When it comes to great punk bands, Washington state was a mix of all kinds of punk. Straight out of Tacoma Klondike Kate is great band. They have just a couple of releases and they played some great shows around the Puget Sound area. The band as a great live show and they have shared to stage with a variety of bands. I got the band to tell their story...
Introduce yourself…
JEFF: I am Jeff Millar, Ringmaster and Six String Samurai for, “KLONDIKE KATE!”
JOSE: I am Jose, I play bass.
DEBBI: I’m Debbi, I play drums and sing a bit.
How did the band start?
JEFF: I was at a gig. I met Debbi at a party called Poonfest. We started talking about the kinds of music we like. She said she wanted to be in her own band, and I said, “So what’s stopping you?” So we started to jam, just playing music at her pad. We hit it off right away. She’s a solid rock drummer. We had fun. Little by little we started to develop our music.
JOSE: I wasn’t around then.
DEBBI: Yeah, it happened how Jeff said. When I met Jeff, he had this weird vibe/energy…off kilter, but he was incredibly friendly and optimistic. We hit it off immediately. At first we played in my converted chicken shed…really, I kicked the chickens out, old-school soundproofed it with insulation and sound board, and put a wood floor down. It still has a long green electrical extension cord coming off the main house that powers up everything. Jeff and I played all day, every day…just creating, playing and practicing the songs.
How did you come up with the name?
JEFF: KLONDIKE KATE Rockwell was a Riot Grrrl from the Alaska Gold Rush. Back in the late eighteen hundreds, Kate went to the Yukon to become a vaudeville actress, but she made her fame charging miners a dollar to dance with her.
JOSE: I think it has something to do with a lesbian named Kate...Debbi picked it out of a history book.
DEBBI: Yeah, what those guys said...but I never heard about the lesbian part.
What is the punk scene like in Washington State?
JEFF: The scene is underground. Unfortunately, there is more of a commercial metal scene than punk scene.
JOSE: The punk scene in Washington isn’t exactly what it was fabled to be when I heard about it back in Idaho.
DEBBI: When I was a kid, I entered the Tacoma/Seattle punk scene. Back then, punks were everywhere hanging out in the malls, walking the streets, going to shows, playing in a band or following them. In Tacoma and Seattle, there was an underground culture that embraced you wherever you went. If you saw another punk, you had a friend, someone to hang with. In Tacoma, our lives revolved around an all-ages club, The Community World Theatre. We lived for the music and going to shows. That’s how it was back then.
Today, in Tacoma, there’s far less of a punk scene than there used to be. I rarely see punks, anymore. There’s not one main venue booking shows. There’s a lot of people wearing commercialized pieces of the punk look. Tattoos have become amazingly popular in the Northwest, and blue hair color can be bought at the grocery store, so anyone can look edgy. To me, now-a-days, punk is a lifestyle where you’re free to make choices and live your life ‘your’ way. I like to convey that message in my music. When playing in KLONDIKE KATE! we don’t hold back. We accentuate the hypocrisy of current times, and tell people to question. We’re pretty much in your face about it.
Describe the song writing process...
JEFF: The process starts with a warm up and/or jam. It is exciting because we are usually goofing around. Then any band member perhaps says, “Wait what was that?” Then, as a band, generally, we play it five to ten times over and over again until we have a pattern. The next step is to come up with a format introduction, verse, chorus, lyrics, etc.
JOSE: For me, the process is as follows...they write a song, I listen and come up with a bass line...so far.
DEBBI: Yeah, Jeff nailed it. Jose’s been with us a couple of months and lately, for times-sake, our practices center around getting the songs down with him. At the beginning of this month, Jeff and I got together and wrote a song when Jose was away for a couple of weeks, and brought it back to him. Really though we want to collaborate as musicians and see what happens. Creating songs together is a blast.
You guys released 'Psychobilly Express', tell us about the EP...
JEFF: ‘Pyschobilly Express’ EP was initially recorded at Scott Moss’ home studio in December of 2010. Scott is a local musician, with a great ear for engineering. The mixing was done by Debbi.
JOSE: ‘Psychobilly Express’ was the EP before I got picked up. I think we are about to put out ‘Claim Jumper’ (album) which is like an enhanced ‘Psychobilly’.
DEBBI: Scott is an incredible sound engineer. He invited us to his house. He mic’d me through the living room to his bedroom headquarters; put Jeff and his amps, in his housemate’s bedroom and mic’d them. It was funny because they were stepping all over the housemate’s used undergarments and clutter on the floor. Then, we played the songs. It was awesome and fun. I felt a little weird screaming out the lyrics to the songs in Scott’s bedroom with a pic of his girlfriend over the bed. But, we made it through. Now we’re re-recording some of the songs and adding new ones, with Jose’s bass lines on them.
What else have you released?
JEFF: I have caught and released Large Mouth Bass, Steelhead Trout, Mackerel, and King Salmon. We are currently working on our new record.
JOSE: Haven’t really released anything yet, myself...Debbi wrote a book.
DEBBI: As far as the band, we also released the two singles, “Cherry Bomb” and “Facebook Junkie”. Those were recorded at Hourglass Records Studio, earlier this year. There’s a few copies out there of our songs from another EP, ‘Live at the Skylark Cafe’. That was recorded when we our band was in its infancy and we were playing in Seattle. Jeff and I had fun doing a music video for ‘Facebook Junkie’, produced and directed by Cameron Couch, also released earlier this year. You can find that on youtube.
I also wrote two books that were published by Orchard House Press, an indie publisher. They’re young adult books called, “Storm in Time – the Peddler’s Tale’ & ‘Born Between Times – the Salem Witch Trials’. They’re available through Amazon.com or my book publisher.
The book publishing business kind of parallels the music industry, but there’s more online – digital support for DIY music projects...obviously you can’t publish your own book without paying out a lot of money to a printer or vanity press. With both, you have to promote and tour to get your name out. I haven’t toured much for the books, so they’re not as easy to find. But, I feel good having had two traditional publishers interested in my writing.
Who are some of the bands you have performed with?
Jeff: KLONDIKE KATE! has been on the same ticket as Vive Le Vox, The Sawyer Family, Tin Horn Prayer, SledgeBack, Thee Headliners, Psycho78, Suburban Vermin, Neutral Boy, and South Eleven.
JOSE: I’ve performed in the bands; Militia, Myth, Paranoid, Apathy, Root Bound, (WEISER) Dem Zaing, Corvus, Purdyspit, FOXHOLE WHORES (my main project).
DEBBI: In KLONDIKE KATE!, we’ve played with many Seattle and Tacoma punk bands in large and small venues. I love playing on stage and then walking off stage to become a fan of another band. We’ve played with the Disorderlies, Curbside Avengers, The Springboards, F.O.A.D, Warning Danger, I-Defy, and more, but we’ve also been lined up with pop-rock bands, and once with an acoustic country band. In that case, I’d guess the promoter didn’t listen to our music before booking us...that was not good.
Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
JEFF: Large venues, when they deliver us gold bars in canvas bags for payment of our music services.
JOSE: Small venues with wall to wall people.
Debbi: I don’t care, anymore. Each show is unique performance art. We’ve played our asses off in small venues that give us a pool table size space to play in, and larger ones where you feel like a rock star, complete with lights and smoke (smile). I want my music in the hands of fans, and I want people to hear it. I’ve learned not to prejudge venues. Once we played in a sports bar, in a hick town called, Graham, near the foot of Mount Rainier. I had a blast! We played a great set, and the good ole’ girls came out in their goin’ out clothes, and liked us...asking where we’d play next! At that same show, a country guy came up to me, not knowing punk, and said we reminded him of ‘Night Ranger’. That’s funny and cool.
Have you toured?
JEFF: Just locally.
JOSE: I did two tours to Iraq if that counts...I did play my guitar and mandolin.
DEBBI: In KLONDIKE KATE!, we’ve played all over Washington State, but not outside the state. It’s time, though. We’re getting an internet following in other states and countries.
Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
JEFF: Suburban Vermin from Seattle. They like to party. The bassist, Jason, likes to collect Mighty Morphin Power Rangers figurines….that’s cool.
JOSE: I’ll play a show with any one that wants to jam.
DEBBI: I like the ‘Curbside Avengers’ from Seattle. They’re an incredibly entertaining trio…everything punk rock was and should be…rocking a set of short, garage-sounding, off key, punk rock songs. It’s refreshing to hear them.
Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
JEFF: The Comet in Seattle, The 2 Bit Saloon, The Tiger Lounge and the Funhouse in Seattle.
JOSE: I’ll play anywhere that lets me.
DEBBI: I like Seattle punk venues like the one’s Jeff mentioned, and playing at Hell’s Kitchen in Tacoma. The people at the 4th Ave. Tavern in Olympia are awesome. I don’t like venues that treat the bands like garbage side acts. There’s a few of them out there.
What Do you see is the future of Klondike Kate?
JEFF: We want to keep expanding our sound and creating a new album with our bass player Jose Sanchez, and touring to get our sound out there! We hope to play with more national touring acts.
JOSE: I’m not a psychic but things look like they are gonna’ be nuts.
DEBBI: We definitely want to tour...that’d be a crazy adventure! Also, want get on a distribution label, so we can connect with people in other states and countries. Hey, if you are a band, fan, or label out there, contact us!
How can people contact the band? :
JEFF: Hit us up on Facebook or google us …we’re also on Myspace and ReverbNation. KLONDIKE KATE! official website address is : www.skyclyde.com/KlondikeKate.html.
Email us at: electricjuneeleven@gmail.com
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