Sleater-Kinney’s new album, One Beat, and their current tour
with Pearl Jam are about to launch them into the mainstream. So if you are one
of those who can say that you “knew them when,” you’d better start talking now.
PETA2 got to speak with guitarist/singer Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney. She
talked about the direction of their band and confirmed that just like anyone who
is cool, they are animal lovers.
PETA2: First about your new album, One Beat. It’s a new sound for
you guys, while still carrying a distinct Sleater-Kinney sound. I was wondering
what it was about this time and this album that allowed you to take risks.
Corin: I think we really wanted to take risks because it was the sixth
record we were making together. Also I think that because we had a long break
before we went into the studio, it freed us up to get out of a rut of doing the
same thing and do something very different with what we were doing.
PETA2: In the earlier days of your band, did you feel that you had
anything to prove and have you proved that?
Corin: I think most bands have something to prove when they start out. I
think the ultimate thing to prove is that you are a good band, and I think that
was very true for us as well. I think that the fact that we are three women in a
really sexist music industry is definitely a part of what we are about, but we
wanted to be taken seriously as musicians and as writers and as women as well.
I think we’re very well respected in the musicians’ community, which is way
cooler than being the most popular band. We’re not as rich and famous, but other
musicians respect us, which is really good.
PETA2: Tell me about your decision to tour with Pearl Jam.
Corin: Well, they’ve been friends of ours and supportive of us for a
while. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam was doing a pirate radio show in Seattle a few
years ago and invited me up to speak and talk about being involved in the
pro-choice movement. So we had talked about doing some dates with them for a
while and it just sort of worked out for this tour. We’re looking forward to it.
It’s definitely going to be different for us playing these huge arenas. We’re
looking forward to a challenge.
PETA2: Yeah, it will be very different from what you have done before.
Does this fit with the goals of the band and what you were shooting for with the
new album?
Corin: We have really loose goals. I think most musicians do. Being on a
big tour with people who are respectful and really supportive is a really great
accomplishment, I think.
PETA2: Are there issues concerning animal welfare or the environment that
you guys are involved in or that concern you?
Corin: I would have to say that Janet is really the animal person. She
almost became a veterinarian in her life. Janet and Carrie are both really big
animal people. I am as well, but they are pretty intensely involved in those
issues. We think that treating animals with kindness is really important in
terms of not testing on animals. I think it’s a really important thing, which
the animal welfare movement has changed over the past decade.