BAT FANGS is a band consisting of Betsy Boots (Ex Hex) and Laura King (Flesh Wounds) based out of DC and North Carolina, respectively. They released their second album Queen Of My World on October 29 and let me tell you – it pretty much kicks all kinds of ass.
If you are into big-80’s hard rock and metal riffs mixed with layered harmonies, rat-tail, pinch-harmonic, and finger-tapping shredding, and a solid, up-tempo 4/4 back-beat, but with intelligent, modern lyrical themes and a more modern sound, QOMW should find its way onto your turntable, Spotify queue, or whatever else you use to consume your music immediately.
This album wouldn’t be out of place if it was blaring out from the back-window speakers of a `82 Camaro in the parking lot of a Judas Priest concert, or from some crappy speakers in some poor teenager’s house while he’s watching half his high school destroy the place at an ill-conceived party he’s thrown, dreading what’s gonna happen when his parents get home.
It’s not all retro though, and it’s not all metal. There are HUGE hooks. Great melodic vocal and lead lines, major-scale chord runs, and again – those harmonies! Mutt Lange would be proud, but there’s a real pop element to it too. Take a band like Vixen and give them better songs, with the pop-sensibility of The Bangles or The Cars, put a modern-day mix on it and you’ve got Bat Fangs. BUY IT NOW!
Bat Fangs: Laura King and Betsy Boots
We caught up with Betsy Boots who was kind enough to share some insight about the record, her pandemic experience, and the guitar wizardry of Vito Bratta!
The Pencil Storm Betsy Boots Interview:
JP: Hey Betsy! Thanks for talking to us! Before we get into the rock and roll I’d like to ask how your global pandemic lockdown was? What did you do? I think I saw you did some traveling out west? Can you talk a little about how you dealt with it on a personal and musical level?
BB: Hi! The pandemic definitely began with an identity crisis as playing music with other people and touring etc. was taken away abruptly. We were also set to go into the studio in mid-March right as the pandemic began to finish our record and had to cancel our trip which really broke my heart.
I had just moved from DC to LA in November of 2019 to try something new and the pandemic made me super homesick - I really missed the safety and security of the people and places I know best back east so that was really hard. I did start teaching lots of guitar and piano lessons on Zoom which was kind of a game changer.
With lots of free time I turned to nature and explored California beaches and deserts. When I was younger I did a lot of camping and hiking and it was good to get back to the basics of that kind of thing. It was the only thing I could do that made me feel like myself. Getting out into the open spaces and into nature really saved me and helped me remember who I really was. When all the outside stuff is taken away that you identify yourself with it leaves this emptiness. When I was in nature it just made things more simple. I felt like - here I am - just myself - sitting on a rock in the desert - I don't have to be anything - I don't have to do anything. I think we are so focused on achieving and being something in our culture - I had to slow down and turn inward. Anyways I ended up moving back to the East Coast this year which has been great but it was cool to be out there and get to explore so many amazing places.
JP: Congratulations on the new Bat Fangs record Queen Of My World! It’s right up my alley of deep, melodic hooks, huge power chords, and smoking leads. Can you talk a little about the approach to this record, maybe in contrast to the first self-titled album?
BB: I wanted the songs to have more space and breathe a little more. I wanted it to sound a little more Hi-Fi and less grungy. We recorded the first record only on tape and did not do any computer editing at all or play to a click track. We didn't do a ton of editing on this new record but we layered LOTS of vocal tracks and we did play the basic tracks to a click. But it was still just the two of us to start - Laura on the drums and me on Rhythm guitar live in the studio - and then we built the rest of the tracks around that. Because we couldn't get back to the studio to finish, we had to do all the lead guitars, bass and vocals remotely. Kinda weird to not be together but just glad we finished it!
JP: I hope it’s not a shock to say that the influence of eighties, Sunset-Strip rock/glam/hair-metal (whatever you’d like to call it) is undeniable. Do you have a deep connection to that scene as a fan, participant, or whatever? Or is it more something you picked up off the radio? What are your ties to that stuff?
BB: I was a little kid in the 80’s living in the suburbs of Virginia so I definitely was NOT a participant in the Sunset Strip scene! I was hearing Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Cinderella and that kind of stuff on the radio mixed in with the rest of top 40 stuff like Bangles, Young MC and Humpty Hump! Top 40 radio back then was all over the place. Every Sunday I listened to Casey Casem's top 40 countdown on my Walkman and I heard all of that hair metal stuff. I loved the riffs and the vocals and the big drums. To me it was all just pop music though - the same as Janet Jackson or Madonna. MTV was the same way - you could see the video for "Cherry Pie" by Warrant and then right after that, Depeche Mode or Sinead O'Connor would come on.
JP: Still, I wouldn’t say it’s a pure metal album. There’s punk and pop influences there too – I hear as much of the heavier sides of The Bangles, X, and Go-Go's as I do Dio and Def Leppard. Since all those bands have been on my turntable in regular rotation for a few decades now, it’s not a surprise that I’ve latched on! What/who do you listen to at home? How do you consume your music? Are you a vinyl person? Or more streaming?
BB: At home I listen to records as much as I can. There is a lot of stuff I don't have so I'll stream stuff too but I'm working on my collection all the time! I listen to everything - mostly old stuff I guess but occasionally a new band will really grab me. Right now I'm listening to the new La Luz album.
JP: The last song, the instrumental “Into The Weave” feels like a bit of a departure. It’s got a much more groove base, heavy riffs, almost Zeppelin-ish, and adds some great texture to the record. Was that something you just started jamming on in the studio and worked out an arrangement there and then? Or did you bring that in as more of a finished piece?
BB: All of the songs were pretty much worked out before we got into the studio. We try and get together before and make little voice memos of everything and then I will flesh those out at home to get really prepared for the studio with all the different parts.
JP: I saw you in Detroit with Ex Hex back in 2019 (reviewed here) and as great as that show and your own performance was, your guitar chops since that show and the first Bat Fangs record seem to have escalated even more on this record. Was that something you worked hard on, or just sort of did what you do? Your style of lead playing is way beyond shredding, though there is some of that too, and I’d like to hear a little about your approach, discipline, and influences as a lead guitarist.
BB: I try to practice everyday! I do a lot of different things - I learn other people's solos that I really like. I will slow them down and play along with them over and over again. I've learned the solos of Angus Young, Randy Rhoads, Brian May, George Harrison, Vito Bratta, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, Dick Dale and lots of other people. Usually I look at tabs or videos and then I take the actual recording and slow it down and loop it in this app.
JP: This website is based in Columbus, Ohio but I am writing from the Detroit area and I always have to ask – any special memories or stories about your shows in and around Detroit? I know you’ve been through at least three or four times?
BB: I love the Lager House!
JP: Can you talk a little about what’s next for you and your projects? I know you’ve got some east coast Bat Fangs dates lined up. Any Midwest shows (hint, hint)? Will there be another Ex Hex record at some point?
BB: We will be adding more dates soon for 2022!
JP: Thanks again, Betsy! We’re big fans here at Pencil Storm and really appreciate your time!
BB: Thanks for reaching out - glad you're enjoying the record. Rock and Roll!
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
www.thetucos.com
www.facebook.com/jeremyportermusic
www.rockandrollrestrooms.com
Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
