Simon Rushworth
We promised you Christmas crackers to celebrate the festive period and after delivering Doro in all her glory we grab the gorgeous Britanny Paige for an exclusive chat.
In part two of the HOT METAL series our man Calum Robson gets down and dirty with the Kobra And The Lotus frontwoman.
rushonrock: Where did it first begin for Kobra and The Lotus?
Britanny Paige: It began when I searched for musicians to start a musical project approximately four years ago. It was then that I met the other present founding member guitarist Chris Swenson. Mid recording of their first album project the band name was changed to Kobra And The Lotus when drummer Griffin Kissack was welcomed into the band.The band has since had numerous line-up changes but the original members – myself, Chris Swenson and Griffin Kissack – remain.
rushonrock: With such a fast rise to fame in the last year, what do you put it down to?
BP: Great publicity and nonstop touring! We have been working our butts off to always constantly be improving our stage show and musical writing progression. We have been completely run off our feet in the last year but there is something to say for constant touring and keeping your music out there all the time in front of new people.
rushonrock: Who created the band name? And does it hold a particular meaning?
BP: This name was the joining of two band names I created. I hold East Indian culture very close to my heart and found great respect in the sacred meanings of the cobra and the lotus flower representing: protection, grace, beauty, strength and divine energy. As well the Lotus is a stunning flower that blooms out of the mud, expressing that there is always light where there is darkness.
rushonrock: What is your music background?
BP: For eight years I trained classically in vocal studies as well as six years in classical piano and six years in music theory.
rushonrock: With the cover of Ace Of Spades in your repertoire, are Motorhead an important influence on the band?
BP: I would have to say no. We are not heavily influenced by Motorhead but we do incorporate a little bit of everything we like and listen to into our music and we clearly are Motorhead fans!
rushonrock: So what inspires the band’s sound?
BP: This is an endless answer because we embrace so many different influences from Led Zeppelin to Cynic to Iced Earth. We appreciate the old as well as the new sounds out there.
rushonrock: Are there similarities in taste between band members?
BP: Yes and no, we all come from different musical backgrounds and we still enjoy a diverse amount of music. However, we all have an appreciation for every kind of music that each one of us listens to and are inspired by. This shapes and creates the mix of influence you hear within our songs.
rushonrock: If you were to cover another song, what would it be?
BP: We actually have recently been doing a different cover lately – you’ll catch us throwing in The Wickerman by Iron Maiden from time to time!
rushonrock: How did the Metal Hammer Maidens Of Metal calender shoot come about?
BP: This was just one of those rare wonderful things that happened because of MySpace. One year ago Metal Hammer had contacted us on MySpace saying they were digging the music and would love for our maiden to be represented in the calendar. Woo Hoo! Thank you Metal Hammer!
rushonrock: Do you think it has helped in establishing your popularity?
BP: It has definitely had an impact. Metal Hammer is a globally respected magazine so to be a part of that calendar was amazing publicity! It offered an expansive audience of exposure.
rushonrock: Are you working on any new songs? What can we expect in future?
BP: It’s awesome that you asked this because we have actually been diligently writing new songs for the last couple months! We have even gone so far as to test some of the new material out at our shows during our recent UK tour. You can expect to see a new album coming out in the late spring of next year!