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Cincy Night Gallery

When did Croatan form and why, what is the story behind your formation?

Jenny: We formed a while ago, I guess it's been 10 or so years. Mark and I were both in other bands that kind of self-destructed on the same night. We were asked to put a project together for a WAIF benefit for Uncle Dave Lewis and the rest just came from there. We had some bizarre line ups at the beginning.

What kind of touring or shows has Croatan done?

Jenny: We've done 7 US tours up to this point and this fall's will be our 8th although it's not as long as most of the other ones were. We've played shorter regional tours too; basically all over the damn country.

What made you decide to use a bass rig and a guitar rig?

Jenny: We had to drop off a bass player at the bus station in San Antonio one tour and got tired of the whole deal. Most people we were interested in weren't anywhere near as dedicated as we were and didn't want to tour 6 months out of the year. We decided to say screw it and play as a two piece since we were pretty comfortable with that anyway.

What are your influences and what are some of your favorite bands?

Jenny: I'd have to say Godheadsilo was one of the bands that convinced me that playing as a two-piece not only would work but could smash in skulls. Definitely the Melvins, Laughing Hyenas, Big Black, Ruins, Tragic Mulatto, the Unsane, and Today is the Day were all huge influences on me. Stuff I am really into at the moment is Rhapsody, No Means No, Lightning Bolt, Impaled Nazarene, Pineal Ventana, and My Dying Bride. I've also been listening to a lot of Iron Maiden again.

What are some of the processes that you use when writing?

Jenny: A lot of drinking and a lot of arguing.

What rig do you use for your guitar and bass?

Jenny: For guitar I play through 2 Sovtek Mig 60 heads and 2 4-12 cabs that are supposed to be Sovtek cabs but who the hell knows what they are. For bass I play through a SVT 2 tube head and a 15 and 4-10 cabinet. I have some Lexicon midi stuff for guitar and various stomp boxes for noise and then a Behringer multi-band compressor and EQ for bass.

Has Croatan done any label shopping or have they had any label interest?

Jenny: We've worked with a few labels in the past, most recently Man's Ruin (RIP) in San Francisco. They put out 2 CD's and a 7" for us. We also did a CD with Shimmy-Disc and 7"s and comps with various smaller labels. Our new CD The Drunken Masters will be released on Peace or Die Records.

What are some of your hobbies?

Jenny: I wish I had time for hobbies!

What is your favorite movie?

Jenny: A tie between Cabin Boy and This is Spinal Tap.

What do Croatan songs tend to portray or pertain to?

Jenny: I write a lot about books and things I watch in TV, also things that piss me off. We have songs about shooting your boss, Eric Rudolph, riding the Metro bus to work, viagra, and the Brothers Karamazov - there's really no central theme. Whatever, my brain or Mark's filters through (he also writes lyrics). I went to grad school for English Lit so there's a lot of that crap still up there.

Who is Jenny Diablo?

Jenny: Good question! Shawn from Neus Subjex/Socials start abloed calling me that for some reason and it stuck.

What are your goals for Croatan and have you reached any of them?

Jenny: Originally I wanted to put out records and see the country and I've done that. I still want to play Europe and Japan and I still want someone to do a 10" for us.

Has Croatan turned out to be everything you expected or is it more/less?

Jenny: Considering I went into it thinking we would play 1 show I'd say it has been more.

Do you have any other projects and does it have any effect on Croatan?

Jenny: I play bass in Katana with Mark on drums, Chris Lee and D-Runk on guitar and the Gooch singing. It's tons of fun! I think it may have introduced some people to Croatan that hadn't really heard us before. Playing bass has improved my guitar playing, and working with Chris Lee has made me a much more disciplined player.

What do you think of the local scene (metal and non-metal)?

Jenny: I think the scene here is very supportive and thriving compared to how it's been in the past. Sudsy's is having some killer shows with more and more national acts coming in which in turn brings more attention to our town and our bands. I have a lot of fun playing here again and there have been a few years ago when I NEVER would have said that. And there are some truly killer bands around right now that I love playing with and going to see. Way too many to list.

Does your family and friends support your music career?

Jenny: They do support it now; I think they realize it's not just a phase...

What would you like to see change in the "scene"?

Jenny: I'm pretty happy with the scene right now for the most part. It's a little distressing to see a lot of clubs close up in Cincinnati right now but that happens when you don't have the crowd to sustain so many venues. So I guess I'd like to see more people out at shows. I think DUI laws have fucked a lot of that up though.

Has Croatan ever considered acquiring other members?

Jenny: In the early days we've played with other people but we'll never get a permanent bass player. Occassionally we'll ask someone to play a song or help us out with a recording but Croatan is me and Mark.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans?

Jenny: Thanks for coming to the shows! Buy The Drunken Masters when it is available beginning of September so we can play even more shows!

Reviewed by Rob Riggs (Kill the Messenger)

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