METAL MAIDEN OF THE MONTH
July 2010
IVY VUJIC
The
Metal Pit's "MAIDEN" of the month for July 2010 :
Ivy Vujic................bass player for KITTIE
Name : Ivy Vujic
Home : Toronto, ON, CANADA
Band Myspace: www.myspace.com/officialkittie
Personal Myspace: www.myspace.com/_iv_
Band Website: www.kittierocks.com
Ivy Vujic................bass player for KITTIE
Name : Ivy Vujic
Home : Toronto, ON, CANADA
Band Myspace: www.myspace.com/officialkittie
Personal Myspace: www.myspace.com/_iv_
Band Website: www.kittierocks.com
Metal Pit : Hello Ivy, welcome to the Metal
Pit.
Ivy Vujic: Hello and thank you.
Metal Pit : How did you happen to join the band?
I was walking thru a dark alley, and a big white van with tinted windows pulled up. They threw a bag over my head and pulled me into the back of the van where the girls from Kittie proceeded to try to take advantage of me until I yelled, "watch the hands I need them to play bass!" and then I was hired!
Metal Pit : Ok.......I am sure some of your male fans were hoping for that very answer, haha.
Were you a Kittie fan before you joined?
I knew of the band of course but their presence in Canada wasn't so big at the time so I hadn't heard any of the recent stuff.
Metal Pit : When you were a little girl growing up did you ever dream of traveling the world with an all female Metal band?
Of course, doesn't everyone?
Metal Pit : Kittie has had to endure several lineup changes over the years and I believe you are the fifth bass player in the band,did that make you a little nervous about having any kind of stability for your future?
I am indeed the fifth bass player, and no it didn't make me nervous. The girls are super cool and past members left on their own accord for their own personal reasons.
Metal Pit : From personal dealings with the band and everyone else I have spoken too, Morgan and Mercedes are very cool and down to earth ladies which makes me scratch my head as to why it seems to be a revolving door of talent in this band, any personal thoughts on this?
I don't think this band has been through more changes than most bands in existence... And besides, most of the changes happened very early on in their career... You can't expect a bunch of teenagers to know what they're in for when they first get involved in touring. It's not for everybody and people change and grow and decide to take different paths in life.
You look at just about any successful band now days, they have had multiple members come and go... Most of that usually happens before the band gets big, for Kittie they got big on their first album when they were still kids. Also for some reason people seem to notice more when females leave or join, whereas most male metal bands hire new guitar players or drummers every other tour and nobody really cares as long as the front man is the same.
Metal Pit : What bands have you played with in the past?
Just a few different local Toronto bands. No national acts.
Metal Pit : What made you decide to pick up the bass and play Metal?
It kind of fell in my lap. I had friends that were in a band and they needed a bass player. That band was more rock n roll but I always loved metal and eventually progressed into playing heavier and heavier stuff!
Metal Pit : What kind of gear do you
use?
I use a 5 string Warwick convertible $$ (double buck) bass and am running that straight through an Ampeg SVT classic head with some light compression. Nothing fancy, no pedals or toys just straight up sweet bass :) the Warwick has a great natural tone.
Metal Pit : Who are some of your influences in Metal and bass players that you admire?
The first band that really got me into metal was Pantera. They will forever be one of my favorites. I can't really think of a specific person or band that influences my playing... I just kinda do what I wanna do.
Metal Pit : I have been a huge Kittie fan since I first heard the song "Brackish" and have seen how much this band has grown over the years.Kittie's latest cd "In the Black" in my opinion is an instant Metal classic and establishes the band as legitimate Metal stars on the rise.How much input did you personally have with writing this cd?
When I joined the band, a good portion of those songs were already written. I wrote all the bass lines, but otherwise didn't have much to do with the actual song structure.
Metal Pit : Was there a conscious effort to make this cd heavier because it is much heavier than "Funeral"?
The songs themselves are not really much heavier than the stuff on Funeral. The songs we play live, like "Breathe, never again, flower of flesh and blood" are brutally heavy, sadly the production on the album didn't come across that way. We definitely want to continue writing heavier songs and the next album should be Metal as Fuck!
Metal Pit : Some of my personal favorite tunes on the cd are.........Oh, Hell I guess I cant pick just one, I love the entire cd. Are there any tunes that are your favs?
My favorites rotate all the time but there are alot of good songs on there that sound very different from each other.
Metal Pit : You are a complete badass on the bass Ivy and I think your playing really stands out on tunes like "The Truth", Ready Aim Riot" and "My Plague", as part of Kittie's rhythm section how is the chemistry musically between you and Mercedes?
I think it comes across in the music! We are tight with each other's vibe!
Metal Pit : Mercedes being a badass on the skins in her own right, correct?
Of course!
Metal Pit : Kittie just finished doing the "Happy Daze Tour" which featured a very unorthodox lineup (Insane Clown Posse was one of the bands for example) ,can you tell us a little about that tour and why Kittie was chosen to play?
That tour has been one of the most fun things we've ever done! The fans (juggalos) are very open and receptive and we have had a great response at every show! Multiple circle pits breaking out makes me happy!
We have been playing to a couple of thousand people every night, getting exposure to a new crowd and gaining lots of new fans... And this is why we decided it would be good for us!
Metal Pit : What is next up for the band as far as tours?
Well we have the"Thrash and Burn tour" starting in mid July which will take us across America again and even includes a couple of Canadian dates which is exciting for us.
We have a couple of other things in the works but I cant talk about that yet. You will just have to keep checking on our myspace, Facebook, all that Internet stuff as we will post more dates soon!
Metal Pit : I have seen
you play live before and you are an absolute madwoman on stage, you dont see a
lot of bass players really getting into a show, they usually just stand there and
maybe shake their head a few times. Do you tend to get caught up in the moment
and just lose control or what?
I love what I do!
Metal Pit : One of the things I have always loved about this band is your sense of humor and other than the music,not taking yourselves too seriously. I know for me it's kinda refreshing too see. It seems to me like you have always been a member of Kittie with how comfortable you all are with each other,does it feel that way to you sometimes?
Yeah are like one ridiculous, perverted, crazy family! We like to laugh and have fun with whatever we do! It's all about the good vibes!
Metal Pit : Speaking of fun, I know videos are a necessary evil these days and at times a lot of work but you all seem to have a blast doing them. Can you tell me the best thing about doing vids and the worst?
Depends on the video... Shooting the video for "Die my Darling" which has just been released Was extremely fun! The only shitty thing was the weather wasn't always in our favour and we all got sun burned and rained on and froze and got covered in dirt, all in the same day! But the video is Fucking amazing,I cant wait until the whole wolrd sees it.
Otherwise videos are always exciting but can be difficult too. "Cut Throat" was filmed in a hot ass little abandoned room and everyone was heat stroking out... While "Sorrow I know" was filmed in a very fancy little speakeasy, however standing around in heels all day waiting to shoot the same scene for the 26th time, can get frustrating!
Metal Pit : Did you have alot of fun dressing up in the costumes?
Haha not really! I was impressed with our styling crew for sure, but I prefer to be comfortable and not in huge ass heels! I was super stoked to see how many of our fans drove and flew out from all over the country and dressed up and got in character to take part in the video.
Metal Pit : So Ivy, when you are not beating the Hell out of the bass with one of the coolest Metal bands on the planet, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?
Wow... I've been on tour too long to remember! Hah! My priorities have changed with all the touring now. I used to enjoy a alot of extreme sports but I can't afford to break any more bones. I also used to breed geckos but I have wholesaled most of them as I don't have time for that anymore. I guess now I just chill out, relax and catch up with friends and family until the next tour.
Metal Pit : Rumor has it you are kind of an adrenaline junkie and have the scars to prove it, care to elaborate on that, haha?
I don't really have too many crazy scars. I've broken and sprained a couple of things and had some stitches but half of them are just from me being accident prone too! I may be a bit of an adrenaline junkie yeah... I enjoy snowboarding, sky diving, water skiing, cliff diving... Anything exciting you can think of.
Metal Pit : What is your opinion of
women in Heavy Metal today, are we slowly getting away from all the old
stereotypes about female musicians or do we still have a long way to
go?
The stereotypes will be around for a very long time, but we are starting to see more and more females pop up in the metal world and rock it!
Metal Pit : What would you tell any young girls out there today who see you as a role model and want to follow in your footsteps?
Do whatever makes you happy, don't let anyone knock you down, don't get discouraged too easily and don't be afraid to put yourself out there and be who you are and do what you want to do!
Metal Pit : What does it mean to you to be chosen as the Metal Pit's Maiden of the month?
I wasn't aware of that but that's cool! Thanks for the honor!
Metal Pit : This will make Blake the editor of the Metal Pit very happy as you are only the third Canadian woman to be chosen.
Badass! There seems to be alot of Canadian chicks rockin out now a days! We have a lot of talent and are generally very cool and easy going people.
Metal Pit : Ivy,on behalf of myself and the Metal Pit we want to thank you very much for giving up your free time today to chat with us. Honestly I really love you guys and have been pulling for this band from day one,I am so proud of you all and proud to be a fan as well.We wish you all the best in what I know will be a very bright future with Kittie.
Thank you and the Metal Pit as well Nick.
Horns up brothers and sisters...............
Nick Rohm.
Ivy Vujic: Hello and thank you.
Metal Pit : How did you happen to join the band?
I was walking thru a dark alley, and a big white van with tinted windows pulled up. They threw a bag over my head and pulled me into the back of the van where the girls from Kittie proceeded to try to take advantage of me until I yelled, "watch the hands I need them to play bass!" and then I was hired!
Metal Pit : Ok.......I am sure some of your male fans were hoping for that very answer, haha.
Were you a Kittie fan before you joined?
I knew of the band of course but their presence in Canada wasn't so big at the time so I hadn't heard any of the recent stuff.
Metal Pit : When you were a little girl growing up did you ever dream of traveling the world with an all female Metal band?
Of course, doesn't everyone?
Metal Pit : Kittie has had to endure several lineup changes over the years and I believe you are the fifth bass player in the band,did that make you a little nervous about having any kind of stability for your future?
I am indeed the fifth bass player, and no it didn't make me nervous. The girls are super cool and past members left on their own accord for their own personal reasons.
Metal Pit : From personal dealings with the band and everyone else I have spoken too, Morgan and Mercedes are very cool and down to earth ladies which makes me scratch my head as to why it seems to be a revolving door of talent in this band, any personal thoughts on this?
I don't think this band has been through more changes than most bands in existence... And besides, most of the changes happened very early on in their career... You can't expect a bunch of teenagers to know what they're in for when they first get involved in touring. It's not for everybody and people change and grow and decide to take different paths in life.
You look at just about any successful band now days, they have had multiple members come and go... Most of that usually happens before the band gets big, for Kittie they got big on their first album when they were still kids. Also for some reason people seem to notice more when females leave or join, whereas most male metal bands hire new guitar players or drummers every other tour and nobody really cares as long as the front man is the same.
Metal Pit : What bands have you played with in the past?
Just a few different local Toronto bands. No national acts.
Metal Pit : What made you decide to pick up the bass and play Metal?
It kind of fell in my lap. I had friends that were in a band and they needed a bass player. That band was more rock n roll but I always loved metal and eventually progressed into playing heavier and heavier stuff!
Metal Pit : What kind of gear do you
use?I use a 5 string Warwick convertible $$ (double buck) bass and am running that straight through an Ampeg SVT classic head with some light compression. Nothing fancy, no pedals or toys just straight up sweet bass :) the Warwick has a great natural tone.
Metal Pit : Who are some of your influences in Metal and bass players that you admire?
The first band that really got me into metal was Pantera. They will forever be one of my favorites. I can't really think of a specific person or band that influences my playing... I just kinda do what I wanna do.
Metal Pit : I have been a huge Kittie fan since I first heard the song "Brackish" and have seen how much this band has grown over the years.Kittie's latest cd "In the Black" in my opinion is an instant Metal classic and establishes the band as legitimate Metal stars on the rise.How much input did you personally have with writing this cd?
When I joined the band, a good portion of those songs were already written. I wrote all the bass lines, but otherwise didn't have much to do with the actual song structure.
Metal Pit : Was there a conscious effort to make this cd heavier because it is much heavier than "Funeral"?
The songs themselves are not really much heavier than the stuff on Funeral. The songs we play live, like "Breathe, never again, flower of flesh and blood" are brutally heavy, sadly the production on the album didn't come across that way. We definitely want to continue writing heavier songs and the next album should be Metal as Fuck!
Metal Pit : Some of my personal favorite tunes on the cd are.........Oh, Hell I guess I cant pick just one, I love the entire cd. Are there any tunes that are your favs?
My favorites rotate all the time but there are alot of good songs on there that sound very different from each other.
Metal Pit : You are a complete badass on the bass Ivy and I think your playing really stands out on tunes like "The Truth", Ready Aim Riot" and "My Plague", as part of Kittie's rhythm section how is the chemistry musically between you and Mercedes?
I think it comes across in the music! We are tight with each other's vibe!
Metal Pit : Mercedes being a badass on the skins in her own right, correct?
Of course!
Metal Pit : Kittie just finished doing the "Happy Daze Tour" which featured a very unorthodox lineup (Insane Clown Posse was one of the bands for example) ,can you tell us a little about that tour and why Kittie was chosen to play?
That tour has been one of the most fun things we've ever done! The fans (juggalos) are very open and receptive and we have had a great response at every show! Multiple circle pits breaking out makes me happy!
We have been playing to a couple of thousand people every night, getting exposure to a new crowd and gaining lots of new fans... And this is why we decided it would be good for us!
Metal Pit : What is next up for the band as far as tours?
Well we have the"Thrash and Burn tour" starting in mid July which will take us across America again and even includes a couple of Canadian dates which is exciting for us.
We have a couple of other things in the works but I cant talk about that yet. You will just have to keep checking on our myspace, Facebook, all that Internet stuff as we will post more dates soon!
Metal Pit : I have seen
you play live before and you are an absolute madwoman on stage, you dont see a
lot of bass players really getting into a show, they usually just stand there and
maybe shake their head a few times. Do you tend to get caught up in the moment
and just lose control or what?I love what I do!
Metal Pit : One of the things I have always loved about this band is your sense of humor and other than the music,not taking yourselves too seriously. I know for me it's kinda refreshing too see. It seems to me like you have always been a member of Kittie with how comfortable you all are with each other,does it feel that way to you sometimes?
Yeah are like one ridiculous, perverted, crazy family! We like to laugh and have fun with whatever we do! It's all about the good vibes!
Metal Pit : Speaking of fun, I know videos are a necessary evil these days and at times a lot of work but you all seem to have a blast doing them. Can you tell me the best thing about doing vids and the worst?
Depends on the video... Shooting the video for "Die my Darling" which has just been released Was extremely fun! The only shitty thing was the weather wasn't always in our favour and we all got sun burned and rained on and froze and got covered in dirt, all in the same day! But the video is Fucking amazing,I cant wait until the whole wolrd sees it.
Otherwise videos are always exciting but can be difficult too. "Cut Throat" was filmed in a hot ass little abandoned room and everyone was heat stroking out... While "Sorrow I know" was filmed in a very fancy little speakeasy, however standing around in heels all day waiting to shoot the same scene for the 26th time, can get frustrating!
Metal Pit : Did you have alot of fun dressing up in the costumes?
Haha not really! I was impressed with our styling crew for sure, but I prefer to be comfortable and not in huge ass heels! I was super stoked to see how many of our fans drove and flew out from all over the country and dressed up and got in character to take part in the video.
Metal Pit : So Ivy, when you are not beating the Hell out of the bass with one of the coolest Metal bands on the planet, what kinds of things do you enjoy doing?
Wow... I've been on tour too long to remember! Hah! My priorities have changed with all the touring now. I used to enjoy a alot of extreme sports but I can't afford to break any more bones. I also used to breed geckos but I have wholesaled most of them as I don't have time for that anymore. I guess now I just chill out, relax and catch up with friends and family until the next tour.
Metal Pit : Rumor has it you are kind of an adrenaline junkie and have the scars to prove it, care to elaborate on that, haha?
I don't really have too many crazy scars. I've broken and sprained a couple of things and had some stitches but half of them are just from me being accident prone too! I may be a bit of an adrenaline junkie yeah... I enjoy snowboarding, sky diving, water skiing, cliff diving... Anything exciting you can think of.
Metal Pit : What is your opinion of
women in Heavy Metal today, are we slowly getting away from all the old
stereotypes about female musicians or do we still have a long way to
go?The stereotypes will be around for a very long time, but we are starting to see more and more females pop up in the metal world and rock it!
Metal Pit : What would you tell any young girls out there today who see you as a role model and want to follow in your footsteps?
Do whatever makes you happy, don't let anyone knock you down, don't get discouraged too easily and don't be afraid to put yourself out there and be who you are and do what you want to do!
Metal Pit : What does it mean to you to be chosen as the Metal Pit's Maiden of the month?
I wasn't aware of that but that's cool! Thanks for the honor!
Metal Pit : This will make Blake the editor of the Metal Pit very happy as you are only the third Canadian woman to be chosen.
Badass! There seems to be alot of Canadian chicks rockin out now a days! We have a lot of talent and are generally very cool and easy going people.
Metal Pit : Ivy,on behalf of myself and the Metal Pit we want to thank you very much for giving up your free time today to chat with us. Honestly I really love you guys and have been pulling for this band from day one,I am so proud of you all and proud to be a fan as well.We wish you all the best in what I know will be a very bright future with Kittie.
Thank you and the Metal Pit as well Nick.
Horns up brothers and sisters...............
Nick Rohm.
Check out Previous METAL MAIDENS OF THE MONTH
