#1: How did the project come to be?
It’s a side project that I began in order to release soft rock material under. My last EP was a release dedicated to the punky ska material I’d written, so I’ve basically been dividing up all of my songs, new and old, and separating them into projects according to genre/style.
#2: What are some of your most memorable moments with the band?
I don’t really have an official band; all of the musicians I have credited on the EPs are session musicians. I’m just working on a string of studio projects right now.
#3: When going to one of your concerts, what should people expect?
The last time I performed, with my Krista D project, I was having such a
hard time finding live musicians to back me that I just brought mannequins to the venue. I made band shirts for them, hung instruments on them and then I performed karaoke style. It was a weird and wonderful time. I introduced all the mannequins as “Miranda” and where I didn’t give them any pants I just advertised the show as ‘Krista D and the Pantsless Mirandas’. So I guess, all that to say, people should expect some form of nonsense at my live performances.
#4: Out of every band you have seen live, who are some of your favorites?
I liked seeing The Real Mckenzies, The Creepshow and The Mahones.
#5: What are some of your biggest influences that have shaped your music?
I’m all over the board…so I’m not even sure who my biggest influences
would be. I mostly just say that mood and experience are the biggest
influences on my songwriting. Happy sounding material is released under Krista D (punky/ska) I’ll be releasing sadder, more introspective,
material under Molly Grue (soft rock) and then, the harder rock tracks-
most of which will be fairly angry, are going to be released under Hooha and the Peter Guns.
#6: Have you met any of your favorite musicians and what were those experiences like? If you have not met anyone, then who do you want to meet most?
I have no favorites, or heroes, really. I realize that’s a pretty boring answer… I should really start looking for someone to idolize. And now I have ‘I need a hero’ by Bonnie Tyler stuck in my head…
#7: What are some long-term goals you have for the project?
The only true goal I have is to record all of my unreleased written
material; essentially for closure and for the personal achievement. I wanted to finish what I’d started years ago before I had to leave music due to a series of unfortunate events. I’m mainly a visual artist now, and at this point of my life I’m just using words and music as another medium in order to vent my emotions and experiences.
#8: What is the biggest accomplishment you have had so far?
The response on the single Land Mine, from the Krista D release. It had
over 719,000 streams, in a month, on Pandora Internet radio.
#9: What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
For the Molly Grue project: I plan to wrap up the EP, as well as finish
the stop motion video I’d started for the single ‘Anyway’.
I’ll post the video, on my ‘Loose Lamb Records’ Youtube channel, once I
finally complete it.
As of now, ‘Molly Grue’ is still very much a small, unknown, DIY project
that is starting from zero.
Tristan Zelden 