, whether metaphorically speaking with words or color and concept combinations.”

“I don’t set out trying to be shocking or controversial. I never have because that’s not what I’m about as an artist. I do what I do based on what I feel. That’s really all I can say. I think the fans of my band that listen to my music and purchase my designs do so because they feel a connection with me. I’m sure there are some people who don’t get it as much as others do but I think they all understand and appreciate the blood, sweat and emotion that goes into everything I do. I love the freedom of creating something new by recycling something old and combining images and ideas that would not necessarily go together. I’ve always been a fan of mixed media art on a larger scale, and for many years I’ve painted religiously inspired statuary and created assemblages that have hung on the walls in my home or the homes of my friends. I’d love to put some of these types of things in my store, but the thought of shipping them scares me when it comes to their size.”

Not surprisingly, My Ruin’s music and song ideas play an important role in the pieces she produces for Blasphemous Girl Designs.

“It happens all the time, but it’s usually with my art imitating my life, which more often that not means my lyrics. After spending months writing and recording a new album, it’s not unusual for the theme of that album to resonate with me for months and sometimes years after, so I’ll find myself drawing on songs and subject matter that I can make tangible and flesh, so to speak, in the form of wearable art.”

On a business level, Blasphemous Girl Designs continues to develop because Tairrie is able to turn a profit. It’s a baby steps project with legs that she remains dedicated to between writing, recording, touring, and having a personal life.

“I would like to continue to create custom designs and eventually take the next step with a few of my signature pieces,” Tairrie reveals. “I think it’s a soulful and heartfelt process that just doesn’t happen overnight, and in order for me to be able to devote the serious amount of time and energy I would need to do it the way I’d want to. I think I’d have to make a few changes in my life that I’m not ready to make at this moment.”

“I’ve just launched my latest fall collection for September, but I’ve actually been keeping something under wraps for the last few months,” she continues, “but I’m about to make the official announcement soon so I can’t go into all the details yet, except to say that I have recently been contacted by a UK based jewelry company and designed my first high-end custom ring. It’s nothing like anything I’ve ever seen. I just received the prototype last week and it blew my mind. I’m planning a photo shoot for it now and will be introducing it in the coming months online. All I can say is that it has seven pieces and was designed in honor of My Ruin’s new seventh album, which is coming out in December of this year. It will be available in my store and each ring will be hand made and shipped from the UK.”

An Armchair Critic - Interview!

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jonathan Taylor of An Armchair Critic Blog who gave us a brilliant review of our new album and wanted to follow things up with an interview and a few interesting questions, including some we have never been asked before. We'd like to thank Mr Taylor for taking the time to speak with us and recommend you check out his rad new blog. Thank you also to the wonderful Andy Watson [www.drw-images.co.uk] for the photographs which accompany the Q&A. Both gentlemen of the highest order!

xo

Mrs M

[WWW.ANARMCHAIRCRITIC.COM]

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

with Tairrie B & Mick Murphy of My Ruin

An Armchair Critic has been given the opportunity to lose his interview cherry to one of the most influential metal bands of the last decade. My Ruin's refusal to conform to the corporate junket has allowed them the opportunity to continue producing quality records, without the black corporate raven sat on the top of their speaker stack. With a combined and enigmatic combination of Tairrie B and Mick Murphy guiding the sound and evolution, their recent release ‘Ghosts & Good Stories,’ is an album that is as heavy as it metal.

By Jonathan Taylor

When you were starting out in the music industry did you ever anticipate being the lead singer of a metal band?

TBM - No. Being in a metal band was the furthest thing from my mind at that time. As most people know, I started my music career in the hip hop world as a solo rap artist and this was what I lived and breathed for many years before starting my first metal band [Manhole] which later became Tura Satana.

Tura Satana was one hell of a band, how was it to be in a band the helped redefine hard rock?

TBM - Thank you, that’s very nice of you to say. Back then, there weren’t really a lot of women screamers fronting bands that were playing the type of music we were playing at that time so I didn’t really have a great deal to relate to on the female front. I had to basically find my own way and navigate through the male dominated world of hard rock & metal which I was not very familiar with and was not always that inviting. I think I learned a great deal in those days about who I was as a woman which helped to define who I am as an artist. Tura Satana and more importantly, Manhole were both seminal bands that opened the doors for girls in many of the popular metal bands you see nowadays and I will always be very proud that I can say that.

You were known to be good friends with Lynn Strait; I have often wondered why you never appeared on the tribute album 'Strait Up!'?

TBM - Yes, I used to wonder this same question myself for many years and having you ask me this out of the blue is a bit eerie because strangely enough it wasn’t until a couple weeks ago that I found out part of the reason I was suspiciously left off. It’s sad that I wasn’t included on the tribute album for Lynn while a few people who had no place on it were instead because it was more about big names than true friends and people who actually knew and loved Lynn. I wrote a wonderful tribute to him on My Ruin’s album “A Prayer Under Pressure of Violent Anguish” called “Rockstar” which we released in 2000.

I was wondering what bands it was that you grew up listening to, and do these still to this day play much of a role in your sound?

MM - I am going to list the biggies chronologically as they came into my life starting back as a kid in ’74. Kiss, UFO, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Rick Derringer, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Rush, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Ozzy (w/ Randy Rhoads), Motley Crue, Ratt, Dio, Loudness, Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Voivod, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Black Flag, Descendents, All, Fear, Bad Brains, Rollins Band, Badlands, Pantera, RHCP, Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Alice In Chains, Nirvana, COC, RATM and Helmet. Yes, they’ve all influenced me in one way or another over the years and still do.

You are clearly an extremely talented musician, but how did you become such an accomplished producer? Had you done any before you joined My Ruin?

MM - I have been recording myself since the ‘80’s. That’s how I write songs. I just know what I think sounds good, tight, in tune, in time, vibey and powerful. It was a natural progression.

I have read in many interviews that you are an incredibly chilled and humble man, how have you sustained this in an industry that has a reputation for destroying musician’s souls?

MM - I don’t have time for bullshit so I don’t go around bullshitting. This town and industry pretty much sucks but I love to play music so that’s what keeps me going. My southern upbringing also helps me keep both feet on the ground (most of the time).

Ghosts and Good Stories’ seems to be much heavier in sound than your previous recordings, what do you think has influenced this?

TBM - I would have to say that our growth as musicians and Mick’s getting more involved in the recording and producing side of things with each new album has definitely influenced our sound in many ways. I think we always try to keep the soul of our music true to who we are as a band with each record but it’s nice to experiment and try new ideas when we go in the studio.

MM- Heavier songs just happened this time around. The record also has a big sound and that helps convey the heaviness more effectively as well.

The lyrics of ‘La Ciudad’ speak of your love and hate for LA, what was the motivation for the lyrics and how has L.A. changed during your musical career?

TBM – I am a California native. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and being that I was born and raised here, I will always have a certain heartbeat for Los Angeles but at the same time I have had a sort of love/hate affair with the city for years. I found myself writing this song as a narrative for how I began to feel over time as someone who has spent her life in LA and watched it evolve through the TV eye of the media as well as the music scene and various friendships with people who reside here. While this city can indeed be very beautiful and inviting there is also a darker side and this particular track is more of a misanthropic ode to its plastic wasteland of fakeness with six degrees of separation between reality and fiction under the bright lights of the Hollywood sign. That’s how I would define it.

How do you collaborate on the writing and structure of My Ruin songs?

MM - I demo riffs, arrangements and songs and present them to Tairrie and we work on them from there or sometimes she’ll give me a rhythm, a lyric or a tempo and I’ll work off her idea. She then writes lyrics and vocal lines to my demo recordings.

G&GS seems at times to have an operatic aesthetic, was this the intention when writing the album?

TBM - That’s an interesting and very unusual interpretation. When I think of the term “operatic” I usually think of singers like Tarja and bands like Nightwish which I would consider My Ruin to be the polar opposite of vocally speaking since I’m more of a screamer than singer. I feel the new album actually has a more of a doom aesthetic than that of our previous recordings which are more rock & metal oriented but I suppose everyone hears things differently and isn’t that really the true beauty of music?

MM - Hmm. That wasn’t necessarily intentional but I’ll take it. Obviously we aren’t operatic sounding like many other bands around today though. We aren’t “sing-songy” at all. It’s more like an aural assault.

What was the motivation for The LVRS side project, and how different was the approach to recording it from recording as My Ruin?

MM - It’s an interesting and different way to approach making music. It’s very cinematic and story oriented so the music must create atmosphere for the words.

TBM - The LVRS recordings were born one evening back in 2003 after I watched a documentary about the murder of Elizabeth Short AKA the Black Dahlia. I had known her story but not in such full detail as that which was told in this particular film I had seen. The details which were so brutal and tragic coupled with the fact that she was so young and beautiful at the time really struck a chord with me and seemed to resonate in my mind to the point I found myself almost being compelled to write about her. I asked Mick to put together music that would be something different and more dramatic than the type of stuff were writing for My Ruin and things just began to take shape. ‘The Sum of Her Parts’ was the first recording for The LVRS debut album ‘The Murder of Miss Hollywood’. I had recorded a few spoken word pieces over the years on the first two My Ruin albums as well as in my previous band Tura Satana but this time it was different and the stories seemed to have a life all their own so we created The LVRS to give them a way to breathe and as another way to express ourselves together musically. The LVRS recordings are heavily influenced by death and romance with the idea that a whisper can sometimes be more frightening than the scream. There are elements of sex, violence and religion thrown into the mix but unlike My Ruin songs which are all based on true life experiences, The LVRS mix fact with fiction to create stories and set scenes that have an almost otherworldly feel and sensibility within their ominous musical soundscapes. They have a very intense yet poetic style to them despite the graphic nature of some of the lyrical content. In 2006 we released ‘Death Has Become Her’ and in 2010 ‘Lady Speaks The Bruise’. "Both are available to download" online at www.thelvrs.bandcamp.com

What song is guaranteed to get you playing air guitar?

TBM - I’m an air drummer at heart but when I do air guitar it’s usually to my husband’s sexy riffs! ;)

MM - ‘Eruption' by Edward Van Halen.

What is the most significant incident /event of your life, thus far, and what lasting effect has it had on you, both artistically and personally?

MM - I have 4 events for this answer … hearing KISS “ALIVE!” at age 4, in ‘75, getting a guitar for X-Mas ’83, starting a band just out of high school and learning about touring and living the rock life and meeting Tairrie in 2000.

TBM - There have been many over the years including getting signed by Eazy E and releasing my first rap album, starting my first rock band Manhole and touring the world, watching Nick Cave sing live for the first time, starting My Ruin, meeting Mick, recording all the albums we have together and the many things we have gone through as a couple both good and bad over the years including my car accident in 2006 which still effects me to this day. It’s really too hard to pin point one significant incident or event because a lifetime is filled with so many highs and lows and they all effect you in different ways and for different reasons.

I assume that music plays a significant role in both your lives. What bands do you enjoy listening to, and is it only metal? And what bands have you recently discovered and would say are worth a listen?

TBM - I enjoy listening to everything from old school rap to classic rock. It really depends on my mood. I love pulling out old CD’s that I haven’t heard in a while and revisiting special memories certain songs evoke. I recently listened to PJ Harvey’s album ‘Is This Desire’ which I haven’t heard in years and fell in love with it all over again. It’s such a gorgeous record. Lately we’ve been listening to the band ‘Ghost’ who we’re both really into at the moment but I fear they might be slowly putting a black metal spell on me with their not so hidden satanic messages and romantic vocals.

MM - I listen to 70’s rock, metal, punk & fusion, 80’s thrash, hardcore and some hair metal, 90’s alternative hard rock & some grunge and post 2000 doom, stoner rock and underground metal.

What was the first song you danced to as Mr & Mrs Murphy and what memories does it hold?

TBM - What an awesome question! This is the first time anyone has ever asked us this. We dance together all the time in our kitchen so I’m sure must have danced to a few of our favorites soon after we got married but the song I really remember as husband and wife would have to be ‘Moondance’ by Van Morrison. It is our song and we danced to a live version of it played by a band at the hotel we were staying at on my birthday soon after we got married. It’s a wonderful memory of an amazing evening.

MM - On a side note, we actually danced to ‘Moondance’ on our 6 month dating anniversary blaring out of my car up in Laurel Canyon back in 2000. On the way home, I got pulled over by L.A. Sheriffs for burnt out license plate lamps and subsequently field sobriety tested on Sunset Blvd in front of The Standard Hotel. I passed!

It is obvious that My Ruin have played some great and legendary venues all over the world, but what is your favourite and why?

MM - The most familiar is the Whisky in L.A. for sure. They treat us like family there.

TBM - I can’t really tell you my favorite venue but my favorite city will always be London.

You are both marooned on a desert island; you have food, bedding and shelter! What three luxury items would you wish to have with you?

TBM - Red lipstick, Angel perfume by Thierry Mugler and my laptop with unlimited WIFI.

MM - iPod, guitar and studio.

With all the turbulent times within the line-up of My Ruin, was there ever a time when you thought about splitting up the group?

MM - There has been many times when I thought to myself it might be over but somehow My Ruin keeps going because Tairrie and I really love making music together.

TBM - Yes. I’d being lying if I said I didn’t. Being in a band is not always as fun as it may seem on the outside to those looking in, especially when you have to deal with some of the people we’ve had to deal with in and around My Ruin over the years. We’ve gone through some serious trials and tribulations throughout our career but we would never end the band because of someone else. When we end it, it will be on our terms because we simply don’t feel the need to continue. Thankfully that day has not come yet. In fact, we have the first of a few very big band announcements coming in August which we have been keeping secret and can’t wait to share!