Metal Monday: An Interview with Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies

[Metalhead Andrew Epstein is at it again. See more of his stuff here. – AC]

Butcher Babies Vocalist and New Author Carla Harvey Talks Death and Other Dances

By Andrew Epstein (www.zombitrol.com)

Detroit-native Carla Harvey is primarily known as the co-frontwoman of California modern-metal outfit Butcher Babies. The band has attracted an extremely dedicated cult of fans with their take on the 90s metal groove. Call it a more punked-up Pantera if you will. Released last year, their debut album Goliath, made a huge dent in the US charts. Carla and vocal partner Heidi Shepherd also gained a bit of notoriety from their old stage look consisting of electrical tape covering their nipples as a tribute to Wendy O. Williams (the band’s name is also a tribute to Williams’ song “Butcher Baby”). They’ve since ditched the tape and in addition to touring with heavyweights, they seem to be doing pretty damn well as a headliner in their own right.

Although it’s well-known amongst her fans Harvey has immense passion for writing. Many people first found out about the band when they released a comic book authored by Harvey at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con. She’s just released her first novel, a semi-autobiographical tale called Death and Other Dances. Through the protagonist “Autumn Franklin”, the book explores Harvey’s youth and coming-of-age in Detroit from the adult entertainment industry to her earning her degree as a mortician.

The semi-autobiographical nature of the book, as well as her pre-existing fame, initially made me draw comparisons to Pamela Anderson who also wrote a book from a similar perspective. However when we get on the phone late one evening, and Harvey starts dropping names like Bukowski, I realize that she may have loftier ambitions. Harvey spoke with me candidly about why the book wouldn’t work as a conventional autobiography and how being a musician initially hampered publication.

You can find out more about Carla Harvey and “Death and Other Dances” at www.carlaharvey.com. Butcher Babies release a new covers EP “Uncovered” this Tuesday September 30^th and will be touring across Canada in December/January with Black Label Society.