Veins of Jenna Interview 10.06.07

VAINS OF JENNA, formed in the small town of Falkenberg, Sweden in January 2005, has accomplished in a few short years what most bands dream to achieve in a lifetime. 

During the summer of 2005, they were offered a chance to play the Whisky in Hollywood. They stunned the crowd with their raw energy, young bravado, and sleazy throwback appeal. Just days later, the band was cutting tracks with Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N’ Roses / Rock Star Supernova guitarist) at his Redrum Studios.

As if that wasn’t enough, in the Summer of 2006, VAINS OF JENNA were turning heads on Sunset Strip when they attracted the attention of skateboarding legend Bam Margera (Viva La Bam / Jackass). Bam signed the band on the spot after seeing their bombastic live show at the “Cat Club.” The band subsequently had just finished touches on their self-produced debut full-length CD, “Lit Up / Let Down.” Margera, eager to get their record to the masses, partnered with two-time Super Bowl Champ Trevor Pryce’s Outlook Music label.

Just off of the road after touring with Poison, Vains of Jenna can now be seem on the Viva La Band tour with CKY, GWAR and Cradle of Filth.

From the Crowd had the opportunity to sit down with Vains of Jenna before their set at the Marquee Theater on October 8, 2007.

From the Crowd: Hi guys, thanks for taking time to meet with us!To get started, please tell me who you are and the what you do for your band.

Vains of Jenna:  Hi, I’m Jacki Stone and I play Drums, I’m Lizzy DeVine: and I’m the singer and rhythm guitar player, I’m Nicki Kin and I play lead guitar, I’m JP White and I play the four stringed bass.

FTC: How are you enjoying being on the Viva La Band tour, it seems to have a very different line up from what you are used to.  For example, you recently toured with Poison.  How does this line up compare?

Lizzy DeVine: Every tour we’ve been on has been featuring different type of genres.  We’re used to it.  People came out who like to see us.  People always try to label us like “Glam-Metal” and whatever, but we’re not, we’re Rock’n Roll!  To be on a tour like this, with different bands with very different types of music makes it better, because you can broaden your audience and get new fans from different genres.

Nicki Kin:  Yeah, being with all of these different bands that don’t sound like us at all, so it just shows that we’re a Rock’n Roll band.  Anyone can connect to us and the crowds have been really good on this tour too.  We’re really happy with this tour.

FtC: What do you do to get the crowd involved in your performance?

Lizzy DeVine: We just do what we do best, play our music.  If they like it, perfect!  If they don’t, well, you can’t please everyone.

Nicki Kin: We don’t have anything like, props or anything like that.  We just play our music.  We’re a great live band so that’s is what benefits us.

Jacki Stone: We play our music and if they like it great, if they don’t they can fuck off

Lizzie DeVine: Too many bands rely on stage props and other shit.  They only band that can pull that off is GWAR, because that is what they are all about.  I like to let the music talk.

Nicki Kin:  I think a lot of bands can pull it off, if it’s their thing, its just not our thing.

FtC:  You had brought up that you often are placed into media stereotypes say… how would you describe your music straight Rock’n Roll?

Lizzy DeVine:  I hate to be labeled and people try to label you all of the time. It’s like, why do you have to try and put us into a tiny box and not be able to do anything else?

Nicki Kin:  We right different stuff all of the time, and it can be whatever we want it to be.  It’s just better to call us Rock’n Roll

Jacki Stone: We’re influenced by so many bands, so its not like we’re just any one thing.  People think we just are influenced by the 80s, but we listen to everything from the 60s to now.

Lizzy DeVine: People see us and they think because the way that we look we’re an 80’s band

JP White:  Just because of our long hair.

Lizzy DeVine:  It’s not what we’re about.  People just look

Nicki Kin: We don’t try to look a certain way, we just look like this and it’s not who we are.

Lizzy DeVine:  We were all born blonde and I just got tired of it!

Nicki Kin: (Laughing) I just got tired of some of the blonde hair

FtC:  I was looking through a lot of your past interviews and there seems to be a lot of comparisons to Guns and Roses, now do you guys like that, or is it another stereotype?

Lizzy DeVine:  No G&R is not a band thing to be compared to  we think they are a really cool Rock’n Roll band.  They could pull their music off in any decade.

Nicki Kin:  Yeah, I don’t see them as an 80’s band, just as a Rock’n Roll band, they did the right thing

Lizzy DeVine: And they’re a really respectable band

Nicki Kin:  They did something really good for the music scene back then.  There was just way too much hair spray and all that shit. 

FtC: Yeah and all that hair-spray released your tourmates GWAR from their Artic Shrine!

VoJ:  Yeah!  (All laughing).

FtC:  Your new single “Enemy in Me” was recorded for the Viva La Bands VOL2, does that song provide any insight to the music we might expect from you on your follow up to Lit Up/Let Down?

Lizzy DeVine: Not at all.  We right whatever we like and people never know what to expect from us.  Our musical influences change all of the time

FtC:  Who are you listening to right now, or who are your major influences at this point in time?

Lizzy DeVine: Pantera

Nicki Kin: Beethoven 

FtC: Pantera to Beethoven that is quite the mix!

Lizzy DeVine:  Yeah, we listen to all types of music, that’s what we’re talking about.  People may think that we are one thing, but we are not.  We listen to anything that is cool.

FtC:  How do you guys write your music for Vains of Jenna?  Do you all collaborate or does a specific person take the lead?

Jacki Stone:  Anyone that comes up with something good, we all work together.  Most the time it is probley Nicki that comes up with a rift and then we all get involved.

Lizzy DeVine:  Everyone gets involved.  We’re not just a band, we’re four best friends so we try to get everyone involved and do it together.

FtC:  Your band originated in Sweden, do feel there is any type of stereotype that you have to fight or you run into when people learn this about your band?

Lizzy DeVine:  No, not really.  We thought it was going to be harder to be here, but people really seem to like our music.  People think so many different things about Sweden’s music scene, you know from ABBA to 80’s music.

(All the band mates laugh.)

Lizzy DeVine:  Sweden really has a great music scene.

FtC: What is your favorite song to play live and why?

Lizzy DeVine:  Different songs on different days.

Nicki Kin:  Right now I have to say “Enemy in Me” because we haven’t played it that much

Jacki Stone:  Yeah, All of the other songs you’ve played since day one.

FtC:  Is there any song that you have that you’re absolute tired of playing?

Lizzy DeVine:  No not really, because it depends so much on the crowds reaction to the song, and the crowds reaction can be so different

Nicki Kin: It can always be different, yes we play the same songs every night, but sometimes we play them different because of the crowd.  It always fun to play.

Lizzy DeVine:  There might be some songs that you hate, but as soon as your on stage its fun to play them again.

FtC: Which type of venue do you prefer to play in, a large arena, festival or an intimate club?

Lizzy DeVine:  It doesn’t matter as long as we have a place to play.

Jacki Stone:  I think it really depends on the audience.  If there is a good crowd it works.

Nicki Kin: Yeah, it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 or 5000 as long as they are rock’n out

JP White:  Yeah, I’d rather play in a small venue that is packed then an arena that is half full.

FtC: Lets talk a little bit about life on the road.  What are some of the tricks of the trade you have developed for survival while touring and some of the aspects of daily life that you sorely miss that we all too often take for granted?

VofJ(All): It’s easier to be on the road!

Lizzy DeVine: Yeah, it’s much easier to be on the road.

Nicki Kin:  When were at home, we have no idea what we going to be able to eat and things like that.  When we’re on the road, we know we’re going to be able to eat and do what we love.

JP White:  Everything is there for us on the road, food cigarettes, merch money (They all laugh)

Lizzy DeVine: And we get to play the shows and that is what we’re about, that’s what we live for!

FtC:  Do you have any pre or post show rituals?  Like a unique warm up or something, you always have to have in your dressing room?

VofJ (All):  Laughing, We don’t have a one tonight (referring to the dressing room)

Lizzy DeVine: Smoke a cigarette, that’s it.

Nicki Kin:  Yeah, there isn’t anything we really have to do before we go one every night.

Lizzy DeVine: Yeah it’s not like we have to have special underwear, because we only have one pair.

Nicki Kin:  Just jumping around for a bit to get ready and get in shape five minutes before we go on.  The rest of the group laughs at this.

Lizzy DeVine: There are a lot of singers that try to get their voice warmed up.  I try to do it when I can.  If I don’t have time, I just smoke a cigarette and it works!

FtC:  For the people that have come tonight that don’t know much about you, what do you want for them to take away from tonight’s performance.

Lizzy DeVine: They need to be honest about it.  If they don’t like it, don’t say that they did.  If they do, that’s fucking great and they should help spread the word.  You can’t please everyone.  If they don’t like what we’re, doing then don’t stand there and give us the fucking finger.  It’s your own damn fault for showing up early.  It’s good for us because we still got into their brains.  I hate it when people didn’t like a show and they’re all wow they were fucking great.  If you don’t like it, be honest so we can take it to heart and we can change something, or we can just not give a fuck.

Jacki Stone:  We’re not going to change our ways because some stupid motherfucker says something.

Lizzy DeVine: Some people have good things to say for the most part, but it could happen.

Jacki Stone:  Yeah it could happen.

FtC: Is there any question that you wished that I had asked today or something that you’d like to share with our readers?

Lizzy DeVine: after this tour, we’re going to be going back into the studio and cut a new album.  And to the people reading this, don’t be afraid to check out new music.  We’re not the only new band out there; there are a lot of cool bands out there.  Fuck mainstream radio and mainstream everything!

Nicki Kin:  Keep your eyes open for new things.  There are a lot of bands of there trying to make it.

Lizzy DeVine:  And don’t get stuck just listening to one type of music there are tons of genres out there that can offer lots of different perspectives.

FTC:  Well that is all of my questions, thanks for taking the time to speak to us today and we look forward to your sophomore records release.

Vains of Jenna:  Thanks!