LEATHURBITCH

There are very few band out there who sound like or look like Portland’s LEATHÜRBITCH and that’s just the way they like it. In a world of T-shirt and baseball cap bands, these guys really stand out, with a sound reminiscent of the speed/power metal of the early 80’s and an image right out of the Sunset Strip circa 1987. There are very few bands working their side of the street and they have found a lot of strength in being different from the norm.

They first caught my attention with their excellent “Into The Night” album but they’ve now exceeded that platter with their new “Shattered Vanity” disc. Razor sharp riffs, dive bombing solos and the incredible operatic screams of Joel Starr mix with a sleazy image to create the LEATHÜRBITCH experience. I know I’d like to do a cervical exam on the mistress on the cover of “Shattered Vanity”, that’s for sure!

I hooked up with Mr. Starr to find out more about the unique attack of LEATHÜRBITCH...

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Greetings to LEATHÜRBITCH! The new album “Shattered Vanity” is ready to be unleashed. How exactly has this album advanced over your previous release “Into the Night”?

JOEL STARR: “Shattered Vanity” showcases a lot of growth that we have experienced as a band over the years. Our songwriting has gotten a lot more imaginative, and we also have pushed things to the next level when it comes to the overall heaviness of our sound. 

WC: You’ve got a very unique sound compared to most bands out of the Portland area. Have you found those differences to be a strength?

JS: Definitely. We are happy that we bring something unique to the table when we play a show out here. I think if we tried to sound like most other Portland bands, it would make our live set less memorable. 

WC: Is the band active on the live front? What kind of reactions do you get live? I would imagine the vocals would knock some people for a loop?

JS:We are active on the live front as of this year after a long hiatus due to the pandemic. People that come to our shows have always been incredibly kind and super supportive of our endeavors. I would say that we invoke a positive reaction whenever we play live. We haven’t had anything thrown at us yet, so that's a plus.  

WC: With the name and cover art, you have a connection to the sleaze/glam metal of the 80’s, but as far as the sound goes, it’s closer to early speed and power metal like SAVAGE GRACE, AGENT STEEL, JAG PANZER and the like. I call it a sleazy glove on an iron fist. Would you agree with that?

JS: Absolutely, I like the imagery of that for sure. It definitely could represent the strong foundation of sleaze and speed in our sound. 

WC:. In the early days of the band, was there a lot of discussion over what musical direction you would take? Did it take a while to nail down the sound of LEATHÜRBITCH or did you come by it really quick?

JS: When I got together with Patrick (guitarist), he had a pretty clear idea of what path he wanted to take with his playing style, and I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to achieve as a vocalist. After we all got together for the first time and started jamming consistently, I would say that the songs started coming together rather easily. 

WC:  Are all the members who played on “Shattered Vanity” still in the band or have there been changes? Do you think the current form of the band is the best and final form?

JS: “Shattered Vanity” was a challenging record to complete because we struggled with lineup changes. During the recording process, we parted ways with our drummer, and had our good friend Charlie Koryn fill in as a session drummer. Currently we have David Brownett on drums. Our bass player Court moved to Montana after recording “Shattered Vanity” and we now have Stephen Weber on bass. I would without a doubt say that this is the strongest lineup of the band. 

WC: . What are some of the lesser known influences on your sound? More obscure bands or projects that you draw inspiration from?

JS: TIL TUESDAY and RICK JAMES have been big influences on the band, as well as KATE BUSH and vintage video games. 

WC: There’s also a spooky side to LEATHÜRBITCH, with a lot of songs having horror or supernatural themes. Do you maybe get a little influence from Gothic music as well?

JS: Absolutely. We are all fans of Gothic music and all of its variations and subgenres. That style of music has undoubtedly been an influence on our sound on this album. 

WC: Are there any films or books in particular that influence your lyrics?

JS: I drew a lot of inspiration from the book “Dead Ringer” by Christopher Golden when I first started writing “The Dark Mirror”. That stood as the catalyst that led the rest of the songs on the album having a spooky influence (minus “Nasty Reputation” of course). The song “Horrors Unseen” draws a lot of inspiration from the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise and the legacy of Freddy Krueger.The rest of the songs were based off of my own personal horror stories. 

WC: Tell us about the making of the “Dark Mirror” video. It really has the look of something that could have come out in 1983 or thereabouts.

JS: “The Dark Mirror” video was filmed and directed by Karl Whinnery, and we filmed it on the 2nd and 3rd floor of an abandoned warehouse deep in North Portland. It was super cold and it smelled pretty moldy in there, but we had a lot of fun filming it. The graveyard scenes were filmed at Lone Fir Cemetery in Portland. 

WC: Your singer Joel has a very striking, unique voice of a kind that we don’t hear much of anymore. It’s almost operatic. What kind of training does he have or is it just god-given talent?

JS: Well thank you very much! Personally I'm mostly a self-taught vocalist, although in my early twenties I did take vocal lessons for a while. 

WC: Are any of the members involved in other bands or projects?

JS: Our drummer David also drums for MAGDELENE, PURIFICATION, and MANTHUS. Our bass player Stephen also plays in MANTHUS. 

WC: Any touring plans for the new album? Maybe a trip to Europe? The LEATHÜRBITCH style of metal seems tailor made for those audiences.

JS: Our next goal is definitely to go on tour, so we are definitely trying to get something planned for that. Our dream is to play a show in Europe! Any European promoters please contact us! 

WC: If you could ask any 3 people in history to dinner, who would they be?

JS: Personally I would ask Rob Halford, Kate Bush, and Madonna. All three are icons for different reasons. 

WC: Have you guys ever had any kind of “Spinal Tap” moment where things went crazy that you could share with us?

JS: Things have gone crazy for us on more than one occasion, that's for sure. To name one time: We played at High Water Mark in Portland some time in 2018, and we had our fog machine smoke out the entire audience. So much fog was pouring out of the machine and we couldn't get it to stop. At the same time, our bass player broke his string so we had to pause our set and just kind of stand in the fog for a few minutes in silence. 

WC: Any final messages or words?

JS: Thank you so much for the interview! Keep your eyes peeled for us on the road! 

LEATHURBITCH