INTERVIEWS
Interview with Human
Waste Project
Smother.net
By: Mr. Christopher
Certainly, everyone's into heavy, abrassive
music should be used to hearing about another heavy band from California these
days. It's become almost as predictable as the "grunge" era was
from Seattle. And like the Seattle incident(as I like to call it), the California
movement has produced a lot of down tuning bands that sound the same. . .Human
Waste Project is another new hard hitting band from California, BUT they are
not the same as the rest. They offer a fresh, original breath of life into
the music world with their debut LP, "E-Lux," but I'm not going
to turn this into a music review because I've already done two reviews as
it is. I wanted to try to find a little more about the band that certainly
got me wired when I first saw them play and after much persistence in getting
this interview(thanks L.), I got it. Here it is, a moment with Human Waste
Project members Scott Ellis, Aimee Echo, and surprisingly, Snot's drummer
Jamie. Enjoy!
What has the past year been
like for HWP?
Scott: Want me to lie, or tell the truth...(smiles)...It's been good, I guess.
Actually, it has been better than, well, I don't want to say it's been better
than sitting at home 'cause that would be a lie..(To Jamie) unless you're
a boyfriend & girlfriend--nothings better than that.
Aimee: '97 was about waiting...for a lot of things and now it feels like the
waiting is over.
"E-Lux" is an incredible
album and definitely one of the past years best. What do you feel made the
album so great? Did Ross Robinson have a major role in the end product?
Scott: Being at Indigo & Ross.
Ross had a big part in the pre-production. We wrote it and Ross' touch gave
it that vibe.
What do you all feel are the
best tracks from the album?
Aimee: Exit Wound...and Electra.
Scott: Exit Wound.
What effects and setup does
Mike Tempesta use to get that layered, dreamlike sound on the songs from "E-Lux?"
Scott: I know nothing about guitars.
Actually, I do know though. Mike has pedals built into his rack. It's all
old pedals in the studio(Indigo Ranch). No rack effect-just pedals...and Ross.
You've toured with a variety
of acts like Snot, Sevendust, and Tura Satana. . .what are some of the best
memories touring with some of the bands mentioned and who does HWP enjoy touring
with the most?
Scott: It's so funny when you get
off tour, you don't remember.
Jamie: What about that nazi guy in Tennessee?
Scott: Oh, that was funny. These nazi/racist guys come to the (HWP, Snot,
Sevendust) show...And they're FANS of Sevendust...(Jamie & Scott laugh..and
don't finish the story..)
When I saw you guys play at
the Bayou in D.C. back in November, Aimee was having trouble with her voice
and I later read a review from a show earlier that week that she had trouble
then also. What happened and how did you adapt to the situation?
Scott: Her voice got rough one night,
then it came back...then it went out one night and then it came back. We changed
her coil wires and replaced the patch cables...
Jamie:..put in an energizer and she worked fine.
Scott: Never put Ramoco's in your singer!
Does it ever feel strange
being the only female in HWP?
Aimee: No. I'm not the only female.(laughs)
Jamie: She just plays one on TV.
Scott: There is no difference--she's like one of the guys and we're like three
of the girls.
I have seen different magazines make comparisons between Aimee and Tarrie
B. from Tura Satana. Why do you think this is and what is your personal opinion
about the comparisons? Does Aimee deal with hecklers from the audience in
the same fashion as Tarrie?
Scott: Jeff usually handles the hecklers.
(to Aimee): How did you get
the last name "Echo?" I heard a story about witchcraft or something
of the sort. What's the story behind it?
Aimee: Echo is my middle name...the name
my mother gave me. I got rid of the last name in a Wiccan Ritual..it's not
where I got my name.
I heard a rumor that you and
Jamie from Snot have been dating, any truth to this? How did this come about?
Scott: Yes.
Jamie: Actually, no...it's Scott & Jamie that are dating.
Aimee:(to Scott): You can't have him, he's mine. Well Jamie, what do you think?
Jamie: She picked me up after a gig.
Aimee: He got me drunk.
Jamie: I got you drunk? You only talked to me 'cause you were drunk....Someone
was drunk!
What exactly has been going
on with Hollywood Records? I remember talking to Mike Tempesta at the Bayou
show in Washington D.C. last November and he said that a lot of kids had been
asking about how they could get the album; they couldn't find it around in
stores. I also couldn't get my hands on a copy at any of our record stores
where I live. Was this due to problems with Hollywood Records?
Scott: Yes, it would be due to problems;
although it could be the stores fault. They have to check the computer...if
it's there, that means the store could get it any time, and it's not the labels
fault.
After all of the problems
with Hollywood Records, what has kept Human Waste Project from giving up?
Scott: We can't give up...if we did
then we'd be losers too. We are keeping our part of the deal.