October 10, 2024 • 43 mins
In this episode, we sit down with legendary tattoo artist Kat Von D to explore her deep passion for music and celebrate the release of her new album, My Side of the Mountain. Kat opens up about her diverse musical influences, from classical to punk rock and metal, sharing her disdain for mediocrity and the importance of authenticity. She also reflects on her evolving relationship with the tattoo industry, expressing her disconnect with its modern direction and discussing the tension between genuine artistry and marketing.
For the encore, Matt and Kat reminisce about the pre-cell phone Myspace era, Linkin Park’s controversial decision to carry on with a new singer, the inspiring career of Depeche Mode, Ministry vs. Nine Inch Nails, The Misfits, The Cure, and so much more! As always, the episode is brought to you by Sailor Jerry!
https://www.instagram.com/thekatvond/
https://sailorjerry.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hell yeah, what's up, kat?
How are you?
I'm doing good.
Thanks for having me.
Awesome, you know.
Congrats on your secondfull-length album.
My Side of the Mountain is outeverywhere as of the airing of
this podcast.
It's been three years sinceyour debut album.
Love Made Me Do it.
A lot can change in three years.
(00:22):
A lot can change album to album.
How have you grown creativelyand how have you grown
personally?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, I mean a whole lot.
I think the first album that Ireleased was written so long ago
I wrote it, I think, 10 yearsprior to it actually seeing the
light of day and that was justbecause at the time I was just
so just busy with everythingelse I was doing that I put
music on the kind of the backburner and so, um, by the time
(00:52):
that released I feel like I hadalready processed a lot of that
stuff.
Um, so I was actually reallyexcited when I started writing
the second album because it feltlike it was more up to date
with where I'm at on every leveland also, too, it's like I
think writing music is.
You see the different chapterskind of laid out before you and
(01:15):
like I'll use Depeche Mode as anexample because I love Depeche
Mode so much, but when I listento like the first Depeche Mode
album versus their last one,it's I've really enjoyed growing
up with them.
I feel like yeah they've refinedtheir sound, um, everything
from their production to davegahan's voice, is it just?
(01:37):
They just keep getting better,and I don't think that everybody
does that.
I think there's very few bandsthat you're like, a lot of
people are just like stuck in,like the first few albums that
they love, like where they go,whereas, like there's bands like
like Depeche Mode, that arejust, I feel, like get better
with time, and so for me, that'salways the goal.
You know, when I would do atattoo, people would ask me,
like what's the best tattooyou've done?
(01:57):
And I would always say that,you know, the last tattoo should
be your, your best one, andwe're striving to to, you know,
be the best version of ourselvesand outdo ourselves.
So, anyways, all that to say isthat I, I do, um, I do love the
second album.
I, I appreciate it in differentways.
I always love my first album,but I think, production wise,
(02:20):
and songwriting wise, um, andthen vocally, I really, really
wanted to push myself on this.
The second one.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Hell, yeah, you know that being said now that it's
out, are you?
Are you kind of already lookingdown the road, like you were
after the first album?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, you know, for this last album we ended up
writing about like 22 songs, andso not all of them made it.
I did want to release a bunchmore.
My manager was like why are yougiving everything away so much?
I have so much to say and do.
But so we'll probably startrolling out a lot of you know
different mixes, as well as newsongs, like soon after.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
So probably after this tour.
Awesome, cool, cool.
Um, talk to me about workingwith uh Shep Solomon and
Fernando Garibay, because uhthose are two amazing producers.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Um, how do these songs come together?
Um, yeah, I met Fernando,actually through my husband, I
think.
Uh, him and his producer team.
They were fans of, uh, rafa'smusic.
My husband's name is rafa, yeah, yeah, yeah, um, and his band's
name is prayers and, uh, hejust makes the coolest music.
I think like he created his owngenre and I think that's how he
got onto fernando's um radar,and then he came over and I feel
(03:40):
like fernando didn't reallyeven know anything about me, and
then my husband was like, oh,you should check out my wife,
she's making music.
And then we started rappingabout the kinds of music that
inspire us, and I just lovesynth music.
I like analog synth sounds andobviously bands from the 80s,
and so we were just vibing onthat, and so we just said, hey,
(04:02):
let's just try and writesomething together, see how it
goes.
And and I think we had a reallygreat chemistry um, fernando, I
think, has such um an immenseamount of knowledge as to the
science behind music and or themath behind music.
He really understands it as umsomething more than I do.
I just, I just know what Irespond to and I know what I
(04:25):
want to say.
And so it's nice to be able towork with someone who's so
knowledgeable in that sense andcan guide, guide your sentiment
into um, you know the vision youhave, so so that was fun.
And then he introduced me tosome of my favorite songwriters
that, um, that I've I've justabsolutely loved to work with,
like this, this album has mademe have like an appreciation for
(04:49):
songwriters in a way that Inever had before.
I think that they're the mostimportant part to to music.
Um, you know, I think you couldbe the best producer and you
could be the best, but if thesong isn't written well, I it's
kind of pointless.
And so working with people likeSherry short and Faraz and Shep
(05:12):
Solomon, um, it just I don'tknow.
I just admire these folks somuch because that's my weakest,
like my weakest downfall is likeI have all the ideas I could do
lyrics all day and chordprogression, sound design I love
all that.
But when it comes to writing topline melodies and just the
structure of songs, I think,because I was brought up in a
(05:34):
classical music upbringing, Idon't have that in me.
Like, I read sheet music, soI'm a little more, I guess,
mathematical in that sense.
So I'm I'm a little more, Iguess, mathematical in that
sense, and so, whereas I would,with me and my band, we would
write like a sound landscape,and then Faraz would walk in and
(05:55):
just breathe life into thissong Like I could have never
come up with.
And I remember when we werewriting I am a machine I knew I
wanted to write a song to haveElisa White Gloves from Arch
Enemy sing on it, and so I hadthis idea of a theme, and
(06:15):
usually when I sit with Faraz orwith Sherry, I would just kind
of just ramble on about an idea.
Sometimes it's like zooming inmicroscopically on a moment in
time, and that's what I want towrite a song about.
And then we would play themusic and he would just get on
the mic and I would just watchsomething come out.
It was, it's divine, it's not,it's not of this world.
(06:38):
I don't know how to, andbecause you know we had I had,
on my own, tried to come up witha melody for that song and just
failed miserably.
And then when he walked in, Iwas like, oh wow, he just he's
everything I wish I could be,but anyways.
So I really, I really lovedwatching that.
(06:59):
It's like the closest thing tomagic to me to be able to see a
painter or an artist of any form, a songwriter, do something
where I can understand how you,how you did it.
I just don't know how you didit, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know if that makes any sense.
No, it does.
It does.
I mean, you know, some peoplejust have that gift you know
it's crazy.
And songwriters, producersthere's so many people out there
that connect to music indifferent ways and kind of see
music and feel music indifferent ways, and you know
that's why, you know, being onyour own as an artist is a great
(07:40):
thing, but I think there's somuch growth in collaboration.
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Especially with with these folks.
I mean, they're used to writingwith pop singers and pop
artists, so you know, farazworks with people like Katy
Perry and, um, you know, duaLipa and things that are not of
my world, um, and so I think itwas I.
I mean, there were severaltimes where where Faraz would be
(08:05):
like oh you know, this is atreat because I get to do
something that I normally don'tdo and I get to exercise a part
of my brain in a genre that Idon't normally get invited to,
and so I was like, yeah, youknow, come over to the dark side
, that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, I was checking out some of Fernando's stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
And dude, that guy's a trip dude, like I was watching
some of his social media stuff.
Oh my, yeah, he's what he he'sdoing and it's it's so
interesting how and I think someof it, you know, he's obviously
has a very high IQ and stuff,but um, but I also think it's a
it's about the experience he'sbeen doing it for so long.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, yeah, that to me it's like I it was easy to
trust and he would point yeah,yeah, many props to him for sure
awesome, awesome, um, you know,speaking of songwriting a
little bit, when you're writingyour own song, when you're
listening to a song that youlove, um, like, what is it to
(09:35):
you that connects?
Like what, what are thecomponents of a great song to
you?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
um, I mean, it really depends.
I think there's I, I I got.
My first introduction in musicwas punk rock.
Well, I mean, that was mysecond.
My first introduction wasclassical music, but then, um, I
think that was kind of forcedupon me, right, like cause, as a
kid no kid really wants totrain two hours a day on piano
(10:06):
but then I absolutely fell inlove with it and um, and I love
like the romantist era, so Ilike beethoven, japan, mozart,
that kind of stuff.
And then I discovered metal andI, well, I got into punk rock
music and I think I that that tome was more just the, the
attitude behind um, like youknow, it kind of it was exciting
(10:29):
to have something to fight foryeah it wasn't necessarily about
the, the talent or the skill,because I don't believe there's
a lot of punk rock bands thatthat had that.
I mean, um, just like a lot ofpower chords or you know, and it
has its own charm.
I'm not putting it down, Istill like that music.
But then once I I discoveredmetal, that's when I, like the
(10:49):
light bulb went off because Icould, I could admire the, um,
the technical ability, you know,and maybe I understood that the
scales on a piano aretranslating to the same guitar
scales.
And and then there was the, thevocal, vocal aspect.
Like these, you know, these,these guys are operatic.
(11:11):
And and then it wasn't until,um, I graduated into like the
post-punk era that I really waslike, oh, this makes my heart
sing.
You know, like listening tobands like Susie and the
Banshees or Depeche Mode or theCure.
There was all of those things.
There was the technical abilitythat they were playing their
instruments very well, there wasthe ability to sing very well,
(11:35):
and now there's this poetry, andthat's what makes my heart
explode, I think when, like, ifyou can make me cry, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
I like to be moved, and so Ithink it takes all those three
things, but then at the sametime I like the disco kiss era,
so sometimes it feels good too.
(11:57):
But yeah, I I just don't like.
I think mediocrity is a bigturnoff to me.
I don't understand, um like, Idon't like.
I don't like when we'recelebrating something based on
marketing.
I think, marketing is a big partof it and I like marketing too.
I think there's an art form tothat and I appreciate that, but
I don't like.
(12:18):
There's certain pop bands thatI don't understand what the
response is to like, why there'sthis response to it you know,
and it's not for me to judge,it's just.
I just accept it as it's justnot for me.
You know, I just don't, I don'tlisten to it yeah, no, I get
that, I get that.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Um, you know, as a writer and singer myself, I was
really stoked to kind of hearyou bounce back and forth on the
album lyrically between sort ofuh, you know, painting a visual
picture, telling a story andkind of the classic like
personal vulnerability that yousee from a lot of the music that
you love.
You know, what do you enjoymost about the lyrical process?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah, I love storytelling.
I don't know if I've just sinceI was a kid, I've always liked
writing.
And then I think, once I got onTV and understanding production
, um, you know, I, I I was nevera big TV person, and then when
I, when I got on on television,I was working with these
(13:21):
producers and we would lay outeach episode, um, and.
And then that's when Iunderstood oh, you know, there's
, there's, this isn't justorganically happening.
I mean, obviously there's thingsthat happen naturally, and then
we focus on that, but we'rewe're telling a story, there's a
there's a problem there's anarc and then there's a solution
(13:42):
and and so I think you get intothe mindset of of that and so,
like I love, I love starting tofilm documentary style and then
it only made sense that it wouldtranslate into music.
I like to tell a story in thatsense, but I think with music
what's cool about that is thatyou're not.
It doesn't have to be soliteral.
I think that's one of thethings that I love about some of
(14:03):
my favorite songs.
To me, I think they're lovesongs but then come to find they
were about something else whenthe person was writing.
So I think that's cool to beable to like.
A lot of my songs are aboutaddiction or drugs and
overcoming that, but they can betranslated into a love song or
dysfunctional the challenges ofa dysfunctional romance.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Awesome.
Is there a particular song ormoment on my side of the
mountain that you're especiallyproud of or that holds like
significant meaning to you?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I mean, all of them have sentimental value?
None of them are, you know,don't have anything to say.
I think Set Myself on Fire isone of my favorite songs and
it's not one of the singles, butI wrote that one with Faraz and
(15:00):
I think I don't know if I wantto get too much into what the
lyrics are, because I think itis nice to allow the listener to
to make that up for themselves.
But, um, I think, in thisperiod of my life where I'm torn
between two worlds, uh, thatthat song just really explains
(15:23):
where I might be at.
so I like it also, I think,production wise it's really.
I like the intro that juststarts off at a really slow beat
and then just ramps up and yeah, awesome.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Um, you know, as someone who has such a massive
following, uh, creativelyspeaking, do you ever feel like
you have to like censor yourself?
Or do you feel like truly freewhen you're, when you're
creating music, when you'rewriting lyrics, or do you, you
know, does something come outand you're like truly free when
you're, when you're creatingmusic, when you're writing
lyrics, or do you, you know,does something come out and
you're like, oh, I can't, Ican't, I can't put that out.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I gotta reel that back in no, I think being
sincere is so important andespecially with music, I
definitely don't write with theintention of other people
listening to it.
I guess I don't know how todescribe like I'm not going oh
my gosh, do I need to, like,curve this a little bit in order
(16:13):
for people to like it?
My goal is to come at somethingfrom from a the standpoint of a
fan.
Like I'm such a fan of music,Like I'm the one that buys a
t-shirt and I buy the tickets,and so I just want to make
something that that that excitesme.
And then, if it excites me, youknow, I know that I'm not alone
in this journey and there'sgoing to be other people that
(16:34):
it'll excite too.
But I think once you startmaking things like forcing them
to be something in order tosucceed in a way, I don't know,
(16:55):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I mean, I'm sure that works for a lot of people, but
I think also there are thosethat gain, you know, love from
just being yourself.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I was curious on you.
Know, like, how critical areyou on yourself as a musician?
You know, like, when you sitdown to write a song or record
an album, is your creativeprocess like more loose and free
, or serious and intentional?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
uh, I think I'm a pretty serious person all the
time.
My husband is the fun one Ifeel like in the relationship.
I'm always very like.
I don't like small talk.
I just, you know, always getintense very fast, but yeah, so,
yeah, I would say I would bemore on the serious, intentional
side.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Awesome.
You know a lot of artists loveto kind of obsess over the
creative process.
You've always had like a supercool, dark, immersive style that
seemed to sort of define yourprocess, you know, with drawing
and writing by candlelight,things like that.
You know, in this stage of yourlife, are you still all in when
(17:55):
it comes to establishing acreative space, or have you kind
of have you kind of caved inand turned into cold brew and a
laptop like the rest of us?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Never.
No, I still do things the hardway.
I I don't know.
I like traditionalism, I likeum.
I think there's somethingimportant about that.
You know, I'm homeschooling myson right now and he's learning
how to read and write and um,and I know a lot of public
schools have removed cursivefrom um the curriculum and for
(18:27):
me, like that type of stuff isvery important.
I feel like having a signatureis like a human fingerprint and
I want to hand down that to myson and so, yeah, I still, I
still love writing with a quillpen when I'm writing my thank
you cards or happy birthdaycards.
You know I I love technology.
(18:48):
I own a laptop.
I'm on one right now but as youcould tell how difficult it was
for me to sign on.
I'm not, I'm, I am a bit of adinosaur when it comes to
technology and I'm okay withthat, I think, you know, as long
as I have somebody to help me.
But even with the music stuff,like I think that's one of the
reasons I love analogsynthesizers is that it's like
you still feel that, that, um,that human imperfection.
(19:11):
Uh, and I like programming.
We did, you know, we obviouslyprogrammed a lot of drums and
things like that, but as far asthe, the, the synth sounds that
you hear on the album, that's,that was all we created, that
None of that was preset.
So, um, I don't know, there'ssomething, there's something
cool about that.
I like the old schoolness of it.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Yeah, awesome.
We got a couple of questionshere from the internet.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, Well, of course , of course.
Of course.
The first one is Kat.
What advice would you give toyoung women looking to break
into traditionally maledominated fields, whether it's
tattooing, music or business?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
um, I feel I used to get the ask that question a lot.
I, um, I feel like nothing ismale dominated anymore.
Very, I feel like, yeah, we'redoing everything.
Um, I don't know, I also suckat advice.
I think I I always liked tocome from the standpoint of not
making gender an issue.
I think something about that isvery annoying to me.
(20:14):
I feel feel like when we'relike, yeah, girl power, like
it's like I should, I shouldn'tget a gold star because I'm a
girl doing something thattypically a man was known for
doing, especially when it comesto art, I feel like it's like,
not like I'm doing manual labor.
You know women are fullycapable of being great artists
and I don't think it's, you know, necessarily, I don't know.
(20:39):
I always liked my work to speakfor itself.
You know, I never wanted toLike.
I remember there was thistattoo artist named Corey Miller
that was that ended up being onmy show for for a short time or
for a time, and he was from theera before me or the generation
of tattooers before me, and Ilooked up to him for a long time
(21:00):
and I remember the first timethat I met him and he just
thought I was, um, like atattooers girlfriend or
something.
But then he like looked at my,my portfolio and he was like, oh
, you're pretty good for a girl.
And I just remember going, ah,I just wanted, I wanted, I would
like people just to be like, oh, you're good, you're great, or
good job, you know, and not makeit.
(21:22):
Um, I don't know my estrogenlevels.
It's weird.
I think that's more admirablewhen, when, when women can just
just be and not not make it sucha.
You know, sometimes we tend tovictimize like it's easy to
victimize yourself and, um, Idon't know why we do that.
I think it makes us feel likewe're I don't, I don't know, I
(21:43):
don't know why we do that youknow where.
It's like um, we had to workextra hard, so it makes us extra
better, and I'm just like, ah,just just work hard, yeah, yeah,
awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I appreciate that I don't know if that's good advice
or not.
Tbd, tbd, all right.
Next one here.
Uh, kat Lincoln Park recentlyannounced a new singer.
Uh, if you would have gottenthe call, uh, what would your
answer have been?
And please God, let it be nothat's what he asked.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
I don't know, to be honest, I think it's dumb, I
think it's it's.
Uh, I knew chester and I thinkhe was.
He was so awesome and I justfeel like okay, well, first of
all, I don't.
I don't like it when bandsreunite without a singer.
I think it's, it's it.
I think it's dumb, like I likewhen the doors came back with
(22:36):
another, like get out of here,it's not jim morrison.
I very very few bands have beenable to switch singers
seamlessly, and I think most ofthe time it has to do with
almost like a um, like a trend,a transition that was approved
by the one prior to like do yeah, yeah like um acbc, you know,
(22:59):
but it's like I feel like why?
Why this?
is a gimmick first of all,you're having like a girl
replace a guy, like it's not.
That's just strange to me and Ithink people want to want to
use that as a way to be like, ohno, this is like we're paying
homage.
Then you're a cover band andyou're doing karaoke.
But like, at this point in timeI'm like, why can't we have the
(23:21):
technology to like, make a adamn hologram.
Like, make a hologram.
If you're gonna do it, you know, and remaster some live vocals.
I don't know that.
That to me as as a like, if Iwas a hardcore lincoln park band
, that's what I would want tosee.
The original singer, I dondon't want to see some girl
pretending like, like she's,she's doing a caricature of
(23:41):
something you know.
And then and then, when I sawthe statement of his son saying,
like he does not approve,original members not approving
this isn't cool.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Is this a money grab?
Like I don't know.
I don't.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I questioned the sincerity of it and so you know.
If that offends Linkin Parkfans, I'm sorry, but that's just
my personal take on it.
I'm just like just change thename of the band.
Start a new band if you want todo that and cover some songs.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, there's a lot of people who feel the same way.
You know, I agree with you.
It's always an interestingthing because you know, it would
seem that it wouldn't be amoney grab, but maybe it is.
And then it's like, okay, well,obviously it's horrible,
Chester's not here, but the bandprobably.
You know, at some point theywant to continue on making music
.
But then, you're right, it justfeels like just start something
(24:29):
else.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You know what I mean.
Yeah, yeah, I mean I just yeah,Like people do it all the time,
Bands break up and then otherbands and that and that that
makes the next band cool.
I don't know, I just it, justuh, I just think it's silly,
yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Uh, dear cat, you are an absolute legend and I love
you.
Are you still connectedemotionally to the tattoo world
or is it starting to feel like apast life?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Um, I'm not emotionally connected and I
don't.
I don't think I was, even whenI was tattooing full time.
I think that when I got on TV,um, it created this weird
dynamic where some tattooerslike me and others were just
straight up haters and I alwaysjust wanted to try my best.
And I know I wasn't the best.
(25:14):
I don't, I don't even.
I'm not the best at tattooing.
I don't, I don't even know ifthere is such a thing, um, but I
know there's a lot of, lot oftattooers that are better than
me.
Um, but, but I was given thisopportunity.
I just wanted to to representtattooing in the best way that I
could at the time and at theage that I was.
I was very young and so, yeah,I don't know, I feel like I
(25:37):
always felt a disconnection fromthe tattoo world and that's why
in my tattoo shop, I never hadflash on the walls.
I just collected fine art orthings that inspired us as a
tattoo team and we kind of werejust like lone wolves and did
our own thing and focused on usjust being as good as we could
possibly be and not reallyengaging to the drama of
tattooing.
I think.
(25:58):
I think tattooers tend to bevery egoic driven, and I come
from the era where, you know,I'm I'm older now, so I remember
my when my portfolio was madeup of actual photos and not not
Instagram accounts, and so Iremember back then it started.
You know, people would dotattoos for the photo versus for
(26:19):
the person or for the.
You know the art and and so,yeah, it's it's a tough line to
walk, I think, for tattooers,but yeah, I just don't know, I'm
not.
I feel like I kind of got outof it at the right time now and
and and now I'm going toprobably piss off a lot of
(26:39):
tattoos, but you know, I see the, the, the, the direction that
it's taking now.
And there's a.
There's a lot of really great,amazing artists that are just
blowing my mind.
I mean, there's some portraitartists that I'm just like oh,
I'm just I, I'm not worthy, youknow, they're just really
amazing.
And then there's just likemarketing people that are really
good at marketing, and youstart seeing just like, um, the,
(27:04):
the, the how do you say?
The lo-fi or dumbed downversion of art, and uh, and I
just can't back that, like, like, like you're doing bad tattoos
on purpose and that, and youknow, if that's what people like
, it's what they like and youshould get what you like.
But I, but as as far as artgoes, I don't respect that.
Like it's the same thing as awhat is that that?
(27:26):
The guy who does the splatterartwork?
I'm just like you're not realLike.
Like that's there's not.
The value is in the name andnot the art, and I think there's
a certain technical abilitythat makes you good and a lot of
people don't have that now?
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Yeah, yeah, no, I agree, I agree.
All right, a couple of pick-emshere.
I'm going to name a couple ofbands and you tell me which one
you like better.
Let's start with uh, ministry,or nine inch nails ministry nice
, yeah, hell yeah.
Uh, tom waits, or nick cave,nick cave, oh nice.
(28:06):
Frankenstein.
Or dracula, dracula, oh, depechemode, or the cure death is not
an option no, you gotta chooseyeah, you stumped me, I can't, I
can't choose what about uh,street art or fine art, finer
(28:30):
misfits or dead kennedys misfits, love and rockets, or jesus and
mary?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Love and Rockets.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Oh yeah, they're the best, the Grim Reaper or the
Angel of Death.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Huh, grim Reaper, I guess.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Yeah, yeah, the Shining or Silence of the Lambs.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Silence of the Lambs.
I love Anthony Hopkins.
I'm pretty fresh on him.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yeah, nice Basquiat or Andy Warhol Ugh, neither,
neither, really yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I want Rembrandt.
Yeah, all right, all right.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Coffee or matcha Coffee, nice.
Stay up late or wake up early.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
I do both.
I don't sleep.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Nice, Awesome.
Just two more questions here,Kat.
Really really appreciate yourtime Hypothetical.
Here we're bringing out thetime machine, Bill and Ted style
.
If you could go anywhere inhistory, where would you go
first and why?
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Oh, my gosh, Now I'm getting so deep into my head
right now I want to say like theresurrection, but then that
would be crazy.
I don't know if my heart could.
I don't, I don't even know.
I feel like my mind wouldexplode.
I was thinking about that theother day.
I'm like so much art until thisday is still affected by the
trauma of that one event, likeso that could be.
(29:54):
Um, yeah, I don't know.
I mean, we have such a historyof so much suffering.
It's I don't know if there's anera that I would want to go
back to, maybe pre-cell phoneera.
I like to my space.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Yeah, I like that, I like that, I like that.
All right, last question herewhat to you, kat Von D, is the
meaning of life?
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Dude, these are like the hardest questions.
I don't know how to answer thatone.
That one, I feel like it'sgoing to make me cry.
You know, I don't put meaninginto like like, I think the
things that are happening onthis earth are there's two parts
to life and a lot of the stuffthat's happening here is is
(30:39):
meaningless, you know.
But at the same time that Ilook at my son and I go, okay,
well, there's purpose here, butI don't know if it's my, it's
meaning, you know.
So, yeah, I don't know, I thinkI just I want to be a good
Christian.
I think that's that's like a agood deep part of meaning and
repentance, but, um, but I don'tknow how to articulate that in
(31:03):
a good way.
It's all good, it's all good,I'm too serious, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
It's good.
It's good.
That was, that was beautiful,that was perfect.
Uh, appreciate your time today,kat.
Thank you so much Congrats onthe album.
It's amazing and it was reallycool talking to you.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Oh my gosh.
This was some of my favoritequestions asked, so thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Of course, take care, peace Bye.
Hell yeah, what's up, kat?
How are you?
I'm doing good.
Thanks for having me.
Awesome, you know.
Congrats on your secondfull-length album.
My Side of the Mountain is outeverywhere as of the airing of
this podcast.
It's been three years sinceyour debut album.
Love Made Me Do it.
A lot can change in three years.
(00:22):
A lot can change album to album.
How have you grown creativelyand how have you grown
personally?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, I mean a whole lot.
I think the first album that Ireleased was written so long ago
I wrote it, I think, 10 yearsprior to it actually seeing the
light of day and that was justbecause at the time I was just
so just busy with everythingelse I was doing that I put
music on the kind of the backburner and so, um, by the time
(00:52):
that released I feel like I hadalready processed a lot of that
stuff.
Um, so I was actually reallyexcited when I started writing
the second album because it feltlike it was more up to date
with where I'm at on every leveland also, too, it's like I
think writing music is.
You see the different chapterskind of laid out before you and
(01:15):
like I'll use Depeche Mode as anexample because I love Depeche
Mode so much, but when I listento like the first Depeche Mode
album versus their last one,it's I've really enjoyed growing
up with them.
I feel like yeah they've refinedtheir sound, um, everything
from their production to davegahan's voice, is it just?
(01:37):
They just keep getting better,and I don't think that everybody
does that.
I think there's very few bandsthat you're like, a lot of
people are just like stuck in,like the first few albums that
they love, like where they go,whereas, like there's bands like
like Depeche Mode, that arejust, I feel, like get better
with time, and so for me, that'salways the goal.
You know, when I would do atattoo, people would ask me,
like what's the best tattooyou've done?
(01:57):
And I would always say that,you know, the last tattoo should
be your, your best one, andwe're striving to to, you know,
be the best version of ourselvesand outdo ourselves.
So, anyways, all that to say isthat I, I do, um, I do love the
second album.
I, I appreciate it in differentways.
I always love my first album,but I think, production wise,
(02:20):
and songwriting wise, um, andthen vocally, I really, really
wanted to push myself on this.
The second one.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Hell, yeah, you know that being said now that it's
out, are you?
Are you kind of already lookingdown the road, like you were
after the first album?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, you know, for this last album we ended up
writing about like 22 songs, andso not all of them made it.
I did want to release a bunchmore.
My manager was like why are yougiving everything away so much?
I have so much to say and do.
But so we'll probably startrolling out a lot of you know
different mixes, as well as newsongs, like soon after.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
So probably after this tour.
Awesome, cool, cool.
Um, talk to me about workingwith uh Shep Solomon and
Fernando Garibay, because uhthose are two amazing producers.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Um, how do these songs come together?
Um, yeah, I met Fernando,actually through my husband, I
think.
Uh, him and his producer team.
They were fans of, uh, rafa'smusic.
My husband's name is rafa, yeah, yeah, yeah, um, and his band's
name is prayers and, uh, hejust makes the coolest music.
I think like he created his owngenre and I think that's how he
got onto fernando's um radar,and then he came over and I feel
(03:40):
like fernando didn't reallyeven know anything about me, and
then my husband was like, oh,you should check out my wife,
she's making music.
And then we started rappingabout the kinds of music that
inspire us, and I just lovesynth music.
I like analog synth sounds andobviously bands from the 80s,
and so we were just vibing onthat, and so we just said, hey,
(04:02):
let's just try and writesomething together, see how it
goes.
And and I think we had a reallygreat chemistry um, fernando, I
think, has such um an immenseamount of knowledge as to the
science behind music and or themath behind music.
He really understands it as umsomething more than I do.
I just, I just know what Irespond to and I know what I
(04:25):
want to say.
And so it's nice to be able towork with someone who's so
knowledgeable in that sense andcan guide, guide your sentiment
into um, you know the vision youhave, so so that was fun.
And then he introduced me tosome of my favorite songwriters
that, um, that I've I've justabsolutely loved to work with,
like this, this album has mademe have like an appreciation for
(04:49):
songwriters in a way that Inever had before.
I think that they're the mostimportant part to to music.
Um, you know, I think you couldbe the best producer and you
could be the best, but if thesong isn't written well, I it's
kind of pointless.
And so working with people likeSherry short and Faraz and Shep
(05:12):
Solomon, um, it just I don'tknow.
I just admire these folks somuch because that's my weakest,
like my weakest downfall is likeI have all the ideas I could do
lyrics all day and chordprogression, sound design I love
all that.
But when it comes to writing topline melodies and just the
structure of songs, I think,because I was brought up in a
(05:34):
classical music upbringing, Idon't have that in me.
Like, I read sheet music, soI'm a little more, I guess,
mathematical in that sense.
So I'm I'm a little more, Iguess, mathematical in that
sense, and so, whereas I would,with me and my band, we would
write like a sound landscape,and then Faraz would walk in and
(05:55):
just breathe life into thissong Like I could have never
come up with.
And I remember when we werewriting I am a machine I knew I
wanted to write a song to haveElisa White Gloves from Arch
Enemy sing on it, and so I hadthis idea of a theme, and
(06:15):
usually when I sit with Faraz orwith Sherry, I would just kind
of just ramble on about an idea.
Sometimes it's like zooming inmicroscopically on a moment in
time, and that's what I want towrite a song about.
And then we would play themusic and he would just get on
the mic and I would just watchsomething come out.
It was, it's divine, it's not,it's not of this world.
(06:38):
I don't know how to, andbecause you know we had I had,
on my own, tried to come up witha melody for that song and just
failed miserably.
And then when he walked in, Iwas like, oh wow, he just he's
everything I wish I could be,but anyways.
So I really, I really lovedwatching that.
(06:59):
It's like the closest thing tomagic to me to be able to see a
painter or an artist of any form, a songwriter, do something
where I can understand how you,how you did it.
I just don't know how you didit, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know if that makes any sense.
No, it does.
It does.
I mean, you know, some peoplejust have that gift you know
it's crazy.
And songwriters, producersthere's so many people out there
that connect to music indifferent ways and kind of see
music and feel music indifferent ways, and you know
that's why, you know, being onyour own as an artist is a great
(07:40):
thing, but I think there's somuch growth in collaboration.
Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Especially with with these folks.
I mean, they're used to writingwith pop singers and pop
artists, so you know, farazworks with people like Katy
Perry and, um, you know, duaLipa and things that are not of
my world, um, and so I think itwas I.
I mean, there were severaltimes where where Faraz would be
(08:05):
like oh you know, this is atreat because I get to do
something that I normally don'tdo and I get to exercise a part
of my brain in a genre that Idon't normally get invited to,
and so I was like, yeah, youknow, come over to the dark side
, that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, I was checking out some of Fernando's stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
And dude, that guy's a trip dude, like I was watching
some of his social media stuff.
Oh my, yeah, he's what he he'sdoing and it's it's so
interesting how and I think someof it, you know, he's obviously
has a very high IQ and stuff,but um, but I also think it's a
it's about the experience he'sbeen doing it for so long.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, yeah, that to me it's like I it was easy to
trust and he would point yeah,yeah, many props to him for sure
awesome, awesome, um, you know,speaking of songwriting a
little bit, when you're writingyour own song, when you're
listening to a song that youlove, um, like, what is it to
(09:35):
you that connects?
Like what, what are thecomponents of a great song to
you?
Speaker 2 (09:41):
um, I mean, it really depends.
I think there's I, I I got.
My first introduction in musicwas punk rock.
Well, I mean, that was mysecond.
My first introduction wasclassical music, but then, um, I
think that was kind of forcedupon me, right, like cause, as a
kid no kid really wants totrain two hours a day on piano
(10:06):
but then I absolutely fell inlove with it and um, and I love
like the romantist era, so Ilike beethoven, japan, mozart,
that kind of stuff.
And then I discovered metal andI, well, I got into punk rock
music and I think I that that tome was more just the, the
attitude behind um, like youknow, it kind of it was exciting
(10:29):
to have something to fight foryeah it wasn't necessarily about
the, the talent or the skill,because I don't believe there's
a lot of punk rock bands thatthat had that.
I mean, um, just like a lot ofpower chords or you know, and it
has its own charm.
I'm not putting it down, Istill like that music.
But then once I I discoveredmetal, that's when I, like the
(10:49):
light bulb went off because Icould, I could admire the, um,
the technical ability, you know,and maybe I understood that the
scales on a piano aretranslating to the same guitar
scales.
And and then there was the, thevocal, vocal aspect.
Like these, you know, these,these guys are operatic.
(11:11):
And and then it wasn't until,um, I graduated into like the
post-punk era that I really waslike, oh, this makes my heart
sing.
You know, like listening tobands like Susie and the
Banshees or Depeche Mode or theCure.
There was all of those things.
There was the technical abilitythat they were playing their
instruments very well, there wasthe ability to sing very well,
(11:35):
and now there's this poetry, andthat's what makes my heart
explode, I think when, like, ifyou can make me cry, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
I like to be moved, and so Ithink it takes all those three
things, but then at the sametime I like the disco kiss era,
so sometimes it feels good too.
(11:57):
But yeah, I I just don't like.
I think mediocrity is a bigturnoff to me.
I don't understand, um like, Idon't like.
I don't like when we'recelebrating something based on
marketing.
I think, marketing is a big partof it and I like marketing too.
I think there's an art form tothat and I appreciate that, but
I don't like.
(12:18):
There's certain pop bands thatI don't understand what the
response is to like, why there'sthis response to it you know,
and it's not for me to judge,it's just.
I just accept it as it's justnot for me.
You know, I just don't, I don'tlisten to it yeah, no, I get
that, I get that.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
Um, you know, as a writer and singer myself, I was
really stoked to kind of hearyou bounce back and forth on the
album lyrically between sort ofuh, you know, painting a visual
picture, telling a story andkind of the classic like
personal vulnerability that yousee from a lot of the music that
you love.
You know, what do you enjoymost about the lyrical process?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Yeah, I love storytelling.
I don't know if I've just sinceI was a kid, I've always liked
writing.
And then I think, once I got onTV and understanding production
, um, you know, I, I I was nevera big TV person, and then when
I, when I got on on television,I was working with these
(13:21):
producers and we would lay outeach episode, um, and.
And then that's when Iunderstood oh, you know, there's
, there's, this isn't justorganically happening.
I mean, obviously there's thingsthat happen naturally, and then
we focus on that, but we'rewe're telling a story, there's a
there's a problem there's anarc and then there's a solution
(13:42):
and and so I think you get intothe mindset of of that and so,
like I love, I love starting tofilm documentary style and then
it only made sense that it wouldtranslate into music.
I like to tell a story in thatsense, but I think with music
what's cool about that is thatyou're not.
It doesn't have to be soliteral.
I think that's one of thethings that I love about some of
(14:03):
my favorite songs.
To me, I think they're lovesongs but then come to find they
were about something else whenthe person was writing.
So I think that's cool to beable to like.
A lot of my songs are aboutaddiction or drugs and
overcoming that, but they can betranslated into a love song or
dysfunctional the challenges ofa dysfunctional romance.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Awesome.
Is there a particular song ormoment on my side of the
mountain that you're especiallyproud of or that holds like
significant meaning to you?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I mean, all of them have sentimental value?
None of them are, you know,don't have anything to say.
I think Set Myself on Fire isone of my favorite songs and
it's not one of the singles, butI wrote that one with Faraz and
(15:00):
I think I don't know if I wantto get too much into what the
lyrics are, because I think itis nice to allow the listener to
to make that up for themselves.
But, um, I think, in thisperiod of my life where I'm torn
between two worlds, uh, thatthat song just really explains
(15:23):
where I might be at.
so I like it also, I think,production wise it's really.
I like the intro that juststarts off at a really slow beat
and then just ramps up and yeah, awesome.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Um, you know, as someone who has such a massive
following, uh, creativelyspeaking, do you ever feel like
you have to like censor yourself?
Or do you feel like truly freewhen you're, when you're
creating music, when you'rewriting lyrics, or do you, you
know, does something come outand you're like truly free when
you're, when you're creatingmusic, when you're writing
lyrics, or do you, you know,does something come out and
you're like, oh, I can't, Ican't, I can't put that out.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I gotta reel that back in no, I think being
sincere is so important andespecially with music, I
definitely don't write with theintention of other people
listening to it.
I guess I don't know how todescribe like I'm not going oh
my gosh, do I need to, like,curve this a little bit in order
(16:13):
for people to like it?
My goal is to come at somethingfrom from a the standpoint of a
fan.
Like I'm such a fan of music,Like I'm the one that buys a
t-shirt and I buy the tickets,and so I just want to make
something that that that excitesme.
And then, if it excites me, youknow, I know that I'm not alone
in this journey and there'sgoing to be other people that
(16:34):
it'll excite too.
But I think once you startmaking things like forcing them
to be something in order tosucceed in a way, I don't know,
(16:55):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I mean, I'm sure that works for a lot of people, but
I think also there are thosethat gain, you know, love from
just being yourself.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
I was curious on you.
Know, like, how critical areyou on yourself as a musician?
You know, like, when you sitdown to write a song or record
an album, is your creativeprocess like more loose and free
, or serious and intentional?
Speaker 2 (17:13):
uh, I think I'm a pretty serious person all the
time.
My husband is the fun one Ifeel like in the relationship.
I'm always very like.
I don't like small talk.
I just, you know, always getintense very fast, but yeah, so,
yeah, I would say I would bemore on the serious, intentional
side.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Awesome.
You know a lot of artists loveto kind of obsess over the
creative process.
You've always had like a supercool, dark, immersive style that
seemed to sort of define yourprocess, you know, with drawing
and writing by candlelight,things like that.
You know, in this stage of yourlife, are you still all in when
(17:55):
it comes to establishing acreative space, or have you kind
of have you kind of caved inand turned into cold brew and a
laptop like the rest of us?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Never.
No, I still do things the hardway.
I I don't know.
I like traditionalism, I likeum.
I think there's somethingimportant about that.
You know, I'm homeschooling myson right now and he's learning
how to read and write and um,and I know a lot of public
schools have removed cursivefrom um the curriculum and for
(18:27):
me, like that type of stuff isvery important.
I feel like having a signatureis like a human fingerprint and
I want to hand down that to myson and so, yeah, I still, I
still love writing with a quillpen when I'm writing my thank
you cards or happy birthdaycards.
You know I I love technology.
(18:48):
I own a laptop.
I'm on one right now but as youcould tell how difficult it was
for me to sign on.
I'm not, I'm, I am a bit of adinosaur when it comes to
technology and I'm okay withthat, I think, you know, as long
as I have somebody to help me.
But even with the music stuff,like I think that's one of the
reasons I love analogsynthesizers is that it's like
you still feel that, that, um,that human imperfection.
(19:11):
Uh, and I like programming.
We did, you know, we obviouslyprogrammed a lot of drums and
things like that, but as far asthe, the, the synth sounds that
you hear on the album, that's,that was all we created, that
None of that was preset.
So, um, I don't know, there'ssomething, there's something
cool about that.
I like the old schoolness of it.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Yeah, awesome.
We got a couple of questionshere from the internet.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Yeah, Well, of course , of course.
Of course.
The first one is Kat.
What advice would you give toyoung women looking to break
into traditionally maledominated fields, whether it's
tattooing, music or business?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
um, I feel I used to get the ask that question a lot.
I, um, I feel like nothing ismale dominated anymore.
Very, I feel like, yeah, we'redoing everything.
Um, I don't know, I also suckat advice.
I think I I always liked tocome from the standpoint of not
making gender an issue.
I think something about that isvery annoying to me.
(20:14):
I feel feel like when we'relike, yeah, girl power, like
it's like I should, I shouldn'tget a gold star because I'm a
girl doing something thattypically a man was known for
doing, especially when it comesto art, I feel like it's like,
not like I'm doing manual labor.
You know women are fullycapable of being great artists
and I don't think it's, you know, necessarily, I don't know.
(20:39):
I always liked my work to speakfor itself.
You know, I never wanted toLike.
I remember there was thistattoo artist named Corey Miller
that was that ended up being onmy show for for a short time or
for a time, and he was from theera before me or the generation
of tattooers before me, and Ilooked up to him for a long time
(21:00):
and I remember the first timethat I met him and he just
thought I was, um, like atattooers girlfriend or
something.
But then he like looked at my,my portfolio and he was like, oh
, you're pretty good for a girl.
And I just remember going, ah,I just wanted, I wanted, I would
like people just to be like, oh, you're good, you're great, or
good job, you know, and not makeit.
(21:22):
Um, I don't know my estrogenlevels.
It's weird.
I think that's more admirablewhen, when, when women can just
just be and not not make it sucha.
You know, sometimes we tend tovictimize like it's easy to
victimize yourself and, um, Idon't know why we do that.
I think it makes us feel likewe're I don't, I don't know, I
(21:43):
don't know why we do that youknow where.
It's like um, we had to workextra hard, so it makes us extra
better, and I'm just like, ah,just just work hard, yeah, yeah,
awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I appreciate that I don't know if that's good advice
or not.
Tbd, tbd, all right.
Next one here.
Uh, kat Lincoln Park recentlyannounced a new singer.
Uh, if you would have gottenthe call, uh, what would your
answer have been?
And please God, let it be nothat's what he asked.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
I don't know, to be honest, I think it's dumb, I
think it's it's.
Uh, I knew chester and I thinkhe was.
He was so awesome and I justfeel like okay, well, first of
all, I don't.
I don't like it when bandsreunite without a singer.
I think it's, it's it.
I think it's dumb, like I likewhen the doors came back with
(22:36):
another, like get out of here,it's not jim morrison.
I very very few bands have beenable to switch singers
seamlessly, and I think most ofthe time it has to do with
almost like a um, like a trend,a transition that was approved
by the one prior to like do yeah, yeah like um acbc, you know,
(22:59):
but it's like I feel like why?
Why this?
is a gimmick first of all,you're having like a girl
replace a guy, like it's not.
That's just strange to me and Ithink people want to want to
use that as a way to be like, ohno, this is like we're paying
homage.
Then you're a cover band andyou're doing karaoke.
But like, at this point in timeI'm like, why can't we have the
(23:21):
technology to like, make a adamn hologram.
Like, make a hologram.
If you're gonna do it, you know, and remaster some live vocals.
I don't know that.
That to me as as a like, if Iwas a hardcore lincoln park band
, that's what I would want tosee.
The original singer, I dondon't want to see some girl
pretending like, like she's,she's doing a caricature of
(23:41):
something you know.
And then and then, when I sawthe statement of his son saying,
like he does not approve,original members not approving
this isn't cool.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Is this a money grab?
Like I don't know.
I don't.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I questioned the sincerity of it and so you know.
If that offends Linkin Parkfans, I'm sorry, but that's just
my personal take on it.
I'm just like just change thename of the band.
Start a new band if you want todo that and cover some songs.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, there's a lot of people who feel the same way.
You know, I agree with you.
It's always an interestingthing because you know, it would
seem that it wouldn't be amoney grab, but maybe it is.
And then it's like, okay, well,obviously it's horrible,
Chester's not here, but the bandprobably.
You know, at some point theywant to continue on making music
.
But then, you're right, it justfeels like just start something
(24:29):
else.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You know what I mean.
Yeah, yeah, I mean I just yeah,Like people do it all the time,
Bands break up and then otherbands and that and that that
makes the next band cool.
I don't know, I just it, justuh, I just think it's silly,
yeah, all right.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Uh, dear cat, you are an absolute legend and I love
you.
Are you still connectedemotionally to the tattoo world
or is it starting to feel like apast life?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Um, I'm not emotionally connected and I
don't.
I don't think I was, even whenI was tattooing full time.
I think that when I got on TV,um, it created this weird
dynamic where some tattooerslike me and others were just
straight up haters and I alwaysjust wanted to try my best.
And I know I wasn't the best.
(25:14):
I don't, I don't even.
I'm not the best at tattooing.
I don't, I don't even know ifthere is such a thing, um, but I
know there's a lot of, lot oftattooers that are better than
me.
Um, but, but I was given thisopportunity.
I just wanted to to representtattooing in the best way that I
could at the time and at theage that I was.
I was very young and so, yeah,I don't know, I feel like I
(25:37):
always felt a disconnection fromthe tattoo world and that's why
in my tattoo shop, I never hadflash on the walls.
I just collected fine art orthings that inspired us as a
tattoo team and we kind of werejust like lone wolves and did
our own thing and focused on usjust being as good as we could
possibly be and not reallyengaging to the drama of
tattooing.
I think.
(25:58):
I think tattooers tend to bevery egoic driven, and I come
from the era where, you know,I'm I'm older now, so I remember
my when my portfolio was madeup of actual photos and not not
Instagram accounts, and so Iremember back then it started.
You know, people would dotattoos for the photo versus for
(26:19):
the person or for the.
You know the art and and so,yeah, it's it's a tough line to
walk, I think, for tattooers,but yeah, I just don't know, I'm
not.
I feel like I kind of got outof it at the right time now and
and and now I'm going toprobably piss off a lot of
(26:39):
tattoos, but you know, I see the, the, the, the direction that
it's taking now.
And there's a.
There's a lot of really great,amazing artists that are just
blowing my mind.
I mean, there's some portraitartists that I'm just like oh,
I'm just I, I'm not worthy, youknow, they're just really
amazing.
And then there's just likemarketing people that are really
good at marketing, and youstart seeing just like, um, the,
(27:04):
the, the how do you say?
The lo-fi or dumbed downversion of art, and uh, and I
just can't back that, like, like, like you're doing bad tattoos
on purpose and that, and youknow, if that's what people like
, it's what they like and youshould get what you like.
But I, but as as far as artgoes, I don't respect that.
Like it's the same thing as awhat is that that?
(27:26):
The guy who does the splatterartwork?
I'm just like you're not realLike.
Like that's there's not.
The value is in the name andnot the art, and I think there's
a certain technical abilitythat makes you good and a lot of
people don't have that now?
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Yeah, yeah, no, I agree, I agree.
All right, a couple of pick-emshere.
I'm going to name a couple ofbands and you tell me which one
you like better.
Let's start with uh, ministry,or nine inch nails ministry nice
, yeah, hell yeah.
Uh, tom waits, or nick cave,nick cave, oh nice.
(28:06):
Frankenstein.
Or dracula, dracula, oh, depechemode, or the cure death is not
an option no, you gotta chooseyeah, you stumped me, I can't, I
can't choose what about uh,street art or fine art, finer
(28:30):
misfits or dead kennedys misfits, love and rockets, or jesus and
mary?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Love and Rockets.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Oh yeah, they're the best, the Grim Reaper or the
Angel of Death.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
Huh, grim Reaper, I guess.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Yeah, yeah, the Shining or Silence of the Lambs.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Silence of the Lambs.
I love Anthony Hopkins.
I'm pretty fresh on him.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Yeah, nice Basquiat or Andy Warhol Ugh, neither,
neither, really yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I want Rembrandt.
Yeah, all right, all right.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Coffee or matcha Coffee, nice.
Stay up late or wake up early.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
I do both.
I don't sleep.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Nice, Awesome.
Just two more questions here,Kat.
Really really appreciate yourtime Hypothetical.
Here we're bringing out thetime machine, Bill and Ted style
.
If you could go anywhere inhistory, where would you go
first and why?
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Oh, my gosh, Now I'm getting so deep into my head
right now I want to say like theresurrection, but then that
would be crazy.
I don't know if my heart could.
I don't, I don't even know.
I feel like my mind wouldexplode.
I was thinking about that theother day.
I'm like so much art until thisday is still affected by the
trauma of that one event, likeso that could be.
(29:54):
Um, yeah, I don't know.
I mean, we have such a historyof so much suffering.
It's I don't know if there's anera that I would want to go
back to, maybe pre-cell phoneera.
I like to my space.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Yeah, I like that, I like that, I like that.
All right, last question herewhat to you, kat Von D, is the
meaning of life?
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Dude, these are like the hardest questions.
I don't know how to answer thatone.
That one, I feel like it'sgoing to make me cry.
You know, I don't put meaninginto like like, I think the
things that are happening onthis earth are there's two parts
to life and a lot of the stuffthat's happening here is is
(30:39):
meaningless, you know.
But at the same time that Ilook at my son and I go, okay,
well, there's purpose here, butI don't know if it's my, it's
meaning, you know.
So, yeah, I don't know, I thinkI just I want to be a good
Christian.
I think that's that's like a agood deep part of meaning and
repentance, but, um, but I don'tknow how to articulate that in
(31:03):
a good way.
It's all good, it's all good,I'm too serious, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
It's good.
It's good.
That was, that was beautiful,that was perfect.
Uh, appreciate your time today,kat.
Thank you so much Congrats onthe album.
It's amazing and it was reallycool talking to you.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Oh my gosh.
This was some of my favoritequestions asked, so thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Of course, take care, peace Bye.
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