Leigh Silver is the new big thing, It's not a pompous declaration! I listened to Leigh's Bad Girl Pop Punk and I was totally captured by the feeling of this sound. I was trapped in a rock'n'roll lollipop's world by big melodic hooks! Look out! Beware! Your not welcome to hell, but you're welcome to heaven 'cause Leigh Silver will conquer you in 6,66 seconds. It's all you need for your ears and for your eyes too!

Hi Leigh and welcome on The Rock Explosion! Let's start from introducing yourself to our readers, and then talk a bit about the rest of your band members, about when, where and why did you decide to start playing together and so on...
Hi everybody! My name is Leigh. I am from the East Coast (Philly/NYC specifically). I relocated to Los Angeles a few years ago, mainly cuz I was cold and I like palm trees and I wanted to pursue my dream of attaining some type of rock star superstatus. Besides I also really wanted to tour and see and do things and experience life from a bus, or even just to have followed my dreams enough to try doing professionally what I love. Then to be able to have stories to pass down to my future children to be for years to come. Concerning my band I have had sooo many people playing for me in the past few years. My current line up for my upcoming record is officially unnannounced. I will be recording a record with Gina Schock from the Gogo's producing, and Chuck Reed from Interscope engineering.

Listening to your promo cd I found out a kind of 80s' taste in the sound mixed with some heavy riffs. What would you like to tell to describe your music and your attitude to our Exploders at the best?
My old guitar player, Matt Fuller, who recorded the cd, had a bit of that 80's flair. I don't know that I think that's what it truly sounds like live... I think it's kind of pop punk Atari-esque, little bit Runaways. Kinda bad girl bittersweet Bitterthings. I kinda see it like wearing a catholic school girl outfit, with a too short skirt, some black eyeliner and licking a lollipop suggestively. It's just bad girl pop punk.

Spend some words about the songs included in your Cd: tell us their about their sources of inspiration, about their deepest meaning and above all, reveal us if there's some of them you love the most and why...
A lot of that cd has something to do with my old guitar player, Bryce Martin, now in Damone, ex boyfriend, ex co-writer... ex everything. I had a really hard time when we split and just wrote about it. I love "Moody" which has been a very popular song off that cd. I wrote it at the moment that I realized there was no going back and we were breaking up. It was not what I wanted, but sometimes, no matter how much you try, you can't fix what's broken. And, sometimes that's for the better anyway. Whether you want that to be the case or not... I also really like "Everything". I wrote the lyrics and he wrote the music, it's the most fun to me to sing live. I also really like "Play That Song", which is about my affinity for sleeping with band members. I have done it twice, neither band member is now in my band, and I have now sworn off sleeping with band members. No third times a charm, it's just bad. Even when it seems sooo good!

I know you received many good reviews and I would like to know if there's been at least one reviewer who's really said something you do appreciate a lot. Which have been the best compliments about your rmusic that you've ever read? Viceversa, has there been something you read about it that ha smade you upset or disappointed you?
Here are 3 reviews I have really liked:
"Peta2": Leigh Silver is so adorable that u want to pick her up, swing her around, and give her a big hug... and then she'd kick your ass.
(no I wouldn't, but that sure is a cool quote!) This california Girl might sing songs about sun and fun, like her hit song "Summer Waves" from MTV's Surf Girls (and Laguna Beach) but when it comes to fighting for animal rights, Leigh's no lightweight.
"Black Angel Records": It is my personal and somewhat professional opinion that Leigh Silver And The Bitter Things are and will be the next big thing. Don't be surprised if you see them opening up for the Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte or Blink 182. Hell, I don't doubt that those bands will be opening for her in a few short years. Get ready world, the time has come... for bitterthings!
"New Music Weekly": Just heard a cd by newcomer Leigh Silver and are we ever impressed! She is like a mix of Avril Lavigne meets Joan Jett but definitely has her own sound and style. You can expect to hear more about this major musical talent in the coming issues of New Music Weekly.
These ones were ok, but thre are also a couple I did not like. The one that stood out the most was some guy who called me and woke me up at maybe even a prescheduled interview time but I was asleep and he woke me. I bartend, I sleep late... sorry, anyway, I was tired and my phone started ringing, cell and other line and I guess I made him hold and maybe took a few minutes to wake up and he sent me hate mail and bashed me in his zine. It hurt my feelings a little. But whatever. Life happens. You roll with it.

It's undeniable that beside easy tunes, rock needs also pretty faces and hot bodies (both in male and female bands) to catch people' s attention, and I believe your band has the right proportion of both. Now I'm wondering if any label has shown you their interest and any way what would you suggest to spread your music proposal all over the planet. What would be your marketing policy?
I have had a lot of interest from labels, and I have been offered 2 deals I did not think were great enough and did not take. I have currently a lot of requests to showcase but I am waiting till I finish with this next cd. Marketing is easy, it's bad girl/ good girl pop. It's edgy. It rocks. It's not sugar sweet... see my lollipop reference above.

Have you ever felt underrated for being a girl playing a kind of music which historically has always been filled of testosterone?
No, you just have to work harder to be taken seriously. The only thing I wish i had more of was money. I could do a lot more with a lot more money. But couldn't everyone.

Which are the bands who led you to choose to become a rocker? Who have been the female and male artists you consider a sort of inspiration for you?
Definitely Joan Jett, Gwen Stefani, courtney Love, Patty Smith from Scandal, Janis Joplin, Benatar, 10,000 Maniacs, Concrete Blonde... male artist- hands down Kurt Cobain.

Which band of today Los Angeles rock scene would you like to share the stage with? And what about bands of the past but evergreen? we just wanna rock.
We would love to play with everyone. I'd love to play with Green Day, Hole, Foo Fighters, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, I love the Ataris too... I'd die to play with nirvana... but...oh well.

Tell us some anectode linked to something funny or memorable occurred during your live acts:
I can't think of anything "funny" currently, but once when I was a little kid I was singing "Rainbow Connection" in chorus and I was twirling and twirled right off the side of the stage. I bet that was funny. I was probably like 12.
and one time, when I was a cheerleader for basket ball the ball bounced into my lap, and I got tackled by the mens varsity basket ball team and I got knocked unconscious. That might have been funny. I was the only cheerleading casualty ever in the history of the school.

But the Trobadour you were bartender in, is the same one in which one of my heros, Tim Buckley (RIP) recorded his live show in 1969? Any way do you know him? i was not born nor thought of in 1969. And have you ever heard talking of his son Jeff too? If so what do you think of both? Maybe their sound was too much far from yours... but their vocal technics and talents should not remain unknown to any singer in the world...
I have heard of Jeff Buckley and know he was inspirational to many guitar players i know, but I am not really familiar with his work though.

Always talking of amazing vocalists, I suppose you must be much more orientend towards some female voces which made the history of music. List in the order you prefer the following artists and say why did you pose the in that positions, and if you think I've forgotten someone, please add the missing name where you want:
Janis Joplin: The momma of music (I have gotten so much inspiration from her, she totally rocks!) and this of course leads to the modern day Joplin, I think is Melissa Etheridge, who has some great songs, but i don't think reaches as vast a mkt but is still very relevant.
Patty Smith: Scandal was awesome. She has that whole rock pop edge thing too.
Cher: She with stands the test of time. Fantastic in every way. Not as in to more current stuff, but she is generationless. "Believe" is my favorite song by her.
PJ Harvey: She's not been one of my as influences, but she is relevant.
Gwen Stefani: Well, I think she is the current queen.
Broadie Dalle: The Distillers rock my world, she is great live! But sometimes you wonder: "Is it her or Courtney?"
Courtney Love: One of my inspirations for sure in every field: music, acting, modeling... she does it all. And she fucked Kurt Cobain, my hero! I'd love to spend a day with her!
Leigh Silver: Hopefully someone will be writing this 5 years from now and i will be doing some really relevant stuff. Right now I am concentrating on trying to survive negativity, and be as strong as everything i write about. I have always wanted to be strong. Like Pat Benatar's "Treat Me Right", or Courtney's "Violet". I wanna take the power back. I wanna write songs, that girls or guys will be going thru stuff and listening to my lyrics and it'll give them power to be stronger, to not be afraid, to accomplish all they can and be whoever they're destined to become, with no fear. That's the goal.

How do you like to appear on stage? Which kind of outfit do you usually use? How do you work on your image to be as impressive as you can for your audience? Describe us one of your better performances also in clothings...
I like to wear whatever I feel like it. I like to be comfortable. I like to not be a slave to fashion. I could wear jean shorts and sneaks, or 1 show I wore black knee boots and a short tribal black dress. I change every day, I am like a mood ring.

What do you like to listen to when you feel blue? And when you feel excited?
That changes every day too. Songs I like thru the course of time: Soul Coughing with "The Radio Announcers Song", Janine Robert Bradley's "California Song", 10,000 Maniacs "Like The Weather" and then Concrete Blonde with "Everything Off Bloodletting". I don't get excited. (Really?!?!)

I don't know if you're married or engaged in someway, but if you could choose among these proposals, who would you pick up between the two ones and why? Let's go:
Johnny Depp vs Jack White (White Stripes): Johnny Depp's hotter!
Iggy Pop vs Anthony Kiedis (RHCP): Anthony Kiedis coz of cool life, cool story... and uhm... hot!
Dave Ghrol vs Kurt Cobain: Come on now! Kurt, no contest. Although I do love the Foo!
Chris Cornell vs Billy Corgan: Chris Cornell, coz I don't like bald guys
Brian Molco vs David Bowie: I'd choose Ziggy Stardust!

Now a cult Rock Girl section question: where's been the frikiest place where you had sex? And which would be in you opinion the best place for a romantic approach?
I have had sex outside on Hollywood Blvd, sitting in a outside readers area on a sunday afternoon, like ridiculously populated on my boyfriends lap. As romantic approaches I like beaches, nice restaurants, drives in the car, you have just to be a gentleman, cool, smooth, honest and real and for heavens sake never cheap!

List your fave drinks, movies, books and albums, making at least a top 5 of each: fave drinks:
I love ice tea, coke, lemonade, mocha coffee and starwberry daquiris (all that blended foofoo stuff). Concerning books I liked "Hit Men: everything you wanted to know about music but were afraid to ask" (the Donald Passman book...) and I'd read everything by Anne Rice. My fave cds are so listed: Blink 182's "Dude Ranch", everything by Gwen Stefani, everything by Courtney Love, Ramones greatest hits, Degeneration 2nd cd, and "No Lunch Bloodletting" by Concrete Blonde.

The best advice you've ever received and the best one you can give at your turn:
Always wash your face and brush your teeth. And don't worry about the destination... enjoy the journey!

Thanx a lot Leigh and I wish you to conquer the planet! Greet our Exploders as you like:
Thanks for everything and stay posted to Leigh Silver site for more info on the new record!

Interview and trnslation by Margherita Realmonte
Photos by David Hickey, Elite Image Photography, Michael Hiller, Dino Archon, Gilbert Frazee, Sportsbikes & Gilrpowder (Scroll over the thumbs to read details)