Home » Arts & Life » Female heavy metal band pounces on London

Female heavy metal band pounces on London

February 15, 2012
By Katherine Horodnyk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Kittie.

After 13 years, Kittie continues to prove heavy metal music is not just for boys. This Friday, the band returns home to where their musical journey began.

Kittie’s original members, Morgan and Mercedes Lander, spent the majority of their teenage years in London. The girls were naturally drawn toward metal music because it was the type of music adored by their parents.

“For me, I really don’t see how or why it would be considered an anomaly for young girls to gravitate toward a certain type of music like metal,” Morgan says.

Along with her sister and two girlfriends, Morgan attempted to schedule gigs for Kittie. “Unfortunately, not a lot of promoters, bar owners or those industry types would listen to 14-year-old kids,” Morgan says.

Morgan and her band faced their first obstacle to success—to be acknowledged as credible musicians. Luckily, the Lander sisters had an incredibly supportive family. David Lander, their father, was was also Kittie’s manager. Whenever he could, he fought to have his daughters taken seriously. “I think it’s safe to say that without him, we wouldn’t have gone as far or Kittie wouldn’t have taken on a life of its own,” Morgan adds.

Over the past decade, Kittie has had its ups and downs. Guitarists and bassists seem to join and leave the band almost regularly. Apart from Morgan and Mercedes, the line-up has continually changed. Every time a member left, the Lander sisters were faced with the decision of packing it in or continuing their musical careers. In 2008, they were hit with another devastating blow when their father passed away.

Even though the odds have been against them, the Kittie band members continue to make music and put on shows. Throughout their career, the girls have played alongside heavy metal bands like DevilDriver and Slipknot.

When asked whether Kittie feels respected by other metal bands, Morgan explains “Respect is something that is earned. We’ve continued for the past 12 to 13 years to be an active band in the metal scene. Within the community of people that know us, know how hard we’ve worked, and what we’ve overcome, we are respected.”

After a short break for the holidays, Kittie is kicking off a new tour in London. After a few stops in Ontario, they’ll will be heading to Australia for the Soundwave Festival and then returning to Canada for a West Coast tour.

Catch Kittie on February 17 at London Music Hall with Nothing Left For Tomorrow, Battlesoul & Mulletcorpse. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.

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