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The Birthday Massacre is a combination of two very different concepts: the concept of a "birthday," meaning presents, cake, fun, balloons, all that good stuff. "Massacre" obviously means something completely different. Putting those two words together creates a vibe, the feel that they're going for, of contrasting light and dark fantasy, in their music and imagery. Every now and then comes a band into the scene that presents something totally different, opening up the door leading to a new direction. This time it's a focus on contrast; it's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dynamic. Fantasy vs. reality, childhood vs. adulthood, positive vs. negative. Hooked from first listen. They're reminicent of personal favorites such as The Curve, The Cure, NIN, Concrete Blonde, Ministry, Garbage and others, which is no surprise since most of the band members list these bands as their major influences. The Birthday Massacre and their releases have already became a real classic. ReGen's Jez Porat helps Rainbow and Chibi bleach the red stains from their birthday dresses...

Your new album is called Violet. What does that color symbolize for you? It seems that it is not just a color for you but a main motive.

Chibi: Violet and purple are combinations of the colors red and blue, a warm color and a cool color, which represents the contrasts we're interested in, a duality; Heat and cold, light and dark. It's also a creative and regal color in terms of color theory, which Rainbow and I studied in college. It has become somewhat of a symbol of our band, as well as the use of
silhouetted images of rabbits and figures. It sets the right atmosphere and is a good mixture of our contrasts.

You describe yourself as an independent band. What does that mean? How do you do things differently compared to a band that is not independent? What are the benefits in being one?

Chibi: We have been working together on music for years without any sort of label support at all. This has meant a lot of struggle and a lot of sacrifice at times. We record, design and do everything ourselves, using our own resources and our own skills to do it. We've always worked very hard to create things we're satisfied with, and that means working for weeks and months on recording and mixing and Web design and artwork and everything else among ourselves. But being an independent band also means having that full control over everything we create; not having to answer to anyone for doing exactly what we want to do, and being able to express our music in the way that we want to. It's been hard at times but it's also certainly rewarding.

Are you interested in gaining a commercial success and sign with a major label or is it artistically better for you to keep being "alternative" and have a do-it-yourself attitude?

Chibi: I don't think that being commercially successful is something that's ever occurred to us; the band has always been a fun way to spend time together as friends and to create something that hopefully people will enjoy. The success we have garnered over the years has been completely do-it-yourself, and working with other artists and friends and making our own contacts along the way. Because we're all very interested and accustomed to being do-it-yourself, I think that's what we'd like to continue to do while still being able to get our music available and moving forward. We've been working with Repo Records, who appreciate our independence as musicians and have been very helpful to us and have never limited us in any way. That support has been really awesome.

Being the only female with four other guys, how is it for you, Chibi?

Chibi: We are indeed a crazy little family. We're all very similar people with a lot of things in common, and we've known each other for so long that I hardly think about the fact that I'm the only girl in the group. We're all very passionate and emotional, and we can all be very rowdy and loud too, so we mesh together well. Weird differences may occur when we have to do things like get changed for a show in one room, or stop for a pee break along a highway, but other than that, I don't even think about the gender differences. Our friend and manager, Meghann, is a girl, too, so when we're touring and hanging out there's a decent balance of girls and guys. And I would like it to be known that I am not the only one who's worn a skirt on stage while performing. But that's Rainbow's story to tell....

Each of the members brings in a whole lot of influences and inspirations not only from the music world but also from art, literature, media, classic fairytales, horror movie directors and the digital gaming worlds. Do you find it a good thing to work with people that are so creative, or does it sometimes create clashes of different ideas and opinions? What keeps you united? Do you see yourself more than a band and as a group of five good friends?

Rainbow : I think working with one another has really helped us to evolve as individuals. It's a definite advantage to have more than on perspective on any given issue. At times it can slow down the decision making process but it's a small price to pay for good company. We're defiantly a crazy little family.

You have a very special concept that combines sound and vision, audio and visuals, with different music genres and it this also reflected by your Web site. How did you come up with this unique idea and what are the different elements, ideas and inspirations that make up the world of The Birthday Massacre?

Chibi: Combining music and images and ideas together has made the band a creative project for all of us. We all enjoy being creative and having a good time, so being able to work together within the band using different elements to express our ideas is really fun and satisfying for us. We wanted the band and the Web site to have an atmosphere to it, and a contrast as well; elements of innocence and storytelling combined with darker imagery and a sinister feel, and a hint of sentiment and memories. The Web site is a good example of this; it's an interactive place, where you can explore through different scenes which are very beautiful and atmospheric, but also have a touch of ominous mystery to them. We really want the Web site to be an accompaniment to the music, a place for people to visit and explore and escape to for a little while.

How do you prepare when you go live? Is there anything special you take on stage? How do you reflect your ideas visually? Does this involve setting up a lot of equipment on stage, video projecting, etc.?

Rainbow: The live show is a visual extension of our music. We have to get creative when it comes to designing stage props on a relatively small budget. We just try to make the stage our own. It's all about atmosphere and energy. When we're opening for another band we usually tone down the props and concentrate on the music.

Your music blends a lot of genres, but what sound are you trying to create or produce?

Rainbow: We're looking to create something that feels like home to us. Something unusual yet strangely familiar.

Your history begins in 2000 as a group called Imagica in London , Ontario . You played in clubs and then relocated to Toronto. One hardly knows or hears about the scene there. Can you tell us about it?

Chibi: The music scene in Toronto definitely appealed to us more so than the one in London, Ontario . There are lots of good people who do their own thing and try to start events and start scenes happening in both places, but in Toronto , there were a lot more local bands to get to know and attempt to build a community with, as well as venues to play at. It's a larger city. It's definitely a challenge to get people to come out to shows; I'm not sure if it's just a city-to-city thing in that aspect, but whenever we put on our own shows, we promote like crazy. There's a lot going on in Toronto aside from just music, things like film showings and dance clubs, so it's a challenge to promote your event and get people out. I wish more people were interested in live music, but we do pretty well here, as do a lot of the other Toronto-based bands.

Nothing and Nowhere was your debut release (after the 7-song demo), although in limited edition. How well was this album received by listeners?

Rainbow: Nothing and Nowhere was the first collection of songs we released under the name The Birthday Massacre. It was a pretty raw self-produced album. We passed them out like business cards when we were just starting to play shows here in Toronto. We'd trade them with other bands and give them to people who were interested. People were really supportive and the word just spread.

The lyrics that Chibi writes are dark and twisted dreams, fantasies, memories and experiences. How real are those lyrics? What amount of every band member is in those lyrics?

Chibi: Rainbow and I usually write the lyrics together, so many of the songs are an incorporation of our feelings and experiences. Because all of us have been so close for such a long time, we've had experiences all together that are definitely present in the lyrics' feeling. Because we've affected each other so much and spent so much time doing things together, there's probably a little bit of all of us in there. Some of the songs with more of a fantasy storytelling vibe to them, like ?Lovers' End? or ?Happy Birthday,? are fun for everyone because they set a scene and tell a little tale.

You all grew up in the '80s. How does that influence your concept? What of your childhood and those innocent times can we find in your music?

Rainbow: There are definitely certain sounds and progressions in our music that are influenced by the sights ands sounds surrounding our earlier youth. When you're young your mind is a sponge, soaking up information. As we grew up in the ?80s and early ?90s, we really absorbed its pop culture and, for better or for worse, it's had an undeniable impact on us. Our childhoods are what determine the values and meanings we place upon words and people. They are the basis for all comparison. Are you involved in other types of art besides music? At this point, the majority of our creative energy is put into the band. The wonderful thing about being in a band like this is the fact that it's not just about music composition. This project allows us to explore in a number of different creative media, which is something that we find much more satisfying.

What kind of audience are you trying to reach?

Chibi: I think we appeal to people who know how to use their imaginations, people who relate their emotions to what they enjoy listening to, and people with a sense of retrospection and creativity. The fanbase we've acquired is largely creative and extraordinarily nice people. And I don't think there's a particular age group that goes for our stuff. A lot of younger people like it, people who grew up on ?80s music enjoy it. We've had businessmen e-mail us to say a certain song really appealed to them, mothers get our music for their children, and a father e-mailed us to say he, his wife, and his elderly mother really enjoy when his teenage daughter plays our CDs. So it's good to hear that we have a wide appeal for people. I don't think I could categorize it.

Do you have a special relationship with your audience?

Rainbow: We appreciate our audience as much, if not more, than they appreciate us. There's so much to see and listen to nowadays, it's really flattering when people make the time to watch, listen and appreciate our work.

Chibi: Absolutely. We have a message board where people can come to meet and interact with us and other fans of the band, and a lot of them post their artwork and poetry and their own music. We also have an interactive fan site called "The Violet Prison" where people can share things they create as well. Interaction and sharing ideas and projects with people is a lot of fun for us.

What does the name The Birthday Massacre stand for and reflect?

Rainbow: It's a metaphor for our dynamic. Our music and imagery revolve around positive/negative balance. ?Birthday? suggests color and celebration whereas ?massacre? depicts horror and tragedy. The words extenuate one another like opposite colors placed side by side. They create an energy that reflects our creative approach to this project.

What is your goal with The Birthday Massacre project?

Chibi and Rainbow: We just want to inspire ourselves and those around us. We're trying to explore our own memories and imagination in a way that motivates others to do the same. We want to wake up the child in everyone and help them to dream.