Gone Again

Gone Again formed way back in 1997 as an acoustic duo with singer songwriter Victoria Kearns and guitarist John Grancarich. Now a fully fledged 5 piece band they plough a very British list of influences from the Smiths, the Cure through to the La's and the Sundays. We caught up with Victoria Kearns to discuss the finer details of being a female in a male dominated industry and of course about the debut album "The Gravity Of Seconds".

Q: Although yourself and guitarist John Grancarich have been together since 1997, the current line-up came together in 2000. What the story from 2000 to the present day where we have "The Gravity Of Seconds" album out?
A: Well, that statement isn't entirely accurate... John and I formed Gone Again in 1997, but added band members one at a time.  We added drummer Jared Feldman and bassist Jacquie Minsk in 1998 and then guitarist Dave O'Donnell joined us in late 1999... December if I'm not mistaken.  Anyway, we recorded our first demo "$200 Reward" in 1999 (which Dave O'Donnell engineered... he was not yet a member of the band) and then in 2000 we recorded our singles Legion and Bleed.  All the while we were getting experience by playing all over Long Island and New York City, and trying to build a fan base, gain press and basically make a name for ourselves.  We were busy writing songs and getting comfortable with ourselves and our sound.
 

Q: There seems to be a really big English influence on the bands sound. Were 80s / early 90s bands like the Smiths, The Cure and the La's big influences on you?
A: Well, I would say that John is almost solely responsible for that sound... He always said to me how important he felt is was to take basic chords and do something beautiful and unexpected with them.  I know he was a big fan of Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Peter Buck of REM and James Honeyman Scott of The Pretenders.  He plays a big, hollow bodied Gretsch guitar... It's absolutely beautiful.  I guess you could say that we've got that English sound... and that suits me fine.  Those were some fine bands, definitely some of his favourites.  I only got into that type of music from hanging out with him.  I wasn't really into English bands growing up.
 

Q: The music industry tends to be suspicious of female fronted bands. In England I guess you call the Britpop bands like Elastica, Echobelly and the like prime examples. In the states maybe Courtney Love (Hole) and so on. Who did you look up to when you were younger? Were there those female icons out there for you?
A: Why would the industry be suspicious of female fronted bands?  I find that to be an odd question.  Women feel and create and have passion and balls just the same as men do.  I wonder if men find it suspicious that there's so much depth to us... and that we can rock as hard as any man.  I guess I never gave the idea of a man or woman fronting anything much thought until I started a band.  I always just liked what I liked regardless of who was singing it.  Sure, I have some female artists that I enjoy: Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nikks, Tina Turner... but I don't enjoy them any more than say Mick Jagger, Sting, Bono... I like them all equally.
 

Q: Lyrically its goes seem quite heartfelt as opposed to the typical male navel glazing we've come used to over the years. What are you trying to get across lyrically with the band?
A: I don't think about the lyrics when I'm writing them.  I feel the music and write what I feel when I hear it.  It's important that the lyrics be vague enough to mean many things to many different people, but I also want them to have a purpose and to tell a story, rather than to just sit there and be confusing.  I mostly write about things that have happened to me personally.  I write a lot about little moments in time... things that I witness other people going through.  Pain, loss, redemption, even revenge.  I think that if you can speak about the human condition in a way that draws people in... they will relate and get something out of your music.  I guess that's all I could hope for.  I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel with my lyrics.  Just trying to get people to feel something.
 
 

Q: Originally Gone Again were an acoustic duo. When it comes to the live shows does that bare over things or is it full on amps up to 11 and rocking out?
A: Somewhere in between.  We definitely stay connected to our acoustic roots, and it's certainly very melodic.  We rock out... but not with amps on 11...
 

Q: When can we expect you over in Europe and the UK specifically?
A: Jeez... I'd love to come over.  Tell Capitol to sign us and send us... (just kidding of course.)  Well, we all work day jobs just to pay for our recordings and our lives... Yeah, we're all still working slobs.  We maxed out the Visa card to record Gravity of Seconds.  I don't regret it... but I'm more broke than I care to discuss.  I guess the best answer I can give you is... hopefully someday.
 
 

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