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Paradise Kitty
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Guns N’ Roses 1985 at Canter’s Deli Photo by Jack Lue Paradise Kitty 2021 at Canter’s Deli Photo by Jack Lue
How do you relate to your counterpart in Guns ‘N Roses
and have you ever met him or any other G’nR member? And do they know about Paradise Kitty?
Rachael: I’ve known them all for a really long time. I’ve toured with Adler in the past, worked on Gn’R albums for my day job etc. We also have the pleasure of doing shows frequently with Dizzy. They all are really supportive of Paradise Kitty and love it. Before our second show they were tweeting telling fans to check us out. We didn’t want to move forward with this project without their seal of approval, so that meant a lot.
You’ve had Courtney Cox from rival band The Iron Maidens play in Paradise Kitty before. What’s it like working with Courtney and have you done any shows with The Iron
Maidens before?
Rachael: Courtney and I played in Femme Fatale together before PK. The Iron Maidens are our comrades not our competition. We all love and support each other. They have been added to the roster at our booking agency so now we get to do shows together from time to time which is always a lot of fun for all of us. What other bands or projects are you in outside of Paradise
Kitty? Any new releases coming up from your other bands?
Jenna: We all have many projects we are working on always but most recently our lead guitarist Ariel Bellvalaire just released her new single “Elastic” you can find it on Spotify and wherever you stream your music. You should also check out her killer new video for it on YouTube.
How has the pandemic affected Paradise Kitty? Have you
performed any shows during the pandemic or have any on
the schedule now?
Rachael: We all really did our parts to honor quarantine and help the world self correct from this tough time. Until our recent photo shoots, we hadn’t even seen each other. Now that things are shifting we have shows in the works from summer out. We are also really looking forward to the Chris Jericho Rock & Wrestling Rager that sets sail in October.
What do you hope the rest of 2021 brings for you, for Para-
dise Kitty, and for the music scene in general?
Jenna: Prosperity, healing, and bring back the live music…. safely.
What could one expect from a live Paradise Kitty show?
Jenna: You can expect the unexpected. We don’t do the normal tribute band schtick. We are our own characters slaying Gn’R songs with fun banter, slamming beats, and back bending guitar solos. You’ll come in looking for a good time but you’ll leave knowing it was a night to remember.
What was the last show you played prior to the pandemic
and how did the show go?
Rachael: Right before lock down we closed out the Monsters of Rock Cruise. Those shows are always off the hook and so much fun!! We definitely went out with a bang!!!
Any final words of wisdom?
Rachael: The last year has been really tough for a lot of people. Try to be patient with each other, love each other, accept the changes this has forced on everyone, and let’s all be better from this.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! Rachael & Jenna: Thank you for always supporting us!!
Paradise Kitty is: Jenna Syde (Lead Vox), Rachael Rine (Drums) Ariel Bellvalaire (Lead Guitar), Hisako Ozawa (Rhythm Guitar), Terrii Kiing (Bass).
Sara Baldwin To Release No Turning Back
Interview by Ken Morton Photos by Jack Lue
Sara Baldwin, singer, songwriter and guitarist formed her band in 2019, which includes Mic Dangerously De La Torre (lead guitarist and producer), Scott Wittenberg (drums), and Dylan Wilson (bass). Based out of the Los Angeles music scene, Sara Baldwin is about to unveil her solo album! Entitled No Turning Back, featured within are guest appearances from the likes of Nita Strauss, Nikki Stringfield, Katt Scarlett, and Emily V. Recently Sara, her band and most of the guests on the album participated in a photo shoot with legendary photographer Jack Lue, some of the results being the pix in this article and on one side of the double poster in the center of this very magazine! Highwire Daze recently interviewed Sara Baldwin to find out more about this amazing talent on the rise. Read on...
What was the name of the
very first song you wrote, how old were you, and what
was that song about? The very first song I wrote is called She’s Gone. It’s actually the first track on my upcoming album. I wrote it about people who talk about a person right when they leave the room and judge them. I’m happy I waited to release it til now because it has new meaning as well.
Prior to your upcoming album No Turning Back, what bands or projects have you been involved with?
In February 2020 I released my first solo EP Reach for the Sky. I wanted to put out an album that had acoustic rock guitars and that was inspired by my love for exploring the mountains and rivers and finding peace, alone.
Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title No Turning Back?
No Turning Back represents (for me) going after something (all the way) without fear or doubt. And letting go of the things that hold you back from being the best version of yourself.
Who produced No Turning Back and what was it like
working with them? Mic Dangerously De La Torre is my producer, engineer and guitarist. Working with him has been an honor and he’s the reason I’m able to put out the music I do today.
One of your special guests on the album is Nita Strauss from the Alice Cooper Band on the song Animal. How did Nita become involved with the project and what was she like to work with?
Animal featuring Katt Scarlett and Nita Strauss is about survival. Coming back from the pits of hell and becoming the light, inspiring others to do the same. Nita, Katt and I used to be in an all girl metal band called Kill Slowly. We’ve remained friends throughout the years and I asked them if they would play on this track. Katt is on 3 of my songs on this record. I’m super honored and excited to show the world what we’ve been up to.
Another guest was Nikki Stringfield from Heaven Below and The Iron Maidens. How did Nikki become involved
with the song Trigger? I really wanted to do a ballad and I sent Nikki the song and she described it as “painfully beautiful.” Her haunting guitars really captured the emotion of the song immediately. We put out a video last week that we all shot remotely.
What was it like to write and record new music in the middle of a pandemic and so much social unrest in the world?
The last year during the pandemic gave me so much time to be productive with music. Recording a 12 song full length album that’s out next month. Shooting 3 music videos, releasing a 5 song EP, 3 singles and one TOOL cover featuring Emily V who is also on my track TRIGGER
