Merry Widow take on MOVEMENT magazine Locals Only

"Famous For 15 Questions"

1. Give us a listing of your band members, instruments played by each and a run down on what you have produced and accomplished to this point. Also tell us how you got started playing, what year, what influenced you, who helped you get started, who taught you to play, or if you are self taught,  what the first club or party you played at, etc.

::Sketch:: The current incarnation of the band is Xelana M. Drake on Vocals, myself on vocals, keyboards and back up guitar, Rick Price on guitar and back up vocals and Georgie "3F" Jarrell on bass guitar and backing vocals. For the tour supporting the new album we are going to try and pick up N8 (our original drummer) He helped write quite a bit of the programming for this one.
::Xelana:: As for me, I started singing as soon as I could talk, it seems, and I’ve always made up songs to entertain myself. I guess serious work started in high school, training in opera, doing theater and working as a singer in a large Italian restaurant. My mother taught me a lot. She trained my ear by exposing me to all types of music from classical to gospel to heavy alternative. When I met Sketch he pushed me even harder to see what I could do. With his help I wrote and recorded my first song. We’ve been working at it and loving it since.
::Rick:: I got started with Merry Widow when Sketch and Xelana had asked me to write some guitar to some of the exsisting material to get ready for a show.. After that show.. I dunno.. we had chemistry, I liked the music so they asked me to stay.
::Georgie:: Self taught mostly influenced by nin, pink floyd, chimara, slipknot, etc. First club played at was Jack Rabbits
 

2. What project(s) are you currently pursuing?

::Sketch:: Well we currently just finished recording and mastering our 2nd album "Never Winter" so at the moment most of our focus is on supporting that and preparing to start playing live again. I do have to say, however, that we hope to get out on the road this time around. There is also some talk with a couple of smaller labels but I've been asked to leave the names out until we see where the offers go.
::Xelana: Yeah, getting this album finished proved to be a large challenge and I am looking forward to playing live again. Sharing the work that we have done with others is always my favorite part.
::Rick:: Right now I'm working pretty hard on upgrading our studio. I want the next album to be really state of the art, so I've been getting together the gear I want to make that happen
::Georgie:: I’m also really looking forward to not only playing some shows this summer but finishing up the songs that didn't make the new album
for the next album.
 

3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?

::Sketch:: The last couple of years have been pretty frustrating. There were quite a few times when I didn't think we'd ever finish the new CD. I'd have say the biggest challenge that was getting in the way was a gauntlet of technical problems we were having during recording
::Xelana:: For me it has been learning to let myself go. Opera it so structured and working with a band is so freeing. Sometimes we merge, sometimes we collide but the results never cease to amaze me. It is hard to realize that I can change things around if I want to and that it usually just makes the song that much better and more real.
::Rick:: Time.. It just always seems to work against you.. schedules, not enough hours in the day.. its frustrating
::Georgie:: Id say its keeping people from thinking we broke up. When you take time to write or just take a little time off it seems some people think you're no longer around (laughs)
 

4. What's your favorite show you have played to date?

::Sketch:: That's a tough one. The first time we opened up for Nocturne was really great. Then a couple of years ago we did a show with Cruxshadows and that also was the first show Rick was with us on Guitar. Its really a tough choice
::Xelana:: I think that mine is the 9-11 Benefit that we did at One Eyed Jacks. We got to
work with great bands and managed to raise some money for an excellent cause.
::Rick:: Honestly, my favorite show hasn't happened yet. But I can tell you this.. I know its coming once we start playing the new material
::Georgie:: The show with Nocturne - I really love those guys!
 

5. Can you give us any "on the road" or wild adventure stories? (music related or otherwise)

::Sketch:: We did a show a few years ago at The Imperial in downtown Jax. Well 15 minutes before we took the stage a friend showed up, BIG dude. I reached my hand out to shake his hand and he comes at me to give me a bear hug and catches my extended hand at the knuckle breaking my hand in two places. So I am now taking the stage to play keyboard and my hand is swollen to the size of a boxing glove. The bar isn't allowed to give out aspiring or anything so the bartenders solution was to give me a double shot of some weird shooter he invented... Yeah.. that show was... interesting
::Xelana:: At the time this was really bad, but it is funny now. We were playing a show at the Imperial and a guy who had loaned us a guitar so that we would have an extra just got a little
too excited (ok…intoxicated). We were on our second to last song and he jumped up on stage, grabbed his guitar and started playing to a song that I am sure he didn’t know. He stumbled around and then attempted to grab my microphone. During all of this he somehow got
his feet tangled in the cords and cut all sound. We tried to play it off. We tried to make him leave. Sketch managed to get the cords reconnected and we attempted another song, he
disconnected it again (by tripping over it). At that point all we could do was say goodnight. I laugh about it now but it is a wonder I didn’t strangle that boy.
::Rick:: (laughs) I remember that one. Funny thing is I wasn’t in the band yet. I came out to watch the guys and I see this kid jump up there. It was pretty fuckin funny
::Georgie:: I'd have to say there are 2 that stand out. 1. The night everyone kept buying me drinks and I don't remember playing the first 3 song of a show. 2. The night I got really trashed and went running down 220 half naked and passed out on an ant bed. That was also the night I got the nickname Georgie 3 fingers, but thats a LONG story and I'll go into that another time if anyone is interested
 

6. What do you do in your time away from the band?

::Sketch:: "Time away from the band" hmmmm... can't say I'm familiar with that phrase
::Xelana:: That changes pretty often. I am a busy person by nature so I am always trying my
hand at some new project or hobby.
::Rick:: Beat up people (laughs) I spend a lot of my spare time sparring (jiu jitsu)
::Georgie:: Work mostly - I'm a work-a-holic - I have to keep busy
 

7. Has being based in Jacksonville benefited your career more or less?

::Sketch:: More or less. With the industry making the widespread move to the internet we've enjoyed a great amount of success without the need for big road trips. The fans we have in Jax are amazing. I don't think I could ask for anything more
::Xelana:: I think it has benefited us greatly. We have an amazing support system here. Friends who tell us when we rock…and when we suck. There are so many great people in this city who are always willing to give you a boost when you are having doubts and a host of awesome musicians who have been where you are at ANY point who give great advice.
::Rick:: Honestly, I gotta say less... there's a lot of bands in Jax but there just isn't a good level of support.. people just don't seem to take a lot of interest in the local scene
::Georgie:: Id say it has. Jacksonville is a great city for local music. The fans are very loyal and true to the music.
 

8. Describe your music as a flavor, what would it taste like?

::Sketch:: (Laughing) I'd say Whiskey. Can be tough to swallow at first but its worth it in the end
::Xelana:: The flavor differs from song to song. Sometimes it’s smooth like ice cream, sometimes it’s rough like a shot of Jager.
::Georgie:: I think were more like a variety pack with a little something for everyone. I wish we were like sex on the beach though... ok, I just wish for sex on the beach (laughs)
 

9. How do you personally define success?

::Sketch:: When you put your time, blood, sweat and tears into something and people come to you and say "Man that one song you guys do is f*ckin awesome" or "your CD hasn't left my car stereo since I got it" Money is nice but, personaly, nothing beats the feeling of getting on stage and seeing the crowd packed to the wall
::Xelana:: When I am at the point where I only have to focus on the things that are important to me, I think that I will have achieved it.
::Georgie:: I personally think anyone who is happy is successful. To me success cannot be weight in dollars. Its a lot harder to get happiness than money.


10. What local bands besides yourself do you recommend people check out?

::Sketch:: Whoa.. another tough one... we've lost some great talent over the years. Personally I'm a big fan of X-sister-Z but I'm pretty into My Own Sin too. and of course I can't leave out my old running buddy Robbie (currently fronting S.R.I.)
::Rick:: Gotta give a shout to Surface and Kulbain..
::Georgie:: Straight to Audio - Great guys, great band, kick ass music

 

11. What sets your music apart from everything else that's out there?

::Xelana:: We work really well as a team. We all try a little bit of
everything from writing lyrics to playing guitar.
::Georgie:: I think its our style. We have a lot of different music styles and musical influences (between all the members) and think it blends nicely into what we are.

 

12. What's your favorite local venue to play?

::Sketch:: The Imperial and Jack Rabbits. The sound is really good and the management has been very good to us
::Xelana:: Absolutely, both the Imperial and Jack Rabbits are great to play. The owners and staff are always wonderful to us.
::Georgie:: I like all the places we play at, each place has its own charm to it. We always have a blast no matter where we are at.
::Rick:: Well I've only played the one show. but I'd like to able to play Japan one day. I just think it would be an awesome place to play. The way fans act about their music is totally different
 

13. What is your top 3 favorite hang out spots?

::Sketch:: I LOVE the atmosphere at the starlight cafe but you can't ignore the variety you get from week to week at Eclipse.. those are really my only too... although I suppose the Taco Bell driver through has seen quite a few visits from me
::Georgie:: Ricks parties - always an adventure! The Eclipse. Any dark place with a nice breeze - I love windy chilly nights - It relaxes me
::Rick:: I'm not much for gettin out... I usually just like chillin at home. Although I do like hanging at BW3's when I can
 

14. What, if anything would you change about yourself?

::Sketch:: I'm a perfectionist. To an extreme. Sometimes it really works against me more than for me
::Xelana:: I would focus more on the things that really matter and leave the drama and petty crap alone.
::Georgie:: My patience. I REALLY hate waiting


15. What is the best advice you have ever received and who was it from?

::Xelana:: This is also the funniest advice I have ever received. When we opened for the Cruxshadows, we were going to do a song that I had only written 3 days prior. I was terrified that I was going to forget the words. Rogue told me "If you forget, just pretend that you’re singing in German, no one will ever know the difference." I didn’t forget the words but I think that I was a great deal more relaxed after that.
::Georgie:: My old friend Paul who used to say "Plan for the worst, hope for the best" Its gotten me through a lot of rough times
::Rick:: Actually, the best advice I ever got was from Sketch. I’m a pretty self-critical person when it comes to my playing. He told me when I started with the band "Ya gotta trust the fans opinions. If they love your sound you’ve got nothing to beat yourself up over."
::Sketch:: Yeah we’ve gotten some great advice from lots of great sources, but what stands out for me isn’t "advice" so much as an old statement : "You ain’t seen nothing yet"

For more information visit the official Merry Widow site

www.merrywidowweb.com

Join the Merry Widow release party and Xelana's birthday party

Saturday May 7th at Factory

www.FactoryJax.com