Interview by Matteo Bussotti
WildeStarr second release, “A Tell Tale Heart”, came out not so long ago, so we decided to ask the band’s founder and frontwoman, London Wilde, some questions. Being an extremely experienced musician, and having worked in pretty much all the fields related to music, we had the chance to ask her about pretty much anything which came to our mind; and her answers were very satisfying, it has to be said. So, here we present you the interview with London Wilde, from WildeStarr! Enjoy!
Hi London, welcome to Femme Metal! We are very pleased to have you with us here. My first question is: you pretty much did everything regarding to music, you composed the soundtrack for an independent movie, you were a sound technician, and now you sing with WildeStarr. How do these aspects of music differ from each other, and, on the other hand, are they similar in some way?
Thank you Matteo, it’s great to be speaking with you! When someone hires you for a specific task, the goal is to present their vision to the best of your ability. In WildeStarr I am presenting my own vision, which is far more satisfying for me. It is also more challenging. ALL my musical skills are required in the band because I sing, write melodies and lyrics, play keyboards, record, produce and mix. WildeStarr is the amalgamation of all my experience in music, and is much more personal.
Why did you choose to dedicate “A Tell Tale Heart” to E.A. Poe? Has Poe played an important role in your personal and artistic life, maybe?The album is about a broken heart, and the journey it takes. The Edgar Allen Poe influenced stories are used as a metaphor for that journey and tells a new story. My writing in this theme happened organically without specific intent. It could have been Tennyson, or Saki, other writers/poets I admire, but the subconscious creative mind chooses it’s own muse. Horror and macabre themes really lent themselves to what I was feeling at the time.
How do you feel now that your album, I read on your Facebook’s page, is sold out on various sites? Did you expect it?We didn’t know what to expect! We made the best album we could, but there is no way to predict how fans and reviewers will react. It could have just as easily gone the other way! I never imagined the album to sell out by the second day it was officially released. I thought there must be some mistake. I did feel stressed that fans could not get the album after waiting so long for it.
Talking about social networks, you started with MySpace, didn’t you? Then, when you saw your music gained lot of attentions from various listeners, you released your first album. Now, my question is: what’s your relations with internet, social networks etc.? Are they a good way for bands to spread their music, or maybe after a while they put you too much under the limelight, with lots of fans who always want more?In our case, we built our following entirely by social networking, web-zines and internet radio stations. It’s crucial for any band to have a web presence these days. As far as managing putting yourself out there to fans, I never give more of myself than I can handle. I do take breaks to write and record, and do other band tasks. You have to unplug now and then!
I suppose I chose to make it complicated. Otherwise I am not motivated. I like a challenge, it’s what drives me. To try something that seems impossible, and then achieve it!
How did WildeStarr interact and confront with San Francisco’s musical scene? Did you meet any band with whom you created a special bond, later? Do you sometimes help (or get helped by) other bands in making music, or just sharing impressions and suggestions?I have a few musician friends that I like to share music with, and talk shop…Some are in LA, some here in the Bay Area. Right now I am really inspired by Mario Pastore, lead singer of Pastore, a band in Brazil we stumbled on to through our label in Japan. He’s an amazing singer and a great guy, and we are talking about collaborating on a song for the next record. I have always wanted to sing a duet with a brilliant male singer, so I am excited about that.
San Francisco is Thrash Metal’s homeland (thanks to Metallica), how, nowadays, do younger generations react to metal, and to your metal in particular? Do they still like the “old-fashioned” one, or are they more open to new music (and this could justify the numberless metal sub-genres which came out in the last decade) ?Thrash is still alive here, but I also see a lot of the younger generation into grind-core and metal-core styles. Our genre is not popular in our home town, but we get a very good response from all kinds of music fans. If music is done well, I think it crosses genres.
Is there anything more you’d have put in the album, but for some reason you were forced to leave it out?Yes, it seems there is always a song or two that is left off the record. Dave had written the music for a song that I completed the lyrics and melody to, and I loved it! But after critical listening, Dave thought the music portions he had written were not up to his standards. He preferred to leave it off the record, and write a new song. Even though I thought it was great, I respected that. We all have to like what we are doing as a band, and be proud of our work….
In your bio you say: “I’m always evolving and learning, and I am grateful that WildeStarr allows me to do that”. So…how have you evolved in the past years, as a musician? And is there something you’d like to explore more, musically speaking, in the next album?My singing was more free and confident on the new record. I didn’t worry as much about being “perfect”. I let more of my own personality in. I learned that sometimes there is beauty in flaws, something that Josh inspired me to realize. I also switched to a computer based Cubase Setup which had a big learning curve. The next album is an adventure and path not yet traveled, and I have an open mind to what may come.
Last question: a quick word about Dave and Josh! How is working with them? Thank you so much London for your time and your answers! Good luck for everything!Dave and Josh are both brilliant musicians, but are like night and day to work with! Dave is very serious and focused. Josh is more free and creative. Josh and I tend to get silly and laugh a lot when we work together. We are more experimental. Dave is very methodical and meticulous, and usually has things planned out in his head exactly how he wants them. If Dave thinks Josh and I have gone out too far on a creative ledge, he tries to rein it back in. It’s a push/pull dynamic, but it seems to work out well for us. Thank you for the for the opportunity to speak with Femme Metal! Cheers!