First film day of "Jenny" video shoot. photo by Jane Tyska
Margaret Scranton (guitar) Wendy Russell (vocals) Jane Tyska (bass guitar) and Steven (drums)
LittleBook: Why did you start a band??
Margaret: I set out to be a songwriter and needed a group. My heroes, such as Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmour were in rock bands, so I thought I should do that.
LB: How did you find each other??
Margaret: I've spent 20 years playing in bands in the Bay Area and this group came together through friends, family and fellow musicians.
Jane: I'm from the East Coast and I've been playing for 20 years also and had the fortune of meeting Margaret through a drummer I met at a jam night. We're also both photographers and enjoy sharing both artistic pursuits. I feel really fortunate to be in this band.
LB: What's your most memorable moment as a band??
Margaret: Playing on the huge stage in front of City Hall in the Battle of the Bands at this year's Pride celebration.
Jane: Ditto with the Pride show, great wall of sound! Also the "She Riffs" show we played at the Red Devil Lounge with Gretchen Menn of Sticks & Stones, Shelley Doty, Dolorata and Groovy Judy. It was a awesome celebration of Bay Area female lead guitarists.
LB: Where do you practice?
Jane: My garage. Classic right? The neighbors fortunately love us.
Margaret: Yeah, I'm old school.
LB: What do you drink at practice?
Margaret: Sierra Nevada or Sierra Nevada, it depends on my mood.
Jane: She's the boss.
Wendy: (our singer) I'm a rebel and drink Guiness.
LB: What do you do at practice when you’re not practicing?
Margaret: Talk.
Jane: Listen to Margaret talk.
Wendy: Listen to Margaret talk.
LB: What's the hardest thing about being a band in 2009?
Margaret: The global competition. The internet makes it easier for us to be out there but we could be lost in an ocean of countless artists.
Jane: Some people's short attention span and inability to recognize the depths in art.
LB: What's the best / worst thing about being a band in San Francisco??
Margaret: The best thing is I get to sleep in my own bed and the worst is that I'm not on tour.
Jane: The best and worse thing is having a friend base while trying to build a fan base.
LB: What do you want people to know about your band, what are you doing next??
Margaret: We write songs to inspire the soul and we plan on doing a new recording and release next year.
Jane: Margaret's really modest, but she just had a nice little write-up in the November issue of Guitar Player magazine. We're planning another "She Riffs" show in early 2010 and are making our way to L.A. again soon. We'll also be playing a bunch of shows in the Bay Area.
LB: What’s up with your CD where can I get it, where did you record it??
Jane: Margaret's "Born Ready" CD is distributed through Tunecore and Snocap (dubious, we're checking them out!) and also ITunes and CDBaby.
Margaret: We recorded with Tim Ryan at 7th Circle Studios in Oakland, CA. Tim perfected the N-72 microphone pre-amp that you can find on www.seventhcircleaudio.com
LB: Favorite local Band or a memorable show??
Jane: Margaret's side project the Hormones, a kick-ass all-girl Ramones tribute band. You guessed it, she's Johnny. Also, Sticks & Stones and Zepparella, featuring the amazing Gretchen Menn on lead guitar. I also love Luvhed. There are so many talented musicians in the area, I can't even begin to name a fraction of the ones I enjoy.
Margaret: My favorite local band is Wire Graffiti featuring Katherine Sawyer on vocals. Katherine sang on "Maggie's Butterfly" on my "Born Ready" CD. My most memorable show was seeing Van Halen at the Cow Palace at 1982. That was the moment I decided to become a guitar player.
LB: Favorite venue to Play??
Margaret: Slims or Jane's garage. I'm old school, remember?
Jane: Red Devil Lounge or the Uptown in Oakland. In lieu of that, my garage.
LB: Have you played El Rio before?
Margaret: Yes, many times.
Jane:Not yet, looking forward to it and helping out Rocket Dog Rescue. Woof!
LB: What do you like about it?
Margaret: Love the Patio!
Jane:Don't know yet, get back to me after Oct. 10th!
LB: Do any of the members ever take their shirts off at a
show or at practice?
Margaret: No.
Jane:Only in my garage.
LB: Who's the smelliest member after a sweaty gig?
Jane: It depends on how you define smelly.
LB: Favorite pre / post show; food, indulgence or ritual??
Margaret: Pre-show, like to grab a cheeseburger or chicken burrito. Post-show, ice-cold Sierra Nevada and re-apply my Chapstick. I think Sierra should sponsor Scranton.
Jane:Love to protein up on pre-show sushi. Post-show a couple of beers and yoga with Margaret the instructor.
LB: Where do you think live music is heading?
Margaret: Right into the back pocket of our youth.
Jane: Hopefully in our newly digital world it will have a resurgence complete with smell and sweat.
LB: How do you feel about people downloading your songs for free , do you offer free downloads?
Margaret: No one sets out to work for free, but I do understand the need for promotion.
Jane: It's just about the same as the analog way of giving out free CDs for promotion which all fledgling bands do.
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