A Quickie With Bettie Serveert
By: Music Staff |
Saturday September 10, 2005 |
| With over 15 years playing in the music biz, Bettie Serveert still finds a way to evolve. |
| Holland's Bettie Serveert became significant college-radio stars during
the '90s with their unique blend of melodic guitar pop. Drifting away, but never out of site, Bettie has released 7 records and toured with the likes of Belly, Dinosaur Jr., Buffalo Tom and more.
Their latest release, Attagirl on Minty Fresh, is a departure from their norm, proving there is still a spark in the creative fire. Listen in as we get a lil' quickie out of Carol on their name, fav digs, and influences. What was the worst show you ever played, and why? A festival here in the Netherlands called "Paaspop" in Schijndel. Everyone in the crowd was drunk by 2pm and they were throwing rolls of toiletpaper........at each other! What will you do immediately after completing this interview? Take a shower......it's early in the morning & I just got out of bed. What song are you most proud of on this album? Why? All of them! They all sounds the way we hoped they would. What can fans expect to get at one of your concerts that they couldn't necessarily get on your album? We don't play the songs exactly the way they are on the cd's, there's room for improvisation. Playing live should be different from playing in a studio! I find it very boring when a band just 'copies' the cd.... What direction do you feel you're headed in artistically? What's next? At the moment we're back in the studio finishing up a 'semi-acoustic' cd: some new songs, some previous unreleased, some very old songs but in a different arrangement. Later this year we're doing some 'semi-acoustic' shows in the Netherlands & Belgium. What other creative mediums would you ever care to dabble in? Why? Graphic design. I like doing the artwork for our cd's and T-shirt design. I was supposed to study graphic design at an Artschool here in the Netherlands, but I didn't have the money.......  I was 23, playing in a rock-'n-roll cover band. I only played with them for one Summer season. It was fun, learned a lot and got spotted by a talent scout from a big international recordcompany who offered me my first record deal, they were looking for a singer for some band.........but I declined, saying that I was starting a band called Bettie Serveert. Have you ever stolen anything? A candy bar, when I was 8 years old. The first & only time I ever stole anything............it was way too easy, I thought it was stupid & boring : ) What's your favorite sandwich? Cheese & mayo Who influenced (or dictated) what music you listened to when you were growing up (DJ, parents, siblings, classmates, captors, etc)? My Grandfather played me his old Jazz records, my Dad loves Chopin, my neighbour had Bob Dylan/ Neil Young/ Rolling Stones records............and all the other stuff I just picked up through friends or on my own. Name something non-musical (e.g. book, person, building, animal) that has inspired or influenced you. Anything can be an inspiration, but mostly books and people. For example,'The Liars' Club' by Mary Karr inspired me to write " Dust Bunny". Do you download music without paying for it? No. Can you read music? If yes, do you write your songs using musical notation? I had classical training, yes, I can read & write music. But because almost no one around me does, I hardly use it. What one thing must you have on tour with you...? My hairdryer & my i-Book. Sorry, 2 things..... Favorite beverage...? Frozen Margaritas Favorite recreational tour stop...? Sleeping What other artists are you currently listening to...? Broken Social Scene, Mark Lanegan, the new cd of Gorillaz, Otis Redding, lots of stuff.... What's the best thing about being a musician...? Doing the thing I love doing more than anything else in the world! Favorite fast food menu item...? Cheesburger What was your first rock and roll record? The Beatles - Rubber Soul How much did luck have to do with your success? A lot. Being at the right place, at the right time with the right people.........it was all sort of a coincidence. Prior to becoming a full-time musician, what did you do for a living? I've had many jobs! The last real job I had was at an animation studio here in Amsterdam, I was the 'colour' girl : ) How did you come up with your name (if a band or alter ego)? 'Bettie Serveert' was a tennis-instruction tv program in the Netherlands in the 70', by a Dutch tennis player Betty Stove. At the time we thought it was funny............we never thought we'd be stuck with it for ever!!! |
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