luckyPRICK

CFNY 102.1 Radio

CFNY 102.1 Radio, "Live In Toronto"
By Kim Hughes
Transcribed by The Happy Slave

KIM HUGHES: Welcome back to the program, I'm Kim. A little bit earlier this year an album came out on the Warner label, here in Canada, called Prick. I guess it's called Prick, or the person is called Prick. Well, Kevin McMahon, is the person behind this album, and you're here... welcome.

PRICK: Hi.

KH: Hi, it's nice to see you. And we're taking some calls as well at 870-EDGE and 1-800-461-1021. If you'd like to give us a buzz before we play some music. And I guess a good place to start, Kevin, would be with Prick and subverting yourself to a certain extent, your own identity behind this album or this name. What was the reasoning behind that?

P: The name? Or the subversion?

KH: Uhh a bit of both. I guess the subversion is the name.

P: Ok, well, the name, I thought was just a good idea because it was brief, to the point, no pun intended, and I thought it was probably the best name that has ever been thought of.

[Laughter from Kim]

P: Uhh, just because it kind of provokes thoughts from other people, it's
quick, to the point...

KH: And to a certain extent, I suppose, keeping your identity, if that was
a goal? Sort of keeping your identity to yourself and forcing people to focus on the music that's contained here. Rather than, I guess, being sort of obfuscated by a personality. Right?

P: Yeah... that's good!

KH: You like that one?

P: Yeah.

KH: Ok.

[Laughter from Kim]

KH: To a certain extent, I guess, a lot of what's on this album is kind of a
one-man-show, at least from the point of view of your involvement, in writing and recording and so forth. But I know you have done some live dates. Notably one that was, I guess, chronicled in Rolling Stone, in New Orleans I think it was. So obviously you have a band with you. You have capabilities of putting this music across live. What sort of things do you look for? What sort of people did you turn to? To animate this music in a live setting. Did you turn to friends? Did you go out recruiting, sort of, at random?

P: No, I was in Los Angeles looking for bandmates for a while before the
recording was done. And it took about two years until I found somebody... the four other people who were thinking similarly. Which is, I guess, kind of understanding what I was doing. So it was a while but... that's it.

KH: There's a very cinematic element to this music, and I would think that given a live, sort of, space that you would be able to perhaps use videos, or use interesting, sort of, visual imagery to bring that across. Is that something that you do in a live show as well?

P: Well that, I think, is something to do with production money. You know, the more there is, the more that I could spend on it. Right now, it's something that we play, and there's some lights involved but it's usually just our own personal animation that adds any theatrics to it.

[Laughter from Kim]

P: And, the shows that we've done, have been opening for other people so there's not much stage room, and there's not much control we have over what's gonna happen with that.

KH: Probably not much of a soundcheck either.

P: No, there isn't.

KH: Kind of a drag. Well, we're speaking with Kevin McMahon, we're talking about Prick, and why don't we play something from this album. This song is called 'Animal,' from 102.1 The Edge.

[Played 'Animal']

KH: 102.1 The Edge, that is music from the album titled Prick. Kevin
McMahon, the creator of the music, is with us and we're talking about this album, and some other things. And we are taking some calls at 870-EDGE and 1-800-461-1021. And one caller, that we have... are you ready Kevin?

P: Yeah.

KH: ...is Laurie.

P: Hi Laurie.

LAURIE: Yes it is.

KH: Hi.

L: Hi! Hows it going?

P: It's alright.

L: Oh! Ok... oh wow, I'm actually talking to Prick, that's wicked. Ummm. Well for one thing I'd like to very much compliment you on your album.

P: Thank you.

L: Ummm. They play it at Sanctuary and it's really really wicked.

[Laughter from studio audience. "Whooo" from studio audience]

L: Whooo! How was that?

P: That's good.

L: Ummm. I'm going to ask a really dumb question...

P: That's alright.

L: ...if that's Ok?

P: Mmm Hmmm.

L: Ok, ummm. The song that just played, 'Animal,' that wouldn't happen? Uhh, what? what was it about? I'll just ask you right now so that I don't make any stupid assumptions.

P: It's about a lot of different things. But mainly, the question a person has when they start to think about their relationship to the animal kingdom, and other live beings.

L: Ok, so. Does it have anything to do with wearing fur?

P: Yeah, it does. There's a...

L: Ok, Ok.

P: ...a story line there.

L: I went out with a friend of mine and he wasn't sure, and I wasn't sure, so I just thought I'd get it straight from the horse's mouth.

P: Heh, the horse...

[Laughter from Kim]

P: ...of course.

L: No offense! No offense. Sorry, that was a bit of a stupid question. Ummm. But yeah...

P: That's, that's part of it, you know, there's uhh, I think when one writes they try to have more than one story line, or at least I do. When I write a song, something that's more obvious than others, and something that in the daylight means other things.

L: Yeah, well, multi-faceted songs are pretty rare these days.

P: Mmm Hmmm.

L: But I compliment you highly.

P: Thanks.

KH: What a nice call. Thanks very much Laurie.

P: Thank you.

KH: We're speaking about Prick, Kevin is here, and this is something that is perhaps a bit off-base, but something that I'm seeing coming up a lot in
magazines. And with the Presidential Election that's gonna be coming up, I guess, in November of 96. We're seeing a lot of contenders who are using music, of all sorts, as something to say "well if I'm in the White House, this sort of stuff won't be on the air." And they've pointed to hip-hop artists largely, but there have been some signs recently that industrial bands, and pop bands, and all kinds of bands, are beginning to be the targets of, you know, Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich, and so forth. Do you have any sort of a position or an observation on that, as an American recording artist?

P: Yeah, I think it's absurd.

[Laughter from Kim]

P: Ummm. I think, uhh I, I don't really pay too much attention to what they're saying because I think they're focused, and trying to create an enemy. And so... it sounds too ridiculous to me to, to care about personally. I, I just do my thing and... you know, if they want to question it, they can question it. But that's all they're doing...

KH: Right.

P: ...is they're questioners. They're other human beings, and they have, if they have, more than one person behind them, you know, they have, they have their band. Their band is a little bigger than my band. But it's pretty much, it's just an opinion. And I don't know if they really have it, they just need to have a, an enemy.

KH: Yeah, and it's a pretty convenient one at that, because we've seen this in the past. I guess Tippa-Gore (?) is a classic example of people who have, you know, sort of used pop music and, the so-called "evil pop music," as a ways of furthering their own political ambitions. But... be that as it may. I guess.

P: Yeah... it's cartoonish. It's, I don't believe it's going on. But it is,
but. Pay no attention to it. It'll pass.

[Laughter from Kim]

KH: Fair enough. Why don't we play some more music at this point. We're
speaking with Kevin about Prick, and here's something else from the album, from 102.1 The Edge.

[Played 'Riverhead']

KH: 102.1 The Edge. Music from Prick, we're talking with Kevin about this
album, and we're gonna take a break and do more after this.

[Commercials]

KH: Thanks for staying with us. We're talking with Kevin about the album
Prick, and a bunch of stuff actually. And we have a couple more callers
on the line. So, why don't we get to them first and foremost... Up first is
Mike. Hi.

MIKE: Hi. Ummm. I guess I just want to really ask Kevin here what sort of
influence Trent Reznor has had on him... like uhh. I know that you're signed under the Nothing label and all that. And 'Animal' sounds... like I don't want to say it sounds like Nine Inch Nails or anything like that, because obviously that's a huge genre of music... but it sounds like Trent Reznor has had, maybe, a bit of an influence. And I was wondering, like, do you idolize Trent?

[Kevin snickers and audience sounds appalled]

M: ...or do you just, you know, have you had any input on your album, or is this just similar music that everyone who likes Nine Inch Nails should get into?

P: The last line you said was Ok.

[Laughter from audience, Mike, then Kevin]

M: No. I'm not, I'm not trying to insult you or anything like that...

P: No, I know. That's Ok.

M: ...Ok.

P: No, Trent's a good producer and... so he had a lot to do with the
recording of the songs that he produced. And ummm. It was a... as far as the sound of the record goes. Overall I think we have similar feelings about incorporating samples, and using things that are already there or that we've done on other recordings, and manipulating them, processing them, even our guitars or voices. Anything to get the desired sound. So there's a, there's a shared affinity for certain, exploration of sound that we have. As far as an influence, yeah, he's ummm. He's turned me onto a certain kind of pizza.

[Snicker from Mike]

P: And uhh. No, yeah, we're uhh, sometimes we come from the same place sonically.

M: I see. Alright. Well, thanks a lot.

P: You're welcome.

KH: Thanks for your call Mike. We're speaking with Kevin and we're talking about Prick. And next up on the line is Pam. Hi.

PAM: Hi. I just want to tell you that the video's great. And that's what
turned me onto the song.

P: Thanks.

PAM: It's. I think you made it great the way it, from the beginning to
towards the middle, the way it builds, you just completely get sucked in. You can't help but listen to the entire song. Ummm. But I was wondering, with Trent Reznor's input on the album, if perhaps, ummm, because Trent Reznor and David Bowie are organizing some kind of tour for later this year, if there's been any talk of Prick being included? Or if we can expect to see you sooner here in town?

P: Well, I don't know if uhh, we're included or not. Uhh, maybe they're gonna open the show for us...

[Laughter from Pam and audience]

P: ...I'm not sure.

PAM: Are we gonna expect to see you in town soon? Or...

P: I think fall, we're talking about fall. Or at least that's what they told
me this afternoon.

PAM: Oh. Ok, thanks!

KH: Thanks for your call Pam. I don't mean to put you in a position of faults in modesty but there certainly seems to be a lot more, I guess, crossover appeal for this kind of music. And I'm wondering if you feel you're sort of at the vanguard of a movement? Or... maybe people just opening their minds in a certain way, who might not have thought, before, of thinking of playing music that's like this. A little heavier, that might work in clubs, but might also be interesting on a home stereo. If you do feel like you're a part of something that's happening, that's moving forward?

P: Ummm. It's hard for me to think of myself as a part of anything, as far as a movement goes. I have been, pretty separate. Ummm, but if it is, then that would be Ok.

KH: Fair Enough. Well, it's been great talking to you, and I'm really glad
that you came by...

P: Thanks.

KH: ...and we were able to play some music. Thanks to our callers. Kevin, I hope to see you in the fall.

P: Ok, thanks.

KH: And here's more music from Prick on 102.1 The Edge.

P: Bye!

[Played 'I Got It Bad' and 'Communique]

KH: 102.1 The Edge. That is Prick, you can buy the album on the Warner label here in Canada. And our thanks once again to Kevin for coming by and talking to us.