Mary and The Black Lamb

She stands in front of a crowd, under the limelight while the crowd sings along to her songs. Words she wrote to express her inner most fears, struggles and hardships start to pay off.
“It’s a seven-year journey,” says Lindsay Matheson, leading lady for local band, Mary and the Black Lamb. “If you think it all comes overnight you’re in for a rude awakening.”
The band, composed of Matheson, singer/songwriter; Nick James (Nixon Cutz) on guitar; Matt Kelly on keyboards/programming, Jordan Claverly on bass and Mark “Modern” on the drums are all local to Oshawa and Whitby.
“We’ve been through our band shuffle,” says Matheson. “sometimes it’s in the best interest of the band just to part ways,” says Matheson, who has been playing with the guys for about eight months now.
Mary and the Black Lamb is one of the few Goth/Rock/Industrial bands in the area. Amongst the sea of Punk rockers, Metal Heads and Indie folk music, Mary and the Black Lamb strives to be different and stand out in the crowd.
“Hence our name,” says Matheson “sometimes we feel like the black sheep, but we have accepted who we are. We’re different, so be it.” Matheson and the rest of the band embraces who they are, while going through the same growth process as many other local bands in the area; listening to their influences, jamming, just playing show after show and trying to pay the bills.
“Coffee shops have paid our way through the band process,” Matheson chuckles sipping on her short soy latte from Starbucks, where she was previously employed.
Currently, Mary and the Black Lamb are in the middle of an artist development deal with Voodoo records out of Scarborough and are being recorded by Murray Daigle and Robert Laidlaw, who have worked with such artists as Not By Choice and Cauterize.
“We played Band Wars 2008 and I got Rob’s contact. At first I didn’t think much of it because in this industry people say a lot of things and make promises that they don’t follow through on. I realized they were the real thing when they got us in the studio and just said ‘let’s make a killer album’.”
The full-length album, titled As The City Sleeps, is scheduled for release in about two months. Half of it was recorded this year and is essentially influenced by Danny Elfman and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
“We wanted to have a lot of fun with it, so it is very theatrical but not overly dramatic. I’m excited for the finished product,” Matheson boasts.
“Just make good music and the rest will work itself out,” Laidlaw tells the band.
Until the release, Mary and the Black Lamb have a few shows on the roster ,including Oct. 9 at the Opera House, downtown Toronto.
“We have fun getting into our pseudo characters to perform to the audience. You just know when you have a good performance too, I just knew I took on the world.”
Mary and the Black Lamb get their influences from various artists, like KMFDM, The Birthday Massacre, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Evanesence.
“The Goth culture is often very misunderstood,” Matheson explains “People think that it is all about death and sadness when really it can be something beautiful. Everyone has a dark side, that’s what makes us human. It’s natural beauty at its best. It’s as real as real can get. Raw truth, there’s nothing wrong with that,” says Matheson.
Music is therapy for its listeners, including other musicians. Mary and the Black Lamb turn to music for everything; inspiration, expression and a friend.
“Every day I wake up and live and breathe music,” says Matheson. “It becomes your life. Whether it’s putting up flyers to advertise a show, or playing them. When I go to bed at night if music was involved, I got something accomplished.”
Life can be a struggle at times and everyone can use a pick-me-up.
“We just want to write music that people can relate to. Music is our therapy so we want fans to relate to us and know they aren’t alone.”
All of the members from Mary and the Black Lamb are music veterans to the Oshawa scene and have been around for many changes, together.
“We got sick of the broken-hearted teenage poems. We have grown up and out of the teen angst stages and quite frankly, we all have dark pasts. We’re older now and can use these experiences to help other people along the way,” says Matheson.
Mary and the Black Lamb has a band dynamic that is rare.
“To make a band work, you need friendship. You can’t just toss a bunch of musicians together to see if they are compatible. Band is your family, and it is really important to see eye-to-eye. Everyone in the band has the same creative ambitions, and we all have the same motto, ‘ Go big or go home, because I don’t want to go back to Oshawa.’” Matheson flashes a smile, “We came up with that while we were recording, and it just stuck.”
Oshawa is full of assorted talented musicians. So when Mary and the Black Lamb aren’t playing shows they enjoy going to see their friends play live at different venues in the area and the GTA.
“All of my friends are musicians. I suppose we all draw each other. It’s because the city can be so boring, we have to keep creative vibes flowing. Half of the time we just end up at Denny’s or Wally’s World. We have all sort of learned to embrace the town for what it is” Matheson says.
So where do all of these aspiring musicians look for their inspiration?
“We look to one other. Caution Inc., Black Cat Attack, Civil Uprise--I adore all of them. Nothing could excite me more than my friends being successful and playing solid sets. It motivates me to go home and just write all night, “ Matheson says with a sparkle in her eye.
At the end of the day, she is just trying to get by, and play her music with her best friends.
“At the end of the day, I didn’t do my laundry because I just got lost in the music.” - Beth Lafay, The Chronicle, Durham College

"Mary and The Black Lamb manage to blend a lovely mix of darkness and distorted sounds, with the beauty of Lindz Riot's melodies. Fans of Dream Theater and Evanescence will not be disappointed."

- Matt Diamond, The Rock 94.9 FM

May 13, 2009
www.therock.fm


"'As the City Sleeps' by Canadians Mary and the Black Lamb is a pleasure to discover"

- Greg and Emmanuelle, Radio Quartz

May 4, 2009
http://www.radioquartz.be/


"This time backed by classically trained players producing a fusion of gothic synth, and straight-up rock, the appeal of Lindz Riot’s latest, Mary and the Black Lamb, undoubtedly dispels the assertion that second shots are always sloppy."

- Rose Cora Perry, Ontario rock legend

September 19th 2009
www.rosecoraperry.com


"Mary and the Black Lamb is fronted by the strong-voiced Lindz Riot and they play a dark wave music that’s very engaging. It’s a short, sharp album that should appeal to fans of the genre and maybe others as well."

- Anna Maria Stjärnell

January 22nd 2010
http://www.blog.collectedsounds.com/


"Full of melody and popiness, these lyrics get trapped in the mind. I catch myself singing choruses of songs such as "Emily" or "Stay Away". As The City Sleeps will not put the listener to sleep at all."

- Chee Kam

February 20th 2010
http://puregrainaudio.com/reviews/mary-and-the-black-lamb-as-the-city-sleeps - Different Sources

An Interview with Lindz Riot of Mary and the Black Lamb!

Mary and the Black Lamb is one of the latest pop-rock bands to hit the Durham, and pretty soon the GTA, music scene. I had the opportunity to meet with the vocalist and songwriter of the band, Lindz Riot to talk about the music, the band, and what’s in store for the future.

When did you form?

It started out with just me and Nick (Nixon Cutz, guitarist) 4 years ago. We became really good friends, liked all the same music and decided to form a band. The others (Matt Kelly, Jordan Caverly, and (m)ark (m)odern) joined in 2008. We approached them with our music and they really liked it and were instantly on board!

What is the origin of the name of the band?

We went through so many names before deciding on Mary and the Black Lamb. My sister, who has been a big supporter of the band, helped out with the process and one day I just said “how about Mary and the Black Lamb?” and she thought it was perfect. Nick and I could relate to it because we always felt like the “black sheep” in our old bands.

How would you describe your sound/genre?

I would say “pop-rock” with hints of industrial, gothic, and a hard rock sound.

What are your influences/inspiration?

Pop music, mainstream music, and we’re a fan of underground music as well. Some bands we like are The Birthday Massacre, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Korn, and Deftones. Most people think we’re darker because of our appearance, but really, Nick and I are nerds. We love pop music!

What would you say is the biggest challenge?

Being in Durham. There are a lot of restrictions living here and a lot more things happen in Toronto. Also, with the economy, gas money and jobs are harder to obtain.

What are your future goals/aspirations?

Well, we just had our album recorded and I think the next step is the distribution of the album, getting the word out, and being recognized.

Do you have any advice for young aspiring musicians?

Practice a lot! Get good at live shows and performances and study other music.

Anything else you would like to say?

We’ve just recorded an acoustic album and we’re looking forward to working with that.

Since starting the band, our lives have been pretty hectic. We all lead different lives and are so busy with family and work, but when we do get to practice, everything comes together and we all work really well together.

We’re also just beginning to break into Toronto and have had the opportunity to network with other bands, which has been great.

Also, I’d like to say that we are not a band that’s driven by money. Most of our funding actually comes from jobs. I’d say about half of the money we’ve used came from Tim Hortons pay checks! We are definitely happy making music more than money.

We’re also writing our second album. We’re going in a new direction, but also want to keep the same sound. It’ll be more industrial and include all the extremities.

You write your own songs, correct?

Yes, we write all our own songs. Being a songwriter, I find my songs are my art. They’re mine and that’s what I love about it.



By: Kayla Chan

Check out: www.myspace.com/maryandtheblacklamb - Kayla Chan

Back when I was in high school, there was a punk band named Princess Riot. They performed at our local venues. I couldn’t help but notice a sticker of a black rabbit on the bassist's four string. The black rabbit was the logo of Toronto synthrock band, The Birthday Massacre. An interesting influence for a punk musician. A few years later this same bassist became a band member of Mary And The Black Lamb. Her name - Linz Riot and her new band had just released their first album As The City Sleeps. In the album booklet The Birthday Massacre was listed as an influence. Now it is time to hear how Lindz Riot matured as a musician along with her fellow bandmates.

At first glance of the As The City Sleeps album you will notice the simple night time album art. It is artist’s Stev Rothney’s (Caution Inc.) interpretation of Mary And The Black Lamb, a girl and lamb sitting on a ridge peering out on a town. The night sky theme flows throughout all the art work for this release. On the disc was a black lamb just waiting to be placed in my CD player... so I did.

Ten tracks of melodic but dark rock music is what comes off this disc. For the most part the drums keep a simple beat and at times are played in an upbeat fashion. The bass is also at ease following the guitar’s lead. A heavily distorted six string plays power chords throughout the whole album. The most unique instrumental is the keyboard which gives the songs an eerie feel, especially noticeable on the track "Stranger". Most definitely the main draw point of Mary And The Black Lamb is the female fronted vocals. Full of melody and popiness, these lyrics get trapped in the mind. I catch myself singing choruses of songs such as "Emily" or "Stay Away". The music may be simple but it is appealing to the ears.

As The City Sleeps will not put the listener to sleep at all. It lifts you up to sing along with all of the album's 10 songs. I hope to hear this band one day, on the radio, no doubt with millions of other listeners. Fans of The Birthday Massacre, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Evanescence will really enjoy this album. Also keep watching this band, they might just be putting out a new release in the very near future. *wink wink*.

Article Link: http://puregrainaudio.com/reviews/mary-and-the-black-lamb-as-the-city-sleeps - Chee Kam of Puregrainaudio.com

Mary & The Black Lamb: “As the City Sleeps”
Album Review
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Written by: Rose Cora Perry

I first became acquainted with the musical stylings of Lindsay Matheson (more commonly dubbed Lindz Riot) back in 2004. While I was immediately impressed with her vocal ability, drive, and eagerness to absorb all that she could from her artistic predecessors, there was something (for lack of a better word) missing from her previous pop-punk project, Princess Riot.

I am not certain if it was her fellow bandmates, the choice in genre, the band’s general “greenness” when it came to industry know-how, or perhaps even a combination of all three, but it was apparent to me, fairly early-on, as much as I wanted to award their efforts, that they simply didn’t have what it takes to complete on a professional level in the music biz. In fact, many of their “executive decisions” in terms of marketing, and business, along with the band’s general mentality, reminded me all too well of my own first experiences in the punkrock scene with my highschool all-girl rock outfit, and that, anyone who knows my history can concur, is NOT a good thing.

Fast forward, however, to 2009, and Lindsay’s career path has quite obviously changed. This time backed by classically trained players producing a fusion of gothic synth, and straight-up rock, the appeal of Matheson’s latest, Mary and the Black Lamb, undoubtedly dispels the assertion that second shots are always sloppy.

A little older, likely a little more jaded, even Matheson’s lyrical content has grown tremendously in terms of its quality. As she explains, “I think we’re an example of taking on the harsher side of our emotions, and turning them into something worth while.” With her musical evolution also came an image overhaul, and in my opinion, it was definitely for the better.

While admittedly, I was skeptical as to whether her new direction in terms of sound would strike my fancy as I’ve always been fairly outward in terms of my distaste towards industrial-based music (something I’ve personally coined “noise pollution”), one-upping even their biggest influence, Evanescence, Mary and the Black Lamb have made me reconsider my bigotry towards said genre. With that said however, Marilyn Manson, to me, has been and always will be nothing more than a cheap (and less talented) rip-off of Alice Cooper. Sorry guys – the convincing can only go so far.

In terms of quibbles, I have a few, but lucky for the band, they are all minor in constitution. First off, songwriting-wise, the fade out on “The Price” is much too drawn out, and consequently, leaves the listener questioning whether or not they turned down the volume on their stereo. Secondly, the choruses on some of the album’s faster titles including, “Stay Away”, could have greatly benefited from the simple addition of some vocal harmonies. Thirdly (and importantly from a marketing perspective), I would have listed, “Emily”, as the opening track to this disc as it is clearly the most developed, and catchiest work on the entire album. Anyone who knows anything about demo solicitation is aware of the fact that you rarely get more than 30 secs of a given label rep’s attention, and so, said 30 secs need to be used wisely. Fourthly (and this is really stretching here), I would have liked to have seen more band pix, along with the lyrics in the cd’s booklet. And finally…the palm-muted guitars in the intro to “Not the Girl” harkened back to Matheson’s history as a punk performer, and although this attempt in that genre was better than her previous, I’m still not a fan.

Characterized by slick production, slap-you-in-the-face guitars, well-chosen, but not overdone vocal effects, and even an impressive key change in the vein of traditional pop music, As the City Sleeps, is without a doubt a strong debut, and Mary and the Black Lamb’s recent selection as guest performers at this year’s Toronto’s IndieWeek certainly serves as credence to that.

Strongest tracks: “Emily”, “Departed”, “Gone” and “Silence” - Rose Cora Perry

A common trend from the 90s was for artists to release acoustic albums under the name Unplugged. Some acts that created acoustic releases of their work were Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, Nirvana and Neil Young, among many others. Mary And The Black Lamb has joined these artists by recording their own unplugged EP Wolf In Sheep's Clothing.

Being an unplugged album means there had to be an original non-acoustic version of these songs. The original songs are from Mary And The Black Lamb’s full length As The City Sleeps. Four tracks were covered out of their ten songs. The first four of the five tracks on the new CD revolve around Nixon Citz' acoustic guitar playing which alternates between picking and power chords. I especially like his use of harmonics on "Emily." Lindz Riot's singing is also featured on these songs. She uses a mellower voice than usual on this recording giving a melodic feel to this release. Backing the guitar are bass and piano, and do I detect a cello in the song "Silence"? The fifth track is another version of the song "Emily". It is unique in that instead of being based on the acoustic it is a piano version.

The CD design was created by Denise (Carabott) Wilkins of Lifeart Designs. She used the concept of As The City Sleeps artwork but grey scaled it. She also reversed the placement of the band and album names. The album is all about inversions and the artwork depicts this.

Mary And The Black Lamb takes us back to the 90s, for a walk down memory lane, with Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. Only 100 copies of this release were made so be sure to see this band live A.S.A.P. to grab the CD. My copy is the 26th of 100 and it was from the pre-release pile. They are going fast so hurry, hurry, hurry! [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Emily
02. Silence
03. Stay Away
04. Even Stranger
05. Emily (piano)

Run Time: 17:58
Release Date: 02.26.2010

Article Link: http://puregrainaudio.com/reviews/mary-and-the-black-lamb-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-ep - Chee Kam of Puregrainaudio.com

Lindz Riot, lead vocalist of the Canadian rock band Mary And The Black Lamb, gave me some time to pick her brain about her band and their two releases As The City Sleeps and Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. She also told me about some future plans for the remainder of 2010. To date the band has shared the stage with Alannah Myles, Bury The Bully, Odium, Johnny Hollow, Frankie Whyte, The Dead Idols and other notable acts within Ontario.

Tell me the history of the band and how it took form.
Lindz: Me and Nix founded the band back in 2007. What happened was we knew each other from other local bands and we had grown out of our old bands and wanted to try new styles of music. We kept in touch and I ended my band. When Nix’s band ended we figured that we both liked the same music so why not start a band together. We may have stolen members from the previous bands, like Jordan was a bassest in Nix's old band. We found Matt Kelly, and now we have our new drummer Scott. We wanted to do a straight up rock band that was dark and gonna be who we are. That's how it pretty much started with me and Nix and it was like “let’s get down all our ideas”. I did have old songs I brought over to Mary And The Black Lamb from a previous band but even though they were written for old bands, they didn't fit those bands. We just played them for some new songs. The first half of the album was old songs and the other half of the album was the new songs. It really worked and we found the right people at that time. It was the best chemistry you could ever describe. We are now a big family, Nix has always been like my big brother.

It’s always good to hear when a band is like that.
Lindz: Yeah. Even the name itself, people are like, “that's really weird”, and when they see us on stage they are saying, “Oh Nix is the black lamb” it’s like, yeah cause we felt the black sheep is what we were in our old band, at school and as artists. When we found each other it was like putting two black sheep together and creating from that.

So the name Mary And The Black Lamb was derived from that aspect of being different?
Lindz: Yeah, and its funny because the first song you ever learn on the piano is "Mary Had A Little Lamb". It is only three notes and very simple. People can relate to it and so we originally decided to call ourselves Mary Had A Little Black Lamb but that's a mouth full. We liked the idea because we didn't have disturbing childhoods, but we didn't have happy bright amazing fun and sunshine childhoods either. We were the black sheep, we were picked on, we were ridiculed for who we were. When we made the band name, this was the dark side of our childhood and our current identity.

So being the only female in the band, how does that feel?
Lindz: [laughs] Like a little sister because everybody in the band is like a big brother to me. But then again I don't view it like that cause I'm such a dude myself. We are all on the same level, like yeah I will have my girl moments. It's proper to wear a dress and such but I never saw it as, “Oh I'm the chick in the band and the guys let me go off to do my hair”, which they let me do, but I think like a guy in terms of how I feel about women, as emotional and attached but we all have our feminine moments. I have been around guys, like I use to be a tomboy so it’s just like being one of the guys.

So your album As The City Sleeps has been out for some time now. Are you satisfied with the outcome?
Lindz: It’s been a year and a bit since the release and I am impressed. I did not expect to do as good as well did. We printed 1000 copies and we have sold roughly a little over half of them. We are also on iTunes and those sales have done decent to. We have had some good friends of ours put us up on JamLegend.com, and that opened up a huge market for us. We are now getting recognized for what we have been doing. The response has been bigger than expected because seeing past projects that didn't go so well when we kept hoping and waiting then years have passed and we are wondering what we are doing with our life. [laughs] I haven't done any questioning with this project which is good. But me and the guys are happy with how things have been.

What’s your favourite song on this album?
Lindz: Oh jeez I am torn between two.

Ok, what are your two favourite songs?
Lindz: I really like "Emily" and I also like "Stranger". The reason I like "Emily" is because it was about a friend of mine who passed away about three years ago. She had a problem with depression and that’s what the story was about. I am probably the most connected to it because she told me this story and the minute we got off the phone I wrote this song and I never let it go even though I was in my old band. I knew I just had to make this song happen but I knew deep down it wasn't the right time. I felt like an idiot cause when she passed away, I never got to play the song for her. It was just a ton of melodies and lyrics I threw away in the note book, so when it happened it was a huge inspiration to finish the song. That is why I am so attached to it. But I like "Stranger" because I wrote that one with Matt Kelly and he pretty much did everything, I just had to write the lyrics and we worked on the melody together. It’s a really dark and moody song that we love playing live. I can get into the character even though I don't know who the character is, I just fake it.

What is the writing process for this release?
Lindz: The best way to describe it is... I started writing a book and I needed the last few chapters but I was drained near the end of it so the guys came along and finished it. That's the best way to describe this album. I've been writing since I was 15 and had a lot of material ready when Mary And The Black Lamb started. It had either pieces missing or songs missing and then the guys came and we all wrote as a unit. It's nice to be able to write by yourself but when you have a different head in the game, you get two different perspectives and it comes out better. You hear new ideas from it. The writing process is: I start something and then one of the guys will help finish it.

So it’s a united project in the end. Rad! Can you give me an insight into the name As The City Sleeps?
Lindz: We all have slight insomnia where we get creative and stay up till 4am writing, painting, creating or whatever we do. When we were trying to think of a name for the album a long time ago, while talking to the guys I thought up As The City Sleeps. Nix automatically just loved it because as he said, “As the city sleeps is when we kinda create”. So that's how we felt, and it also tied in with the black sheep concept because we felt like we were detached from everything while everyone was sleeping.

So not long ago your Wolf In Sheep's Clothing EP was released, how did this come about?
Lindz: We won some recording time with Chalet Studios through a promoter in Toronto and it was weird because we had our recording date on the month of our 1st year anniversary as a band. We come from the 90s influence and a lot of other bands made their album and then an unplugged version. I think Korn did the last one and it was interesting. Nobody does unplugged anymore which is sad and shows the electronic movement, how it saturated everything. But we did it cause all our favourite 90s bands did it. Turned out great and we did a different version of "Stranger". It's stripped down and were proud of it.

So now I'm gonna get away from the albums. Any certain bands you feel are big influences to you as a musician?
Lindz: Wow, that's a really good question. As cliché as it sounds I'm heavily influenced by Evanescence. But what I have discovered recently is when I say Evanescence, people automatically think Amy Lee. I love her voice but I'm actually influenced by Ben Moody. He is an amazing songwriter, composer and writes great string parts. How I discovered this was once he left Evanescence he wrote for Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. Everything he wrote for them I was a fan of. He put out a solo acoustic masterpiece in my opinion. I also really like his new band. He also wrote music for Hana Pestle and I loved it. But yes Evanescence is a big influence on me because of Ben Moody. Another influence would be The Birthday Massacre, Depeche Mode and The Cure. But recently the biggest influence I have to say is Vast. I could really go on though cause I love classical and trip hop. But that few are the biggest influences on me so far.

So for a fun question. If you got to headline a show and any two bands would open, who would it be?
Lindz: Definitely Nightwish. But we'd rather open for them cause they're epic and you can't exactly go after Nightwish and try to top that.

But which singer of Nightwish?
Lindz: Oh good question. I like them both, I don't know. I do like Anette a lot and think the reason a lot of fans are like, “oh she’s so bad live” i.e. because people don't think of the fact she went from performing musicals to performing for crowds of thousands. The anxiety of that, I know what it’s like to be nervous to sing. But I don't know... both.

Okay, so we will have an old Nightwish and new Nightwish performing.
Lindz: [laughs].

What is next for Mary And The Black Lamb?
Lindz: We are currently writing our new EP which will be self produced and we have some great people backing us. We are finding our sound and are comfortable in our own skin/mindset. Like I said before, I have started some things and need the guys to help finish. But this time it's all of us getting together to create. It is sounding great - what we have so far. Also, we plan to tour up to Quebec at the end of the summer. We have some friends who will take care of us and they are going to come out here as well, for the first half of the tour. So yeah, we are going to do what we can even though we are broke musicians. We are normal people who work normal jobs and so we don't have as much time to promote this band. [ END ]

Article Link: http://puregrainaudio.com/interviews/interview-with-mary-and-the-black-lamb-vocalist-lindz-riot - Chee Kam of Puregrainaudio.com