interview by Rick Florino/photos by Christine Natanael
LINKS:
“It’s our version of the Nashville sound. I don’t know if Nashville would necessarily agree though,” Ruyter Suys lead guitarist for Nashville Pussy exclaims with a laugh. It doesn’t really matter whether or not country music central agrees. Nashville Pussy’s new album Get Some! may not be traditional Nashville, but it’s pure Nashville Pussy. These purveyors of “get off” rock in the vein of classic Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC blaze their own trail, melding a sharp sense of humor with equally sharp riffs. Over the course of the new album’s thirteen tracks, Nashville Pussy raise hell with a smile and groove. Songs like “Pussy Time,” “Come On, Come On,” and “Hell Ain’t What It Used to Be,” beckon to be played live, loud, and dirty. It’s been a long time since rock’s been this tasty and ass kicking all in one package.
About the writing and recording process that led to this bevy of good time rockers, Ruyter comments, “We approached things a little differently this time. We had a little bit of time, and we spent more time in pre-production than we ever did before. We did 3 days in one studio and 10 days in another studio. So our time in the studio was really quick, and we really had everything together.” The result definitely feels tight and focused due to the cohesion that the band achieved while recording. Yet the spontaneity and fun always inherent in their signature sound remain completely in tact.
Delving deeper into the creative process, Ruyter states, “We’d played riffs for Daniel and he’d come up with really good ideas. We all really worked together. We have that much respect for what he’s done with music, especially with the Ramones and other bands. So it was really easy for us to work with him. Usually we know what’s best, but by the end, Daniel was able to gauge what we do pretty well.”
Recording with Daniel Rey, pushed the band to evolve even further. They
continue to embrace their influences, while tightly gripping their personal
musical identity. Ruyter comments, “We’re slowly starting
to sound like the music we aspire to. I like to think of us as new classic
rock if there is such a thing. Like Classic Rock for The Kids.”
This is the kind of exciting, dangerous rock that the current emo generation
needs. Ever since grunge, rock’s become more and more of a group
therapy session rather than a party. However, Nashville Pussy bring their
own keg of rock and roll with this collection of songs.
Perfectly showcasing the band’s sound, the eyebrow raising album opener “Pussy Time” marries a hilarious chorus with catchy riffage. Ruyter states, “The opener is pretty much quintessential 'Pussy,' I think.” Establishing the tone from the get go, the band proves their brand of “Nashville” to be suitable for anyone truly ready to just rock. Nashville Pussy probably wouldn’t have it any other way.
The band’s sound possesses
an urgency that begs for the pleasure and frivolity of a classic concert.
In many ways, the guitars serve as a spark that ignites this party. Ruyter
stands out as one of the few female rockers that still shreds and grooves,
while rocking out on stage. She states, “I get most of my chops
from just playing on the road. Just playing all the fuckin’ time.”
Nashville Pussy’s sound comes from that natural place. Ruyter states, “There’s no one way for songs to come about, it’s all kind of different and organic. Blaine writes everything pretty much. He’s always got little bits and pieces of stuff down on tape. Every song is written in a completely different way. However, Blaine’s sleeping right now and he’s probably writing a song while he’s sleeping. He’s the kind of guy where he’s always staring past you. He’s always thinking and got his eye on the next song.” Blaine and Ruyter form the heart of Nashville Pussy as their guitars both provide the riffs that help elevate their new Nashville to classic rock heights.
A source of strength and solidarity for the band remains Blaine and Ruyter’s marriage. Ruyter states, “For us it’s really easy. We’ve kind of adopted this lifestyle and it’s come pretty easily. It’s been easier to do this than to lead a regular life. Blaine and I take to this pretty naturally and we love traveling. Even when we’re together I still gotta share him with everyone else in the band. When we actually get behind closed doors that’s when it’s like we’re actually married. It’s a bonus being with your husband on tour. It’s kind of cool. When we go back home we get to rediscover each other and it’s great.” This core allows Nashville Pussy to continue to rock because of this solidarity and mutual love for the music.
Nashville Pussy’s charismatic live show has earned them spots on
tours with live legends like Marilyn Manson, Slayer, and Motorhead. Now
they plan on playing everywhere so we can all Get Some! Coming
from a small town in Canada, Ruyter describes experiencing shows for the
first time and now the joy of bringing that to the fans. “In the
small towns in Canada, people just go fucking bonkers at shows because
no one ever comes there. They’re like old school punk rock shows.
It’s so much fun watching these kids and there’s a lot of
young kids that come out now. I lived in a small town in Canada and I
know exactly what it’s like.” Moreover, Ruyter continues,
“Most of us were somewhere where a band came and just blew our minds
at a certain time when you’re really grateful and just desperate
for rock. When I first saw Blaine’s band (Nine Pound Hammer), I
was so amazed that they came to my shitty town and it was an amazing experience
and it was so fucking cool. Hopefully we can do that for some people.
We’re returning the favor.”
Ultimately, Nashville Pussy put the uptight and pretentious undeservingly seated atop rock’s charts to shame when it comes to bravado and brass. “We were living in Nashville and everyone was creating these bands that they thought might have a shot. People were writing music in order to be signable. They were doing it for all the wrong reasons. Nashville’s 'Music City' so you have to survive in that town. That’s why we did so well, because we were trying to be something that was purely and all about rocking. It had everything to do with people fucking getting off. Immediately people saw that, and it’s still the same way. We’re pretty down to earth. Our audiences run the gamut and we have all kinds of people that come to our shows. They’re just fed up with the bullshit and they want to rock out, get sweaty and messy for a change, and not have to think about it too much. It’s not too high brow, snobby, and pretentious.” Nashville Pussy provide the perfect antithesis to soulless mainstream acts, providing exactly what the genre needs.
Ruyter explores the power of any brand of classic rock, stating “Music to me is definitely an escape. I don’t want to be bogged down with too much emotion. It’s more of a physical thing for me. When I go to a concert I want to get my rocks off. I don’t want to sit around and listen to someone else’s problems. I could do that at home.”
In the end, what rules the most about Nashville Pussy is, as Ruyter puts it, “We have an AC/DC attitude. We’re regular people, who are trying to rock ourselves as well as rock other people. We need to rock too.”
That being said, we all need
to rock. So in the end, there’s only one thing to do; jump in and
Get Some!