there is a joke amongst the folks in mascott that I am rainy's unofficial
biographer. I could listen to her tell her life stories all day long. I'm
always like "rainy, tell me about your radio show at smith", or "rainy, tell
again about your dad's band in the 60s." not only is she a very cool and
interesting woman, she plays bass and guitar as well as any of the boys. (interview by kendall jane meade)
chickfactor: how does a girl from maine decide to learn to play guitar?
rainy orteca: well.... I'm originally from cleveland and we lived in twinsburg, ohio, with about 12 other hippies. there was a lot of emphasis on rock & roll and music and stuff. I first played the acoustic guitar when I was three. I laid it across my lap in way that makes no sense to me now at all, and I plucked out a rockabilly riff! also my dad was a doo-wop singer who was on the same label as melanie, buddha records. and then when my mom had boyfriends after they split up, they were all musicians, so maybe that had something to do with it. as I got older I just really remember wanting to play the electric guitar real loud. and eventually did, I was completely obsessed with it. I would run home after school and play in the basement before my mom got home from work. and then I'd watch general hospital and then play some more. I was shy about it, though. it can't recall ever making the decision to play...it just was happening.
cf: try and list off all the bands/musicians you've played with. just so people know about the power of rainy. all of them!
rainy: lesley gore, joan osborne, antony, lou reed, mascott, the naysayer, james blood ulmer, joanaspolicewoman, ben perowsky, the gelcaps, baby flamehead, gimme, the death rhino, random violence, dave derby, dave spalding, lloyd cole, sarah silverman, jon benjamin, the pedestrian angels, qual, dpr posse, flont, the sexuals,the wizard, random violence (that was my high school band)... I guess there aren't that many yet. oh I was in a hal willner tribute to neil young and I was part of the back-up band for a lot of famous people...I dunno.
cf: what was it like playing with lesley gore? did you get any dirt on dusty?
rainy: it was really weird but pretty cool. we played a lot of oldies festivals and it was surreal. I got to meet peggy march. she sang "I will follow him," and I met martha reeve, paul revere, peter noone, chubby checker, brenda lee and some other people that I can't totally remember right now. the shows were nostalgia acts—I guess you'd call them that. I went on a carnival cruise with lesley to play and it was intense. me and the drummer danced every night in the disco. lesley came dancing one night and she got really wasted on apple martinis, did dome old-time showbiz moves and then disappeared into her room. the cruise was weird because people were always making bizarre shapes out of towels in my room and it would frighten me when I came in. we went on a raft ride together in jamaica. she was very intimidating, but I learned that she went to sarah lawrence and she studied (as I did) art history. so we had a that seven sisters school thing in common (I went to smith...twice). sometimes she'd ask me to zip up her dress. one time when we were driving back from gig we had a bonding moment over the highway potential of a cinnabon stop. it got pretty crude. I wanted so badly to hear stories about dusty but I couldn't find a way in. the closest I got was that I suggested that we do a dusty medley. she was really into it but then I had to leave the band. it stressed me out ultimately. I kind of stood out like a sore thumb. I was the youngest of the musicians and certainly the only woman in the back up bands. it freaked me out—playing casinos and stuff. I only did it for about eight shows. I have to say I got paid the largest ever per show while playing for her.
cf: who are your musical heroes?
rainy: david bowie, lou reed, marc bolan, the pretenders, blondie, lee hazlewood, emmylou harris, buddy holly, the usual, ramones. so many. I love the feeling of being a fan. I'm dying for something brand new to be devoted to. I just don't seek it out like I used to. something great must be out there. it is probably is hard to tell because there's no creem magazine anymore.
cf: who are the bands so you play with at the moment?
rainy: the naysayer, mascott, the silvermen, joanaspolicewoman.
cf: when is the world going to hear your songs? why do you think it's taken you so long to step out as a songwriter?
rainy: I am big chicken that likes to hide behind the power of the music. I'm afraid of being really bad. luckily I like nonverbal communication a lot so I can go on hiding probably for the rest of my life. but maybe in the spring I might play a show in the subtonic or something. yikes.
cf: who is in your ipod at the moment?
rainy: dolly parton halos and horns, the human league dare, bettye swann, björk, laurie anderson, nina simone, led zeppelin, herbie hancock, dannii minogue, cooler kids, audio bullys, missy elliott and a lot more.
cf: what is it like living in hell's kitchen?
rainy: I really like it most of the time. there are old irish things here and italian specialty shops. it still feels like old new york a bit, but it is changing so fast. five new shops just opened up on one block last month. I like that there aren't so many "cool" people here. it takes some of the pressure off. but there are a lot of showbiz people here because it is so near broadway. there's the little pie company and stuff. yum. that's where all these old ladies sit who were probably former rockettes. they hang out during the day on 43rd between ninth and tenth. you'll see like a 70-year-old lady wearing hotpants with stockings, capezios and a full face of makeup. the downside is that there is a lot of traffic and people people people people—really daunting. since I've lived here I've gotten to know a lot about the history of hell's kitchen in terms of gangs and stuff. and what it was like growing up in the 70s here. it used to be very dangerous, hence the name.
cf: what's your take on fashion? do you put a lot of thought into what you wear onstage?
rainy: I love fashion. ha! you'd never know it, but it is completely ridiculous especially when people won't admit it that they are way into it. I love it. I don't put a lot of thought into it. it isn't really encouraged in indie rock—or it least people aren't supposed to talk about it. sometimes people ask you to wear black clothes. I used to like to wear platform shoes a lot on stage. I did just order a pair of rainbow-striped moon boots by tecnica online from italy. I can't wait to get them. I'm afraid, though, I'm not familiar with the euro and they might actually have cost me $35,762.00. I'm sure they'll be worth every penny...ha ha.
cf: who are your non-musical heroes?
rainy: suanne big crow. do you know her? she was an amazing girl athlete who lived on a reservation in south dakota. at an away basketball game there was a racist crowd jeering at her native american team. she hushed the crowd by doing a quiet lakota dance and used her jacket as a shawl right in the middle of the court and people were silent and then they applauded! she died really, really young in a car crash. she did a lot of things in her town for kids. she was really outspoken against drugs and alcohol. and also anyone who dares to stand up to, question and speak out against the bush administration. especially when certain members of congress who can really get in trouble because of the way things are right now. I've seen people defend the constitution and civil rights in the wee hours on c-span and it has made me cry. we won't see it on the republican-controlled media but we can see it on c-span.
cf: do you remember the first time we met? what was that gig? yes.
rainy: we didn't actually meet I don't think, but we were sitting at the same table. it was a blue thing at fez—a chickfactor event I think [yes, it was called the blue cabaret—ed.]. you were way too cool for me! then one time you came over to my house after we started playing together, when I lived in this really scary place. I didn't really know you at all and nobody ever came to my apartment! it was a real old-style dump with a tub in the kitchen. I loved it though. it was so small that if you breathed too much we were in trouble for oxygen! but you wanted to come over. there were prostitutes turning tricks in the trash room and crack whores living in the basement. we had no heat or hot water. I know you were scared. I was too!!! I lived through hell there, but it was so cheap. anyway I was nervous since I didn't know you and nobody ever came to visit me. I made you watch grey gardens! you liked it a lot so I felt we really could be friends. not everyone likes that and, in fact, I lost two very close friends after a viewing once. for real.
cf: hey, remember when we were in the silvermen together? what is your take on sarah silverman? do you still perform with her?
rainy: yes, that was really funny when I made you throw your pizza out and come eat with us at cipriani's! we partied like stevie nicks with food. you guys smoked pot. sarah is really funny. I think she is really talented and weird. she has this old-time vaudevillian (schmaltzy) delivery sometimes but her material is really, really dark. a good combination. yeah, I still play with her we just got done being in her movie jesus is magic that was shot in l.a., directed by liam lynch, he was really cool. I just got a thing in the mail that says I can join sag. that would be cool except I can't act my way out of a paper bag!
cf: to watch you play guitar is exciting because you are as good or better than any of the boys. do you ever feel your power?
rainy: aw shucks, that's nice of you to say. yeah I have to admit that I have felt it a couple of times. once when I played in hal willner's neil young tribute last summer I felt it. I pretty played much all of the guitar parts—acoustic and electric. sometimes I feel it and it is weird. I definitely feel like I get a lot of attention simply because I'm a girl with a guitar. I try to not think about it too much.
cf: any crushes?
rainy: the naysayer...naturally.
cf: beyond all that we've discussed, what inspired you to make music?
rainy: I just wanted to rock. I was born a servant to rock music. I know it sounds gay. but I'm gay. the sound and the energy of rock & roll would instantly transport me to another place and it saved me. I also saw the rock & roll as a counterculture place where I could fly my freak flag. I wanted somehow to be involved in turning people on in that way music turns me on. now I'm inspired by new discoveries in music that I've heard over and over again. you know, suddenly I hear something differently and I think it is the most incredible thing! I have to quote chrissie hynde now, when she was writing for the nme she wrote, "in free adults, mass frustration breeds war. in free teenagers, mass frustration breeds rock phenomena." hang hang!
cf: thanks rainy!
learn more about rainy's bands: redpandarecords.com
