Born To Raise Hell Ruyter Suys & Nashville Pussy get nasty
by Chris Parcellin
Nashville Pussy exploded onto the scene in the late -90s with all the power and fury of full-blown arena rock titans who just happened to be playing your neighborhood bar. The band toured the world and elsewhere--one dive at a time--building a cult following based on the darkly witty songwriting of lead vocalist/guitarist Blaine Cartwright who proclaimed the band's raunchy, shitkicking worldview in tunes like "Go Motherfucker Go", "I'm the Man" and "Fried Chicken & Coffee." Plus, there was the undeniable eye-popping sex appeal in (departed) fire-breathing amazon bass player, Corey Parks and more importantly, Mrs. Blaine Cartwright--a.k.a. Ruyter Suys.

More important because Ruyter's key contribution to the band--even beyond her jaw-dropping beauty--continues to be her brilliant, passionate guitarwork and generally bad-assed attitude. One look confirms that this is a woman who, clearly, takes no shit and has no trouble standing up for herself. And that comes through in the no-nonsense nature of her guitarwork, as well. Like her hero, Angus Young, Ruyter squeezes as much guts and soul as she can into every note she plays on her red Gibson SG.

Nashville Pussy's third album "Say Something Nasty" (Artemis Records) is another blazing triumph of loud guitars, screaming vocals and a thunderous rhythm section that could drop a herd of buffalo at fifty paces. New recruit KatieLynn Campbell rips it up on bass and NP vet Jeremy Thompson continues to pound the skins as if they committed a crime. Of course, "Nasty" sports more fine examples of Southern-fried debauchery such as "Keep On Fuckin'," "You Give Drugs A Bad Name," and even an ass-stomping version of the old Johnny Winter/Rick Derringer classic "Rock'n'Roll Hoochie Coo."

As Nashville Pussy again hits that road that never ends, Ruyter was kind enough to let us in on the guitarists who inspire her, her distaste for "L.A. cheese metal," and why she thinks she's a cross between Nancy Wilson of Heart and Wendy O. Williams!

At what age did you start playing guitar and what got you interested in it?
I started guitar around 8-9 years old. I'd banged on a piano since I was about three, but the people who owned it finally took it away when I was about 9 and I'd already been eyeing my dad's guitar for a while--he finally got sick of me always having it so they bought me my own for elementary school graduation.

What did you listen to while you were growing up?
I grew up listening to my hippie parents records- I learned the complete Beatles book which had all the chord changes in it - I learned most of the Simon and Garfunkel book- both great ways to learn the basics of the guitar. My mom always had me buy her Led Zeppelin for her Birthday so I got into them- I was a huge David Bowie fan since I was wee- I even went as Ziggy Stardust for first grade halloween-- no one knew who I was but he was my hero forever it seemed. My parents took me to see him when I was eight. I listened to Frank Zappa and Joni Mitchell and lots of guitar standards- the Ventures 'Walk Don't Run' was one of the first songs I figured out- and the guitar solo in Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue' taught me how to change chords real fast. I didn't get into Metal til High School- I totally dug Zeppelin but got into the Plasmatics, Motorhead, Ted Nugent, Slayer, and everything that went with Metallica- no hair bands - not then - not now.

Were you influenced by female musicians like Lita Ford or Joan Jett at all?
No, I was always disappointed by Joan Jett. She's super hot and has pretty good taste and I'm all for meeting her in the corner of a dark bar any night of the week but after seeing pictures of her I thought she'd rock harder- I was let down by the guitar playing - same with Lita Ford- she wound up being just another L.A. cheese-metal shredder with no soul- I can admire speed players for their dexterity but it was pretty soulless - My most influential female musician was probably Nancy Wilson from Heart - she just played - and held her own on stage with the guys - and kicked them out of the band when her and her sister were done with them- Nancy Wilson and Wendy O. Williams. I'm Canadian so we had SCTV playing on regular TV long before it hit the States- I remember seeing her on John Candy's Fishin' Musician while I was babysitting and she blew my fucking mind- even though she wasn't playing an instrument- she had a chainsaw!! - I figure I'm kinda halfway between the two.

Who were the guitarists you thought were cool?
Jimmy Page is my all time biggest hero- If I'd have known he was into thirteen year old girls when I was thirteen I'd have been on the side of the road with my thumb out in a second. Not only is he soulful and ridiculously talented - he's a risk taker and doesn't mind trying new things on stage and digging himself out of the holes he makes for himself in the middle of a jam. When he fucks up he just keeps rolling. Next biggest hero has got to be Neil Young- he taught me how to play a 'D' chord - he plays with such abandon - and can play that one chord with such passion - and he stomps around like a nut and still turns me on. We listen to all sorts of music - from nearly all eras- we don't much listen to the radio coz it takes too long to get to something good- we listen to everything from Dwight Yoakam (his guitarist Pete Anderson is AMAZING!) to Outkast - and of course Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Elvis, Brian Setzer and any band he's in, John Fogerty, Johnny Winter, Eddie Hazel from P-funk, Funkadelic, Dan Baird from the Georgia Satellites can twang a single 'A' string on his Telecaster til yer knees get weak--God, the list goes on.... and starts with Angus and AC/DC.

Yeah, you're a big AC/DC fan. What makes them stand out to you?
Now that I've grown up a bit I've matured as a musician and can finally appreciate the complex qualities of Angus (and Malcolm) Young and AC/DC. I got into them really late- In High School I thought they were OK - but no Zeppelin or Metallica. Now they are one of the most timeless, enduring, pure entertaining and damn rockingest bands of all time. Listening to them I understand what Chuck Berry meant in "Johnny B. Goode"- "playin the guitar just like a ringin a bell" - I swear, the hooks in AC/DC are so simple - you could play them on church bells. I always thought they were too simple- but when you try and figure their stuff out it's deceptive. It's far from simple- and they have managed to take one riff - turn it every which way - inside and out and make like thirty indelible songs out of it. Besides which they have endured. They have never sounded like the music of the day- they continued to rock during Disco, the birth and death of actual Punk Rock, the Big Hair 80's, whatever the hell was going on in the 90's and even now! I still haven't stopped learning from listening to them or watching them.

Were you in any bands prior to NP?
I was in no real band ever - I played with two bad bands in high school and taught guitar and jammed with my hippie teacher - but I was your classic kid in the bedroom trying to be the loudest person in the house--luckily I finally got to take what I did in the bedroom to the stage.

What is it that you like so much about Gibson SG's?
I swear it's a woman's guitar- well all guitars are like a woman anyways - but an SG is extra curvy and fits my curves perfectly. I used to play a Tele in High School coz I'd seen one that Jimmy Page had- then a Strat like Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughan that had NO attitude - it played like a new plastic car drives - then I had a cool piece of shit Fender Bullet that was like driving a classic car- all fight!! - Then finally I got my SG when we started this band- it's nothing special but has a killer pickup made by Bill Lawrence. And I pulled out all the extras that were getting' in the way like the other pickup, the tone control is fused on ten and pulled that knob off so all I have is a volume knob to play with. I've got enough to deal with just dealing with all the options on the fret board to be twiddling knobs.

Do you think NP's music gets overlooked sometimes because you have such a powerful image?
Not in the least. People might buy a CD or come to a show coz of a powerful image - but they become fans by digging the music - I mean no one goes to see AC/DC just because Angus moons the crowd and they shoot off cannons- but it doesn't hurt either. If people get put off by our image it's probably for the better, 'cause they probably wouldn't get our music either--you gotta have a sense of humor.

What's the new album like? Can we expect a change in sound?
Our new album SAY SOMETHING NASTY kicks ass!! - This album makes our second album sound like the first album!! We pretty much stuck to the way we've always recorded - as live as possible. Blaine always writes to entertain himself and us- we're pretty jaded so he tends to push the lyrics and always comes up with stuff that makes us laugh or feel creepy - we're really impressed with the live sound - we use a lotta room mikes so we get bleed over and recorded nearly every solo live. It sounds like us live on a perfect night - but in your living room.

How come you guys never sold out and did a Pepsi ad or something?
The biggest deal we ever had the joy to say no to was for Camel--and that's just too close to pure evil--even though half of us smoke. We'll do an ad for POT once it's made legal. Hell, we're advertising for that anyways!

Do you think old-school metal will make a comeback?
No, but I don't think it'll ever die either - it'll just get crappier. Mind you, Van Halen sounds better than ever.

Would you ever consider doing a solo album?
Sure, as long as Blaine, Jeremy and KatieLynn will do it with me!

What's your message for America's youth?
Grow up! Keep On Fucking!! Never doubt the power of foreplay! Buy our record for your mom!! Lock up yer Fathers!! Don't be afraid to get sweaty! And rock the fuck on!

© 2002 Chris Parcellin & D-Filed, All rights reserved.
Photographs © 2002 Evan Bartleson, Barry Brecheisen & Tunes.com, Frank Mullen, www.turnituporturnitoff.com, & Nashville Pussy, All rights reserved.