Khal: When and How did you hook up with Tairrie and My Ruin?

Yael: I HOOKED UP WITH MY RUIN THROUGH A MUTUAL FRIEND ROY MAYORGA ... I HAD JUST MOVED TO L.A. LOOKING FOR A BAND AFTER LEAVING NYC...THE PRAYER RECORD WAS JUST FINISHED IN THE STUDIO AND SO I MET WITH TAIRRIE AND MICK... THEY WERE TOTALLY COOL... I GOT A CASSETTE TAPE OF IT AND WAS ASKED TO LEARN ABOUT 5-7 SONGS FOR THE AUDITION...I SAT ON SOME V-DRUMZ AND WORKED ON THE SONGS FOR 3 DAYS STRAIGHT... THEN BOOKED TIME IN THE STUDIO I KNEW THE AUDITION WAS GOING TO BE AT... AND VIBED THE SONGS FULL VOLUME ON A REAL KIT IN THE STUDIO SETTING.THE NEXT DAY IT WAS WITH THE REAL BAND AS OPPOSED TO SOME BLASTING SPEAKERS IN A ROOM ...IT WAS A KILLER VIBE AND 4 MONTHS LATER WE WERE PLAYING A HEADLINING UK TOUR AND I WAS IN SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND AND TRIPPING... I WAS ADDICTED IMMEDIATELY.

Khal: Were you in any other bands before My Ruin?

Yael: I WAS IN TUNG WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY DRAIN NYC - WE JUST CHANGED THE NAME- I PLAYED IN 1STBORN7 OUT OF N.Y. AND MEANSTREAK IF YOU WANNA GO BACCCCCCK!!!

Khal: Your skills are amazing and you give off a great deal of energy playing live. Who were your influences growing up?

Yael: THANK YOU... MY INFLUENCES = JOHN BONHAM, TERRY BOZZIO, KEITH MOON, TOMMY LEE, MIKKEY DEE, ALEX VAN HALEN, JACK NICHOLSON, MR.ROCCO (MY JHS MUSIC CLASS TEACHER WHO WOULDN'T LET ME BE IN THE BAND FOR A YEARRRRRR B/C I WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL... ) AND THE LIST CONTINUES...

Khal: The tour with you and Kittie was amazing!! Was there any egotistic people back stage or did you just meet new friends within Kittie, Flaw, SkinLab, and American Head Charge?

Yael: AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE WERE AWESOME AND UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T PLAY MORE DATES ON THE TOUR... SKINLAB WAS KILLER.
KILLER GUYS AND AMAZING BAND. PAUL IS A NEW INFLUENCE AS FAR AS DRUMMERS GO - HE IS A "MUST-SEE" PLAYER... KITTIE WAS GREAT... AND CHRIS B. FROM FLAW WAS A GREAT DRUMMER AND FRIEND AS WELL...THE EGOS WERE ALL IN CHECK... AND WHAT BACKSTAGE?!?!?!?

Khal: Your merchandise girl Dawn is a cool person, where is she from and is she an old friend of the band?

Yael: SHE IS ORIGINALLY FROM TEXAS SHE LIVES IN CALIFORNIA AND IS A FRIEND OF THE BAND.. SHE IS VERY NICE.

Khal: I hear you guys are recording some new songs for the next album. How is the vibe in the studio and how do you prepare yourself for a perfect session?

Yael: WE ARE READY TO RECORD BUT ARE NOT QUITE IN THE RECORDING STUDIO MAKING A RECORD YET. WE HAVE AN ALBUMS WORTH OF MATERIAL AND TO PREPARE FOR IT...WE GO INTO THE STUDIO (REHEARSAL STUDIO THAT IS) AND RIGHT BEFORE RECORDING... WORK OUT THE TEMPOS FOR THE SONGS ... WORK OUT ANY KINKS OR FILLS THAT ARE IN MY HEAD AND PRACTICE THE WHOLE PRE-PRODUCTION THING OUT AND THEN... GO FOR IT... BAMMM... MICK IS AWESOME ON DRUMZ TOO AND HELPS ME WITH IDEAS... WE THINK ALIKE WHEN IT COMES TO DRUMZ...EVEN THOUGH HE IS TECHNICALLY THE PHENOMENAL GUITAIRIST IN MY RUIN-HE KICKS ASS... I LOOK UP TO HIM WHEN I PLAY SOMETHING ...IF HE DIGS IT ... I KNOW I'M ON TO SOMETHING GOOD... HE CAN WRITE ANYTHING TO WHATEVER I CAN IMAGINE ON A KIT... AND HE CAN ALSO ADD TO IT ... NOW HOW MANY GUITAR PLAYERS DO YOU KNOW WHO CAN DO THAT? SKKA KAHHH!!!

Khal: I see that My Ruin's former UK label Snapper Music/Madfish went behind the bands back and plan to release a so called " greatest hits" album. It's sad to see how this industry can continue to screw many people for the sake of the "Almighty Dollar". How does this make you feel personally and is there anyway for you guys to stop the release of this album?

Yael: THE ALBUM IS GETTING RELEASED REGARDLESS. IT'S JUST LIKE YOU SAID ...THE INDUSTRY IS SCREWED UP... AS FOR A GREATEST HITS RECORD ..IT'S TOO SOON AND WE ARE FAR FROM DEAD YET. THEY ARE JUST RE-PACKAGING THE PAST 3 RELEASED RECORDS AND PUTTING IT ALL ON A DOUBLE CD PACKAGE...

Khal: We the real My Ruin fans here in New York love you Yael and we appreciate that you represent us well in the band. We hope you and the band come back to New York to do another show....will you?

Yael: WOW... THANK YOU ... WE HAD A BLAST AT IRVING PLAZA... BUT WE'D LOVE TO COME TO NYC AND HAVE TIME TO PUT ON OUR SHOW AND PLAY FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES. WE PLAN ON PUTTING OUT THE NEXT RECORD AND PLAYING THE U.S. AGAIN REAL SOON... YOU CAN REST ASSURED NYC IS IN OUR FUTURE PLANS TO RUIN...(IN A ROCK N' RUINING SORT OF WAY)

Khal: What's next on the agenda for My Ruin?

Yael: WE HAVE BEEN NOMINATED IN THE CATEGORY OF BEST ROCK/METAL ACT IN LOS ANGELES FOR THE LA WEEKLY MUSIC AWARDS 2002 AT THE ROXY THEATER ON JUNE 26TH AND WERE ASKED TO PERFORM FOR THE CATEGORY AS WELL....WE ARE UP AGAINST SYSTEM OF A DOWN AND QUEENS OF A STONE AGE. OTHER BANDS PERFORMING AT THE AWARDS SHOW ARE CONCRETE BLONDE AND TENACIOUS D. WE ARE STOKED TO BE NOMINATED. WE ARE PLANNING ON RECORDING OUR NEXT RECORD ...WE HAVE A THEME CONCEPT AND TITLE ALL READY TO GO...AND JUST TOUR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SOON AFTER THAT...

Khal: Did you guys ever find out who that idiot was who thought he could be a big shot and knock over the My Ruin merchandise at the Virginia show, at the Boathouse?

Yael: I BELIEVE A FIGHT BROKE OUT AND OUR MERCH WAS KNOCKED DOWN BY MISTAKE... NO WORRIES BRO... THANKS FOR TAKING THE TRIP FROM NYC...YOU ROCK KHAL.

Khal: If there is a such thing.....who would you say is the weirdest person in the band?

Yael: ME OR MEGHAN... IT'S CLOSE. I GOT A.D.D. AND SHE HAS O.C.D. SO ... IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE DAY... HA HA

Khal: After leaving Spitfire Records are there any labels brave enough to sign
you guys yet....or you have a label already and I've been living under a rock this whole time (ha ha)?

Yael: WE WERE NEVER SIGNED TO SPITFIRE...SNAPPER UK LICENSED BOTH RECORDS TO SPITFIRE WHO PROCEEDED TO THEN KILL BOTH ALBUMS BY NOT DOING JACK SHIT ABOUT IT. PROMISED US A TOUR WITH DOG FASHION DISCO AND A VIDEO AND BLAH BLAH BLAH... WANTING TO MEND THE FUCK-UP THE 1ST TIME AROUND WITH SPEAK N' DESTROY AND JUST FUCKING UP AGAIN WITH "PRAYER UNDER PRESSURE"... WE DO WHAT WE DO ...
WE JUST GOT MANAGEMENT THAT "GET IT" AND ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT... A NEW CD WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE. BUT WE WON'T SIGN WITH JUST ANYONE TO GET SIGNED ... THE LABEL HAS TO "GET IT" TOO. WE ARE NOT PART OF THE CORPORATE ROCK MACHINE... WE ARE JUST A SIMPLE PURE ROCK BAND WITH PUNK ROCK AESTHETICS AND MORALS. A STONER ROCK EDGE... LYRICS THAT MAKE YOU THINK... MUSIC THAT MAKES YOU FEEL. WE LEAVE THE LISTENER WONDERING HOW WE GOT THOSE PORES OPEN... I THINK IT'S A RE-FRESHING EXPERIENCE.

Khal: Me being a drummer myself, is there anything you can tell other drummers on being successful in the business?

Yael: YOU GOTTA PRACTICE. YOU CAN'T TELL EVERYONE YOU'RE THE SHIT BECAUSE IF YOU ARE PEOPLE WILL COME TO YOU AND THEY WILL ALREADY KNOW THAT. DON'T EXPECT EVERYONE TO LIKE YOU.
SOME PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND YOUR PLAYING AND SOME WON'T GIVE A SHIT.
BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU DO AND THE REST WILL COME... IF YOU ROCK...ROCK HAAAAAARD!!! HIT THOSE FUCKERS LIKE YOU MEAN IT... YOU CAN ALWAYS GET NEW DRUM HEADZ ;)

Khal: Well Yael, thanks for your time and tell Meghan I said what's up!!

Yael: THANK YOU KHAL FOR YOUR TIME... YOU ROCK AND I'LL SEE YOU IN NYC OR YOU WILL HAVE TO COME OUT TO L.A. TO SEE US.
I WILL TELL MEGHAN YOU SAY HELLO... YOU KNOW WHAT MICK AND TAIRRIE ARE GONNA SAY? "WHAT ARE WE CHOPPED LIVER?" I NEVER GOT THAT JOKE... WHAT DOES CHOPPED LIVER HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?

RESPECT ROCK N' RUIN ....
YAEL / DRUMZ / MY RUIN / JUNE 11 2002
WWW.MYRUIN.COM