Regardless of what you think about the music, the work ethic of Los Angeles based metal act, Butcher Babies is undeniable. After signing a worldwide deal with Century Media and releasing their acclaimed debut album, ‘Goliath’ mid-way through last year and relentlessly touring in support of it, the group has now released a new covers EP, titled ‘Uncovered’ and are once again on the road in support of that. All this so that fans don’t get too restless while they wait for the band’s second full length album, due out next year!
‘Uncovered,’ which was unleashed on September 30 in North America and will hit shelves on October 6 in Europe, features five covers, one track for every band member and was produced by Logan Mader (Five Finger Death Punch, Gojira, DevilDriver). According to an official press release, the group’s aim was to, “dissect and butcher” the songs to create something of their own.
All Axess recently caught up with Butcher Babies frontwoman Carla Harvey to talk about the new EP, which of the five tracks she chose, what it was like working with Mader and their ‘No One Can Hear You Scream’ tour in support of the EP. Check it out below:
What made you decide to record a covers EP?
Carla:Well, Goliath, our debut album came out in July of 2013 and our new album doesn’t come out until early summer 2015 so we wanted to give our fans a little appetizer in between. Also, we wanted to play some new songs to spice things up for ourselves! Believe it or not we get tired of playing the same set over and over again. Making this EP of cover songs seemed like the perfect solution
How do you think fans will take to Uncovered?
Carla: I think the fans will really dig Uncovered. When I was a kid I was a huge fan of my favorite bands doing albums of covers. When I heard the Guns N Roses album The Spaghetti Incident, it introduced me to a world of punk rock that I had not yet experienced. It was pretty neat to hear the songs that had influenced my favorite musicians.
What song did you personally choose to cover and why?
Carla: I chose the song They’re Coming To Take Me Away by Napolean XIV because I have a vivid memory of my stepdad playing it over and over again in the car. My stepdad was a bit off his rocker and the song is about being taken away to a mental institution so I always found it ironic that he loved that song so much.
Was it a hard choice to make? What other songs did you consider selecting?
Carla: We wanted each song to really mean something, so we all made a short list of songs that had resonated with us since we were kids. So yes, it was really difficult to pick. I had Epic by Faith No More and Cult of Personality by Living Colour on my list as well as the Napolean XIV song but at the end of the day, They’re coming to Take Me away was the right choice because it was one that we could really deconstruct and make our own. I absoulutely love what we did to it, it still gives me chills when I listen to it.
What was it like working with (producer) Logan Mader?
Carla: Logan is great! We always say the producer becomes the sixth member of the band so it’s crucial that you work well together and gel. He made me nervous at first because he works fast…but it goes along with who we are as a band. We are best live, and by working fast he harnesses that raw, live energy.
Will you be playing anything from the EP when your US tour kicks off later this month?
Carla: on our headlining tour we are playing our whole EP. They are all too good and too fun not to play!
What do you think is the greatest cover song/album of all-time?
Carla: There has been many cover songs i’ve loved over the years but Im going to mention the Spaghetti Incident again here because of the impact it had on me when I was a kid. Guns N Roses was my absolute favorite band growing up. As I said before, hearing that that album introduced me to a world of punk rock that I may not have heard otherwise. After hearing GNR’s takes on songs like Raw Power, I Dont Care About You, Attitude, etc, I found the originals and became a big fan of Punk.
Have you heard many Buthcer Babies covers? Any worth mentioning?
Carla: I havent heard any BB covers yet, besides a kid here or there posting their version on youtube which we all find awesome. I love that kids out there like a song of ours so much that they spend time learning it. Puts a smile on my face every time. Bravo!
Upcoming Butcher Babies tour dates:
10/3/2014–Altar Bar–Pittsburgh, PA **
10/4/2014–The Machine Shop–Flint, MI **
10/5/2014–Champions Park–Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
10/7/2014–Baltimore Soundstage–Baltimore, MD **
10/8/2014–Upstairs @ The Palladium–Worcester, MA **
10/10/2014–Santos Party House–New York, NY **
10/11/2014–District N9ne–Philadelphia, PA **
10/12/2014–Empire–West Springfield, VA **
10/14/2014–The Masquerade–Atlanta, GA **
10/16/2014–Scout Bar–Houston, TX **
10/17/2014–House of Rock–Corpus Christi, TX **
10/18/2014–Sunken Gardens Amphitheatre–San Antonio, TX
10/19/2014–Jake’s–Backroom Lubbock, TX **
10/21/2014–The Black Sheep–Colorado Sheep, CO **
10/22/2014–Mesa Theatre & Club–Grand Junction, CO **
10/23/2014–Backstage Bar & Billiards–Las Vegas, NV **
10/24/2014–San Manuel Amphitheater–San Bernardino, CA @ Knotfest
*=with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
**=with ANTI-MORTEM