Kelly's Lot - indie band
By: Dominick A. Miserandino
DM) How did you go about making the music video?
KZ) Well, first of all, I must say that if it weren't for Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the video, I'm not sure I would have even done it. I had planned on doing a set of interviews, along with live clippings, to put on the CD. I asked Catherine to shoot some live footage of the band, and soon we were planning a music video. Catherine, who is a production designer on Major films, called several of her friends and I called some of mine. A weekend was planned in Venice Beach to shoot the video. Catherine and I, of course, had started earlier to plan everything and build the sets. Perry and I worked to finish the vocals on "Brand New Key," and a DAT was made. We shot for three days at Catherine's house and at the beach. Everybody learned the song as we played it over and over. It was a long weekend but a lot of fun. Catherine created the whole look of the video; it was her vision. Davis McHenry was great with the camera and shot a bunch of the footage while on rollerblades. Chloe Webb, the mermaid, worked like a champ on and off camera and also shot some of the footage. Catherine and I then sat in front of an editing machine and did a rough cut, and Scott Arundale finished it off with his magic. Everybody gave their all-- the artists, the friends and their friends. And everybody worked for free. I can't express how important friends are when you're trying to chase your dream.
DM) Have your friends always been this supportive of you in your music?
KZ) I never relied on friends before; I thought I could do it all on my own. Catherine and her friends and a few of mine taught me a lesson about that. Friends want to help, all you have to do is ask. My family has always wanted to help in any way they could, and now I am finally opening my gates of martyrdom and accepting help. Asking is another issue, but I'm working on it. To receive love is just as important as to give it.
DM) It sounds like an issue with trust. Is it hard to trust people at first?
KZ) I really don't think it's hard to trust people at all. It's hard dealing with the disappointment if you find out you can't trust them. I try to trust everyone until they give me a reason not to. But I don't rely on anyone for my happiness, so if they let me down, I'm still in charge. I'm sure I've let a few people down myself, and I'm saddened by that because I know it hurts.
DM) When did you start in music?
KZ) I have been writing songs since I can remember. I used to write them in my head and then sing or whistle them while I worked on the words. I always thought I would be a poet, but then my mother bought me a guitar while I was in high school. I hooked up with other musicians and added folk music to my list of activities. My guitar went with me to college, where I wrote music to get rid of the monsters in my head. All through the years, my guitar has been my saving grace, giving me the outlet I needed. It took me a while to realize what I should do with my life, and selling used cars wasn't it! So a band was formed and a CD was made. And in between, a few demos and a few broken hearts.
DM) A few broken hearts? Tell me more...
KZ) When I left the car business, I also left my boyfriend. Neither of our hearts will ever be the same, but music has helped me very much. I know now that music was the trampoline I would bounce off to push through life. And now I have learned to respect life and use whatever talent I have to touch others through music.
DM) Do you think there are some relationships that people never get over?
KZ) I think the relationships that you don't try your best at are the ones you'll never get over. There's a line in my song "Joan of Arc" that reminds me that life and love aren't always a battle. "What was I thinking when I rode my horse to war not knowing quite what for."
DM) Where did you get the idea to write that line?
KZ) From my whole life. I've always had a constant battle going on inside of me and still, to this day, haven't been able to figure out why. Why a battle or a war. Life is too short to fight.
DM) What's your favorite track on the CD?
KZ) That would depend on the mood I'm in. I don't mean to sound wishy-washy, but it's true. Musically, lyrically, spiritually, they are all so different and mean a lot to me. It's my heart in those songs and I'm not sure I can play favorites or I might find myself in a war in my heart. I've already got battles in there, a war I don't need.
DM) What do you mean by battles and wars in your heart?
KZ) I've always had battles in my heart. We all do, it's just that some of us put up a Great Wall to disguise it, while others have guns and tanks to keep pain at a distance. Others are shot down or wounded. Actually, we all get wounded, no matter how much armor we have to protect us. I fall somewhere in between.
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