Founding vocalist for the steel band BUTCHER BABIES, comedian e-book writer, artist, novelist, and the holder of a number of levels in mortuary science and thanatology, singer/musician Carla Harvey has launched “Hell Or Hollywood”, the second single from her new venture THE VIOLENT HOUR, by way of Megaforce Information. The brand new observe options PANTERA guitarist and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman Zakk Wylde.
Carla feedback: “I wished to jot down a track that felt the way in which I did once I first moved to Los Angeles at twenty, like my bike boots hitting the Sundown Strip for the very first time. I had pushed throughout the nation with nothing however a paper map, no buddies, no plan — only a dream. I figured I might survive one way or the other, and daily was precisely that: survival. There have been moments that almost broke me, adopted by the sort of euphoric highs that made all of it price it. That is what Hell or Hollywood is: the chaos, phantasm and grit in excellent juxtaposition. Would not depart it in the event you might…”
Harvey‘s fiancé, ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante, who wrote the venture’s music and performed all devices on the EP, provides: “Carla grew up loving GUNS N’ ROSES, and since they had been so closely influenced by AEROSMITH, I wished to jot down one thing that paid tribute to each.
“The riff on ‘Hell Or Hollywood’ is the sort that stands by itself — even with out vocals, it is received a swagger to it. And having Zakk Wylde on the solo? He introduced this uncooked, six string grit that rips by way of the observe. You hear it and immediately know — it is him.”
In April, Carla launched the official music video for “Sick Ones”, the primary single from THE VIOLENT HOUR. The observe options MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5.
“‘Sick Ones’ is a rock ‘n’ roll anthem about reducing the poisonous individuals out of your life,” mentioned Harvey. “It is a name of freedom, a fist-to-the-face to anybody who has tried to carry you down, maintain you again or dim your gentle. It was written at a weak time in my life once I was pressured to finish relationships I believed would final perpetually.
“When selecting a theme for this track,” Harvey added, “I thought of a phrase I had scrawled throughout a journal from 1999: ‘Reduce The Sick Ones Free.’ These phrases turned my mantra over the past couple years and felt excellent to chant over Charlie‘s guitar riffs. ‘Sick Ones’ additionally options a completely shredding guitar solo by John 5 that brings this thrasher to an entire totally different degree.”
“‘Sick Ones’ has a modernized NWOBHM (New wave of British heavy steel) vibe to it,” added Benante. “The riff may be very catchy and stays with you want a superb riff ought to. ‘Sick Ones’ is simply the tip of the iceberg for this venture. Most of the songs we crafted for THE VIOLENT HOUR are not like something Carla has ever carried out as a vocalist, reflecting totally different moods and a brand new starting. The music flowed out of me as a result of I had this motivation, this drive…it was unstoppable.”
The “Sick Ones” video script, written by Harvey and directed by Industrialism Movies‘ Vicente Cordero (BLACK VEIL BRIDES, Kat Von D),sees Harvey portraying every of the video’s 5 personalities.
“Whereas ‘Sick Ones’ is about reducing poisonous individuals out of your life — those that always devalue you — I wished to flip that narrative for the video,” Harvey mentioned. “I’ve at all times been all in favour of the concept generally essentially the most harmful individual to confront is your self. The video explores what it means to face these darker variations of who we have been and whether or not we are able to actually depart them behind… or, because the ending suggests, study to coexist peacefully. Vicente took my imaginative and prescient and introduced it to life. I got here to him with a wild thought and no clue learn how to execute it — and we made it work! I cherished getting an opportunity to play a number of larger-than-life characters.”
Not many individuals have comedian e-book writer, embalmer and musician on their resumes. Carla boasts all three and a lot extra.
Carla was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan — a metropolis recognized for its grit, resilience, and infrequently deep divides. Navigating life as a bi-racial child in a fractured setting wasn’t straightforward, however Carla discovered her escape in artwork, music, and self-expression. By day, she hustled, attending the celebrated Faculty For Artistic Research alongside working odd jobs like fragrance counter woman and gasoline station attendant, and by night time, she was on stage with native bands, saving each greenback she might for a one-way journey to Los Angeles.
At twenty, she put all her belongings in her automobile and navigated from Detroit to Hollywood with a paper map. In L.A., she landed appearing roles on exhibits like “Guidelines Of Engagement”, performed in bands trying to find her sound, and by no means stopped creating. However past the music was a pushed educational. Carla had a deep love for science and ultimately pursued a Bachelor Of Mortuary Science (graduating as valedictorian) and a Grasp Of Science in thanatology. Carla turned a licensed funeral director and embalmer and based her personal grief counseling service — all whereas touring the world extensively as a founding member of the BUTCHER BABIES.
At the moment, Along with her music profession, Carla is a grief specialist for the progressive dying care firm Parting Stone that transforms cremated stays into environmentally pleasant stones that the departed’s household can maintain, treasure and honor.
Past her skilled life, Carla is a loyal collector of popular culture oddities: comics, wrestling figures, classic Barbies, Elvira, the Unbelievable Hulk, and rock relics from her wildest nights in Hollywood. She nonetheless holds on to her Rainbow Bar & Grill drink tickets from the ’90s and a poker chip from Lemmy‘s final party. Her artistic heroes — Russ Meyers, Robert Williams, Robert Crumb and Charles Bukowski — mirror her love of the daring and the uncooked.
Thus far, Carla has launched six albums, a number of comedian books and a 2014 novel, “Dying And Different Dances”. However in the event you ask her…she’s nonetheless only a blue-collar child from the Midwest with massive desires.
BUTCHER BABIES introduced their break up with Harvey in July 2024, saying in a press release that “Carla has been an integral a part of our journey, bringing her distinctive expertise, ardour, and vitality to the band,” and wishing “her all the perfect in her future endeavors.”
Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate publish, saying that she was “tremendous proud” of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and including that she was “not carried out making music and performing.”
Within the fall of 2023, BUTCHER BABIES accomplished a European tour with out Carla, who sat out the trek in an effort to endure emergency surgical procedure on her left eye.
In January 2024, Harvey and Benante introduced that they had been formally engaged.
Picture credit score: Lynn Yati