By Lindsey Anderson
Banner Photo: Katie(left) & Kimi; singer in StarBenders(right)
Tom Tom got the chance to chat with Katie Herron, the drummer for StarBenders! We talked about her current kit, her interest in time travel and what her 12 year old self would think of her band.
TT: How long have you had your current kit?
Which one? Ha! I’m a bit of a collector of vintage drums. However, my main kit right now is a 60’s Round Badge Gretsch that I’ve had for 3 years.
TT: How did you go about picking your current kit? What was it about the kit that moved you to choose it?
Our producer Nico Constantine helped me find this one. I was playing big boomy vintage Ludwigs and needed a kit with punch to it to compliment StarBenders‘ sound. The first time I played them, I knew they were the ones.
TT: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
I always stretch before I go on. I try and stay pretty secluded before the show to stay focused on playing. Maybe a shot of Jameson.
TT: In the intro I was sent, you mentioned you’ve always been interested in time travel. Do you remember a moment or series of moments that led to that interest?
Watching ‘Back To The Future’ as a kid had a lot to do with it! I watched anything to do with time travel after that. I was fascinated that the slightest decision could change the course of history. You know, for example, if my parents didn’t agree to buy me a drum kit as a kid, where would I be now? Would I have eventually played anyway or focused on something else?
TT:Speaking of time travel, ‘Detroit’ is such a fun bop and for me, has this vintage surf-rocky + 80s/90s pop punk vibe. Before you all started making this record, what sounds/vibes did you all decide you wanted to bring to the record? How did that inform your work on the drums?
I don’t think we agreed or talked about a particular sound. Kimi just brought us the skeletons of the songs and we all put the pieces together. Our producer really pushes me to let loose and just play. It usually works out.
TT:What are your favorite songs to perform from ‘Heavy Petting’ & why?
Hmm…I’d have to selfishly say ‘U Like me Now’. It’s got some drum parts in there that I get to go nuts on. My second favorite would be ‘Public Transit’ because of the dance vibe mixed with rock.
TT:If you had the ability to time travel for just 24 hours, what would you do? Where would you go?
That’s a tough one. I absolutely would go into the future though for a lot of reasons. Specifically to check out technology & how it has advanced, find out how far we’ve gotten with space travel & hear what music sounds like. Oh yeah, and try to save the future world if I needed to when I returned.
TT:What do you think your 12 year old self would think of StarBenders? Would she have posters on her wall and own every record?
My 12 year old self would absolutely love the StarBenders. I might have focused on playing guitar though because Kimi and Kriss make it look so fun. It might have changed my course in history.
Keep up with StarBenders via Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud & their website!
‘Heavy Petting’ is out now