10 Minutes in the Ladies Room with Kill Hannah's Mat Devine

* I'm going thru the PV archives and realized since I took all the editorial off PlanetVerge.com, and this interview never made it to print, it won't see the light of day it deserves... So without further adieu....



Interview by Joelle

Mat Devine is leaning against a sink in the dimly lit women’s room of The Starland Ballroom, sending a text message with chipped white-polished nails. “I can text really rapidly,” he proclaims pre-interview. His time managing skills must be a result of the constant demands on him, as the singer for Kill Hannah, one of indie rock’s most wanted.

Mix The Cure’s Robert Smith, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore in a blender with The Smashing Pumpkins and Psychedelic Furs, and you’ve got the dirtied up, American cocktail for your ears Kill Hannah exudes.
Thanks to the single, “Lips Like Morphine,” off their sophomore Atlantic Records release, “Until There’s Nothing Left of Us,” Kill Hannah have broken back into the public eye. There was a time when perhaps no one thought that would happen. After all, it’s been four years since the band’s debut, “For Never and Ever,” which spawned the smash hit “Kennedy.” But now Kill Hannah are finally getting the push they deserve.

“For Never and Ever,” according to the band, was eleven songs of basically untapped potential. “10 More Minutes With You” and “Boys and Girls” could have taken on radio chart-toppers, if released then, or even today. They’re that good. But there’s no use dwelling on the past, as Devine has learned.
“If you allow things like that to frustrate you, you’ll never get out of bed,” he says, holding the tape recorder close to his mouth, as he doesn’t trust recording devices.

“The way major labels work is so irrational and so hard to comprehend. It used to really drive me crazy until I realized that I can’t change it and it’s just getting upset for a hurricane or something that you can’t control. I’ve always believed that if I could run a record label for a month, I would probably save them about $25 million. I think there are a lot of crappy bands that get a lot of attention and labels waste a lot of money on really horrible bands. In a perfect world, the most powerful people would have the best taste and the best common sense, but it’s just not that way.”

He does, however, make sure Kill Hannah is projected in the way the band wants.
“We do everything. We design our own merch. We did the last album cover and CD packaging, a lot of our Web site, our MySpace page… We’re very hands on.”

Devine has lived and breathed his band since it first formed ten years ago. “We’ve stayed together the first half of our career because it’s all I ever thought about,” he reveals. “I was probably the driving force behind it. I was so focused on it that nothing could break up the band because I did almost everything.”

He continues, “I had really good friends and really talented people around me helping, but as other things came up, whether its relationships, work, family, travel or whatever, we started to take the band more seriously. The members of the band became much more professional from the musicianship to the dedication. For the second half of our career, we stayed together mainly through because it took so long to assemble the right band, that’s just really it. We didn’t compromise. Everybody in this band is essential and we lean on and inspire each other.”

Then he smiles and says, “Also, we’re fucked now. We don’t have jobs and we don’t have insurance, so there’s no where else we can go. So I guess it’s a combination of being really into our band and also having no choice. We trapped each other.”
However, feeling trapped is hardly the driving force behind Devine. It’s rather a genetic predisposition, he says, that propels him to create art, whether it be working on a film or writing song lyrics.

While in college, Devine majored in English for two years, then art/photography, followed by film and video. It was also there that he met Hannah Ekberg, the girl who broke his heart and inspired the band’s name.

Today, the tables have turned and girl’s hearts flutter and sigh every time they see him on stage, ask for an autograph and then must bid him adieu. Devine laughs when told that when Planet Verge sent out a bulletin asking fans to send in their burning questions for Kill Hannah, every single one of them was along the lines of “Ask the singer if he’ll marry me/wants my number, etc.”

However, fan interaction is vital in the Kill Hannah camp. Devine and his band mates (Greg Corner- bass, Jonathan Radtke- guitar, Dan Wiese- guitar) believe that maintaining a relationship with their fans is everything.

“It’s been really important since day one. We have kept printed e-mails going back to the late 90s that kids sent us. From the very beginning, we responded to everything very personally and we took so much time and effort. Now it’s really impossible to do that. But, with MySpace comments and if they’re sincere, we write them back. If it’s not someone in the band, it’s someone who works closely with the band,” he confirms.

Kill Hannah are also relying on the good ‘ol Internet to pave the way for their next single, “Crazy Angel.” Devine promises the concept for the video is “awesome,” and if all goes as well, the song will prove ten times bigger than “Lips Like Morphine.”
He describes the plan starting with “The single gets pushed first through Internet marketing, then to Internet radio, then commercial radio and hopefully the video will begin getting some air. If it’s done well enough, hopefully it’ll be a viral video. If people stick to the marketing plan that I just saw a week ago, then three months from now, people will start talking about the song “Crazy Angel,” whether you’ve seen the video or heard it.”

For now, Devine is focused on finishing up this tour with Papa Roach and It Dies Today. Tomorrow will be the last day and a lot of pranks are planned. But those won’t be the highlights when he looks back on these past few weeks. His favorite part of touring is actually outside the venue. “When I go wander by myself and find some weird part of town, weird stores or restaurants and meet someone cool,” he explains.

One recent city that really struck a chord with Devine is Asbury Park, New Jersey. “You can’t wander that far in Asbury Park without a body guard or something,” he half jokes.

“But that place is just a music video waiting to happen. Decrepit old scary buildings… A place that was once designed for amusement is now a hotbed for crack trade. It’s such a bizarre contradiction. And plus, it’s on the ocean. Where else is beachfront property worth nothing?”

Next month, Kill Hannah will embark on a UK tour and they’ll be plenty more streets to wander. While Devine hints that another really big tour is being worked out, one thing is for certain, Kill Hannah will capture everyone in their path.

The downside to big shows

It was a sweat fest at the Kill Hannah/ It Dies Today/ Papa Roach show at Starland Ballroom last night. The venue was completely filled to capacity with metaled out guido people, and it wouldn't be surprising if it was actually over-sold. One thing is for sure, being a fairly short person packed in like a sardine wasn't much fun. What's the point of having a press pass to review a show when you're thrown in with the fans and can't see anything, I ask?

Let's start with the opening act, a local band of middle-aged wanna be cheese rockers whose members, besides the bald singer, haven't gotten haircuts in years. The crowd had to suffer through 30 minutes of them spitting out corny songs like "In Your Mouth" and "Quicksand." For some reason, people crowd-surfed for them. But remember, these were not music people, they were drunk guido-wanna-be-metalers who just didn't know any better. For a band that used so much distortion, their sound lacked power and fell flat. Not sure what was sadder, to be the band playing or the girls cheering for them when they covered The Who?








On to the highlight of the night: Kill Hannah! They owned the stage from the second they plugged into their amps. Actually, they owned things from the minute you walked into the venue. Kill Hannah’s merch table was the only one that had a line. Ironically, Papa Roach’s was vacant. Not sure what that says. There were deff. Kill Hannah tattooed fans in the front row, and during the band’s set, you couldn’t even tell that they weren’t the headlining band. Everyone went crazy. Especially when the band covered Billy Idols’ “Rebel Yell.” Vocalist, Mat Devine is a pro. He spent a lot of his set time being supported by security while singing in the crowd. Kill Hannah have the stage presence, the show and they bring the rock. What more could you ask for? (Ok, I have an interview with Mat going up on www.planetverge.com!)



It Dies Today… What can I say about them? I almost got crushed the first time I saw them play at the Knitting Factory in New York City and this show was no different. Forget about taking pictures in the photo pit. I value my life and am not a fan of getting someone’s shit stained sneakers kicked into my head. Pre-show, new vocalist Jason Wood warmed up his voice while setting up merch. It sounded really good. So there you have the secret to how to keeps screams so strong. Sing. If tonight was any indication, It Dies Today is doing just fine since the departure of Nick Brooks in January. In fact, the only person who isn’t too fine is the kid who left them a comment on MySpace saying he drove an hour-and-a-half for the show just for It Dies Today and then found out it was sold-out.




Headliners Papa Roach, I’m sure tore the Starland Ballroom apart. But I wasn’t there to see it. In fact, I left in the middle of It Dies Today because there’s no point in reviewing a show you can’t even see. However, I did happen to walk into a special acoustic show Papa Roach put on for radio station winners before the show. It led me to have a bit more respect for the band. In the past, I have written them off as just another mainstream radio band, and then once Colby started looking like James Hart from 18 Visions, it was all over. But acoustically, he has a great voice and I really enjoyed all the songs. It was a nice VH1 Storytellers kinda thing. Check out the clips I put up on www.youtube.com/user/planetverge.

*By Joelle

Kill Hannah- Kennedy

enjoy

Kill Hannah- Lips Like Morphine

listen. love

my beef with the stone pony

The Stone Pony is probably the most famous little rock club on the Jersey shore. So much in fact, that major label bands make stops on their tour there. And with that comes press. Photographers. IE--- professional (or some who think they are) picture takers who are getting paid (if they're lucky) for their work. People who are not the slutty fans in the front row with cameras and stalking the band outside afterwords asking them to sign their tits.

Usually, venues have a designated photo area in front of the stage set aside for the photo pass privileged so they can work and not have to battle fans getting in the way. Not the Stone Pony. Not only do they never seem to set up barriers, they never even have physical photo passes to give press.

This caused a problem for me when I went to shoot Eighteen Visions and Lostprophets a few months ago there. But luckily, 18 V's crew totally accomidated me and both bands pretty much let me shoot as much as I wanted (not the standard three songs and you're out rule). We have a mutual love. haha

I wasn't as fortunate when I went to go see Kill Hannah at the Pony this week. The band hit the stage the second I walked in, so I didn't even have time to go to the merch table to track down a tour manager to get escorted to stage. But I shouldn't have to do that anyway and it's a major annoyance. So with no real photo pass, or fuel to argue with security to get let up on the stage, I settled for not being able to take pictures. I did manage to shoot some video footage, though.

This was my first time seeing Kill Hannah and I can't wait to see them again. They had a great stage presence, which was even brought up a notch once the guitars started shooting out green lazer light. It really helped accentuate the atmosphere and accent the music.

Vocalist, Mat Devine, called Asbury Park the most beatiful and depressing city. He then thanked fans for putting on their bullet-proof jackets to come out. At least he made a joke of it. Word is that the Pink Spiders totally dissed NJ, but I was not present at the time of their set to confirm.

So I left the show wanting more Kill Hannah, another chance to take pictures, and their debut CD. Looks like I'll get the first two when they play Starland Ballroom in March, but as for that CD, I'm still on the hunt!


pixy stix and sweedish fish kisses,
Joelle

Current Addictions

1. THE RASMUS: I got their first CD way back in my college days when I was an editor at the school paper. Having seen pictures of them all over UK magazines, I ripped open that CD in a sea of excitement. And I think I hated it. I sure can't remember it, so it obviously didn't grab me then. BUT I LOVE the new CD, Hide From the Sun. I think I like them better then their fellow Finland natives, HIM (calm down, I like HIM, but they can get kinda boring). This is a good CD to make out or sway to, sing along with, and simply listen to while trying to figure out what's up with the vocalist's hair.

2. KILL HANNAH: Their name had me at hello, their pictures showed me they had style and their tour dates (opening tours for Lostprophets in the US and Shiny Toy Guns in the UK) convinced me to check them out. And although the vocals took a bit getting used to, they eventually are what won me over. These songs are like sugar. Once you get them in your system you want more. more. more! Oh, and did I mention they have way hot merch? Skirts! I'll leave you with that.

*By Joelle, who will be interviewing Kill Hannah in January!!!!