Ghastly #5 Interview
Since their formation in 1991, the Astro Vamps have procured a considerable following for themselves. Their first LP, The Savage Garden was very well received. Vocalist Daniel Ian and keyboardist Eyajo Joseph had grown away from their partners in the Babydolls, one of L.A.'s more popular glam outfits, and allowed their true passions to manifest themselves in L.A.'s thriving gothic scene. Their audience loved them for their upbeat, poppy-goth songs as well as for their amazing hair. Now 1993 has seen a new birth of the Astro Vamps: a much darker direction indeed, as demonstrated on their new release, Blood and Flowers. With a new line up that includes, in addition to Ian and Joseph, bassist Tristan Sinn and Chris Ritchie on drums, the re-vamped Astro Vamps are a must-hear for any lover of nocturnal symphonies.
The following interview with Daniel Ian and Eyajo Joseph was conducted by Jeremy in October of 1993.
Ghastly: What was your inspiration while writing your latest EP, Blood and Flowers? It seems to be much darker than your first LP, Savage Garden.
Daniel Ian: Blood and Flowers is darker, but you have to realize Savage Garden was a transition period for us. Half of the songs were left over from our glam days with the Babydolls. Blood and Flowers is the completion of that transition.
Eyajo Joseph: Personally, there came with the darker songs, a manifestation of a chaotic nature to the lyrics. My inspiration always and usually comes from the occult, religion, and events that happen in mine and Daniel's life. The songs were written to balance chaos and order. These were the themes. "Blood and Flowers" is about the killing of our Earth as well as a song pleading for love. "Subhuman" was written about a vampire lord out to take the world. It was also a song we wrote for a movie by Fullmoon Productions, but it was rejected, because the producers felt it was too dark for the film.
Ghastly: You've been described as goth, pop, punk, glam, etc... How would you describe the Astro Vamps sound?
DI: Well, we are definitely all of those. I guess if you wanted to put in into a neat package like record companies do, dark alternative pop rock.
EJ: I like the ethereal gothic sound, and some of it has and will find it's way into the Astro Vamps sound, but the elements of dark pop and punk keep it fresh and full of new ideas.
Ghastly: How did the Astro Vamps come into being?
DI: Astro Vamps started in 1991. It came out to the realization that we didn't want to go on writing songs in a candy glam band. We could never play the songs that we wanted to. Especially when the other guys in the band would refer to our music as "that death shit".
Ghastly: What is your connection with the legendary Vampira?
DI: I first interviewed Vampira [Mila Nurmi] last year for the L.A. Star magazine that I was writing for at the time. She and I hit it off immediately and we became good friends. She made such an impression on me that I decided to write a song about her. I played the song for her and she absolutely loved it. She's currently working as a technical consultant for Tim Burton's movie on filmmaker Ed Wood, Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Ghastly: Eyajo, you're about to release your first book. What is it's focus and when will it be out?
EJ: Well, actually, I'm finishing up two books for `94 release dates. The first one, which just kind of happened, is a large page format book of photo art and one long epic style poem that the photos interact with. I donīt want to give too much of it away, but I will say that I modeled the main character in the photo art and the poem / story after something I am very passionate about: the "Tutha Da Dannans". Read Celtic folklore...
The second one is about a 280 - 400 page softcover book containing a collection of my dark poetry and blank ink illustrations.
I'm a very serious witch, and very devoted to my craft. A lot of my poetry is taken from shape-shifting experiences as well as contact with elementals or nature spirits. The stories come to me with no trouble and the characters breathe their prose into my mind. These poems and illustrations all came from my witch journals and there is still a lot in those books which I will have to publish someday.
Ghastly: Rumor has it that the Astro Vamps are relocating to San Francisco. Do you find the scene there to be more productive at the moment?
DI: As soon as we have the financial resources to move there we will definitely be moving there. If it wasn't for the fact that Eyajo and I have to get good paying jobs, we'd be outta here. The scene is so much more productive up there that here... Let me put it this way: Comparing Hollywood to San Francisco is like comparing GG Allin to Morrissey. If Hollywood was a person it would be GG Allin. I mean literally. It is dirty, vulgar, cheap, stupid, and dead. It's been dead for quite sometime. San Francisco on the other hand, well, it just has a lot of class, and it's reflective on it's people too. They're more laid back, more tolerant, and much more intelligent. They don't have the attitude problem that Hollywood folks do.
Ghastly: What is next for the Astro Vamps?
DI: We just finished a show with Dave Vanian of the Damned at the Roxy. Right now our management is currently shopping for a deal. Being in a band is like a hurricane. You can only guess and hope where it's going to go, but there is no way of telling for sure what's next, because the music business is probably the most unpredictable business in the world. Anything could happen. Wait and see.
EJ: I'm going to be talking with some movie people about using the Astro Vamps in their upcoming movies. See, last year we were promised a few parts in a horror film. I didn't happen, but I've kept on good terms with the producers and they have shown interest in us again, but I love the film so this will be kind of my project, to get the part for the band.
Ghastly: Any final words?
DI: Like a warrior: long, strong and truthfully.
EJ: To change the world by witchcraft! To reclaim the Earth for the Gods, and to educate the witchcraft, homosexual, bisexual, and god fearing Christian society on the return of the pagans!
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