The Breeders' Kelley Deal: Outtakes from This Week's Music Feature

In this week's paper, Jaime Lees talks to the Breeders' Kelley Deal, in advance of the band's Saturday, May 10 show at Pop's. (The Colour Revolt opens.) In the following outtakes, Deal talks about festival shows, the Midwest and how she and sister Kim care for their mom, who has Alzheimer's disease.

(courtesy of thisisfakediy.co.uk)

(Breeders MP3s are streaming, Colour Revolt are downloadable; thanks to the band's management for permission!)

MP3: The Colour Revolt, "Moses of the South"

Jaime Lees: So, about St. Louis? What do you know? Cause we sort of feel like we have Midwest love with you. We sort of claim you as ours. You know, Ohio, Missouri, whatever.

Kelley Deal: I think it's great. Totally. Oh yeah. Totally. I think that's correct. I think that's absolutely right. I think you guys feel like that, cause i fell like that, too, with bands, if they're from the Midwest. Anyway, I completely agree with you.

Cause we're like "Oh yeah, these are our people." Exactly! Yeah, I'm glad.

Dude, tell me about Coachella. How did that go? Do you get time to really see anyone else while you're there? You know, I like the idea of it. The one really good experience with festivals that I've had was with Lollapalooza, 'cause it was like band camp. That was different. You traveled, everybody got to know each other. You all got to see other bands, you started to get used to the idea that you're playing at five o'clock. And it's bright out, and it's hot, and it doesn't feel very rock, and you just get a different mindset on. When you're doing a bunch of club shows that we're doing at night and you can smell the beer and it's dark and you can't really see anybody, when you get used to that and then you go play a festival and you're kind of like "Oh hi, everybody. How are ya?" It feels inappropriate somehow. Like, you're rocking in daylight, it just doesn't feel very rock. But you know, I do like it. and I got to see a couple of bands there and that was fun.

Ooh, ooh, tell me who. I saw... Well, we drove in and we left afterwards. I saw Tegan and Sara, right after us. And I think they sounded, they just did a great job. And then, um, Raconteurs were after that and they did a great job. And then we left!

And then you were outta there? Yep.

Was it hot as hell? Actually, that day it wasn't that hot. And I was really worried about it, ‘cause we played during the daylight. But the next day, apparently, was the heat wave. But we kinda got away with something Friday, that day. It wasn't that hot.

So you guys rolled in, rocked, didn't get sunburned and then rolled out? That is correct, ma'am. That is correct. [Laughs]

Those festivals are always tempting, but you know, I'm just not that into getting a sunburn that bad. It's like, I don't know, you're from St. Louis, right?

Oh yeah. So if you wanna do that you'd probably go see Lollapalooza in Chicago?

Right, and I do. But one Lollapalooza I went to, everyone was passing out around me 'cause it was so damn hot. Really? Which Lollapalooza?

Two Lollpaloozas ago? People were just standing around and you could watch them fall over and pass out. It was really awful. Eeehhh! When is it? What date is that?

It was in August, I think. Oh, well that's just wrong. You don't have a festival in the Midwest in August! What are they doing? Why don't they have it at the end of May, beginning of June? Or even in the middle of June?

I don't know. Anything but August. People don't get the Midwest. But you do, thank God. ****

So the Fear guys [ed. note: Current Breeders bassist Mando Lopez is also in Fear] are from east LA, right? How are you splitting your time? Well, we lived out there during Title TK, and then my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimers and we moved back to Dayton. Now, Kim actually lives with my mother and my dad and she helps do care-taking. And i live a mile-and-a-half away. and I'm over there every day. You know, every time I walk into my house, it's really cute and really sad and kind of frustrating at the same time, 'cause I walk in, again, you know what? I've been there for four hours earlier, and I go have dinner and I come back and I walk through the door and my mother (says) "Kelley! Oh come give me a hug! Why don't you come and see me more? I miss you!" And at first it makes me feel bad. It's like, "She doesn't think I come over? Fuck! I'm over here all the time! I can't be over here any more!" And then part of me is like "OK, be cool." And I'm like, "Mother, I'm sorry. You're right. I need to get over here more often. I'm just awful. Why don't I get over here more often?" You know, I cluck along with it. Also, I quit smoking two and a half years ago. And my mom looks at me and says "Kelley, you've gotta quit smoking." and I'm like "Oh, Momma, I quit smoking." I get the biggest hug. "Oh, Kelly, I'm so proud of you!" This is two and half years later.