I N T E R V I E W

Hello Michelle and thank you for this interview. Your first album escaped notice here in France so can you present the band ?

Michelle : MELDRUM is a heavy dose of in your face metal with some crazy twists...

How did you meet Frida and Moa ?

Michelle : At a strip club... no really we just met through friends...

"Loaded Mental Cannon" has been released in 2001. Why did you wait for 6 years to release another one ?

Michelle : During that time we toured extensively with Motorhead, Black Label Society as well as some other bands like Nashville Pussy, Danzig, and Sepultura. We also wrote and recorded a shitload of songs and I'm sure you will be hearing some of those songs on our next cd....There were some business decisions that prevented us from moving forward in the recording end of it but all that's over and done with and we are here to kick some ass !!!

What are, for you, the main differences between both albums ?

Michelle : Well Blowing Up The Machine is more of a reflection of who we really are, and we all had a hand in doing some writing. On the first cd we had not yet developed as a band and and had, all the experience of touring together, living together and sweating it all out...

On Meldrum website, there were sound samples of the new album and some songs do not appear on the album (Insomniac, King Of Denial, Desensitized, Never Ending). Will you use these songs as bonus tracks ?

Michelle : Some of those songs may show up on another cd or bonus tracks, there were a lot of songs that we love that didn't get on this album just due to the fact that we weren't gonna do a double cd. We have so many songs and have written a crap load more since. We just recently wrote like 12 songs with Gene Hoglan so we are smokin'. It's a good situation to be in..;.;a lot too choose from a smorgasboard of songs if you willl....

On "Blowin' Up The Machine" you got a big guitar sound but don't you think that the final mix put the drums in the background ?

Michelle : I think it is good balance...are you a drummer ??? Ha !!! During the mix I tried to be as conscious as I could of making the drums stand out but I have always like the guitar up front and the girls liked the mixes so we went with it!!!

Talking about the drummer. Gene Hoglan recorded drums on the album but who will play on the stage with Meldrum ?

Michelle : We did one gig with Gene in LA it was called The Blacktooth Bash a tribute to Dimebag It was awesome. We definitely plan on doing a lot more with Gene so look out !!! But if he's not available the you can guarantee that we will have an ass ripping drummer up there who is capable of taking on us three crazy chicks !!!

Meldrum has a good reputation for being great live performers. Can describe a show for the French audience who never saw you live ?

Michelle : We are the real thing...no backing tracks no dance moves, just us out there busting our balls sweating it out !!!!

You seem to have a famous fan as Lemmy. How did you meet together ?

Michelle : I met Lemmy back in the Phantom Blue days so around 1989....the other girls met him at a gig we did at The Sweden Rock Festival in 2002, and we got to be good friends toured with them and continued touring for 5 tours !!!! Lemmy was a big Phantom Blue Supported and I am happy to say a big MELDRUM supporter as well... We love him !!

What do think about internet ? It was a good or a bad thing for Meldrum ?

Michelle : The internet is awesome on so many ways, it makes everything so accessible and a great thing for all bands...It's there so make the most out of it !!! If life gives you barley make beer!!!

What do you listen to these days ?

Michelle : Chris Cornell, Black Label Society, lately some Strapping Young Lad and of course still loving the classics Sabbath, Skynyrd and Zeppelin.

You got the last words...

Michelle : It was fun doing this interview, Thanks a million ! Tell everyone to get out there and get Blowing Up The Machine and GET HARD AND STAY HARD !!!! SEE YA ON TOUR ....