Luscious Action

Luscious Jackson's drummer, Kate Schellenbach, keeps putting it out there, and good things are coming back.

Interview by Kathleen Hildenbrand

A few summers ago, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing Luscious Jackson's smash hit "Naked Eye." Suddenly, the four-woman band from New York was everywhere: on the radio, on movie soundtracks, even on television, touting the Gap. Now Luscious Jackson, minus one member, is back with a new album and high hopes. Drummer Kate Schellenbach lays it all down for us about her start with the Beastie Boys, what it's like being a dyke in the music biz, and hanging out with her idols Debbie Harry and the Indigo Girls.

Girlfriends: You first got into the music scene when you were a teenager, inspired by the New York punk scene. Are you still a punk girl at heart?

Kate: I feel an allegiance to punk. For me it's all about the do-it-yourself ethic, the anti-rock star thing, having bands who were more accessible to their fans. The punk bands I grew up listening to weren't like Led Zeppelin, a million miles away. They were right there talking with their fans after their show.

Girlfriends: Even though that's your background, Luscious Jackson doesn't really sound punk. Why is that?

Kate: People have different interpretations of punk. Even when I was in the punk scene I was more into the bands that were poppier, like the Slits, or bands which mixed types of music, like Bad Brains. Jill [Cunniff, vocals and guitar], Gabby [Glaser, vocals and guitar], and I all met in that scene in the Bronx. But when punk started getting dangerous for girls, with slam dancing or whatever, we moved into the whole hip-hop scene, with graffiti and break dancing and all that.

Girlfriends: So that accounts for Luscious Jackson's mix of musical styles. Do you write any of the songs yourself?

Kate: I mostly work with arrangements. I write my own drum beats. But I'm more a music person than a lyricist‹I hardly ever read liner notes. Often I don't even know what our own songs are about. I read about them somewhere, and I'm like, "Oh, that's what that one is about." I try to write my own songs sometimes, but the lyrics wind up being one big cliché. Or a string of big clichés. [laughs] So I've given up on that.

Girlfriends: Debbie Harry sings some back-up on your new album. How did that come about?

Kate: Debbie Harry was a big, huge hero of mine. She was one of my first pinup poster girls in my bedroom. I was part of Blondie's fan club, everything.

After one of [Luscious Jackson's] early shows, Gabby said she saw Debbie Harry by the stage, dancing. I'm glad I didn't see her at the time; I would've freaked. But later we were at a Blondie show, and Debbie came over to talk, and it was like a mutual appreciation society. Apparently, she's a fan of ours, too.

A couple years go by, and I'm playing Blondie cover tunes at the Meow Mix, the lesbian bar here. I was covering Blondie tunes with the Lunachicks. Debbie came to the show, and one month later I get a call at home from her, and she's wondering if I can play a show with them at the last minute since their drummer backed out. It was like a childhood dream come true. And then later when we were recording our album, there was one song which kinda sounded like Blondie anyway, so we asked her if she'd come in and sing backup, and she did. She returned the favor. She's another really generous woman. I've had a lot of dreams come true.

Girlfriends: You've also played with the Indigo Girls, during their Suffragette Sessions Tour. What were they like to work with?

Kate: That's another example of just making an instantaneous connection with these amazing women. They're so open and generous. When they first approached me about playing with their tour, I said that I had just finished touring so I couldn't. And Amy [Ray] couldn't believe that. She asked, "Don't you ever play when you're off tour?" We had the longest talk, and she was so inspiring. She said that she always plays when she's not touring, and she made me realize I needed to change my mindset. I needed to get back into playing for enjoyment. So now I try to do that, to take on more outside work.

That's one of the best things that's happened to me--making such incredible lifelong connections, especially with Amy and Emily. I admire what they did with their fame and their musicality. I might be playing a song on their upcoming album, and may tour with them a bit. Dance around onstage for them.

Girlfriends: So you're really a drummer-slash-dancer?

Kate: You bet.

Girlfriends: The Indigo Girls were banned from playing at a school last year because they're gay. Have you ever experienced any backlash because you're out?

Kate: Not that I'm aware of. Nothing overt. Of course, you never know what happens behind closed doors.

Girlfriends: In past interviews, Jill and Vivian have stated that they don't believe in making overt political statements through your band's music. Do you think you have a political message?

Kate: We're not into musical political statements. We definitely have messages we believe in, and causes we support, but our music is more about escape, entertainment.

Girlfriends: Just doing what you're doing could be interpreted as making a statement.

Kate: We do control all aspects of our career. We coproduce all our songs, we control everything from album art to videos to touring. We're not blindly giving up control. Because we're women, some people still think there must be some male guru behind us. Like those who thought the Beastie Boys were our puppeteers or something. I hope people now realize we're the ones in charge.

Girlfriends: Certain critics nicknamed your Natural Ingredients album the "men suck" album. Do you feel that your band gets unfairly labeled as too feminist or too lesbian?

Kate: That's typical of the media to reduce concepts to a lowest common denominator. It's like, "Did you even read the lyrics?" The song "Energy Sucker" [which was targeted by the critics] is about anyone who sucks your energy or makes you feel small. It could be about a friend, a parent, whatever. I've certainly had relationships with women that made me feel that way. But people assume it had to be about men. Our music goes across gender barriers.

Girlfriends: You're the only lesbian in your group. How does this affect the band?

Kate: Gosh, I think you have to ask the other band members. I think that if we encountered someone who was homophobic and made inappropriate statements, I would hope Jill and Gabby would be outspoken about it. But it's not just because of me‹Gabby and Jill are very aware; it's not like I'm the only gay person they know or are close to.

Girlfriends: Is your sexuality ever an issue within the band?

Kate: It's become a non-issue, unless Gabby gets nosy and wants to know if I think some girl's cute. [laughs] We're respectful of each other's private lives, mostly. We share a lot of the same problems, in that it's hard to be on the road and maintain relationships. So we share that in common.

Girlfriends: You've had a change in your band lineup. Keyboardist Vivian Trimble dropped out because she doesn't like touring. What effect has that had on the band?

Kate: It's been weird. Lots of times I've gotten ready to go play, and turned around and been like, "Wait, we're missing somebody." But she's a lot happier now. Before, it was like having a disgruntled employee; it brings everybody down. She's happier now, staying in New York. But we're still close, we still play music together. We have a guy named Sing who took over her duties. He's a good guy.

Girlfriends: How would you characterize your new album, Electric Honey?

Kate: Our last record [Fever In, Fever Out] was more introspective. This album is more celebratory, looking outward. It's pretty pop, very upbeat and danceable. We're writing from the heart. This is the kind of music we grew up loving, where you go out with friends, throw all your coats down in the middle of the floor, and just start making up crazy dances.

Girlfriends: Your song "Naked Eye" from your last album was a big hit. Do you feel there is more pressure with this next album to produce hit singles?

Kate: We enjoyed the success of our last album, and hope that our new album can be at least as popular, if not more so. We've had a slow, steady rise. We've enjoyed the time it's taken to get here. We've taken a lot of time to hone our songs and make them good. Our ultimate goal is to be the summer party album. You know how last summer, everywhere you went, Lauryn Hill's album was playing, and every song was just so excellent? That's what we'd like this album to be.

Girlfriends: Are you going on tour?

Kate: Yes, our first show will be a free show, in New York, in Central Park on the Fourth of July, with Jon Spencer and the Blues Explosion. Then we're touring with Lilith Fair this summer, and have some other dates after that with Cibbo Matto opening for us.

Girlfriends: Vivian dropped out because of the touring grind; how are you doing with it?

Kate: It's a mixed bag. Most of the time the shows themselves are excellent‹it's the times in between them that are a drag. It's hard being away from home, not being able to eat when you want to, go to sleep when you want to, all that stuff.

But Lilith was different. Lilith was really fun. It's a very open environment. Backstage, everyone's doors are wide open, everyone's playing music together. We got to hang with Bonnie Raitt. Sarah McLachlan has a great thing going on. She's very generous; it's a nice vibe. Lots of times on larger tours, they're really uptight backstage. They clamp down on who can stand where, they don't respect you. Lilith is completely different.

And I love walking around in the crowd. Everyone is so attentive to all the acts, from Missy Elliot to Bonnie Raitt. I love checking out the girls, seeing what they're wearing. It's like, "What tank top are the girls wearing this year?" That's where you'll find me, checking out the girls, getting a henna tattoo.

Girlfriends: Lilith also has its detractors...

Kate: I think this backlash is tied in with the backlash against feminism in general. Anything that involves women gets put down. They say it's just a bunch of women with hairy legs and flowing skirts, who cares? The truth is, Lilith is pretty mainstream. We're playing again this year‹I can't wait. I'm not sure who all's playing, but I know Sheryl Crow confirmed. I'm psyched about Sheryl Crow. She's a babe.

Girlfriends: But Lilith also gets criticized from the other end, as not being truly feminist. Some say Lilith simply repackages old concepts of femininity, and that the music tends to come from a pretty narrow spectrum. What's your take on that?

Kate: I think it's misguided criticism. I know how many people they asked to join the tour last year who said no. They tried to get a bunch of urban acts. Missy Elliot played last year, Lauryn Hill was supposed to but backed out. It's like a double-edged sword; acts don't want to join because they say it's all folk, but people have to say "yes" in order to change it.

Girlfriends: You stated in Rolling Stone that you found being grouped in with "women in rock" was marginalizing. Why so?

Kate: Because it's such a broad term. It's taking half the population and making it into one small thing. Don't you think that's marginalizing? It's also an excuse; it's like, "Oh, we covered women in rock in last year's Rolling Stone, we don't have to do it again." But when I was a young girl, I know I needed to see female musicians to know that I could do it myself. And I also think we also need a space for women-only music, like Michigan.

Girlfriends: Another female rock star who's been in the center of controversy this year is Courtney Love. Critics charge that her musical success depends on the male musicians she co-wrote songs with, such as Kurt Cobain or Billy Corgan. Love says that this is sexism. What do you think?

Kate: It's sexism, definitely. Even the most enlightened people have these sexist assumptions they're working from, like there has to be a man behind the success. There's still the assumption that women are the entertainers, while men are the creators. It's like, "Wow, that Sheryl Crow record was really cool. Wonder who the producer was. Oh, it's Sheryl Crow?" It's like women can't be given credit for producing their own work.

Girlfriends: You've stated that when you joined the Beastie Boys, you never talked about the fact that you were a girl. Yet on a Beastie Boys' VH1 special, you were the only woman interviewed, and you had some pretty harsh things to say about the transition the Beastie Boys made into a hyper-masculine band and the way they treated you then. Do you still feel the same way?

Kate: When I was with the Beastie Boys, we were playing a different kind of music. It was much more mixed. They went through a big phase‹thank God it was just a phase‹of having supermacho lyrics and stuff. Now they've come full circle. They have feminist messages now, and antihomophobia, and human rights messages, obviously.

Girlfriends: You're signed on the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label, but do you ever think you'll work with them again musically?

Kate: Gosh, I don't know. [pauses] If I was asked, maybe. I mean, Mike D. is already a great drummer. We learned together on the same drum kit in my basement. But I'm open to anything, almost.

Girlfriends: You're able to make your living playing music, and you've had a chance to work with many of your idols. What's the secret to your success?

Kate: I've just been putting the information out there. I keep putting it out there, and working on my craft. I mean, it's like for years and years, I thought, "I love Blondie! I love Blondie!" and then 10 years later, here I am playing drums for Blondie.

I also love women's basketball. It's the same thing‹we thought, "The WNBA is so cool, the New York Liberty team is so awesome," and then here we have Kym Hampton [a NY Liberty player] singing backup on our album.

Girlfriends: So when you say you put it out there, do you mean spiritually or practically or what?

Kate: Both. I just continue to stay focused, and try to better myself as a musician and a human being. I'm fascinated when I have instantaneous connections with people, like Amy Ray. I'm part of an incredible network, and I nurture that. I try not to lose sight of what's important to me.