How did you come to be known as Lady Parasyte? Where did you get the nickname?
Back in my teens I always assumed I'd have a band called 'Parasyte'but that never really came to fruition. So I started using Lady Parasyte has a internet screename and it just seemed to lend itself musically. I figured it was interesting because it mixed something feminine with something that is commonly looked
at as disgusting.
When did you start to become an artist, what triggered you in becoming one?
I had a alot of friends who were musician types and I had enjoyed writing lyrics since I was pretty young. So it started off as something fun to do with my musically inclined friends. It was something I did just for fun and also just to kind of put to use the stuff I had written.
Many bands attribute an artist as an influence in their musical creativity. Who has helped mold you into the artist you are today?
I would have to say musically an artist by the name of Sister Soleil really influenced me. She released two records under the Sister Soleil name,'Drown me in You' and 'Soularium'. I had never heard anything quite like them at the time. They had these great pop melodies yet had these aggressive and very emotional undertones. Unfortunatly, that just wasn't what was getting radio airplay at the time. So those records only found mild success. To me it was a matter of great music being released at the wrong time. Currently though, she is singing for 'Dirty Little Rabbits' which is awesome in a completely different way.
How does does your personal life influence the music and does the music have an influence on your personal life as well?
In my early writing my personal life was very much an influence. Probably like many others music was an emotional outlet. However, there came a point where I just got tired of my own whining. So more recently I started writing from a different perspective. I'm really into just creating little stories set to melodies. Lately, the goal has been just to have fun with it and not to take everything so seriously. As far as the music having an effect on my personal life I would have to say it does in that it creates more for me to juggle. I am currently working on my Bachelors Degree so that along with music and my other responsibilities does make life,at times, a tad overwhelming but I'm not complaining. I'm lucky to be able to make music and even luckier that there are people who enjoy it.
Congrats on signing with MachineKUNT records. How did it feel to be signed?
I had been promoting LP for a long time on my own pretty much as a labor of love so to have someone come along and want to back me up in this way was definitly a new feeling. It's very cool to be part of something and definitly a growing experience.
Your E.P "Sirens" has a very dark presence to it, what is the influence for this EP?
Initially there wasn't going to be an EP. I had planned on releasing a full length as soon a I could. However, we were approached to play live shows and it became a matter of having something available for people. So the Sirens EP is a combination of a few older tracks as well as some made specifically for the EP. So I really didn't have one theme to apply to the EP as a whole. Each song is sort of it's own little story.
How do you find the right balance between electronics and acoustic instruments?
The songs that appeared on the Sirens EP definitely are stronger on the electronic side. They started out that way and then the guitar was added shortly before the EP was released. Currently, though guitar is playing a much bigger role with the new material. I've begun working on new tracks with a new producer by the name of Mark Black and he has an awesome sense of melody and really knows how to have fun on the guitar. So with the next record its a bit more balanced in regards to live instruments and electronics.
How are the comments on the ep so far and are there things you would have done differently when you hear it back now?
Some people love it and some people don't. Some love the music but hate the vocals and some love the vocals but hate the music.Some love all of it and others are confused by it. I've definitely had a lot of support but I understand that music is a very particular thing and not everyone is going to love what I do. Some of those songs were some of the first songs I ever wrote. While I'm very proud of those writings I also sometimes feel I could have pulled back a bit on some and pushed harder on others. I definitely feel it would have served me well to approach things with a little less angst and a bit more fun. Change and growth is definitely something that is very natural with music.
You sound like a woman who throws herself into her music emotionally and lyrically, how do you relax when your not performing or in the studio?
I love reading.I wish I could read more. I'm currently in the middle of two books. One being Christopher Moore's 'A Dirty Job' and the other is Stephanie Meyer's 'The Host'. I get so much crap for reading a book by the "the Twillight lady" but I don't care. A story is a story and if it has the ability to pull me out of my own world into another then it's done it's job. I try to get out of the city whenever possible and visit more quiet small town areas.Starved Rock State Park in Utica,IL is one of my favorite places ever. I also like to go to museums as much as possible.
How is the new record "Abandoned Places" going to differ from the "Sirens" EP?
Again, I'm approaching this one with a sense of fun and an attitude that I hadn't with the EP. It's definitely shaping up to be less industrial and more of an electro-rock-punk-pop type of record. I'm so bad with trying to genre label things. I just enjoy making music and I suppose I'll leave it to the listeners to give it a category.
How do you prepare for your live shows, they seem to be quite energetic?
Honestly, being on stage isn't the most natural thing for me.When I had begun working on music I hadn't even thought about doing live shows. It's definitely something I try to do my best at and give it as much energy as I can.
Is it important for you to have a certain presence on stage, in what way?
What's most important to me is having the songs sound as good as they can. I mean, like any performer, I think about what I'm going to wear and all that but I really like to keep the focus on the songs them selves and the energy in them.I'm not out to be Ziggy Stardust and have some crazy stage persona. I realize that image is a big part of acts finding success now a days but I think it really should be secondary.
Any last words for the readers?
Enjoy life and find ways to do the things you love. Life is too short to be filled with obligations.It should be filled with the things you want it to be filled with. So figure out what that is and find positive ways to make that happen for yourself.
www.ladyparasyte.com
www.machinekunt.com
pictures made by Emily Gualdoni
Interview made by Acid Angel