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An Interview with Heather Thompson and Eric Fisher of Tapping the Vein
Posted: Sunday, September 23, 2007
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

Tapping the Vein are certainly an intriguing entity in the realm of underground music. First making waves with their 1997 Butterfly EP, the band displayed an excellent mix of goth, rock, and electronica, topped off by the powerful vocal range of Heather Thompson. Though comparisons to Garbage were rather readily apparent, the synergy between Thompson's voice, Mark Burkert's powerful guitar riffs and conservative solos, Joe Rolland's subsonic bass, and Eric Fisher's precise blend of organic drumming and intricate programming created a sound much more dynamic than the mainstream leanings of Garbage. Releasing their second EP, Undone, in 2000, the band continued to build their reputation as a popular live act, playing alongside such bands as 51 Peg and Carfax Abbey, solidifying their fan base in the goth/industrial underground. In 2002, the band signed to metal label Nuclear Blast and released their debut album, The Damage. Featuring both new material and several rerecorded tracks from the previous EPs, the band found themselves plunged into the metal community as they shared the stage with groups like Lacuna Coil, Daylight Dies, Paradise Lost, and Opeth, presenting their signature electronic rock attack to the unsuspecting metal crowd. With the departure of Joe Rolland from the lineup and the lack of activity since 2003, some might have surmised that Tapping the Vein had dissolved. Thankfully, such a supposition proved false when the band reemerged on the Where's Neil When You Need Him? compilation. Tapping the Vein is still very much alive, currently in the final stages of the production of their new album. Eric Fisher and Heather Thompson took some time to break the silence and allow ReGen a glimpse into what new musical veins they will be tapping in the months to come.

It has been five years since the release of your first full-length album, The Damage, 10 years after the Butterfly EP. Aside from the departure of bassist Joe Rolland, what sorts of changes have occurred within Tapping the Vein, and how will these changes affect the music on your upcoming new album?

Thompson: Other than Joe leaving, the only big change is that I have moved to England. The long distance thing is a bit of a strain, but we are doing just fine for the moment. We can share recorded bits and vocals over a server on the Internet. I can record something here, and Eric can download it in Philly right away. It is a completely different way of writing, because we are used to hashing over things together at rehearsals and live gigs. I would decide what to sing based on how it felt live, which I can't do now. I have to decide what I like based on if it records OK and if it sounds good on tape. Recording from home also allowed me to play around a lot more with backups. On one of the songs, I think I sing four different parts, which I usually don't do. Yikes!

As it's been some time since Joe Rolland left the group, how has the band adjusted its methods of performing to compensate for his absence, either in the studio or in the live environment? Are there any plans to bring in a new bassist?

Thompson: We have a good friend of ours, Noel Conklin, currently with the band Carfax Abbey, filling in for us live, and he also recorded the album with us. Certainly, we will need a permanent replacement for Joe when we tour. But we have a few months, I think, until the album come out. We can't tour until it's released. If you know someone with no job, no financial responsibilities, who requires no pay, has good personal hygiene, and doesn't mind sleeping in a van, please give them my number.

According to the liners, drummer Eric Fisher is also responsible for sampling and programming aspects of the music. How involved are the other members of the group in the process of programming? As the electronics are featured rather prominently in much of your music, could Tapping the Vein exist without samples or programming?

Fisher: Mark was very involved in the programming this time around. He developed a lot of the new song ideas that way. Most of the stuff he did we kept. It was great and took some of the burden from me. I definitely think Tapping the Vein could exist without it. It's really just became a writing tool for me, more that anything. I think programming/keys creates a vibe, but the songs are strong enough emotionally without it.

Thompson: We were all pretty psyched to have a 'special guest' appear on this album. Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost did a bit of guitar on a song called 'Bury Me,' And two days before the mix was scheduled to start, he did all the programming on a song called 'Inclined,' which had only a vocal track recorded and nothing else. He totally caught the exact vibe of the song. It sounds awesome.

Five of the 11 tracks on The Damage were redone from your earlier EPs, Butterfly and Undone. Will the new album feature any new version of older tracks? Why did you choose to redo the older tracks for the album in the first place?

Fisher: No. The new album will feature all new material.

Thompson: When we got the deal with Nuclear Blast, we knew that The Damage would be distributed on a national level. We had a few EPs out already that we had distributed ourselves, but we knew Nuclear Blast would reach a lot more people, so we did a 'greatest hits' as our first album instead of our last. Seriously, we really wanted to make sure that people heard the songs that had already attracted a lot of attention and that people said they loved. The new album, Another Day Down, also has 11 tracks, but they are all new.

Tapping the Vein was featured on the compilation Where's Neil When You Need Him?, a tribute to the writings of Neil Gaiman. As some bands like to change aspects of their sound for tributes and such, how would you say 'Traderboy' represents the sound of Tapping the Vein now? Will it be featured on the new album? What sort of influence would you say Neil Gaiman has had on the band, either musically or lyrically?

Fisher: Actually, no, it really doesn't represent our sound now, and it won't be on the album. That song could really have been considered a 'side project' of sorts. It was more an experiment between Greg Mackintosh, Heather, and I.

Thompson: I agree that it doesn't represent our sound, because it is a bit understated with no live drums. But it is a song about a child character in one of Neil's stories. So I wanted it to be fun, dance-y and sing-song-y, with nursery rhyme lyrics. It is the only time that I have written something for Tapping the Vein that was not based on a true story.

Both the Undone EP and The Damage were produced with Scott Stallone and James Bottari. How have their contributions aided the development of the band's sound over the years? Will you be working with them on the new album?

Fisher: Well, they helped realize the earlier sound of the band; the more 'electronic' sound. We've moved on a bit from that. As the band toured, we were told continuously we sound much better live, so we wanted more of the band to come through in the studio this time around. Fortunately for us, Neil Kernon heard The Damage and was interested in working on the follow-up. He helped improve our sound greatly.

The Damage was released on Nuclear Blast, which is normally a metal label, and Tapping the Vein has shared the stage with a variety of bands in the metal genre, such as Paradise Lost and Lacuna Coil. What was it like playing to a metal audience and being associated with a style of music that might be considered different from yours?

Fisher: I'm a huge metal fan. Have been since the early '80s. So I fully expected the negative backlash from metal fans regarding our signing, opening slots, manager, and even Neil Kernon's involvement. What metal fans probably aren't aware of is we were approached on each of these occasions. It wasn't the other way around. We had a surprisingly positive response from the audience on most of the tours, even the Opeth tour. There's always the handful of metal fans that just have to shout 'Slayer!' no matter who is on stage, even Slayer.

Your first two EPs were released independently, and then you got signed to Nuclear Blast. What are your thoughts on the role of major record labels in the music industry today, whether it's in the mainstream or the underground? Would Tapping the Vein have continued had the band not been signed?

Fisher: I'm sure we would have continued in one form or another. I think labels like Nuclear Blast and Century Media are much savvier than the Universals and Warner Brothers of the world. The majors were dealt a huge blow because of the Internet. People aren't dependant upon labels to hear music anymore. Their role isn't as important, especially for fans of underground metal, goth, industrial, etc. Major labels have typically ignored that stuff anyway.

What more can you tell us about the new album? When can we expect to see a release date, and will it be on Nuclear Blast?

Fisher: The mix was completed in July, and I think Nuclear Blast would like to release it as soon as possible, so people don't begin to think we're dead!