NYC Electro-Glam Band NAKED HIGHWAY Likes to Show Off in the Bathtub (I Like Them Already!)
Electro-glam group Naked Highway has emerged from the sea of downtown hipsters and scenesters as a multimedia force to be reckoned with. Band is Kimberli Koo (Synths), Sy Boccari (vocals/Instruments), Jen Rau (Live Drums), Kimberly Kludge (Vocals).
Hottie lead singer Sy was kind enough to take the time to answer some Muzo-style quesitons - Here we go...
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Sy: Ha ha thank you! The title of the song already suggested something involving water, steam, or ice. Originally I wanted to shoot the video in a friend’s party-sized shower, which can hold like 10-15 people easily, but that never happened. I was in San Francisco, and the bubble bath concept hit me! Using a camcorder and a desk lamp I shot my friends Kirsten and Josh, thinking that I’d take the footage to a director to give him/her an idea of what I wanted, but no one liked the concept. I spent the next several months travelling around the USA, shooting my friends in bubble baths, even if not for the video, then maybe for an art installation or something in the future. I really got into it, because you can see what people are really about when you put them in venerable positions – in this case naked and bathing. I showed the collected footage – about 7 hours - to my friend Johnny Woods (from the band The Model, which remixed ‘Wet Like Sweat’) and he edited the whole thing together. So yeah, the video was done more or less by accident.
The ‘Wet Like Sweat’ video also completes a loose-concept trilogy that started with our first video ‘Better Off Naked.’ ‘Better Off Naked’ is ‘The Show,’ our next video ‘Shorty the Pimp’ is ‘The After Party,’ and ‘Wet Like Sweat’ is ‘The Morning After’ which is why we used pretty much the same cast in all three. All three can be seen at youtube.com/nakedhighway
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Muzo: And do you write all your music or is it a collaborative effort within the group?
Sy: It depends. Being based in New York, you are surrounded by talented people. Most of the newer songs, including ‘Wet Like Sweat,’ were co-written by BNS, who is a straight rapper from Dublin. The original mix of ‘Wet Like Sweat’ is very funky and based in 70’s disco and funk. I took the song to my friends The Model who reworked it into version used in the video. Both versions appear on the single.
Even though Naked Highway, technically, is a group, it’s pretty much a revolving line-up where I’m the leader/mastermind and therefore, the only permanent member. Cake, who sings the hook on ‘Wet Like Sweat’ is part of the live line-up but is also the lead singer of the NYC group J’aime & I. Kimberli, the beautiful cigar-smoking woman in the video, is our live keyboardist/guitarist but doesn’t appear on the song. In fact, now that I think about it, nearly everyone in the ‘Wet Like Sweat’ video has performed with Naked Highway at some point! Hmmm!! So everything Naked Highway puts out is a collaborative effort, but not necessarily limited to the members the ‘group.’
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Sy: Yes it is. At our shows, people very often come up to us and want to be involved in some way. That’s how we met most of our video directors, remixers, dancers, musicians etc. New York is a tough town. There is a lot of ‘style over substance’ going on which makes artists/musicians a bit weary to collaborate, but once you show them you’ve got the talent and business sense to back it up, then it can make for some wonderful partnerships.
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Muzo: Who wears the pants?
Sy: The girls do, especially at shows and video/photo shoots! They’ve got so many great ideas. Cake, for example, did not want to be shot in the bathtub, so she suggested that we shoot her against a graffiti wall. I was worried that the scene wouldn’t fit the bathtub concept but it totally worked. Her shots add some color to the video and keep it from being monotonous.
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Muzo: You've performed all over the place, and with a ton of really great artists, including Sander Kleinenberg, Darren Hayes, Kelly Osbourne, Cazwell and a bunch more. Out of all your experiences working with these folks, is there any one in particular that really stands out to you?
Sy: Sometimes when you’re on the same bill, you don’t ever get to meet these people – actually, that’s the case with everyone you’ve mentioned except Cazwell, who is an awesome guy.
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Sy: My inspirations are quite different from what Naked Highway actually sounds like. I love Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dandy Warhols, The Hives and Stevie Nicks, though, we don’t sound anything like them! Stylistically, I love Marianne Faithfull and Grace Jones. Our new album art is based on Grace Jones’ ‘Portfolio’ album cover. It’s more about the attitude. “Electro” because we use mostly electronic instruments and “Glam” because we have style – but then under that definition, even Madonna would be considered Electro-Glam…hmmm!
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Muzo: And now, Sy, it's that time - you knew it was coming, so lets get to the really good stuff.
Sy: Oh dear!
Muzo: I think you're pretty damn hot, what would I have to do to get wet like sweat with you?
Sy: A good sense of humor, confidence, intelligence and a cute smile.
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Muzo: What type of guy do you usually go for?
Sy: I tend to go for someone who is creative and motivated in someway, whether that’s artistic, academic or whatever. Looks are important but I don’t necessarily have a particular type.
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Muzo: Describe your ideal date.
Sy: Romantic dinner and good conversation. That’s all.
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Sy: I like my eyes! I could stare into them all day! Ha ha!
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Muzo: Top or bottom?
Sy: Depends on the chemistry. I don’t go into the bedroom with a laundry list of sexual positions I want or need.
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Muzo: Complete the sentence: 'When in bed, the guy should...'
Sy: ‘…wear a condom!!!’
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Muzo: Where do you see the band in five years?
Sy: My #1 goal for the future is to put out more compilation albums than actual studio albums, like The Smiths and New Order have done. Ha ha!
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Muzo: What's next for Naked Highway?
Sy: Finishing up the next Naked Highway is the main priority this year. I want it out before the total economic collapse of 2009. We’ve already shot the next two videos. There is also some remix work coming down the pipeline, which could be fun. I’m also adding two new members to the live line-up, so we should be ready for shows again by the Spring!
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Posted by MUZOPHILE at 3/23/2009 12:48 AM 
Categories: 0ALL LISTINGS,Hot!,0News,0Q and As,Naked Highway,Q and As
Tags: Naked Highway
Categories: 0ALL LISTINGS,Hot!,0News,0Q and As,Naked Highway,Q and As
Tags: Naked Highway
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