Curse Icon

When I first heard the band Curse Icon I immediately felt like I was in an Anne Rice book. It’s like a vampire poured a blend of metal, industrial and alternative sounds in with his usual blood source and raised a glass with a nod to the twilight sky. The mood that they set leaves an impression you can’t ignore and wouldn’t want to anyway. The passion of this band is unmistakable. Years of blending certain tones, instrumentation and personality has helped gain Curse Icon a unique feel that many copycats are going to want to cabbage on to. They have been compared to Stabbing Westward, Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park, and Evanesence just to name a few but I only somewhat agree. They are more like a combination of Wayne Static, Jonathan Davis, Orgy and, well, most of the collaborated efforts from the Queen of the Damned Soundtrack. Hell yeah!
The combination of rich vocals, mesmerizing melodies, well thought out lyrics and undeniable passion is even more of a treat live. You have a talented seductress front-woman, Kiana, that will make you forget who Amy Lee is. She can set a mood with her powerful voice and commanding attitude with a sexy style. You also have Jason on the guitar explaining to you why each song is worth your time and why Curse Icon is an award winning band. James will back him up on the bass as if you needed a second opinion. Their chemistry is flawless and blend better than peanut butter and jelly. Then, you have Marco adding the right rhythm with his drumming but also finding the perfect blend of unique percussion and synth to round out the sound. In fact, Marco is so convinced in his and the skills of the other members (as he should be) that he has poured his heart, soul and spirit into the ambience and commanding power of Curse Icon. Their music is more than a series of songs, it’s an experience. As such, one might even need to wear protection at their live shows and I don’t mean weapons.

If for some reason you don’t believe me here are some of the awards this band has received.

Kiana Prestol was named the "Best Female Vocalist" in South Florida's New Times Reader's Choice awards.

Curse Icon's self produced CD "Paradismal" was nominated for "Best Independent Release" at the Hard Rock Music Awards

Curse Icon won an award for "Best New Artist" at the xXxRadio Awards.

Curse Icon are previous Miami New Times Reader Choice winners for “Best Local Rock Band” as well as Kiana Prestol for “Best Female Vocalist”
Curse Icon was the fastest band to beat WWE wrestlers at thumb wrestling.

Ok, so the last one is fake but how awesome are the others? Other articles have covered some in depth basics and the obligatory regular stuff. Let’s get on a more personal level with Curse Icon. Let’s dive into the creative minds that bring this eclectic journey together to see a side of them you may not know.





Ze Questions!

Most of the time an interview starts off with “What are your major influences?” Not this one. With your style and awesome mood setting skills, what type of movie would you like to be on the soundtrack of and if you could go back in time and be on the soundtrack of a movie, what would that be?
KIANA: I love Action, sci fi and horror movies so I would like to be on something like one of those. Actually our song “Down” was on an independent horror film, which was pretty cool. Going back in time, I would have loved to have been on the first couple of Terminator movies, or Independence Day or even Full Metal Jacket, Top Gun, etc.

JAMES: I would have to say Action / adventure movie. If I went back in time I would say The crow would have been a cool movie to be a part of.

JASON: Any kickass action movie, possibly vampirical in nature. That would be sweet to be on the original Matrix movie. That kicked so much ass when I saw it in the theater! And I remember, at the end, they ended with a Rage Against the Machine song – which was the cherry on top.

MARCO: In a porno movie (brown-chicken-brown cow). Going back, I'd probably dig being on the Crow soundtrack. There were a lot of cool bands on that soundtrack. Judgement Night was pretty cool too. There were some pretty cool team-ups in that movie soundtrack.


You’ve been compared to the likes of Sevendust, Disturbed, Perfect Circle and others. So this might seem like a good spot to ask you what your influences are. So, what are your influences?
KIANA: Eek. I have an eclectic background. I studied dance when I was a wee little one, (ballet, tap, jazz, modern) so I was exposed to all kinds of music. I loved musical theatre, pop/r&b and then I was exposed to rock in which I was hooked. My influences basic come from everywhere. Even places you wouldn’t even think of.

JAMES: Cliff Burton, Robert Trijlo, Flea, Victor Wooten. Too many to list

JASON: I listen to and appreciate all types of music. My influences vary extremely, from Randy Rhoads to Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan to Joe Pass. I feel like listening to so many different styles helps me bring more creativity than I might have otherwise.

MARCO: Stabbing Westward, NIN, Adema, Red, Skillet, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Disturbed, Sevendust, Faith No More, Breaking Benjamin, Soundgarden, Metallica, Queensryche, Rage Against the Machine, Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, and Nitzer Ebb.


Other than musical influences certain people stand out as a role model in an individual’s life. Well, for most people anyway. Who would each of you consider the most influential role model in the pursuit of your dreams?
KIANA: Tina Turner

JAMES: There is more than one person that I would consider the most influential to me, but I am going with my father. He always pushed me to follow my dreams and kept me from giving up.

JASON: My guitar teacher, Tony, for igniting my passion for music so many years ago. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have the drive necessary to pursue such a challenging career.

MARCO: This might be sound kind of out of left field for some people, but for me personally, I'd have to say Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. I know some people don't like that guy but this is why he's influential to me. Fred was just a dude in a band in the Jacksonville, FL scene when me and the guy I started this band with, had a different band together. We used to share a rehearsal spot with Fred and his band. We used hang out, drink and chat with them and we were all slugging it out in the same little dive bars. None of us were really getting anywhere fast. But Fred persisted and never gave up. Fred obviously made it, and made it big. He was just one of us, and hung out, and ate, and pissed just like one of us, nothing different about him expect the drive. To see someone you knew and hung out with make it like that, when you were slugging it out in right along side them, makes you see that anyone really can make it with a lot of hard work and dedication. It made me realize that an "everday" person like myself really could make it with a lot of perseverance and hard work. Say what you will about Mr. Durst, but that dude ate, drank, and slept music 24/7 and worked his ass off for every penny he made.


How did Curse Icon form and what was life like before it happened?
MARCO: I was living in Tucson at the time and a friend of mine that I was in a band in with before talked me into moving back to Florida and starting this band. We started with the idea that we wanted a heavy modern sound with a dark synth vibe. Not too goth or industrial but accessible to the mainstream rock audience. When we started auditioning we had no particular influences or sound in mind, but just got people we dug and let the sound develop organically.

As far as a vocalist. we didn't have anything particular in mind, but when Kiana came in she blew us away! She rolled up on her sports bike and i was like who-that chick's bad ass! After she sang though, we knew we had something special. There was no Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, or Flyleaf at the time, so nobody was really doing dark, heavy music with a female singer at the time. We weren't even sure it would work, but we liked the sound so much we had to push forward and see where it went. When those bands I mentioned came along, it showed that we were on the right path and that we had a marketable formula. We've been pushing forward ever since.


The name Curse Icon is pretty cool. Much cooler than mouse curser icons or the name Curse Like A Sailor. How did the name Curse Icon come about?
MARCO: I kind of like Curse Like a Sailor! New band name! The guy I started the band with (who is no longer with the band) and I were in another band before this one. Everyone in the band fought about the stupidest stuff. So you can imagine what a cluster F#*K it was coming up with a name. 6 months later, still without a name, we were submitting name ideas on sheets of paper. I was pissed and tired of fighting so I wrote "#*@!" on my sheet of paper. I said that was the band name until someone figures out what that thing is called (#*@!). Because it looked like the cuss words in a comic strip, we started calling it, the "cartoon cuss words". It eventually took a couple morphs from cuss words, to cuss emblem, to cuss icons, and one day I said "Curse Icon". My friend and I looked at each other and said "that's it!". Of course the other guys in the band absolutely hated it. So when he and I started this band, we had a name already locked and loaded.


Have you ever tried to put a curse on someone and, if so, what did they do to deserve it and what curse did you give them? If not, make something up. Might even be cool for a song later.
JAMES: I tried to curse a guy that talked WAY to much. I tried casting the I hope you trip and hit your jaw and bite your tounge off curse

JASON: Expectus relationshipus – on my girlfriend Andrea. She did nothing to deserve that fate, and is still suffering to this day

MARCO: I throw curses at everyone on the road. If you don't believe me, ask my bandmates!


As fast as possible come up with at least 5 words that rhyme with curse.
KIANA: Purse, worse um….

JAMES: Hurse, purse,worse, nurse,verse

JASON: Verse, hearse, nurse, first, terse

MARCO: Hearse, verse, nurse, worse, and youreallylikeourbandandwanttobuyourrecordurse


It’s creativity like that which must help to spawn deep- thought lyrics. Who is credited with the lyrics?
JAMES: Marco and Kiana

JASON: Marco and Kiana collaborate on the lyrics.

MARCO: Kiana and I currently develop the lyrics but the whole band is encouraged to come up with ideas and present them.


Do you have to put yourself in a certain mood before you write lyrics and, if so, what mood would that be? Because everyone likes a bargain I’ll put another question in with this question. What inspires the lyrics?
MARCO: I like to light some candles, put the lights down low, then rub peanut butter on my nipples and put on some Barry White. lol. Seriously though, for me personally, I do have to go to another place within myself. I have to write in third person because Kiana has to sing what I'm writing and for it to make sense that she, being a female is singing it. I try to write in such a way that makes sense for Kiana to be telling the story through her eyes. I don't like it to sound like I wrote something and she's just repeating something, sounding robotic. I have to write it so she feels the emotion in it also.

We write from experiences we've felt and things we've talked about. Sometimes it's just the way a couple of words sound together that spawn the whole idea. I usually try to start with the lyrical hook and then develop and idea around it. Sometimes it's an emotion, experience or feeling and I try to describe that metaphorically, but in a way that has an appealing lyrical hook. I also try to use poetry type rhythm to string words together. Honestly, that's a really long way of saying I don't know where the hell the ideas come from, but hope they keep coming.


In West Palm Beach, Florida, radio station 103.1 had something called The Buzz Bake Sale. You got to share an event with national acts such as Korn, Sevendust, Nonpoint, The Used, New Found Glory, Story of the Year, and others. How freakin’ sweet was that and how did you get selected?
KIANA: That was awesome awesome awesome. We participated in a battle of the bands and won the spot. We had passes so after we were done we had free reign and got to experience every corner of the place, get the cool spots of the bands I wanted to see up close like Sevendust..which by the way floored me. They were so super duper amazing. The funny thing is that I believe that was my very first “Rock” Concert as a spectator/fan. Lol lol lol

MARCO: It was AWESOME. A definite highlight in our career so far. We won a slot through a regional Battle of the Bands that the radio station "The Buzz" sponsored. We beat out a lot of really really great bands to get that spot. It was humbling and a great honor to share such a prestigious moment with such great acts, both in the battle and on the National stage.


What item buzzed the most at that bake sale?
MARCO: My bowels, because the sound and the bass in that place was BUMPin' when Sevendust was rocking it!


Back in 1893 there was a person that fell off of a boat. If you could finish that story in three to five sentences, how would it go?
JAMES: Back in 1893 a person that fell off of a boat. When he landed in the water he saw a light that drew him in. He swam for what felt like forever and upon arriving at the light he realized that there was nohing there. He turned to swim back to the surface but quickly realized that he couldnt move. Panic started to set in and no one ever saw that person again.

JASON: Unfortunately, it was a female who had just started her period. She was immediately sniffed out by sharks and eaten in a most ignominious fashion.

MARCO: If I may correct you, the legend actually reads that in 1893 a wealthy and powerful man of slight build, a "little man" if you will, had fallen off of the boat. The rumor also states that this "little man", the great great grandfather of the Marco family, had also spilled a size-able fortune of gold and loot into the water when his boat capsized on that fateful day. The Marco family men have sent many an expedition to the area, toiling and searching to find the lost treasure—yet no flotsam nor jetsam has yet to be recovered. Generation after generation of Marco family men have searched diligently to find this elusive treasure. To this day, the Marco family men have yet to find the "little man" in the boat.


Wasn’t that weird?
JASON: Sho’ nuff
MARCO: Not as weird as my answer :)


Curse Icon has been featured in several magazines including Fliprag Magazine as well as some local newspapers in both Ohio and in Florida where you originated. What would you like existing and future fans to know about you that other articles have not included?
JASON: Our biggest focus right now is getting our new cd recorded. We are heading to the studio in June, and can’t wait to get our new music out there for our fans!

MARCO: We are all about our fans. Everything we do is an effort to bring our music and live show to you. We need your help and support to make that happen and to bring us and our music to your area. If you want us to come to your town, join our street team and be a street soldier for Curse Icon. Help us get the word out and build a strong family in your area so we have the support that venues and promoters are looking for to ensure they'll let us come to your town. Mail us on any one of our Web sites to find out how to join the Street Icons!


Where can saavy readers of this article go to find more out about your amazing style?
MARCO: The best place to see what we are really about is to come to a show. We live and breath the live performance. We put every ounce of who we are into each performance. Wether there are 2 or 2,000 people watching, we leave nothing behind and pour our hearts and souls out onto the stage during every performance. They can also visit us on www.curseicon.com, myspace.com/curseicon, twitter.com/CurseIcon, and facebook.com/curseicon.


For aspiring artists what is some of the best advice you could give them as they pursue their dreams?
JAMES: Don't give up it will be a long road and alot of work but dont let the work over power the love and passion you have for playing.

JASON: Be prepared to fail constantly. What differentiates success from failure is whether you decide to get up and try again after facing a setback. It is not a mistake as long as you learn from it!

MARCO: Perseverance. Do not be afraid to look at your band like a business. The venues, promoters and industry people want nothing less and if you do not act as a business, you are setting yourself up to fail.


Ok, final question. If each member in Curse Icon had an elemental force shoot from their instrument which element would each member choose and if your bolt of destruction happened to hit a muppet which muppet would you prefer the bolt not to hit?
KIANA: I guess for me it would be super sonic sound waves and I prefer it didn’t hit Fozzie!

JAMES: I dont even know how to answer this seriously. this is a funny question. I would have to say I would shoot a tornado out of my bass and would most likely be a big enough tornado to wipe out all of the muppets cause I dont like them.

JASON: Easy – lightning and Ms. Piggy

MARCO: I'd like to have flames and fireballs shoot off of my drumsticks. That would be METAL! I'd definitely shoot the two old guys in the balcony. They're a bunk of pricks. They came to one of our shows once and heckled the crap out of us. If I had only one choice though, I'd probably have to save Beaker.
What a blast, having this interview with Curse Icon! Be sure to support this amazing band and don’t let Amy Lee get all the attention. - Daniel C. Morrison

It was Saturday, April 2, 2005. The time was close to 11:00 PM and I was one there, amongst a very large crowd gathered in Jack Rabbits to hear the Ft. Lauderdale based band Curse Icon. There was an essence of excitement and anticipation in the air. I grabbed my very large glass of wine, (Jack Rabbit’s was fresh out of small glasses that night,) my long-time friend Aine Morrigan, (who is also one of the bands promoters/managers,) kissed my partner Michael, and ran up to the stage so we could get a good spot up front. I didn’t know what to expect, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience.

When Curse Icon hit the stage I was riveted to the spot. Imagine going to the show of a band that you had never heard before, and then loving every single song they played. The entire band is simply amazing! From Marco’s excellent rhythms, Leo’s incredible keyboards, the power of Sean’s guitar complimented by Eric’s guitar, their music is pure living energy and possessed of a hard driving rock-n-roll magic! From the impact of their song “Down,” to their incredibly powerful ballad “Shine On Me,” (co-written by former guitar player Andy Youngblood,) Curse Icon doesn’t miss a beat. And their vocalist Kiana is, in short, one of the best vocalists that I have ever heard! When she began to sing, all the elements of Curse Icon were brought together.

Rarely have I ever been in the presence of a vocalist like Kiana. Kiana could hold her own against rock legends like Anne Wilson of “Heart” whom I have also seen firsthand, or even the lesser known “underground but equally legendary” Anneke van Giersbergen of “The Gathering.” Kiana is without a doubt one of the most powerful and incredible female vocalists that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing in a live setting. The way that she pours herself into her moves, her energy on-stage and her amazing vocals add up to one of the most powerful stage presences I have ever experienced. Her movements are both hypnotic and sensual, and difficult for me to label because I have never seen anything quite like it before. If I had to describe it I would say that I see both middle-eastern dance moves and a salsa influence there, simply amazing to watch!

If you have not seen Curse Icon play a live show then you are truly missing a vital experience. Do yourself a favor, go to their web site, find out when and where they are playing, and come out to their show. They will be back to see us Jacksonvillians soon, and I hope to see you there!

How does Azra rate Curse Icon? Highly Recommended! - Azra Medea

This five piece definitely has a sound that mixes up the genres. With a unique blend of alternative, grunge and industrial sweetened up with a little new wave and trance, the outcome is obvious, music that not only rocks but will draw you in.

Formed in the winter of 2001 from Pompano Beach Florida, they have worked hard to gain recognition as one of their regions top rising artists. From winning top spots in "Battle Of The Bands" competitions to gaining some awesome airtime on several radio stations. The band has definitely proven that they are dedicated to what they do.

They are currently putting the finishing touches on their new CD which according to the band should be released at the end of April or early May. They have not yet decided on an official CD title but the music is sure to be killer.

We are grateful to the band for letting us feature them here so please go show your support and listen to some music samples by hitting up their official website.
Allow yourselves to be hauntingly seduced by this entity known as Curse Icon.

Official Website: http://www.curseicon.com/
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/curseicon
- TribOverride.com

The first thing you notice about Curse Icon is their singer Kiana. At a recent show in Boynton Beach’s CLUB OVATION, she hopped out of the car in true rockstar fashion, decked to the nines, leaving no question who was about to hit the stage. Their music has a bold alternative rock foundation, but branches out into further genres, ranging from grunge, to new wave and industrial. The band members, as a unit, craft and embrace an unrivaled, ahead-of-the-curve melancholy, musical style, suited to serve an exceedingly widening audience.

The band members come from very diverse musical backgrounds, which when united, create some of the most awe-inspiring and captivating musical experiences. Each member embraces their own uniqueness, and their musical backgrounds fuse together to form an unparalleled new sound.

Lead singer Kiana flavors the band’s songs with her powerful, cutting voice. Her dynamic and punchy vocal expression complements the band’s music and adds a refined attitude that is seemingly innovative, yet reminiscent of the greatest female rockers of the 80’s. Kiana likes the edge as she tells me, “I ride a YZF600R, I dig speed!” Her presence and sex appeal hit you like a ton of bricks, but when she hits the stage her vocal abilities and star quality take over and seal the deal... Lead guitar player Armand is profoundly influenced by 80’s wave music and the 90’s grunge movement, and as such, his tendencies to write intriguingly heavy and syncopated parts are easily noted in his contemporary guitar-playing style. Rhythm guitar player Kristen brings a distinctive flavor of fundamental 70’s piano stylings to the music. Her songwriting is also heavily influenced by the 90’s grunge scene.

Kristen’s songwriting is juxtaposed to Armand’s which creates an unanticipated, yet hauntingly memorable melody in the mix. The band’s synth player, Leo is a classically trained pianist. Leo serves up his own rendition of in-your-face playing cultivated by the goth and industrial scenes. Leo is extremely well versed in his instrument, and rounds out Curse Icon’s unique sound. Marco combines electric and acoustic percussion, bringing to the front line the 80’s industrial and old school funk sounds.

Also heavily swayed by the 90’s scene, Marco is a solid, deep-in-the-pocket drummer.
Marco adds substance and a strongly rooted foundation at the core to the band’s sound. Curse Icon finds itself exploring every inch of musical ingenuity to conjure up a very engaging, thrilling, and well-rounded show. The band is now undertaking the arduous task of booking shows in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. They are also exploring several interested venues in Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Atlanta, and New York City.

With the band’s musical influences ranging over several decades and many genres, it’s no surprise that Curse Icon has begun to attract the vast audience that it has. In its writing and performing, the band tries to stir and connect with as many people as it can – and with performance being Curse Icon’s bread and butter, it’s only a matter of time before Curse Icon is packing venues and climbing up the charts. Marco sums it up for us by saying, “...I think to make it in the music biz today, a band needs to work hard, persevere, and have faith...of course luck certainly helps!” Armand Told me, “Play what you like cause no one’s gonna do it for you!” And Kiana offered the following interesting quote, “...not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts!” You can catch up with Kiana and her bandmates on July 25th at SURF CAFE in Boca Raton with guests the Remnants and Stardriver. Be sure and cruise on over to their website to see what is next for this band at www.curseicon.com
- Joseph Vilane

1 OF THE MOST UNIQUE BANDS I HAVE EVER INTERVIEWED!" - VM

Dark, seductive and in your face! So many female fronted bands rise into the scene today, but what makes this unit different from all the rest? Lets just say they dont shy away from the electronic, Industrial rock elements that most bands lack! Florida based Curse Icon gives VMU the privilage to get behind the scenes with them!
AND IT BEGINS!!

VMU: What's up and how are you doing?

Marco: “Doing awesome. Just trying to live through this year’s South Florida hurricane season. Just got hit by 2 in a row. It really blows.”
VMU: Where are you from and who is the current line up ?

Marco: "We are based in South Florida, Broward County. Our Line-up consists of
Kiana Prestol/ Lead Vocals
Leo Farinas/ Keyboards & Sampling
Eric Bernard/Guitar and Vocals Sean Carroll/ Guitar
and myself, Marco /Drums & Sampling."

VMU: How long have you been together?

Marco: “I started the band about 3 1/2 years ago and have changed a bit since that time. I was looking for the right chemistry and mix of work ethic, attitude and talent. The core of the band has been writing performing together for almost 2 years.”

VMU: How many releases have you put out and who produced them?

Marco: “We are currently working on our first studio release, produced by Curse Icon, and recorded and engineered by Rob Roy at Power Station Studio, Pompano Beach, Florida.”

VMU: Could you tell us what gear you use live and studio? (in detail)

Rob Roy (Engineer):In the studio, as far as musical gear, aside of your (Curse Icon's) personal gear, we used the studio's Sonor 6 piece drum kit. This is a 28 year old maple kit with oak outer layer shells. Custom engineered Marshall amp heads and a vintage marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with 25 watt greenbacks. As far as vocals, Kiana was tracked using a vintage Nueman U-67 (which was the exact microphone used by Madonna on "Like A Virgin", Bruce Springsteen on "Born To Run", Steven Tyler, Dianna Ross, Ozzy Osbourne, Bette Midler, Barbers Streisand, and many more.) This microphone was used with custum-built eq's from Motown Records and Emperical Labs Distressors for compression.

Leo: “Live I use a Korg Triton Le 61 and a Roland XP80, Alesis RA-100 and two Yamaha SV15 speakers. I send to the house nd monitor through our “electronics/keys rack”. For studio purposes I use both keyboards, but for the acoustic piano in "Shine On Me" a Yamaha Motif 8 was used.

Marco: “Live, I play Yamaha Drums with Zildjian cymbals for my acoustic set up. I have Roland PD-5’s in my set-up also that I trigger a Alesis DM5. I monitor with a Shure HW Monitor System and Shure E2 in-ear monitors. Leo and I have a consolidated “electronics rack” that takes care of monitoring. We run all the electronics through a Beringher mixer and route all monitoring to our in-ears, and run the Outs to the house through a Rack Mounted direct box. It really gives us great control on our personal monitoring and feeds to the house. In the studio I used my Cymbal package with a vintage, maple Sonar Drum kit. Really thick, full sounding Drums. They sounded great. For my next session I want to get and use a Yamaha Maple Custom. I would also like to hear the Spaun Drums in the studio because they sound AWESOME live. I write with the Roland XP80, Roland Groovebox 505, and use my Mac to tweak out sounds using Cubase and a ton of filters. I am currently toying with Reason, Absinth and Battery as well.”
VMU: Did you use analog or digital on your last release? (if computer what programs)
Rob Roy: We recorded to an all digital format. However, we tracked through an analog mixing console with Neve designed eq's. Mixing was done in kind of in a "hybrid" format. We mixed through the analog console and "multi-tracked" the final mix to the hard disk. This way we could still edit individual tracks after the mix was made.
VMU: How do you feel about the mainstream music scene?
Leo: “I really don't like the mainstream scene right now. It seems like all these new bands coming out just do what the next guy is doing. They all sound the same and all use the same formula. This is one of the reasons I'm so happy being a part of Curse Icon. We break that formula and have developed a sound that has no category. We have set a new standard in rock. The one that has no formulas, has no rules, and it's a great feeling. “
Marco: “Mainstream has been about the same since the beginning of Rock. And or a few bands create a cutting edge sound or movement and then a ton of others jump on the band wagon. It then dilutes the sound and becomes really horrible. As far as the current trends go, If I want to listen to the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads or AC/DC, then I’ll put them in, not a band just copying them. We all borrow from our influences, we take make it new and our own, creating something new. To me it sounds like a lot of these bands are just taking and old band and blatantly taking there sound and just re-doing it. I guess they are taking the position that most of this generation doesn’t know those songs or bands and making them think it’s something “new”. I do like how a lot of the industrial, goth and electronic flavors are becoming more prevelant and mainstream though. It really opens up the door for bands that have those elements in their sound.”
“Mainstream has been about the same since the beginning of Rock." - Marco
VMU: Could you tell us who are your musical influences?
Kiana: “We all have a very diversified musical background/influence which is why when we come togetherit is sooooooo awesome.”
Leo: “Believe it or not, one of my major influences is Beethoven. In my mind he was the originator of dark, moody music that told a story. I was classically trained so most of my influences come in that traditional classical form, but mixed with my added influence of the industrial and goth movements, bands such as NIN, Rammstein and Frontline Assembly have had a dramaticimpact on my playing style as well. Put them all together and you get a rather interesting mix of dramatic synth movements with electronic backing followed by an orchestral flair. “
Marco: “This is Easy. My band is my musical influence. I totally vibe off of what my bandmates create and pull from that for my writing. Bands I liked coming up would be NIN, Stabbing Westward, Depeche Mode, Bjork, Metallica, Nitzer Ebb. Bands like that. I also dramatically changed my playing style after buying Blood Sugar Sex Magic. Chad Smith of the red Hot Chili Peppers opened my ideas to more funk and groove oriented playing. That and the first Infectious Grooves release. I started listening to more groove oriented stuff, old school funk and jazz and a lot of other stuff. My favorite Rock drummers would be Scott Rockenfield, Scott Cameron, Chad Smith and Phil Collins.”
VMU: What do you guys express in your lyrics?
Marco: “Lyrically, I like to write about schizophrenia, introspection, inner struggles, dark personal thoughts, and the psychological aspects of dark thoughts and the rise and redemption of ones self. With a female lead, I transpose thoughts sometimes in third person and think from that perspective. Kiana and I talk about deep, personal issues, fears, and a lot of things. We write about that a lot. I tend to be metaphoric and sometimes even ambiguous so the listener can pull their own meaning out of the lyrics. I feel it adds a lot of depth to have the listener interacting with the song, which gives it a long shelf life. And sometimes it’s just straight forward and based around a melody or hook.”
VMU: It seems like in the underground the Gothic Metal and Electronic Metal is growing very fast. Did you come together musically for that goal or did it just happen?
Leo: “In my opinion, I believe that our goal was to make good music, no matter what the style. We all have distinct musical influences and when combined you get exactly what we wanted, a unique and original sound that ROCKS!”
Marco: “2 of my favorite bands are NIN and Stabbing Westward. I always liked the idea of incorporating Industrial sounds and electronics in music. I Loved Queensryche back in the day and they were doing that when everyone was speed metal or Glam Rock. I never set out to be Goth, Industrial, Metal or anything, but rather to pull from a myriad of influences, mixing those flavors with a contemporary song-writing sensibility. When we auditioned singers, I had no predetermined idea of what we wanted, but kept a very open mind and ear. When Kiana came in, it was like WHOA! She was amazing, absolutely amazing. Nobody at the time was using a female lead vocalist with that style of music. Closest thing was Sisters of Mercy I think. I recognized that she was a spectacular, and highly talented vocalist and it piqued my interest. But honestly, I wasn’t sure if it would mesh and sound right. So I figured, let’s try it and experiment a bit and see what happens...and it meshed in a BIG WAY! Nobody could put a finger on who we sounded like which I liked a lot. We sounded like everybody and nobody all at the same time. That’s when I knew we wer3e in for a long, fun ride.”
VMU: Do any of you own a home studio? (if so what gear)
VMU: In studio do you prefer live or 1 on 1 recording? And did you guys do any direct recording through the board? (the songs sound very clean) Rob Roy - Very little recording was done direct. All tracks were performed with "Live" instruments and "Live" amplifiers. The only significant thing that ended up being "direct" to tape was the bass guitar.
Marco: “I like to track separately so I can really nail the parts. I rehearse a ton before tracking and we have played all the songs live a lot, so I know exactly where the dynamic is, and hear in my head. So I know when to pick up the Dynamic and when to lay off. And I can do that more accurately and more dynamically if I track separately. But I have to admit - I do like an audience when I’m tracking.”
VMU: Are you shopping around for a home label?
Marco: “Yes. We are looking for whatever is going to be best for the band artistically, financially and that will allow us to bring our music to as many fans as possible, recording and especially live. Having the backing can really bring you to the next level of your music career, and touring and such. We LOVE to play live and it is our strength. Our live performance is so powerful and that is when the music is complete for me personally. When you have that backing, you can do that on a larger scale.”
VMU: Any bad experiences playing live?
Leo : “I had a very bad one once. We were playing a battle of the bands in West Palm Beach one night. Everything seemed in order except that it was one of the HOTTEST clubs we had EVER played at, and by hot I mean uncomfortably hot. With that said, I was sweating so bad that at the end of our next to last song, sweat began trickling down my face right into my eyes. It go so bad that wiping the sweat off didn't even help. By the last song I was playing blind. My eyes were burning and I could not do anything to remedy the situation without screwing up the song, so I just kept my eyes shut and let my instincts take over.”
Marco: “A sound guy shut us off once in the middle of a song after he told us we could play one more. It was a little dive bar in North Miami. He made us look so bad, and so unprofessional. I was so irritated that I charged the board to drag him over it and have a very stern Italian style “conversation” with him. But in my haste, I didn’t realize he was already on stage, setting up for the next band. I totally passed him on my way there.”
VMU: What would you tell the young musicians trying to break into the scene?
Kiana: “Never give up! Be determined and be ready to work your ass off!”
Leo: “It would be nothing more than these two words. Be Hungry. If you don't Hunger for that shot, you have already failed. You need to want to make it enough to put your blood, sweat and tears into this. If you understand this and know what you want, the rest will follow. You can concentrate on your live performances, promote the hell out of yourselves, and be the best band in the world, but if you don't want it bad enough, you will not get it. I know plenty of bands that have what it takes to make it in this industry, but they're not hungry enough to take that extra step. Take an extra three steps and then some. Then round out the rough edges and get out there to show the world who you are.”

Marco: “If you like to sleep don’t do it.” VMU: Any news or tours to look out for?
Marco: “ We are currently finishing up tracking, and mixing for our studio release “paradismal”. We’ll have that done very soon. Keep an eye on the news at www.curseicon.com for details. We are also playing all over Florida and trying to expand into other states and spread as far as we can. We have fans all over the country via the internet who are anxiously awaiting the release of the CD. We have
many things working and looking into a lot of options professionally right now. We are ready to bring our music and powerful, live performance to every one we can. We are calling this movement the ICONATION, and you can all be a part of it. We are also building a local and National street team called Street Icon. Visit www.curseicon.com/streeticon for more details.”
VMU: Thanks very much for your time!! Any last words?
Marco: “Anyone who likes the band can help us bring our show to you by making everyone you know aware of the band. Join the Street Icons to help promote the band, and help us grow, enabling us to bring our LIVE show to you!”
VM UNDERGROUND
OCT 4 2004

- VM Underground