Elko, Janis - of Brutus Bit Me

By: Dominick A. Miserandino

Janis Elko has come a long way from singing in front of frat boys in the local bar. Her newest album with Brutus Bit Me is selling more and more, due in no small part to her Melissa Etheridge-like vocals.

DM) Which piece of your work is your favorite?

JE) So far, it's gotta be "Song About The Subway." There are a lot of reasons, but mostly it's because the subject matter was a little more "daring" than what I usually chose to write about at that time. Also, we got the most experimental with it in the studio, which I think shows ...It's a lot more "fun" than some of the other songs. Additionally, it was a kind of breakthrough for me musically, from when I wrote the first chord progression...I marveled at the simplicity of its arrangement, and the potency of that simplicity. For me, it opened up a whole new approach to writing.

DM) Who would you consider as your influences?

JE) My early influences are Sting, Peter Gabriel, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Indigo Girls, and Melissa Etheridge. Lately I've been into Sting, Jane Siberry, Mark Eitzel, Radiohead, Lori Carson, Bjork, Ani DiFranco, Shawn Mullins... the list is eternally evolving.

DM) How did you start in music?

JE) Personally, I started with cover song gigs. You know, Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge, etc... I got a gig in New Brunswick doing this type of stuff once a week at the "Scarlet Pub" for about two years, singing in front of a bar full of frat guys who were watching the game on the TV above my head! But I didn't begin toying with the idea of writing original songs until I co-formed a band with another area musician sometime in 1994. We ended up going our separate ways in '96, but we each continued along our own creative path after that. My creative path was "Brutus Bit Me."

DM) So how accurate are your Joplin and Etheridge impersonations?

JE) Well...not identical, but accurate enough. I used to have a lot of people tell me I sounded like Melissa Etheridge back in those days, but I think that was just the "I-can't-think-of-any-other-female-singers-right-now-so-I'll-just-grab-the-fir st-thing-that-comes-to-mind" answer... Besides, how many female singers do you think the average frat guy is familiar with? But I used to try to impersonate all their moans and all their vocal inflections and whatnot, so I guess I got away with it pretty well-- although my voice tends not to be as "raspy" as either of theirs. Well, not yet, anyway.

DM) You're trying for raspy?

JE) Well, raspiness has its charm, but... no, I just haven't sung improperly for enough years to create the raspy effect in my voice.

DM) Did you study singing?

JE) Well, not until recently; I study with Don Lawrence in New York City. He's awesome! I have been under his instruction for almost two years now, and I think he's just done wonders for my voice. I feel like I have so much more control in my singing now than I had years ago.

DM) What have you learned that has changed your singing?

JE) Well, I wouldn't say it's "changed" really, but it's just generally gotten a lot better. For instance, I now sing more clearly and with more strength than I used to. But this is not solely from voice lessons; there are years of live performances involved... The most important thing I've gotten out of the lessons is the exercises. You know, the "ooh's and ahh's" and whatnot (that description does not do them justice...). But really, they not only warm up my voice (properly...), but also help build stamina. And they were constructed to suit my personal weak/strong spots. Also, Don makes sure that I do not slack! Any little problem I'm having, he'll focus on until I've got it. And also, if I have a cold or some other minor ailment that is affecting my singing, he always has good therapeutic recommendations. There are other things, too, such as where to place certain sounds to make them the most effective, etc. There are so many little things, but it's all as far as you want to take it, you know? I mean, there are some "improper" things I do with my voice that I actually like.

DM) Where do you see your career going from here?

JE) Writing, writing, writing... working on new material and playing lots of live shows. Recording another album, perhaps even doing a tour, but basically, just writing great songs and getting them out there in whatever way we can.

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