Antigone Rising

Interview by Mark Fisher

Not so long ago you couldn’t escape Antigone Rising. They were opening for the Rolling Stones, being played in every coffee shop in the United States, and were on one of the hottest imprint labels of the time. And then things went quiet and the band returned to their previous life as independent stalwarts, ultimately enlisting fans to be a part of their new record, 23 Red, through Kickstarter. The result is a Pop-tinged, Country-fried, Lillith fan laden affair that signifies yet another glorious rebirth for this band.

Always curious, we caught about with Kristin Henderson to find out more about the new lineup, the new record, and more. Here’s what she had to tell us….

It’s been awhile since we last heard from Antigone Rising. How goes the second coming of the band?

Technically, it's about the 4th or 5th coming of the band. But we're choosing to stop at this latest incarnation. And you probably shouldn't quote me on that. Things are going great, though. Thanks for asking.

So, Starbucks and Lava/Atlantic Records throw you into the mainstream to wild acclaim. Things really start moving on a national level and then Lava dissolves. Would you mind talking a little bit about what was going through your head at that point?

When you find out the man who signed you is leaving the building, you know you're in a little bit of trouble. We weren't overjoyed, but we're a never say die type of band. So we did what we had to do. And here we are...

What exactly were you looking for in a new frontwoman? It seems it may have been easy to just go find another “belt it out” singer but instead you really evolved the position.

We very intentionally did not want a carbon copy of the old band. Our concern was that we'd come across too karaoke if we tried to find a sound alike singer. Most importantly, we were looking for someone we would like working with. Bands spend a lot of time together. So we really wanted someone we loved. I've known Nini for a long time, and her joining the band was actually a natural evolution.

What does Nini bring to the band that makes her presence unique in your opinion?

She's got a strong melodic sense that tends to fit with my writing style, so the co writing process has been effortless. She is also an extremely accomplished guitarist. She brings a lot to musical landscape in that sense.

I noticed that for this album you embraced the Kickstarter campaign that is becoming increasing popular with artists. What led to this decision and, having made records for a traditional label, how did it differ from your prior experiences?

As of late, we had seen some artists ask fans for money and then either not use it properly or mislead their fans into thinking they were getting something else. We though Kickstarter would be a good way to be sure our fans knew we were running a legitimate fundraising campaign, one where we would be held to an ethical standard so they would feel comfortable giving us money for our project. Not to mention, it's an extremely turnkey experience. It made the whole process of raising money for 23 Red an exciting event.

When you started writing songs for this album, was there and end goal in mind? Did you say, “This is what we are going to do” or was it more of a natural evolution since there was new blood in the band?

This is our first studio production ever released that had a real budget behind it. Our last CD was live in front of a studio audience, and any CDs prior to that were lower budget, indie, bare bones affairs. We were coming out with a slightly different line up, so there was considerable thought into what we were releasing. The four of us agreed that great songs will serve us more on this effort than great jam moments. So we did intentionally agree to keep it to 3:30-4 minute long songs with catchy melodies. We've got an amazing lead guitarist in Cathy, and now an extraordinary slide guitarist in Nini Camps. We showcased that where we could on this CD, but we will definitely push the boundaries a bit further on the next CD.

23 Red, almost has more of a Country/Folk feel to it than your other records in my opinion. Would you agree with that? If so, what do you think brought that vibe out on this record?

I don't know if I agree with folk, but I can't argue the country. I have always leaned a little country in my writing, and Nini does as well. So naturally, these songs have that feeling to them. It's definitely not anything we're ashamed of. I've heard 23 Red described as California Rock along the lines of early Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, and I think that's a fair description.

“Borrowed Time” is one of my favorite songs on 23 Red. Can you tell our readers a little about that song and how it came to be?

Nini and I are new mothers. When we sat down to write this song, we pulled from the common experience we were both sharing. The amount of love you feel for your children is intense. And we just explored how it might feel if we knew it was our last chance to give them a good piece of advice. Nini has described it as a song about legacy. And I like that. It's just about paying it forward or passing it along.

Having been through so many unusual circumstances as a band over the last few years, is there a moment or song on the album that you can point to and say “That was the point I knew everything would be alright?”

I think once “No Remedy” and “One Foot In” were written we all knew we had the potential to make a great CD. Those songs were written simultaneously. I brought “No Remedy” in to show to the band, and then Cathy and Nini played me “One Foot In”. The songs sounded so compatible it was hard to believe they wrote one and I wrote the other. And we just knew we were onto something.

If you could control one thought people have when they hear 23 Red, what would you want them to think or feel?

I would like for them to think, "I must buy this for all of my friends." And I would like for them to feel like they want to listen to it again.

Five or six years ago I interviewed you and I asked what you were listening to while traveling around and you replied (shyly) the Backstreet Boys. Have you left that phase behind you? What’s belting from the Antigone Rising tour speakers these days?

I'm surprised I replied shyly about my unabashed love for The Backstreet Boys. I'm not listening to them right this second, but your mention of them makes me want to...lately I've been listening to Beth Hart and Laurie McKenna on my iPod. But during our last road trip, we went on a serious Phil Collins binge. And I'm unapologetic to admit it.