GAY PEOPLE'S Chronicle

SEPTEMBER 18, 1998

Evenings Out

Marme

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Some fan

Pop duo has a new, sassier sound

by Jeffrey L. Newman There's something different about the Murmurs. They've lightened up.

The duo of Leisha Hailey, 27, and Heather Grody, 26, have brought a fresh and sassier sound to their sometimes dark and acoustic blend of pop confections on their sterling and brilliant new release, Blender.

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Combining the duo's favorite tracks from last year's Pristine Smut-produced by Hailey's girlfriend of two years, k.d. lang— with four delicious newly recorded cuts, the Murmurs have crafted an infectious pop album.

Among the new tracks are "Smash," which they co-wrote with Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, and "Misfit," which they wrote with Matthew Wilder of

the alternative pop band No Doubt.

"It's basically very, pop, tongue-in-cheek tunes and a lot of fun. It's candy pop with real feelings. Sort of candy that's really delicious," says Grody.

"The lyrics are a lot lighter," she adds, "but at the same time they've become deeper. We just say things in a much simpler way.”

While taking tracks from their previous release and reproducing them on the new album may seem like a bit of a redundancy for those who bought the earlier disc, it's a small risk considering that Pristine Smut sold only 7,000 copies. The album was discontinued earlier this year, making it a collector's edition of sorts.

The duo says by repackaging the tracks, it allows people who hadn't discovered their previous release an opportunity to hear the best of the lot, in addition to the newly recorded songs.

Grody said that one of the problems with Pristine was that it didn't really showcase the duo in a polished form.

"It didn't really have a shot. It wasn't

pushed right and the timing was off. We weren't really finished making the record when we released it. When you have a release date and you need to hit that time slot, you sometimes don't get to finish the product the way you want," the singer says. "Plus we were in the middle of changing manage-

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been at one point, but it's not all for either of us now," she adds. “It's good that we are out of the closet. In a way, we are role models for young gays and lesbians."

The Murmurs were formed in 1991, when Grody and Hailey discovered each other at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in DOREEN CUDNIK

The Murmers perform at a lesbian-gay activists' convention in San Diego.

ment and we made some wrong decisions in the process. We look at that album now as the demo and this one as the finished product."

Grody says being openly gay has never hurt the band commercially. But she also thinks that label is beginning to fade a bit as people look beyond their sexuality and more towards their music.

"We had the gay label for a little while, but that's never been our focus. We've never wanted to be the 'gay Murmurs. We focused more on being a band that happens to be 'gay," says the singer.

"I think it's so important for young gay people to see a band that's made up of people who are like [them], and to see that bring openly gay is not an issue any more. In our individual, personal lives it may have

New York City. The duo quickly clicked, becoming instantaneous best friends and recorded a self-produced independent album, Who We Are.

That year, MCA signed them to a recording deal, and in 1994 released their acoustic self-titled major label debut, which sold 75,000 copies and spawned the hit "You Suck." In 1995, the band released a CD-5, "White Rabbit," a cover of the Jefferson Airplane tune. So impressed was Grace Slick, the original vocalist of that song, that she offered to co-direct the tune's video accompaniment.

But after the commercially disappointing Pristine Smul, the girls decided to kick back and lighten up. Hailey dabbled in acting, most notably in the film All Over Me, where she plays a member of the fictitious band Coochie Pop. Meanwhile the Murmurs toured

Heather Grody, left, and Leisha Hailey

around the country, building upon their already strong core following.

While some people have compared Hailey and Grody to the Indigo Girls, another lesbian duo who are known for their acoustic gems, Grody says the Murmurs' music isn't the

same.

"When we were more acoustic we were compared to them a lot. I love them. I think they are music geniuses. But that's not who we are, not at all," says Grody. "It's so funny, when you are an all-girl band, you get compared to other all-girl bands like the Go-Gos or the Indigo Girls. But when you are a guy band, you are not compared to anyone. No one says, 'Oh they're another so-and-so'."

Still, like the Indigo Girls, they are a big part of today's burgeoning strength of out, mainstream musicians.

"It's important for people to see that gay people come in all different shape and sizes,” Grody says. "We are part of a movement of showing people that we look like everyone else. Whether straight or gay, our music is as good as anyone else's."

Grody says the toughest part for the band has been breaking into commercial success. "It's going to take time," she said. "Radio is crucial. But for us, we know we can't depend on those things to have a career. I would be so thrilled to be all over radio, but what makes me happier is playing live and having a few hundred in audience who really dig the music and understand what we are about," she adds. "Our shows are so much fun and that's key for us."

The Murmurs will be in Cleveland on Friday, September 25. for a 9 pm show at the Agora Promo West, 5000 Euclid Avenue. Tickets can be charged by phone at 216241-5555 in Cleveland or 330-945-9400 in Akron, or purchased at all Ticketmaster locations.

Jeffrey L. Newman is a freelance writer living in New York. He can be e-mailed at editorjeff@aol.com.

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