Kittie Vocalist Morgan Lander on Women in Metal, Band’s 20th Anniversary + More – Interview
Interview: Morgan Lander of Kittie talks with Anne Erickson about being a pioneering woman in metal
When Morgan and Mercedes Lander first created Kittie in the ’90s, they had no idea the metal band would bring them decades of adventures. Within a few years, Kittie became one of the hottest metal bands on the circuit, selling millions of albums and playing gigs around the world. Fast-forward to today, and Kittie recently celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band. Their debut full-length, “Spit,” just passed the 18-year mark.
In honor of the Canadian metal band’s recent 20th anniversary, Kittie will unleash a three-disc set (DVD, Blu-ray and CD) called “Origins/Evolutions” on Friday (March 30). Kittie vocalist Morgan Lander spoke with Audio Ink Radio about the band’s celebrated anniversary, her favorite Kittie memories and what it’s like being a pioneering woman in the metal genre.
Stream the interview with Morgan via the Audio Ink Radio podcast on iTunes.
Anne Erickson: Congratulations on passing the 20-year mark. Can you believe it’s been 20 years since Kittie first started making music?
Morgan Lander: It feels like it, but it also doesn’t. It’s been honestly a crazy, wild ride. Twenty years flies by like nothing. It seems almost like it was yesterday but also a lifetime ago. It’s a juxtaposition to sort of comprehend. Everything is still so fresh and vivid, and it was such a great time, especially in the earlier days, that it’s hard to comprehend.
You were really an anomaly as a metal band comprised of female musicians in the ’90s and early 2000s. What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome in that role?
Getting started, we did have a lot of critics. We had a did have a lot of success, and we were wildly successful, so that obviously was a driving force. But, we did have a lot of critics and getting started, and we did have a lot of people that had a hard time taking us seriously or didn’t think we were capable of actually playing those songs or even writing those songs, which is hurtful and disheartening. But I think that instilled in us a drive and a fire to constantly want to prove people wrong and become better and keep doing what we were doing doing. I think that’s been a thread that’s been common throughout our career.
What’s been your favorite moment of your career so far?
I think Ozzfest was a huge highlight. It was an honor to be invited, especially that soon out of the gate with “Spit” being released in January of that year. Actually, the 18th anniversary of “Spit” was yesterday! Ozzfest was a highlight, but there are so many: touring South America, the Soundwave Festival that we did in 2012 was huge. There are so many amazing things we’ve done over the years. Playing Russia, that was pretty crazy! We’ve been able to do so much and meet so many people and travel all over. You can’t just pick one, but Ozzfest is right up there.
What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back in time and talk to your teenage self?
Oh gosh! (Laughs.) Probably a few things. First off, don’t take everything so seriously, Morgan! That probably would be a big one. Maybe be nicer, too! But, definitely that it’s not the end of the world and don’t take everything so seriously would be a big one looking back. I feel like in my later years, I’ve understood a little more about the types of things that went on and learned to let things go, and I think that comes with age, experience and emotional maturity. Back in those times, we were essentially children. It’s hard to look back and go, “Wow. That was me.” It’s pretty wild.
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