Interview with Heather, Eric, Joe, and Mark of . . .
Tapping the Vein
Interview By: Azriel J. Knight
Azriel: Okay lets start with something that has been bugging me, what is the story behind the band name?
Eric: I have always been a Clive Barker fan. I was working with someone who was a very big comic book fan and he asked me if I had ever seen the series “Tapping the Vein”. It is a series that Clive Barker presented in order to showcase the talents of new comic book artists. Before I even saw the series, I thought it was great name and it represents what we “try” to do.
Azriel: How old were you when you discovered you had singing talent?
Heather: Well, I had a solo in the 9th grade and that went pretty well. Another day, I was leaning my ear up against my speaker and singing along to something. My brother was walking by and knocked on my door to tell me it sounded good. Considering we were teenagers, close in age and barely speaking to each other, I took it as a huge compliment.
Azriel: My friend October was the one who introduced my to your band, maybe as a payback to her I can get you to say a little something for her?
Heather: Hi, October! Thank you so much for telling Azriel about us. I really appreciate that. And I LOVE your name. Great month, too…
Azriel: The design on your website is amazing , did you have any say in how it would look?
Heather: We had a lot to say about what we wanted but the design and basic concept was done by our friends at Bowhaus design. ( www.bowhausdesign.com ). Eric had them check out a couple of sites that he had seen and liked. We had a few meetings to discuss what they wanted to do and what we were looking for. After the initial layout, I started to get involved as far as what “wasn’t” working as far as we were concerned. Just little things here and there. Colors, easier navigation, photos, back ground. So, I guess the answer is “yes”, we had a lot to say about the final result. It was stressful getting it exactly the way we wanted before it went live but I e-mailed back and forth with them until everything was right. I think that they really did an excellent job. We will be making some changes soon once the full length is finished.
Azriel: What are your future touring plans? Canada? Europe? The Moon?? 🙂
Heather: Hmmm, Well, we get this question a lot from people that write to us. When I write back I tell them the truth. That we hope to be out this year. I don’t know where we will go or how far but we have a lot more resources than this time last year. We will have distribution and tour support through the label. It is an absolute priority as far as we, and probably any band, are concerned. The biggest problem, of course, is the money. But we’ll find a way.
Azriel: How do you see the band progressing in future albums?
Eric: I don’t know how I see it progressing right now. I can’t even tell you because it is a natural progression. We always just write what we feel. I experiment with new sounds all of the time. It’s not like we will put out a jazz album or anything but as long as we grow as writers that’s all I really care about.
Mark: As we’ve matured as a band we have become more compatible as writers. We know each other’s personal writing style. In that way, I guess we will continue to progress. We also learn more and more each time we record. We always end up saying “well, that’s pretty good but next time…”
Azriel: How do fans react to your live shows?
Mark: The fans are very attentive and extremely appreciative. There never seems to be anyone standing around talking. All eyes are on us. That just makes the performance all the more enjoyable for us.
Joe: Yes, we get an excellent response. Never bad. The people are always willing to come up before and after the shows to talk with us and tell us how much they enjoy seeing us play. They say that the shows keep getting better and better.
Azriel: What is YOUR favourite band and why?
Eric: There are so many… Depeche Mode, NIN, Tool. The reason is the same for all three. Brilliant song writing and a high level of creativity.
Mark: I really don’t have a favorite band but right now I really like A Perfect Circle, Rammstein and Tool.
Heather: I’m not really a “favorite band” kind of person. I kind of just obsess on songs for awhile then move on. But right now I LOVE Linkin Park. My friend, Dana, and I put on the album and sing, play air guitar and basically just jump around like idiots while we get ready to go out.
Joe: I think my favorite band is The Cure because of the dynamics that they put into their music and moods that creates.
Azriel: When people ask you what you do for a living, how do you respond?
Heather: Well, I usually say “I’m a singer but I have a day job.”
Eric: I tell them my day job because that is what I do “for a living”.
Mark: I tell them I’m a student.
Joe: I say that I am a prosthetic technician. Then I have to explain that it means I make artificial limbs. I once had given a friend about 10 “used” limbs which she passed on to Marilyn Manson. They turned up in a magazine spread with him.
Azriel: What sort of tips would you give someone starting their own band?
Heather: Do what YOU feel not what you think everybody wants to hear.
Azriel: If I have missed anything please take the time now to let me and everyone reading this know about it
Heather: I think you covered just about everything. Can I have some plugs? I guess I can plug the web site www.tappingthevein.com and plug the upcoming full length with Nuclear Blast. We are in the finishing stages.
Azriel: Thanks very much for the interview, I wish you all the best
Heather: thanks, a lot. We really appreciate your support and the exposure. Bye Bye for now!
Originally Published March 2001
