METAL PIT INTERVIEW
Interview with Felicia Mitchell of SIRENS OF TITAN. Interview by BLAKE. June 2009.
SIRENS OF TITAN hailing from Minneapolis, USA. This doom styled metal band with brings influences from the doom sound of early Sabbath to more modern sound of a Trouble or Soundgarden. Lead vocalist Felicia Mitchell tells us more about the band and their appearance at the Flight of the Valkyries Festival. (June 2009)
SIRENS OF TITAN hailing from Minneapolis, USA. This doom styled metal band with brings influences from the doom sound of early Sabbath to more modern sound of a Trouble or Soundgarden. Lead vocalist Felicia Mitchell tells us more about the band and their appearance at the Flight of the Valkyries Festival. (June 2009)
THE METAL PIT: You have been in a few bands in your career including a progressive metal band and a pyschobilly band and now in Sirens of Titan which is mostly doom metal. Do you think your voice is made more for this type of music?
Felicia Mitchell: I am not sure if I feel it's MORE appropriate for this type of music...in my psychobilly band, which was really more like a mix of rockabilly and old school rock, I felt my voice carried over fine with the material. As long as
I can belt it, can bring my soulfulness to the material, I feel comfortable. Does that make sense? Musically speaking, I feel the music Sirens of Titan writes calls to me more, emotionally. It resonates more with what I am trying to communicate. This is thanks to Sam Rhode - the heart of the band. Truthfully, I love performing so many styles of music and think I can hold my own vocally with many genres but with Sirens,
I feel it is a better match in terms of song writing.
THE METAL PIT: Tell us about how the band came together?
Felicia: Sam Rhode had been in a few bands starting out of his hometown of Yankton, South Dakota. Sirens is his brainchild. He had been in some experimental bands, most notably Sacred Ground Beef, with Al Vorse, who is now our bassist.
Sam's influence of old school metal such as Black Sabbath combined with the experimentation of fusion and jazz created the signature sound of Sirens. He teamed up with drummer Conan Malady, former drummer for punk band
Indepent Progress, and bassist Matt Duffin to form Sirens of Titan initially as an instrumental group. I answered an ad they posted in 2005 and we all clicked rather well. I didn't join full time back then to another musical obligation but signed on full time in the fall of 2006. Our debut was for the Root of All Evil Benefit in December
2006 and we have been going strong ever since.
THE METAL PIT: Who are some of your vocal influences?
Felicia: My heroes vocally have always been Geoff Tate, warrel Dane, Joe Lynn Turner, Rob Halford, and Sioux Sioux (of Siouxie and the Banshees.). For whatever reason, I was always drawn to the male voices of harder genres than to female
vocalists. I guess I always felt their strength and power called to me more...there were few female vocalists I could relate to growing up. I do greatly admire the contributions of Leather Leone, Kate French, Karen Crisis, and Nina Hagan however. I am particually drawn to avant garde artists and uncategorized female musicians such as
Nina Hagan, Bjork, Karen Crisis, and Chiasm.
THE METAL PIT: What does it mean to play at the Flight of the Valkyries Festival?
Felicia: It means a chance for us to shine as a whole regardless of what sex we are! It means solidarity and unity of listeners who have a deep and intense appreciation for music. Hopefully it means opening the eyes and hearts of new listeners who will become friends and supporters. We feel honored to be a part of it and know that our sound will resonate with the audience. We look forward to the feeback and friendship.
THE METAL PIT: As a female singer in a Metal band do you feel you have to stand out more to show new fans what your made of?
Feilcia: Hmmm. Not really. I am naturally odd to begin with so I feel my very nature means I will stand out even at a convenience store....or sci-fi convention. I am not shy...but I am not obnoxious....unless you get me talking about movies or action figures...I am naturally an artistic person who doesn't shy from expressing herself so
I am comfortable performing. I am not sure...I hope that answers your question.
THE METAL PIT: What can someone expect from a live show of Sirens of Titan?
Felicia: Intensity....sweeping emotion....walls of sound...ethereal grooves...bleeding ears.
THE METAL PIT: Is the band working on a new cd as of yet?
Felicia: We hope to eventually do an EP as we have a handful of new ones that we are quite proud of. They are going well with audiences and have had requests to record them poste haste so...hopefully later this year.
THE METAL PIT: Personally what is the difference in playing a festival show then a smaller club show?
Felicia: One is a festival...one is a smaller club...um...yeah.....no matter really because we want to "bring it" whether it be for a smaller audience or a larger one. Either way, it is an opportunity for us to entertain and hopefully enlighten.
Sirens of Titan Website http://www.sirensoftitan.org
Sirens of Titan Myspace http://www.myspace.com/sirensong
