• .. • ...Stabbing Westward

INTERVIEW A few words with ... -c Stabbing Westward

John Zeiss one of the best of 1998. Some reviews of Dark- music, both in general and their own. "Elec- assistant music reviews editor est Days have likened it to a concept album . tronic music definitely isn't the next big thing .. Hall and Kubiszewski responded, "It's not that it appeared to be for a while, because the ..• exactly a concept album. A lot of the songs on technological capability to create it is becom- :t During their sound check for a recent con- it were written a long time ago. But once we ing available to everybody. Music is always .. cert at the Howlin' Wolf, Stabbing West- started putting songs together, a theme did going to be about people playing instru- a wafd's lead singer Chris Hall was informed emerge. We even cut some songs that didn't ments, and most likely hip-hop will contin- that 500 people would be in attendance later fit the vibe. But it's not like one breakup with ue to dominate the form. Nobody today ....• that night to hear their show. "Are you kid- a girlfriend led to all these songs. The album is influencing us. We're going back and ding?" he responded. "Last time we played is more about the depression we all feel." listening to stuff like Pink Floyd and here there were about twelve people, and one Anyone familiar with Stabbing Westward's really old country music that is so of them was my girlfriend." music wouldn't consider them the type of depressing it makes us sound After the sound check I got to sit down band to write a love song. But songs like "You like we're making Beach Boy with Chris and drummer Andrew Complete Me" and "Waking up Beside You" records. We're comfortable Kubiszewski. I asked them why they thought sure sound like love songs. "They are love where we are right now, there was going to be such a bigger audience songs. We write beautiful stuff, too. We're not making albums and at this show than their last at Howlin' Wolf. all about hate and depression. At the time we performing live for They answered, "We've definitely increased felt uncomfortable recording those songs, but our fan base. But in popularity since then. Last time we were at when we listened to them they sounded cool. we are also this venue we were touring behind our first But we still don't like to use the word love, continually album. Nobody knew who we were." Since although it does pop up in songs like 'Some- grow- then they have swung through New Orleans times it Hurts'" they said. ing." many times, including a date last November Finally I asked them about the future of opening for Depeche Mode. "I really think touring with them helped expose our music to an audience that otherwise wouldn't hear it," said Kubiszewski. Another venue that has opened up their music to new audiences is movie soundtracks. Stabbing Westward has appeared on a lot lately, including Dis- turbing Behavior and Bride of Chucky. "Of course we don't control the movies we appear on, the label does, or we would- n't have done a song for such a cinemat- ic masterpiece as Bride of Chucky. But the more we get our music out for people to hear, the better. If someone was watch- ing Bride of Chucky and heard our track and thought it was great, then it served its purpose," Kubiszewski and Hall said. Before Stabbing Westward, Kubiszewski was in a band with famous local Trent Reznor. The two bands remain friends, but Stabbing Westward isn't fond of alway being compared to NIN. "We don't like to be pigeon-holed. We bleed over into a lot of genres. We're not alternative, because alter- native is dead. It's watered down. We get more airplay on rock stations than we do on alter- native stations. We even opened for Kiss," Kubiszewski said. Stabbing West- ward's last album, Darkest Days, was arguably With a cnt1c.:1lly pra1s d album and a t ad1ly growing fan bas . Stabbing Westward 1s quit comfortabl

16 march 26, 1999 arcade