AN INTERVIEW

with

TAIRREE B. & MICK MURPHY

By Alex Distefano

"As far as I'm concerned, it was a terrible tragedy and loss of human life," whispered Tairree B., lead singer of My Ruin. "It's the most terrible thing that's ever happened in America," said My Ruin guitar virtuoso Mick Murphy in a serious tone. In the days following the horrific events on the East Coast, it was no wonder that even musicians on the West Coast were profoundly effected. The tragedy hit close to home for My Ruin, whose drummer Yael has family in the New York Area. Thankfully, none of them were injured.

I got to sit and talk with Tairree B., and Mick Murphy of My Ruin- (whose members include bassist Megan Mattox, drummer Yael, guitarist Mick Murphy, and of course Miss B, vocalist) on September 13, just two days after the tragic events that shocked the world. On the day of the attacks, My Ruin was scheduled to play a show w/ POD, who planned to throw a record release party at the Troubadour. For obvious reasons, the show was canceled, and has yet to be rescheduled. "We talked to their managers, and hopefully it'll be rescheduled in the next few weeks," commented Miss B. in an optimistic voice.

"Somehow, the boys from POD, and their management got a hold of some of My Ruin's music, and liked what they heard, so they asked the band to open for them at their record release party. "When they asked us to do it we were like it's totally cool, because where they're coming from and where we're coming from is opposite, but similar. I just think it's cool that they could have an open mind, dig what we're doing, and understand what it's all about. We dig what they're doing. They're not some Christian preaching band, they just believe in their faith and it's all good," asserted Miss B.

Being a heavy band like My Ruin, you'd think that at their live shows, mosh pits are rampant. However, it's almost the exact opposite. Seeing My Ruin live is like no other live music experience. When My Ruin plays live, the audience (for the most part) is just too amazed by the band to mosh. This brings up the subject of violence at shows in general and mosh pits. "Nobody wants to get a combat boot in the face when they're watching bands," said Mick Murphy. "But I think it's cool that people get off on music, and they get hyped up and have a good time at shows; but it seems like more times than not it turns into violence. People get mad and star throwing punches, you see people in the pit that are just trying to hurt people, and that really makes me mad. Those people aren't there for the music, they're there to hurt people, but it's not all like that." At My Ruin show, you're more likely to see people standing there, in awe, with their jaws hanging from their mouth. The band literally left me speechless at how amazing they played, the first time I saw them live a few months back. The energy they set forth, and their stage presence is indescribable. "We've done a few shows in LA now and the kids just stand there and look up at me, and I ask some of them 'Are you not into it?' and they respond, ' Nah man, we don't want to get in a pit we want to pay attention to what's going on.' and I just think 'Wow, that's really cool.'" commented Miss B., who takes the response of the crowd at her live shows as a compliment.

Tairee B. is no stranger to the music scene. Over a decade ago, she emerged into the LA rap scene as a female, white rapper. A few years later, after much criticism, she formed the heavy, aggressive Manhole, which later changed its name to Tura Satana. She took old school her hip hop vocal influences, and blended in a dark, aggressive, & angry, all out assault of hard n'heavy metal. However, although Tairree has a new band, MY RUIN, and no longer raps, she still gives props to her old school roots. " I have a very eclectic taste of music," said Miss B. " But as far as hip hop nowadays, I can't relate to it al all, I think it's complete crap. I look at MTV and I don't get it. I mean I look at all the female rappers today and I'm just like holy shit, that's not where my head's at," exclaimed Miss B. "I'm still an avid fan of old school hip hop and rap," she said. "I love Public Enemy. NWA's straight outa Compton, to me that was the SLAYER of rap music, they came out scaring the shit out of everyone, and that's where my head was at in rap." Exerted Miss B. Being a female in the rock world is growing increasingly accepted, though Tairree is certainly a pioneer. But with bands out today like The Donnas, Kittie, and Betty Blowtorch rising out of the hard rock scene, Tairee had to rant on her feelings on the issue of girls that rock. "I think the Donnas Kick Ass, I really like them. I saw Betty blowtorch once and I'm not too into them. But I think it's great they are doing what they're doing, but it's just not my type of music. As far as Kittie-they actually invited us to watch them play at Ozzfest and when I saw them I thought they were great. I was like rock on girls! I support all women in rock, I love jack off Jill." Said Miss B. With that said, one had to be curious about how Mick and Tairree felt about 'nu-metal' a scene, which my ruin often is falsely lumped into. I don't think we're 'Nu Metal' at all. I think that we're more in the category of a band like Amen, where we have our own little thing." said Miss B. "I like Slipknot," she then added, but I don't like bands like Mudvayne. To me they are completely pathetic, and I can't relate to it at all. I'm not into system of a down's music, but I've known those guys for years and they're good guys. When they are up on stage rocking and doing their thing, they're rad. But I like bands like Downset. And KoRn- they are the originators. I'm not into bands like crazy town and all that stuff, it just seems to me like every band today is a 'Crazy Bizkit' and I can't relate to that at all. And we just don't want to play shows with Static X, or Fear Factory, we just don't have the desire. Personally, I'm more into bands like Fu Manchu, Monster Magnet, and Goatsnake." Guitarist Mick Murphy then went on give his two cents. "I've always said that there are good bands in every genre and I think Slipknot kicks ass! I was really into their album. But I'm not into lots of those bands. When bands start to sound like they're all ripping off other bands, it just gets old to me, I'm not a gangster rocker, " said the mutiltalented musician, who is also the band's primary song writer.

It's no secret that MY RUIN is fascinated by religion and it shows on their albums, in the artwork, the lyrics, and the music. There are many allusions to the bible, references and images to Christianity. "To be honest, religion of relationships is my life right now. I was brought up with a lot of different things, one extreme to the other-without going into that. I experienced a few different things. I think all the religious imagery comes from all the relationships I've encountered in my life, and I encounter right now. I think the imagery is really beautiful. Mick and I have always said that the bible is the scariest book ever written and there is a lot of imagery in that. We say Jesus was a rock star, but I don't literally mean that. It means that is a personification of Christ, what he meant to people, just like some rock stars mean to people today. It's not just one simple thing with my lyrics. But I'm not a Jesus Freak!" exclaimed Miss B. " It's beautiful, dramatic, and scary you know," added Mick Murphy.

" I just want to make a comment," interrupted Miss B, breaking off on a tangent. "This is what I like about Mick as a guitar player. I've worked with a lot of people, and it seems like every band today is ripping of every other band. No one's original anymore. Everyone plays guitars tuned low, while facing the ground, doing the whole baggy pants thing. And that's what I like about Mick. I listen to him play, and I look at him on our home videos and I'm just like Damn! He looks like Pete Townshed up there." According to Mick and Tairree B., it's this and the band's diversity that bring a classic rock n' roll spirit to My Ruin, which makes them original.

My Ruin currently has a handful of new songs recorded, and is out of their contract with their formal label, spitfire records, who screwed them over royally on their last records. " Spitfire records released our first records released our first record, 'Speak and Destroy," in the UK without our permission," said Miss B. She says that at the time she didn't have band yet and that the album got no promotion, or support from the label. "They promised me a video, promotion, support, and they just fucked up everything. They lied," remarked Miss b. In a somewhat angry tone. However, at that time, Mick Murphy came into the picture. When the two met, they hit it off, and started writing material for their second album, a Prayer Under Pressure of violent Anguish and then went off to tour Europe. "When we got back from Europe, we found that Spitfire had killed the new record in the UK and the states and released it again without our permission. We tried to bury the hatchet even though they fucked us over twice!" expressed Miss B. "So now we owe the label no records, and we basically told the UK label to fuck off. We're done with everyone. We're now speaking labels. We're just showcasing now. We're gonna be playing lots of our new songs a shows. We're having a good response right now from lables, we're getting good press, an d we're selling merch like crazy, so hopefully something good will happen and we can tell Spitfire records to just SUCK IT!" exerted Miss B. To Miss b. This whole situation leaves her heartbroken and angry. "It really rips me apart when I think about our records. The 'Prayer' records especially. It's not an ego thing either. I mean I've done a lot of albums, I've got six records under my belt, and I've never been able to look back and say 'that was a really great records and I'm really proud of it 100%. But the 'Prayer' record is exactly the records I wanted to make, I feel really sad that a lot of people aren't going to exerience that records because the FUCKING label is not gonna print enough copies to get it out there." "But we're gonna forge ahead," said Mick Murphy in an confident voice. "The records came out a long time ago, so we're just gonna move on. I love the records too, but we've got to move on, and play our new stuff, we want everyone to hear it." He said. "You're never gonna run out of material if you're writing what's really going on," said Miss b. of her lyrics. "If you are coming up w/ contrived stories, and something shocking or catchy hooks for the radio like 'Nookie," then you do worry about it. I don't write like that. I take everything to a real level. We're sorry we're not so pretty and perfect and it's just like…We're not." The band currently have no manager and are doing a lot of their own work, as far managing the band, promoting shows, getting publicity and talking to labels. " Tairree's been managing the band for a while, and she's done an amazing job at it." Said Mick Murphy. \ "But I can't do it anymore, I want to be the singer," interjects Tairree with a humorous. The bands is currently doing well for themselves, without managers and just want to keep lugging along with a positive attitude.

With one listen to 'A Prayer under Pressure,' as compared to 'Speak and destroy', one can hear that the "Prayer' record is much more punk rock influenced, aggressive, and angry both musically and lyrically. Tairree and Mick had a few words about that. "I observe on a daily basis the schisms that Tairee encounters. The problems with the media in England, the wars of words, insults, deception, all kinds of horrible things that deal with the lyrics on that records. It's very real; it's very emotional. That a record is like a diary of what was going on back then. She was angry. We were all angry." Explained Mick Murphy. "The song 'Letter to the Editor' was a very poignant song directed at the ex- editor of metalhammer magazine for some comments she made about my weight in the press, which I found to be very disgusting and vile. I mean there are just too many women in rock right now who are so self-conscious about their bodies, their looks, and their abilities. And we don't need all this extra shit to deal with. As I said in the song Beauty Fiend, 'please forgive me for not being pretty or sexy, but god never blessed me, it means I'm not here to be your sexpot. I realize I have an image to put out and I don't want to be looked at as some hoe-straight up," Said Miss B. She also says that males like Phil Anselmo are not judged by their looks or weight and women shouldn't be either. "Most guys nowadays buy into a tits and ass image. And don't get me wrong, I love beautiful women too, but it's become cheap, and I think in a way imperfection is becoming sexier and sexier," said Mick Murphy. "For me personally, I like men who have something different about them. I like men who have scars or flaws or something different, something unique. I think that's special. I don't want a man who's a gorgeous model. So much is put on today that you have to get fake everything. The real me is the person that wakes up on the tour bus, with no eyebrows and make up. That's who I am. That's where I have to find my own beauty." Said Miss B.

Ending this interview, one wonders what is in store for the future of MY RUIN. "We're hoping we're gonna get a very big tour put together and when it goes through we'll let you know. We don't know how we'll do it, but we'll manage. We're gonna try to make some good things happen for this band," Said Miss B. You make your own luck, and we're gonna try to make ours good. That's the plan." Said Mick Murphy. "Our goal in this band is not to become huge rock stars," noted Miss B. "We just want to make a living off of what we love and get out there and do it and do it honestly. We want to finally find a label that that is not pressing down our backs to have a radio friendly hit. We just need one person that gets it. And it's harder than most people think. I truly believe that when this band is signed by a real label that can get us out there on the road, distribute the record, this band can get big. What's so great about My ruin is we offer the alternative to the Fred Durst generation. Just let us go out there and we'll prove it to everyone. For me personally, I just want to get on stage and let other women know you can get the fuck up there-whether you can sing a note or not and rock. I'm doing it and you can too! I think lots of kids can relate to that," said Miss B.