Interview with Luscious Jackson
Olga: Todays Doctor Martins interview is with Kate and Gabby of
Luscious Jackson. Thank you very much for being here today.
Kate: Thats Dr. Kate to you. And Dr. Gabby.
Gabby: Thats right. Yeah. Weve actually gotten a degree
in medicine while weve been on tour off the computer.
Kate: Were going to Internet College. Internet University
I should say. Excuse me. I have a Ph.D.
Olga: _____________________.
Kate: Its hard because...
Gabby: Kinda gross.
Kate: Its kinda gross.
Gabby: Yeah. A lot of blood and...
Kate: Gore.
Gabby: ...flesh and cutting and....
Kate: And practicing all the surgical stuff while were driving is hard.
Gabby: Yeah. And the rest of the band are pretty sensitive to it, so.
Kate: We take over the back lounge and sometimes we forget to put paper down.
Its kinda gross. Anyway.
Olga: So, what Id like to do is get a little bit of a background from
the two of you. I know you guys have been friends for a long time.
So maybe you can tell us a little bit about your family and childhood and
growing up together.
Kate:: Well, we didnt really grow up together as like kiddy kids, but
we did meet when we were about 14, 13, 14 in the nightclubs of New York City
in the 80's.
Gabby: Can I say that 14-year-olds look like little, chiny children now?
Kate: Chiny children? Or tiny children?
Gabby: Tiny children. Tiny children.
Kate: Yeah. And so did we. Although you had a....
Gabby: Well, we thought we looked a lot older than we were, but now that we
see the 14-year-olds when we play, they look really young. You know
what I mean?
Kate: I do.
Gabby: Jill looked very young. Kate kind of was on the borderline.
Kate: Gabby always looked the same.
Gabby: And I still look the same. Except a little more tired.
Olga: You guys were playing in nightclubs at 14?
Gabby: We were going to nightclubs, yeah. Fake ids, absolutely.
_____________ get on a list for free.
Kate: We didnt even really need ids.
Gabby: No, it was just a very corrupt time in New York where no one really
cared how old you were. We never got proofed. And when we went
outside New York, wed like go to Boston or something, and theyd
be like, you need id, and were like, what? Were from New
York.
Kate: Well, theyre strict in Boston. I mean, you could be like
65 years old and theyll be like, I gotta see id. Like, oh, stop,
youll flatter me. And theyre like, no, I need id.
Its true. Its true.
Olga: Did you guys grow up in New York?
Kate: Yes.
Gabby: Yeah, I grew up on the Lower East Side with my mom, and Kate grew up
in the West Village.
Kate: Yes.
Olga: ______________________.
Gabby: Well, its a very complicated question. I grew up just with
my mom, and theres been recent...this is an exclusive, cause Ive
never talked about this before...but I think there are some people out there
that are related to me.
Kate: Gabby said once.
Gabby: I have some siblings. Quite a few.
Olga: So I take it your parents split up or something.
Gabby: Something like that. I mean, I do respect my mom. I really
shouldnt say much. But, you know, I probably shouldnt have
said that just now either. Its a hard question - if you have any
brothers and sisters. I mean, I guess a few years ago I would have said
no, but now I gotta say yes. Anyway, how bout you?
Kate: Yeah, I have a sister. And older sister. And I have a younger
half brother who loves Smash Mouth, funny enough.
Olga: So are you close with your families at all?
Kate: Im close to my sister, yes.
Gabby: Yeah, Im very close to my mom and my uncle and aunt. I
dont see my uncle and aunt too much.
Olga: So I imagine kind of growing up with your mom, and not really having
a dad and the whole family thing, must have really left like quite an imprint
on you at a young age, very different from whoever ___________________.
Gabby: Yeah, a lot of my friends had a lot of siblings and stuff. I
mean, I had a lot of friends when I was a kid, and I do really love my privacy,
and I think there was definitely a time where I wanted a sibling and I asked
my mom about it, and I dont remember what she said.
Kate: Did you have an imaginary friend?
Gabby: No I didnt. Well, I had cats and I just was so in love
with my first cat, Phoeny. We used to sing to him and hed sing
to me, and were in love, you know. Not in any sick sense, come
on you guys. But, yeah, its nice to be in a house with just...well,
we lived in a studio too. We probably couldnt have fit anybody
else in anyway. There was just one room. But you do get a lot
of privacy when youre in that small of a family.
Olga: So growing up and going to ___________ clubs, that sort of thing, was
that what kind of inspired you to get into music and ________________.
Gabby: Yeah, different things. I mean, I think for me it was not only,
it was listening, it was like discovering music. My mom had great taste
in music, so we had great records in the house. But then it wasnt
until I was 13 where I liked stuff on my own. Like Patti Smith, back
then, it was a long time ago. Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello,
my first record. And John Birchman. Anyway, there was a lot of
stuff that when you like something on your own, youre like, wow, you
know. And then the clubs just, forget about it. Yeah, once I started
going to Cbans clubs, I was like, wow, this is the scene for me, you know.
I hadnt really clicked with any other social scene until then.
Olga: So then you just promptly signed up for lessons?
Gabby: No, it was kind of punk rock time, so you didnt need lessons.
You just learned a couple of beats, started a band.
Olga: Did you guys have a mentor __________________
Gabby: Kinda, yeah, actually I had friends who were like 10 years older than
me, and I definitely as a young teenager hung around them and just started
to soak up their coolness. There was definitely like an older generation
that I was inspired by, for sure.
Kate: The club scene, there were so many different ages in the same room,
and it wasnt like, oh, youre too young to hang out with us, or,
oh, youre too old to hang out with us. Everyone loved music, and
that was the common....
Gabby: Yeah, there were certain bands that would just draw like a really great
mixed crowd. But there was definitely older girls that I was like into.
Like, I thought they were really cool, like AC and all those kind of girls.
Kate: They were probably only like three years older than us, but back then,
its a huge amount.
Gabby: No, shes like six years older. Anyway, blah, blah, blah.
Olga: So are you guys still in touch with ______________ people?
Kate: Well, were in touch with a lot of our friends from New York,
yeah. We see them here and there. I mean, a lot of people have
moved away and then come back. Thats why weve got a good
job, cause we get to see them like every other...
Gabby: Yeah, when we go around, definitely theres like, oh, theres
so and so who moved to blah blah blah. So thats kind of a plus.
Olga: Do you find that now that youve achieved some sort of success
that those kind of people come out of the woodwork, so theyre like,
hey, I know you. Back then they were just totally rude or mean or something.
Kate: Every once in a while theres some freak whos like, remember
me from Danceteria? and Im like, no.
Gabby: Yeah, I dont know. I dont get that too much.
I dont.
Olga: That brings me to my other question, especially the women in this business
and being in the public eye a lot, have you ever dealt with kind of freaky
bands or some sort of harassment or something like that, ________ just like,
whoa.
Gabby: Weve had like just a few instances where it seems like people
are a little forward and they might give you some strange gift or....
Kate: Remember that weird letter we got?
Gabby: Yeah. Every once in a while theres some bizarro thing.
Olga: Did that upset you at all or worry you at all?
Gabby: No.
Kate: Its not so bad. I mean, I cant imagine like for people
who really have like the stalking thing, like Sarah McLaughlin had it really
bad and Madonna and all these people. Thats pretty intense.
I mean, were not at that kind of level of fame where we cant walk
out our door.
Gabby: Yeah, were all over the place in New York. Theres
no problems, so far, with people.
Kate: Yeah.
Gabby: You know, New York Citys also like, at least when were
there, people arent that impressed by someone whos somewhat known.
You know, they might look at you like, oh, they know you, but its not
like...I mean, even growing up there, youd see somewhat famous people
and it was just, oh, theres Yoko Ono, or theres...
Kate: Patti Smith.
Gabby: Theres Sammy Davis, Jr.
Kate: Lou Reed __________.
Gabby: Yeah, Lou Reeds all around all the time.
Kate: Yeah, hes always walking around. Whats wrong with
him?
Olga: So, did you guys go to college at all?
Kate: Yeah.
Gabby: Um-hm.
Gabby: Did we graduate? I dont know. I didnt.
Kate: I did.
Gabby: Everyone else did except me.
Kate: Lose-ah.
Olga: Did you ever think about __________________ pressure or that you missed
out on something, or not?
Gabby: I went to 3-1/2 years of college, so my thing was that I just wanted
to take what I wanted to take, and I didnt want to have the required
math or the required this or required that, so I had a great time, and no,
I dont regret anything. Id love to take another class or
a bunch of classes.
Kate: Its never too late.
Gabby: Yeah. I dont know if I care about graduating. It
would be complicated, because I had a two-year film degree, and then 1-1/2
years of just general stuff, so I would have to really....
Kate: Youd have to go to Hunter. Thats where everyone
returns to.
Gabby: Really?
Kate: Thats where I went to school.
Gabby: I could do that.
Kate: A lot of people who have had life experience return back to Hunter
and get a degree.
Gabby: I dont know. A degree is just not important to me,
actually.
Kate: Yeah, its not necessary. I think its kind of
a hype. I hate to say that, especially if anyones listening who
is considering ___________.
Olga: _______________________
Kate: My sister had like half a year of college, and shes excelled in
her business and shes a smart woman, and shes creative, so it
didnt really matter for her. But there was definitely growing
up this pressure, like, you have to get a degree, you have to get a college
degree. Youll never get anywhere. And, yeah, in some cases
I think people get shut out from jobs. I think its opening up
a bit with like, especially with like new technology and stuff.
Gabby: Yeah, if youre really good at what you do. As far as computers,
lets say youve been into them since you were 10, and youre
brilliant at it, the companys not going care if you had a degree or
not. You know, as far as teachers, yeah, you have to get a degree, but
theres so many jobs where you dont need a degree. Hello.
Kate: Yeah, I mean, look at us. Were doctors. And we dont
have a degree.
Gabby: I know. Well, weve just finished our degree, so.
Kate: I guess theyre gonna e-mail it to us.
Gabby: What kind of doctor do you want to be, Kate? ____________ choice.
Kate: Im gonna be a phlebotomist.
Gabby: Im gonna go into animal massage therapy.
Kate: Animal massage. Nice.
Olga: __________________ cats. ______________ already.
Kate: Oh, I love massaging their neck and their back. Its so cute.
They like it.
Gabby: Feline shiatsu.
Olga: ________________________.
Gabby: We should teach them how to do it. _________ should need to grow some
fur.
Olga: So, like this pressure that you were talking about, did you feel that
primarily with like parents?
Kate: Sort of, yeah, yeah.
Gabby: Absolutely.
Olga: How did they take it when you guys decided ______________ wanted to
make a career out of music?
Kate: I think my mom was actually psyched about that, because she was musical,
and our whole family was pretty musical. And I had worked at a job and
I had gotten my degree, whatever, so she knew that if this didnt work
out there was always things to fall back on. But I think everybody knows
its very rare to be able to make a living as a musician or an artist,
so when you have that opportunity, you should be really thankful and enjoy
it while you can. Cause tomorrow, newcareers.com, theres
a booth out there called newcareers.com, thats where Im gonna
be later.
Olga: You mentioned that your familys real musical. What did they
play and who were you exposed to?
Gabby: They did covers of Joni Mitchell.
Kate: My mom played guitar, and she was kind of a folky and she wrote songs.
And she sang, blah, blah, blah. And my sister also sings in a chorus.
We all sang in the choir, stuff like that. We all took piano lessons,
you know, stuff like that.
Olga: ________________________.
Kate: I saw a female drummer, one of the first bands I ever saw, and I thought
that was pretty cool, and then someone left a drum kit at my house and I started
playing on it, and one thing led to another. I learned those two beats
you need to know for the punk rock world. The next thing I knew I was
in a band.
Olga: _____________ song writing _____________?
Kate: Not really. The times I attempted it, the results were so corny
that I was like, Im not even going to try any more.
Gabby: I doubt that.
Kate: Believe me.
Gabby: She will soon be coming out with a completely written, amazing record,
Kate Schellenbach, with amazing drum solos that weve been begging her
to do some drum solos, so, soon to come.
Kate: Dr. Kate Schellenbach.
Gabby: Dr. Kate Schellenbach.
Kate: Hair doctor. Thats why I didnt do well in German,
cause I couldnt roll _______ my rs. I did. I
took German and French. Yah. I was really bad, though. I
had to cheat all the time. I had this tiny, little dictionary that was
about this big that was a German dictionary. Its the only way
I made it through.
Gabby: I mean, if you went to sleep at a decent hour some night, you would
have been able to go to school.
Kate: Yeah, I was really good at not doing any work and passing classes.
Gabby: Its a talent in New York City if you go out a lot.
Kate: It really is. You spend more energy trying to pass without doing
any work than actually doing the work.
Gabby: And then getting right to the ________________.
Kate: But once I got to college, I realized that if I started doing reports
like before they were due, I could actually do a good job and enjoy it and
have fun. College was good, cause I think high school really screwed
me up, and then college, took the classes I wanted to take and it was much
more fun. College rocks.
Olga: ____________ high school screwed you up. How so?
Kate: I just think its a terrible time in your life, teenage years,
for many reasons. Most people are depressed and confused....
Gabby: Its a big popularity contest pretty much.
Kate: But my school wasnt even like that. I think its just
like hormonally screwed up.
Gabby: Well, yours was smarter, whatever.
Kate: But then once I got to college, I was still like operating on that,
then I kind of got over that, enjoyed getting As and stuff.
Olga: So when did you feel like you finally became normal again, after all
those awkward years ___________________ well, I actually feel good about myself
________________.
Kate: I dont know if you ever get there. I dont know, I
think its a constant struggle to feel normal. I mean, normal to
me isnt really like the perfect state anyway. But I think to feel
good about yourself...
Gabby: I think for a lot of people that were going out and stuff, I think
a lot of people really came into their own personality when they started going
to these places, seeing these great bands and being around other people that
also loved music, because before that, there is a lot of pockets of cliques
and stuff, and its not necessarily your thing...
Kate: Yeah, once we sort of found I guess like this post-punk scene or whatever,
punk scene in New York where there was a lot of freaky people and like people
from all different class backgrounds and races and gay and straight, yeah,
it was just, you know, all were welcome, and it was a really cool, supportive
time. But then, you know, even after that, I think its a constant
struggle, especially for women, to have steady self-esteem and all those things
and feel comfortable with who you are and how you look and all those wonderful
issues.
Gabby: You go up and down, but I think youre basically one way.
Like, Im alright, might not look so good sometimes, but Im alright.
Unfortunately, a lot of people dont feel that way. And unfortunately
a lot of women specifically.
Olga: ____________ being in the public eye, and Im sure, seeing all
these magazines with emphasis on this really kind of small body, which is
almost physically impossible to achieve, have you guys ever felt pressure
to look a certain way, be a certain size?
Gabby: I personally havent, as far as feeling pressure. I mean,
my mom raised me...
Kate: Gabriel, youre beautiful.
Gabby: Gabriel, youre so beautiful. No, but she wasnt like
emphasizing on looks at all either way. And theres definitely
times when youre like, things are just so unsightly, like when you have
to bend over to like change the volume on an amp and you know that somethings
dangling or whatever, you know...
Kate: Dangling?
Gabby: Well, yeah, the belly. So, you know, you just, things get a little
looser as you get older. And we like exercising, we love it, but especially
when youre on tour, like a five-week tour, unless you really make an
effort to get to the gym...
Kate: Ive been exercising more since Ive been on tour...
Gabby: I know you have. Sometimes you can exercise more on tour if there
is a bunch of gyms around and youre motivated. I had a lot of
friends on these last few days we were here....
Kate: Excuses, excuses.
Gabby: No, what am I gonna do?
Kate: Take em to the gym with you.
Gabby: No, I dont think weve ever felt that kind of pressure.
I think we would laugh if that happened. I mean, occasionally well
do like photo shoots and it tends to be with a more fashion-y magazines, and
theyll just have like sample sizes which are like size six or something,
and were just like, ooh. Excuse me, were not anorexic supermodels.
And not to say youre not vain, either. You want to look decent.
But we dont care what other people look like and how we should look
like them or magazines or anything.
Kate: Thats bueno.
Olga: So what do you think about ________________________
class=Section2>
Gabby: I think its wonderful that Mode Magazine came out for larger
women, and hopefully Vogue regular, all those magazines that people just worship,
hopefully theyll start having, maybe they do, I dont read....
Kate: You know, its not even larger women. Its normal-size
women. You know what I mean? Like most women in the U.S. are size
14 or 16, like thats the majority of women in America are that size.
Gabby: Because the girls growing up thinking they should be like that obviously,
thats very common, but also men grow up thinking thats what they
want as a model, you know, which is like, its funny. I know guys
like that myself, you know, like, oh, I got a really nice girlfriend, but
I want to have a model. Its like, what kind of personality do
you want from her.
Kate: But, yeah, I definitely get upset when I see like super, super skinny
models or actors. Yeah, sometimes it makes me like almost have a physical
reaction to it, cause its just like, oh, I just imagine the torture
they go through to maintain that __________.
Gabby: Well, they look anorexic and theyre trying to lose weight and
ascribe to the way the current trend is, and its sad. But then
there are people, like when I was a kid, I was really, really skinny, and
I didnt want to be. I felt really flimsy and weak because I was
so skinny and I wanted to gain weight really bad. So there are people
that are just naturally skinny. Who knows who Calista Flockhart really
is. I have no idea.
Kate: I think that if people arent actually skinny, I dont think
people should be focusing on that either.
Gabby: Like I saw the woman, I dont know her name, its an actress
who is on Party of Five, she was like the girlfriend of the oldest one, the
blonde one, and she got so, so, so, so, so skinny that its frightening,
and I saw her on the street, walking down the street, and she was like smoking
a cigarette, drinking a coffee, which is like classic anorexia behavior.
It made me like ill and sad for them, cause you just know its
such torture. And Ive known people who have eating disorders too,
and its really sad.
Olga: __________________
Gabby: We like to let it all hang out and dangle.
Kate: Well we also, we love it all. I love a little something on my
man, a little gut, you know what I mean? Actually, I really dont
like skinny, skinny guys at all. Not that you asked, but its just
something...
Olga: _____________________.
Kate: Everyone likes what they like. I love redheads, I love, you know,
all, you know, whatever. Im not going to go into it. How
about you?
Olga: _________________________.
Kate: No. Its getting perverted. But, yeah, basically its
just, cause everyones got what your inclination is to like.
Some people really do like heavier or skinnier or whatever, and its
sad that you get so programmed to...
Gabby: I think the whole obsession with weight is really sad when it in actuality
should be on health, you know. And also a lot of times weight doesnt
correspond to size, especially if youre muscular ____________ or have
big bones, or whatever
Kate: Or have children.
Gabby: Yeah. If youre healthy, thats the important thing.
I mean you can be larger and healthy. Its fine. Anyway.
Anyway.
Olga: So you guys have _____________ of your own? Children, husband.
Gabby: Jills married, and me and Kate are not married to each other.
I have a dog.
Olga: Have you ever been like ____________ should be. Do you ever get
invited to weddings and youre there and youre the only swinging
single and....
Gabby: I dont care. Im not in that world at all.
Kate: No. Were not in that...
Gabby: Ive only been to a couple weddings, and the people that have
gotten married, it hasnt been like that kind of scene. And thats
another scary thing to me.
Kate: Yeah, if you want to get married and you take that as very seriously,
thats great, you know, who knows. You know, I might want to get
married some day. Its not something that has ever been on my list
of I have to do, you know. I dont know. A lot of people
have great relationships without getting married, too. But I think it
is important to some people. I know a friend of mine really wants to
get married so bad, and its really a big Achilles heel in her relationship.
And theyre at a standstill cause of it. Thats sad.
Olga: Whats the most difficult thing that youve had to deal with
in business?
Gabby: For me, I am really shy sometimes, like especially in front of a camera.
Especially the camera stuff. I just go into instant geek. I just
wish I was more comfortable with that stuff. I get anxiety about that.
Or if you do an interview and you said something stupid, which is really common
for me...
Olga: Well, we edit this, so....
Gabby: So if you guys _______________ stupid, youre gonna be like, oh,
lets be nice to Gavin.
Olga: Im going to present you in the most flattering way possible, so.
Gabby: Thank you.
_______: You look good.
Gabby: Hah hah. There you go. I think the most frustrating thing is
when you do a body of work and then you like do a record or show or whatever,
and then you have to _________ give it up to the powers that be to make it
successful, be it label or radio or MTV or something, so youre always
relying on unreliable entities to further your career, and it can be really
annoying and frustrating, cause they might not understand what youre
doing or whatever.
Kate: It really kills your soul, yeah. Its like, you know, music
is so pure and beautiful and something that you cant even explain.
And then all of a sudden its gotta be labeled...
Gabby: Just a pain in the butt.
Kate: ...you know, from what youve done in the studio to out on the
street, its a lot of work to get it out there, and by the time its
out there, its like...
Gabby: And its too bad theres so much business attached to it.
Too bad you cant just make a record and then whoo-hoo, but its
this marketing and...
Kate: Yeah. The amount of non-musical activities that go along with
making a record or being in a band is pretty amazing.
Olga: So, one of the questions we always ask people is, how do you feel about
major labels versus independent labels? Do you think ones better
than the other. I know we already kind of touched on it a little bit.
Kate: I think stuff is really changing a lot and I think, even in the last
few years weve seen a shift away from major labels supporting smaller
artists, or artists that arent selling 500,000 records or more, whereas
there was a lot of extra money I think to support like these smaller bands.
I dont know how to put it. Now theres so much competition
for peoples money, that record labels arent really trying to give
anyone a career. Theyre just looking for hits. And thats
why you see these sort of manufactured groups, or teen stars and all that
stuff.
Gabby: Theres so many of them, yeah.
Kate: Yeah. Because theyre going to be guaranteed. Hey,
if you spend like a million dollars marketing an artist whos really
good looking with like songwriters writing like perfect pop songs _______
there, of course theyre gonna sell, but you might spend that million
dollars on like five smaller interesting cutting edge bands, but its
not happening anymore, so its kinda sad. So I think the indys
will pick up some of that slack and I think a lot of bands are getting dropped,
and I think thats gonna continue. And I think the Internet labels
and stuff like that are gonna start taking off and hopefully change the business.
I think the way that the money split is set up for major labels is really,
really screwed up, and thats gotta change, so. And indys usually
have better deals with artists. So thats interesting. Well
see what happens. I think the Internet will be sort of a decisive factor
in the change.
Gabby: I say thats a great answer there, Kate.
Kate: Thank ya.
Olga: Amen.
Kate: Amen.
Olga: And another question we always like to ask is, if you had any advice
for up and coming bands, independent bands, what would it be?
Kate: I gotta say with us, it helped to make a solid demo, whether its
three songs...I think three songs is great. I mean, if you want to do
more, you can. But I think a short...
Gabby: Concise.
Kate: ...a short, concise demo, and even if theres like a cover song
in there too, I mean, just as long as all songs are really good, you know.
And different is always great, you know. Something that can kind of
catch your ear. Yeah. And unfortunately, its a lot who you
know, so you cant really just make that one up. But there is that,
you know, the connection thing. But, yeah, if youve got a really
great thing to present, then youre halfway there, I think.
Gabby: Im trying to think if __________________.
Kate: Well, playing live, you know. You can start, you know, you play
live locally and get a following. It can be hard. I mean, in New
York, there are so many bands and stuff, but there have been bands that broke
out of that circuit. Then there have also been bands that never left
the circuit. So its hard.
______: Stay in school.
Kate: Stay in school, fool.
Gabby: Hugs, not drugs.
Olga: Well, we have some shoes for you.
Gabby: Realllly.
Kate: Well, we win shoes.
Gabby: Well, thank you.
Kate: How do you know what size we are?
______: We know everything.
Olga: Well, we sent out little spies to find out.
Kate: Did you really? Very interesting.
Gabby: Thank you.
Kate: Im afraid to open it.
Gabby: Why?
Kate: Boots!