Hi, lead singer Michael Catton here. I’m the lead singer of Danish rock band Tainted Lady, although I’m originally from the UK.. I joined the band in 2015, but the core of the band has been together for about 10 or 12 years. I’ll be glad to answer any questions and shed a bit of light on the band. Hope you all enjoy, and remember to go check out our music! After all, that’s what it’s all about.
SH: Where does the band name come from?
MC: When the guys chose the name (long before I knew them), they didn’t really know what it meant. At least not the word “tainted”. They were quite young, mid-teens, and had maybe just heard the word and thought it sounded cool. It wasn’t until later that they found out what it meant, Tainted Lady. It had a sleazy vibe that fit the music the band was into back than - Whitesnake and the like. The name probably makes us sound more sleazy than we actually are these days - but hey, every band has a history, and the band name is part of ours.
MC: When the guys chose the name (long before I knew them), they didn’t really know what it meant. At least not the word “tainted”. They were quite young, mid-teens, and had maybe just heard the word and thought it sounded cool. It wasn’t until later that they found out what it meant, Tainted Lady. It had a sleazy vibe that fit the music the band was into back than - Whitesnake and the like. The name probably makes us sound more sleazy than we actually are these days - but hey, every band has a history, and the band name is part of ours.
SH: Who were/are your influences?
MC: We all grew up listening to rock music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. The classic rock staples like Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, The Who, Deep Purple, Led Zep. You know the list. Heavy metal influences from Metallica, Maiden, Priest. And of course there’s The Beatles. A lot of The Beatles! But we all have our individual quirks - some of the guys in the band listen to a lot of folk music, others to some soul, punk, heavy (very heavy) metal, 80s pop, classical music - you name it. It all seeps into our songs one way or another and adds something special to our sound. Also, we love a good vocal harmony or three, and groups like Queen and Eagles have definitely left their mark on us. On this album, we took a lot of inspiration from the folk and protest songs of the 60s; stuff like Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Not only musically, but lyrically too.
MC: We all grew up listening to rock music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. The classic rock staples like Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, The Who, Deep Purple, Led Zep. You know the list. Heavy metal influences from Metallica, Maiden, Priest. And of course there’s The Beatles. A lot of The Beatles! But we all have our individual quirks - some of the guys in the band listen to a lot of folk music, others to some soul, punk, heavy (very heavy) metal, 80s pop, classical music - you name it. It all seeps into our songs one way or another and adds something special to our sound. Also, we love a good vocal harmony or three, and groups like Queen and Eagles have definitely left their mark on us. On this album, we took a lot of inspiration from the folk and protest songs of the 60s; stuff like Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Not only musically, but lyrically too.
SH: Who are your favourite bands?
MC: Michael: Iron Maiden. Jonatan: The Beatles. Fred: AC/DC. Anders: Rival Sons. Daniel: Def Leppard
MC: Michael: Iron Maiden. Jonatan: The Beatles. Fred: AC/DC. Anders: Rival Sons. Daniel: Def Leppard
SH: What has been your favourite gig so far and why?
MC:That’s tough, there are a few to choose from. Our first gig outside Denmark was in Macedonia. People down there love rock and roll, and they’re all crazy. That was fun. We played the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, that was amazing too. But Copenhell is probably our favourite. Big crowd singing along, big stage so we don’t have to worry about getting whacked across the face with a guitar headstock, good weather (and seeing Ozzy Osbourne AND Lars Ulrich backstage!). Everything a rock band could wish for!
MC:That’s tough, there are a few to choose from. Our first gig outside Denmark was in Macedonia. People down there love rock and roll, and they’re all crazy. That was fun. We played the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, that was amazing too. But Copenhell is probably our favourite. Big crowd singing along, big stage so we don’t have to worry about getting whacked across the face with a guitar headstock, good weather (and seeing Ozzy Osbourne AND Lars Ulrich backstage!). Everything a rock band could wish for!
SH: What is your songwriting process?
MC: I’m not sure we have one. I mean, it’s not like there is a step-by-step guide to writing a decent song. Sometimes a cool lyric comes first, or a riff, or an interesting chord progression. Sometimes these songs fall from outer space.
MC: I’m not sure we have one. I mean, it’s not like there is a step-by-step guide to writing a decent song. Sometimes a cool lyric comes first, or a riff, or an interesting chord progression. Sometimes these songs fall from outer space.
SH: What are your goals for Tainted Lady on the back of your new album?
MC: Get out and play the songs for a live audience. We love the songs on this new album, and we can’t wait to play them for you all. We will be hitting a lot European stages in 2020!
MC: Get out and play the songs for a live audience. We love the songs on this new album, and we can’t wait to play them for you all. We will be hitting a lot European stages in 2020!
SH: How do you feel your progress towards those goals is going?
MC: Hopefully this new album should help us move forward and open some doors for us. We certainly think it has the potential to do so, and the response we’ve had so far on released singles from the album has been great.
MC: Hopefully this new album should help us move forward and open some doors for us. We certainly think it has the potential to do so, and the response we’ve had so far on released singles from the album has been great.
SH: Any plans to tour the UK?
MC: Definitely! As I mentioned, I’m from the UK and haven’t been back for a while, so I’m dying to get back home and shout a load of obscenities in my native language. And you can’t play in a rock band and never visit the country that invented rock music! So although it’s not planned out yet, we should be visiting you soon (if your government will let us in)!
MC: Definitely! As I mentioned, I’m from the UK and haven’t been back for a while, so I’m dying to get back home and shout a load of obscenities in my native language. And you can’t play in a rock band and never visit the country that invented rock music! So although it’s not planned out yet, we should be visiting you soon (if your government will let us in)!
SH: What should an audience expect from one of your shows?
MC: Sweat on your brow, a sore throat, ringing in your ears, and songs that you won’t get out of your head for days. We hope to see you soon!
MC: Sweat on your brow, a sore throat, ringing in your ears, and songs that you won’t get out of your head for days. We hope to see you soon!
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