Already Taken

With her long legs, edgy poses, hippie chic attitude and musical talent, India Bennett could easily be the
daughter of rocker Pat Benatar or Chrissie Hynde. But a closer look at her beautiful expressive eyes
shows the 14-year-old bass guitar player can only be the daughter of Cindy Wilson of the B-52s.
India, her 11-year-old brother Nolan, and neighborhood friends Mary Frances Kitchens and siblings Jack
Haidet and Matt Haidet have formed a band, Already Taken. The Dunwoody-based group played at
family gatherings and has since taken to performing at local events and clubs in Atlanta and Athens.
They recently performed at the launch party for the fashion and arts magazine Young, Foxy & Free as
well as at the Flicker Bar in Athens and at Athfest, the music and arts festival in Athens. The budding
rockers will also go into the studio this month to record at the famed Woodshed Studio in Athens. Plans
are to play fall musical festivals and at Callaway Gardens.
“I’ve been playing the piano since first grade and then I decided I wanted to be in a band,” she says. “I
tried to learn guitar but then decided on the bass guitar. It’s not as hard and I’m just better at it.”
The group plays original songs that show their personal styles. “Jack and Mary Frances and Matt are
more rock,” she says. “I write punk.”
India leans on her personal experiences to write saying, “Something just happens to me or I hear a story
and I just incorporate it in a song. It’s more like stuff for adults than 14-year-olds. I have to have a strong
emotion, especially if I’m sad. I start to write it and then it becomes good. I’m over being sad. But it’s all
personal.”
India admits that initially some of the interest in the band came out of curiosity about her mom. “Yes, I’m
sure people wanted to see what the kids of Cindy Wilson were like musically and they probably knew
she would be there,” she says. “But that’s fine. Being her daughter has given the band opportunities and
freedom to be the kind of band we want to be. The other band members [of the B-52s] have heard us and
really like us, so that’s cool.”
India was born into the rock ‘n roll lifestyle. She and her brother and father, Keith Bennett, an awardwinning
art director, have been on several B-52s tours. “I really like music and it’s been fun for us being
on the road,” she says. “Now it’s getting to be a little less fun and I’m starting to see how serious it all is.
People ask what it’s like having your mom be Cindy Wilson, but I don’t know anything else. It’s like
normal.”
Of course, when your mom is a Grammy Award-nominated singer, she must have some platinum advice
to offer. “Well, she told me to sing loud and not drink soda. She told me to do it my way, to be as
creative as I want. And, not talk badly about other artists,” she said.
Also helping India and the band is music teacher Mark Gallegos, who has mentored the youngsters and
encouraged their goals.
India has no plans to go solo (“that would be weird”); in fact she likes being in a band. “It’s fun because
we all have different styles but it’s great to make it all happen. The other members are just so amazingly
talented; they’re insanely good. We don’t have the soap operas that other bands have. Sometimes though
my brother gets real hyper and bangs on the drums before a show or during rehearsal and we have to tell
him to stop it. But other than that, it’s all cool.”
So can we expect the next generation to be a famous singer like Mom?
“No, this is what I want to do now,” she says. “I don’t want to be in a band when I grow up. I want to
be a virologist and work at the CDC.”
Huh?
“V-I-R-O-L-O-G-I-S-T,” she replies in a weary voice that indicates already has had experience handing
reporters asking dumb questions.
But for right now, Already Taken is creating its sound and rocking. “I love playing live and meeting the
fans,” she says. “But it’s what I like doing right now.” - Skirt.com

Dunwoody Georgia band Already Taken - with members ranging in age from 12 -16- will have the designation as the youngest band ever to play Max when they take the stage at the Washington Street Watering Hole Friday Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. The band previously played Flicker and Athfest. The group is pretty accomplished at creating a pop rock sound and declare their influences as ranging from the Beatles to the White Stripes. The two songs available online include a dark guitar number and an upbeat piano based tune. My gut feeling is that their sound will eventually coalesce into one direction. Composed of two sets of siblings - one set of which belongs to the B-52's Cindy Wilson - the band has been working with music teacher Mark Gallegos for the past few years, honing their skills. The show is free, and you can learn more at www.alreadytakenband.com. - Flagpole Magazine, Athens, GA