EDITOR'S NOTE:
This interview was conducted live and has been edited for content
and length.
MWE:
What is the current situation with the release of the new album?
OTEP: Capitol and Virgin records merged. Now we have to negotiate
our contract under the new management. Everything that was new
or not released was dropped. They gave us the option of what we
wanted to do. Right now we might be better off to find a new home.
.
MWE: You have long been known as
being a political voice in metal? So you feel that the recent
surge in political awareness is because of the current state of
affairs or are people just jumping on the bandwagon?
OTEP: I don't think there's a bandwagon to jump on. Our country's
in trouble. Men and women are dying everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan
for no reason. An artists job is to pose questions. The claim
that if a Democrat gets elected President that there will definitely
be another 9-11. What they don’t realize is that we had
a Republican President, Congress and Mayor of New York when the
first one happened.
MWE: Being a strong willed woman
in metal for so long, how do you feel about the recent surge of
female talent in the genre?
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 OTEP:
It’s a breakdown of stereotypes. When I first started this
band you rarely seen woman at shows. Now you're seeing woman musicians.
It always seems somewhat acceptable to be a female bass player.
Now you see female guitarists, drummers and singers. I think it’s
fantastic to see these stereotypes falling. It’s not a novelty
anymore. These are talented people and they have something to
say. There's still a long road to home but it’s changing
and it’s better.
MWE: It’s long been said that
you have a lot of fans because of your live show. What do you
hope fans will take away from this?
OTEP: I hope they get the same sort of catharsis that we get.
I hope that some sort of emotional, spiritual or cultural shift
takes place. I hope their able to unzip themselves and burst into
the beautiful butterflies they are. "Erotic Politics"
is what Jim Morrison called them. That's hopefully what people
take away from our shows.
MWE: You guys did a virtual tour
website to layout your current tour. Where did that idea come
from and how has the response been to the concept?
OTEP: We were lucky that the web 2.0 revolution happened when
it did. When I decided to start a band I tried to pick out like
minded people but there wasn't’t technology to support what
we wanted to do. When it came along we were really ready to exploit
it in every positive way possible.
MWE: I noticed in your bio that
all of the tracks on the new album are dedicated to different
countries. Is there any one cause right now that kind of defines
the message you want to distribute or get across?
OTEP: I’ve always been a big children's advocate. It’s
always been the most important thing on my mind. Whether it be
Dar fur or children of violence. I hope people will wake up and
realize how beautiful and unique it is to live in our country.
We can be informed and involved and make something happen. It’s
easy for us to forget how lucky and beautiful we are to live in
this country.
MWE: Who would win in a Cereal Death
Match, Tony the Tiger or Cap’n Crunch?
OTEP: Does the Cap’n have a gun?
MWE: I think he has a pistol.
OTEP: I still think Tony the tiger could take him. If the Cap’n
could get a shot off it would end with both of their demise but
ultimately Tony the Tiger would win. It’s not really a fair
fight though. It should be someone like Sugar Bear vs Tony the
Tiger. Sugar Bear, he just sounds like a pimp.
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