Dissonance - Cat Hall, lead vocalist for Dissonance
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
DM) How did you get your start in music?
CH) When I was a child, my folks made me take voice lessons and piano. I
really didn't care too much for piano, so I only stuck with that for three
years; I did, however, continue the voice lessons. I think anyone who plans
to sing publicly can benefit from them. I still take them. After I started
college, one of my friends who played saxophone and keyboards approached me
about being in a band with him. It was to be sort of "jazz alternative". It
turned out to be straight-ahead alternative. He moved, I finished college
(continuing in a few other bands), and then I met Kurt Harland of Information
Society. He turned out to be sort of a mentor for me, and he would critique
demos and such. Then in '96, Paul Robb started taking an interest in some of
the work I was doing with David Sebrind, and he wound up producing and
releasing our debut CD on his independent label, Hakatak international. The
album came out in April of '97.
DM) Which one of the tracks on this album makes you the most proud?
CH) I see the album more as a whole; I can't really pick one track that I
like the best. Different tracks convey different moods and appeal to
different people. Our Goth following really likes "Wait (For the Sky)",
while our more alternative crowd likes tracks like "Everlast", and the dance
crowd likes "Fade", and so on...
DM) Is it hard to develop a fan base with differing musical styles?
CH) Not really. I've found that our fan base is extremely eclectic, ranging
from straight-ahead techno lovers to synth-pop fans, as well as darkwave with
a few classical vocalists and choral people . We do draw a wide range of age
groups as well. We've got fans that come out to shows who are too young to
get in the door. They wind up bringing their parents along to get them into
the club. The parents check it out and decide they like us as well.
DM) What can we look forward to on your next album?
CH) The next album is already underway. It has a slightly more ambient feel
to it. Some of the rough edges have been trimmed. Those who have heard the
pre-production say that it has an almost "soundtrack quality" to it.
DM) What does "soundtrack quality" mean?
CH) I don't know, really. That's just what some say about it. I rarely try
to put a label on our work. I think it's limiting.
DM) Is music your first love or did you pursue something else at first?
CH) I've always loved music, writing and performing. It involves so many
different aspects and allows me freedom of creativity on so many different
levels. Lyrically speaking, I've found it to be a very intimate art form.
In addition, the performance is a simple emotional outlet. My other loves
are geography and anthropology, but I can't be nearly as expressive in those
fields.
DM) What have you done to explore your geography and anthropology interests?
CH) Ahhhh, travel is my favorite thing! I do it as frequently as possible.
Areas I especially enjoy and return to as often as possible include Scotland,
British Columbia, the Rhine Valley, and the Lake District of England. In the
states, I'm very fond of Minneapolis, Manhattan, D.C., and Chicago--largely
because they're all amazingly diverse culturally. Before I began DISSONANCE,
I lived in New York and worked as an international flight attendant. Airfare
was much more affordable then.
DM) Where is your favorite restaurant or pub in the world?
CH) That's a tough one. There are so many great places. Also, it depends
on what type of food we're talking about here. The WONG KEI in London has the
best Hunan cuisine I've had. FISH WINGS AND THINGS had the best Jamaican in
Washington D.C. MOMO'S pasta here in Dallas is not too shabby, CARMINE'S in
New York is fantastic, and GIBSON'S and ROSEBUD in Chicago are great, not to
mention GINO'S EAST.
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