DIVINE GODDESS

Interview with Xoch by Bruce Mee

(foreword by Dave Reynolds)

It was definitely fate that led me to Xoch. It was something that was just meant to be!

I'd stumbled across her name while trawling the internet intent upon looking for how much interest ex Human Waste Project vocalist Aimee Echo's new band The Start had been generating away from the official website. I couldn't understand how a band so good could still be so underground, especially in this day and age.

Looking through the message boards at www.alternativeaddiction.com, I found a few references to this unusually monikered woman. I just had to find out more. This was actually about a week or two before the site in question added her to their 'Unknown Top 10' list.

I was so intrigued by the name; I immediately checked her website out. Even more interested, I listened to the tracks from 'The One' she had up and discovered the link to Eddie Kramer and John Regan. If that duo had been involved at some stage in her career, she just HAD to have something about her. Impressed by what I read, and especially by what I heard, I decided to drop her an e-mail.

Although the word length of the column I pen for 'Classic Rock' severely restricts me from going as in depth as I'd like on new talent, I was determined to write as much as I could about Xoch, in order to get what she was about across to readers. Xoch was delighted with the piece, and the interest in the UK it generated. Hey, she ultimately got a European record deal out of it too!

As I wrote in my subsequent album review in 'Classic Rock', Xoch certainly has all the right credentials to be taken pretty seriously. The album's title track, 'My Desire' and 'You' really should find Xoch on the same level as Avril Lavigne and Pink in terms of popularity. Yes, she's that good. Actually, vocally, rather better! 'The One' is perfect for heavy rotation on MTV and The Box. Why she hasn't been picked up by anyone before now is probably as much a mystery as her real name!

For those with more melodic tastes, the semi-AOR of 'Let Me In', 'Invisible People' and 'Faith' will surely please, but Xoch's future (and she knows this only too well) lies with the more contemporary nature of her best material that may crown her queen of the nu-breed yet!

And now the lady herself has more than a few words to say to 'Fireworks' editor Bruce Mee…..


Okay, first off, explain where the name Xoch originated, and do you come across much confusion with the pronunciation.

Unfortunately, I do come across some confusion regarding the pronunciation of my name. What I think is ironic is that the first two letters of my name are 'xo", which symbolizes kisses and hugs! I figure my name can embrace people, in a sense!

The origin of my name.....I traveled to Central America after graduating from high school a few years ago. Since I have always been fascinated with ancient civilizations and cultures, I was eager to explore the Ruins of Mexico and Central America. After climbing to the top of various Aztec and Mayan Ruins, I felt this awe-inspiring presence come over me. Here I was at the top of an ancient landmark, staring down at the beautiful landscape below , feeling the tropical sun and light breeze in my face, and I suddenly felt a strong sense of purpose of what I was destined to do, and who I was to become. It was profound. I literally felt and understood the meaning and purpose of my life! Upon returning home from Central America, I made every effort to research the ancient civilizations of Central America. Throughout my research, I kept coming across the name of the Aztec god "Xochipilli" which means "the god of flower, song , fertility, etc." In my interpretation, by taking on the name XOCH, it took on the meaning - "the goddess of flower and song". In a sense, the name chose me! I became XOCH in 1997, and I have not looked back. For better or worse, XOCH is who I am, and I am sure that people will get onto the "pronunciation train" once I am more well-known.


What encouraged you to get started in the business?

I was born to be a star! I was born to entertain! I have always been drawn to music, performing, writing and the like, and all of my extra-curricular activities as a child were in the perfomance arts. As a child I didn't play with dolls, I played instruments. I desired nothing more than acting, dancing, singing, etc., as I was growing up. The funny thing is that my parents were working class people and not really entertainers, so it really must have been something I was born to. Mom and Dad were good parents in that they supported and encouraged whatever I wanted to do, as opposed to forcing me into a particular activity. It is natural for me to be a performer. I have always been very comfortable performing in front of people. I like the fact that I can control and take charge of my reality, the moment I'm on stage. I feel I'm more at ease performing on stage in front of many people than dealing with people one on one. It's who I am and what I do! Besides, I really never saw myself fitting into the mold of everyday society. It's not my thing. So, it was a natural progression for me to pursue an individualistic entertainment career once I became an adult.


What are your musical influencies?

Madonna, Marilyn Manson & Tori Amos. All three artists evolve with each CD they put out, and they have no qualms at all with just being who they are. All three artists' image and music reflect where they are at a point in time, and in a sense, the listener gets to evolve with them. All three artists are controversial in that they do not fit into a cookie-cutter mold of what people think they should be, and they do not shy away from criticism just because someone thinks they shouldn't be the way they are. They stand out, and they refuse to be stifled or forced to conform to a society that tries to fit everything into a nice little comfortable mold, a society that tries tell you what to do, who to be, and what to say. I truly find inspiration in that kind of independence, and I think that is reflected in their music. It's genuine. It's them. Also, just like these 3 artists, it has always been my goal as an artist to evolve with each piece of work I release. I will be striving for that as my career develops. I'm also a HUGE fan of Butch Walker! That guy is a terrific songwriter and a great live entertainer. Whenever I get the chance to see him play, I always leave his show amazed! He is the epitome of someone who loves to perform, and the audience just feels it right to the fibre of their being. Butch is the most underrated songwriter and performer in music today.


You had a band called the Fuzzies. Tell us a little about them, and why did you decide to leave to go solo?

Prior to my solo career, I had been doing The Fuzzies for nearly seven years. We showcased to various labels and industry professionals in the U.S. Everyone thought the strength of my voice and image would be enough to get some attention, but needless to say, no one in the industry got behind the band fully. We did get singed to an indie label in 1998, but nothing really came of it because the label put no money or promotion into our CD. They had no real distribution either, but that is a moot point because distribution without promotion is a wasted effort anyway. So the deal fell through shortly after it started. Plus, keeping a band together for years without some financial support can be extremely difficult, especially when you are trying to go the major label route. We had a forever changing line up because people would leave for various reasons. Priorities change, and sometimes, egos got in the way and caused a lot of problems in the creative process. I really got frustrated and tired of trying to present a band image to people in the industry who weren't interested in "female fronted rock bands". However, individual female artists seem to be fine with the industry. So after nearly seven years of going full circle to nowhere, my guitarist and songwriting partner Vince Ripper and I decided to walk away from the band and the situation, so we could do what we felt was right for us, and so that we could enjoy the creative process again. We decided to change the focus of the project and put the attention on me, which has only been to our benefit! By calling it XOCH after me, it really allowed us to capitalize on my strength as a vocalist and performer instead of trying to focus on a band image. We have a great band of loyal sidemen who understand what we are trying to do, and it is working wonderfully for Vince and I.


What would you say are the differences in sound between your solo career and previous bands?

The Fuzzies was definitely a more high energy, punky, 'in your face' kind of sound. The lyrics were fun, but there was no real substance to the lyrics other than fun. It was a quirky style of music, and there was a great focus on raucous guitars. I think in terms of my solo career, I am now better able to express myself more freely, both lyrically and musically. The lyrics have more depth and substance, and we build the music around the lyrics in many cases, instead of the guitar, which is a very different process now than when I was with the Fuzzies. I think the solo material really puts more of an emphasis on my strengths as a vocalist, and I think it is more a mature, universal sound overall.


Your album album 'The ONE'. How long did it take to record and how much involvement in the writing process did you have?

It took three years to record the CD, mostly for financial reasons, since I am an indie-artist with no real financeur, except myself. Our time was also limited time due to day jobs and the like, so even though we write quite a bit, it took some time to put together the finished product. Basically, the CD was done in three sessions (as we came up with the money), in various studios. Some of the material towards the end of the CD like "Faith" and "the Fool's Dream" were the first songs to get recorded. The first three songs on the CD ("The ONE", "You", and "My Desire"), which I feel are the strongest songs and are most reflective of where I am headed with my music, were recorded at the end of 2002.

I was very highly involved in the writing process of this CD, on 100% of the songs. I often collaborate with Vince. Sometimes, he has the initial idea of a melody or a basic chord structure, and sometimes I have an idea for a melody or a topic, or "key phrase" that I think would be cool to write a song about. It's truly a 50-50 collaborative partnership and effort, and the songs on my CD are a result of that collaboration!


Your music has been compared with Avril Lavigne. Do you find this comparison complementary, or does it annoy you a little seeing as you have been making your music well before she appeared on the scene?

It's a double edged sword. It's both complementary as well as it is annoying! I have been doing this long before Avril came along, so it is a bit unusual for me that I am being compared to her. In a perfect world, Avril would most certainly be following in my footsteps as opposed to the other way around, but I must give her the props she deserves - she got there first. Avril was lucky enough to get a team of industry contacts behind her, and a team of major label financed producers/writers to help her write hit songs. I have never had that, but I must say that I don't think my music suffers at all for it. I have to say that I'm proud of the fact that without any contacts in the industry and based solely on the strength of my songs, voice and image alone, I'm starting to get a lot of recognition and attention for my music, all over the globe. Personally, I don't think America is ready yet for the "Anti-Avril", so for the time being, my focus is in Europe and elsewhere. My biggest problem with Avril is that she calls herself a punker, but there is barely the slightest hint of punk influence on her record, and it has been told in press all over the world that she has no real knowledge of her "punk predecessors", like the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, Blondie, and David Bowie. This screams to me that her image is a record-company contrived image designed to sell records to naive children, and that Avril is just a typical teenager, not a true punk rocker. I have trouble with that, because I think it is important for an artist to have their music and image be cohesive. It adds to the genuineness of the music, and therefore the believability factor. I know that my image is just ME, plain and simple. I am the same on stage and off, and I think that comes through in my music. With all of that said, however, I don't think it hurts to be compared to a multi-platinum artist. I understand that, in general, people need to put things into a nice comfortable box to be able to relate to it, so if people want to compare me to Avril, then so be it. I can't change the nature of people, so I just go with the flow and hope that my music is looked at individually. I enjoy Avril's CD very much, but truthfully, I think my songs have greater lyrical depth and maturity, and I think it is obvious in listening to my CD that my songs, lyrically and musically, come from the heart and are not contrived. Considering that Avril's CD cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars to make, and mine cost somewhere in the $20,000 range, to be compared to her based on my CD alone without any of these "comparers" ever seeing me live, is not such a bad thing in some respects. I know that in live performance, I am nothing like Avril at all. I just hope that in being compared to her, I don't get grouped into a particular style or trend following, because I think in time my body of work will reflect a much greater spectrum than an Avril Lavigne comparison will allow. We'll just have to wait and see.


The album has been receiving really good press. Are you happy with the reaction so far?

I'm very excited that the European press and market are digging my CD! As an artist, you want people to like your work and to be able to relate to it. When I was making this CD, I really tried to convey a universal message. I really wanted to leave it open for the listener to interpret the songs and take their own meaning from them and relate to their own life and experiences. A lot of my songs are about what I'm going through at the moment. I feel that because of the way I present myself artisically, that many different types of people can relate to things I talk about in my songs. "The ONE" is a song about being assertive and standing up for yourself. "You" really focuses on femininity and intimacy, which is something we don't hear a lot about in our music and culture. I feel like my songs are like great art; there's always room for interpretation.


Dave Reynolds has been championing you over at Classic Rock magazine. How did you guys get involved?

Dave contacted me back in mid-January through a well known U.S. indie band web site called Alternative Addiction (http://alternativeaddiction.com). My song 'The One' had just been featured on their Sound Judgement a few weeks before and was recently added to their Unknown Bands Top Ten where it stayed for an impressive 4-month run. While being featured on the Top Ten, Dave got in touch with me. He was very enthusiastic about the material and wanted to help in anyway he could. He called and interviewed me for a feature in his column at Classic Rock for the March issue. I'm very grateful for his encouragement and belief in me as an artist! Dave's an awesome guy and we still manage to stay in touch.


How do you feel about using sex appeal to help promote your music?

I feel that if you do use sex appeal, it should be used in a clever way, not gratuitously. It's a very narrow line to walk. In music today, the "rock chics" are angry and the "pop chics" are "T and A". There is nothing in between! Except me, of course! I'm really hoping to dispel the myth that female artists can't be beautiful AND intelligent at the same time. I think for a long time now, people have been afraid of a strong, independent woman! I'm a take charge kind of person and I do what I want! I think there needs to be a strong female artist in music that can reach young women and teach them that it's ok to be comfortable with who you are. And that would be me!


You've been doing quite a few acoustic show of late. Do you enjoy this format of performing?

I do. I enjoy performing with a full electric band as well. There's nothing like getting up on a huge stage with amps, lights and a screaming crowd! But there's also nothing like getting intimate and really connecting with your audience when you play acoustic. It's a whole other level. When playing acoustically, for me, it's all about the strength of the songs and lyrics in their most basic form, and I feel it really allows me to shine as a vocalist. I get to connect with the audience on a more personal, intimate level. I enjoy performing both acoustic and electric equally. I love each process for its own circumstances. I probably perform two-thirds electric and one-third acoustic over the course of a year.


You've already started writing for the next album. Can you tell us a little about some of the songs that will be appearing on it?


I have written about half of the next CD. We have 11 songs up for consideration, and 6 definites at this time. I feel the material is very strong and really stands on its own. I recently finished two fantastic new songs about a month ago. They are called 'Everyday (of My Life)' and 'Best I Never Had', and they are two of the strongest songs I have ever written, and I think they could be the singles that lead my next release. Keep in mind that XOCH is the evolution of what used to be the Fuzzies, and that was a huge change for me. I think the second XOCH CD will be similar stylistically to 'The ONE' to a certain extent, but it will also move forward in a new direction, and I think it will be an over-all stronger record. I believe you can only move forward in life, there is no going back. Since I'm not finished writing it, I really can't definitively tell you the direction I'll be going, so you'll just have to wait and see. I can tell you this - you will definitely see a more evolved XOCH on the second CD!


What are the high points of career so far?

I have had many great things happen to me in my career thus far, from winning national songwriting contests here in America, to playing on huge stages opening for great national acts like Pat Benetar and Lit, to having my music played on FM radio all over the US in a limited capacity, but what is probably my greatest success so far is my signing with Now and Then Records in April 2003. When my CD is released in Europe I am hopeful to be able to reach a brand new audience now all over the world, and that is something I have not been able to do before. Also, I think the European market, in general, respects "music" more than the American market does, and I think that will allow me to blossom as an artist in Europe. The American commercial music market is about following trends, and for females how much skin you show, and what color your hair is, and everything EXCEPT good music. As a general statement, American record companies follow trends, they don't create them. They plant pretty singers and dancers into an already created situation, and then hope that a non-writing artist, based on how much skin they show or how pretty they are, can sell records. I think this is part of the current failure of the American Music Market. There is no respect for the writing artist, and there is no artist development anymore. So far, it appears to me that European music fans just love good music whatever the genre, and I think that will allow me to grow, develop, and eventually, achieve the success that I am looking for, and that would be a full-time, touring career in music, and maybe a hit or two on the charts.


What are your dreams and aspirations?

To rule the world! To be the most famous entertainer in the world! To be a good natured person, to never stop setting and achieving goals, to have a long, prosperous and lucrative career, and to generate dialog among people. I want to keep people guessing!


Describe a typical day for Xoch.

I'm a worker. I need to work! I spend a good portion of my day doing music, between booking shows, performing, rehearsing, promoting and song writing. A lot of the time, songwriting ideas come in the wee hours of the morning, so when the inspiration strikes, I have to work! In my "free time" ( as you can gather I don't have much!), I also attend college part-time at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, NY. I'm majoring in Performing Arts. And most recently, I finished an internship with Cumulus Media, which is the number 2 radio broadcasting company in the U.S.


If we looked in your bookcase and DVD collection, what would we find?

DVD's - comic stories, superhero stories, anime and sci-fi! I like to be taken away to a different place when I watch movies, and I really enjoy high-tech special effects and CGI. I don't really go in for the sappy chick-flics, and with the topsy-turvy independent musician's lifestyle I have, I already deal with enough drama! So when I sit to watch a movie, I like to be "taken away" to a different place, unlike the world of everyday life. That's why I like comic stories, superhero stories, anime and sci-fi.

Books are different for me, much more "heady". I love to read text books and non-fiction. I have such a vivid imagination already, so I don't need fiction at all in my reading! I particularly like books about different religions and cultures. If I am to be the goddess of flower and song, I must continue to educate myself in the ways of all cultures and beliefs, so that my message can reach as many varied and different peoples as possible.


Finally, what would you say to music fans to encourage them to check you out and listen to your music?

XOCH is The ONE! I would say to music lovers everywhere, if you're looking for an artist who has lyrical depth and something relative to say, a great band of top-notch musicians, and someone with an attractive and unique look, come check me out! My message is this: Be yourself, the unique individual you are! I hope to inspire people to believe in themselves and in their abilities! I'm cool with who I am and I make no apologies for being myself! Besides, it's cool to be me!