At Mental Hygiene’s first show in quite some time, I caught up with the ladies from Mental Hygiene and chatted with them about where they’d been and where they’re going.

Liz Livengood: Hi I’m Liz with Best New Bands and I’m here with Mental Hygiene, I just watched their show at the Tonic Lounge. It was pretty rockin’! Can you guys introduce yourselves really quick?

Kay Betton: I’m Kay (Drums, Vocals)

Kristin Porter: Kristin (Vocals, Guitar)

Elizabeth Kierkegaarde: Elisabeth (Lead Guitar)

Onyx: Onyx (Rhythm Guitar)

Mary Steele: Mary (Bass)

 

LL: OK, it’s nice to meet all of you. So this is your first show in a really long time. What’s up with that?

(Band looks at each other bemusedly)

K: We’ve been rehearsing…getting some new people. Two new great fabulous musicians to the band. We’ve been learning some S**t. (Laughter)

 

LL: So you’re working on something new?

KP: Hopefully we’re going to be writing a lot more new music.

EK: It’s in the works..

KP: There are new songs in the works.

 

LL: You played a new song tonight. Something about terror and fascination? Talk to me about that, I liked it.

KP: It’s a good one, actually you (looking at Elisabeth) wrote that one.

EK: I wrote that one. Yeah, it’s uh, I don’t, I can’t talk about who it’s about.

KP: It’s a secret! It could be about you.

LL: Oooh…

EK: It could be about you (points at camera)

(Laughter)

EK: So, that song, it’s coming along, we’re still working on it.

LL: I noticed that it’s a little more cohesive, you guys have the guitar parts working. Are you guys focusing on that, or are you just practicing, practicing, practicing?

EK: (Pointing to Onyx and Mary) These guys are awesome, awesome additions to the band, because we started out with us (gesturing to Kristin and Kay). These two have made a huge difference in the band.

KB: Onyx rounds out the guitar sound, Mary brings the bottom line down really hot, it’s really easy to play with her. It keeps the band really tight, the sound feels full and rocking.

 

LL: How’d you find the new additions?

EK: Um, my guitar teacher actually, we met in his driveway (turning to Onyx). He didn’t think she’d be right for the band because she’s a jazz musician.

KP: (Aghast) Yeah right, she’s awesome!

O: She’s like what have you got in there, what kind of guitar you got in there?

KP: What is that??

O: It was fun.

EK: So that was the first time we met.

KP: And then Onyx brought Mary along at just the right moment. Just when we needed the perfect bass player. She is the ace of bass.

O: That name is conflictable (Laughter)

KB: I think Proud Mary was used once, but I like both of those.

 

LL: So you guys are Mental Hygiene, and I know that some of you have issues with that. What would you call yourselves if you started over, you have a new name?

KP: It’s me that has the issue with that. We probably spent the first two years trying to come up with a name.

MS: I like the name, by the way.

KP: You like the name. Mary likes it. Um, what were some of the other ones we mulled around? Our name at the rock band game was Safari Parking Lot. I don’t know where that came from.

KB: What would you call us?

LL: I don’t know. Something about chicks ….

Random guy: Chicks with Sticks!

LL: Because you do, you guys have this good female power vibe going. I really don’t see many all female bands that rock as much as you do. Do you get any flak for that? Does anybody ever mess with you?

Group: Never

KP: They wouldn’t dare! Yeah, we’d kick their a**es!

EK: Well, Kay, would.

KP: This one’s got a black belt in tae kwon do (pointing to Kay). I don’t even mess with this one.

KB: I think that early on it was a little intimidating, girls playing in a band, but the more experience we get the more tight the sound becomes.

KP: And our fans have been so supportive. There’s so many that have just shown up at every single show. It’s really, really encouraging. Just in the moments, I know for me personally, that I’m feeling like, oh man, I don’t know if I can do this, somebody comes by and is like ‘you have no idea how great it is’ and that honestly is probably what keeps us going. That encouragement.

 

LL: So what do you guys do to get new fans? Is it just shows, do you have MySpace, all that?

KP: We’ve got our own website now www.mentalhygieneband.com with photos. We’ve got a MySpace. It’s not too archaic yet, is it? Is MySpace still cool?

LL: I only look at it because I have to. I hate it. It crashes my computer!

KP: FaceBook, honestly, as much as I resisted that, it’s become a really awesome venue for people. And, you know, word of mouth. Our fans have been really good about saying hey you know I went to their show, next time you should come out to their friends. So that has been really helpful.

 

LL: So when’s the next show?

EK: We are working on new songs. We want to get the songs together. If everybody can stay healthy. If we can do that…

KB: Maybe late spring.

KP: I’d like to get on somewhere we can be a regular, you know? The Tonic has been really good to us. We’ve found that the more you play out, the more places you go, the more other places are willing to accept us. We were fortunate enough to get on the bill with Hell’s Belles at Dante’s. And that sort of seemed to launch us forward and then we started calling people and they were like ‘oh you played at Dante’s, all right, come on down,’ you know? We’re not just playing Wednesday nights anymore. This is a Saturday night!

 

LL: The Tonic was strange for me though, I walked in and everyone was sitting down so politely, which I think is nice, but, I mean you want your audiences to get up and dance, right?

KP: Yup. And luckily, usually once we get going, people start coming around. When they realize it’s not just a bunch of dumpy chicks on stage playing sappy love songs Oh, you mean we can dance to this?

 

Keep an eye out here for more new’s on Portland’s Mental Hygiene. We’ll keep you posted!