Brody Dalle Gets Help From Rush

12/23/08 3:34pm

by Liisa Ladouceur (CHARTattack)

Brody Dalle doesn't have much in common with Rush, but she's pretty thrilled to be signed to the band's label. The ex-Distillers singer will see the debut full-length from her new band Spinnerette released in February on Anthem Records, the independent label formed by the Canadian power trio and their management in the late '70s.

"It's the most perfect thing," Brody told CHARTattack on a visit to Toronto to promote Spinnerette's new Ghetto Love EP. "I had no idea that they had their own label because I never really listened to Rush.

"But I love that this will come out on an indie label that was started because they couldn't get signed. I can relate to that."

Since forming in 2007, Spinnerette (who also include ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons, Queens Of The Stone Age's Alain Johannes and Dalle's former Distillers guitarist Tony Bevilacqua) have been searching for a label. They originally signed to Sire Records and had a management deal with Alan McGee (of Creation Records fame), but the group parted ways with both earlier this year before they hooked up with Rush's SRO Management and Anthem Records.

"It's been a fucking nightmare," says Dalle. "Trying to get management, trying to get a deal, trying to figure out how we're going to put the music out in this climate, finding the money to support it, finding someone who will believe in what you do.

"We couldn't get any interest in the U.S.A., so I'm kind of glad that we're working now with Canada. You need to be worldly."

Dalle calls the still untitled album "a different kind of aggressive from The Distillers." In addition to the four songs previewed on Ghetto Love, it will include nine other new tracks. "Geeking" was inspired by a lullaby and "Impaler" was inspired by the brutal Romanian prince, Vlad Tepes.

"The lyrics are 'I'll take your head off tonight, Vlad The Impaler style'" Dalle explains. "It's about killing predators."

The singer, who became a first-time mom with husband Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age in 2006, says the record is her most personal and revealing yet. But with songs about Cupid, wolves, Joan Of Arc and impalers, what does that say about Dalle?

"I guess that I'm schizophrenic."