Bitter Grace in artists for september If you're a fan of old school gothic music, Bitter Grace is crafting songs you need to hear. With a sound reminiscent of the Mission or the Sisters of Mercy, Bitter Grace is a hard-working New York City goth band that hasn't forgotten their roots. I met up with their charismatic singer, Lapis, outside a club and got a little deeper into Bitter Grace. Gabrielle: Please introduce the band. Tell me about the members and what everyone does. Lapis: All right. We have Christopher Clarke who plays bass and also we have Vicki Aubin, who plays drums, and I myself, Gustavo Lapis Ahumad who is the vocalist, songwriter, and all-around cool guy. G: Tell me how you first got into music as a child. Lapis: You're gonna laugh, but it was Elvis. Watching the G.I. Blues and all the other cool Elvis movies. G: And did you say to yourself, "I'm gonna be a rock star when I grow up"? Lapis: In 5th grade, I grabbed my teacher's guitar and I just started doing "Jailhouse Rock." Not that I really played it, but I started singing it. I got in trouble for it but it was cool. G: You were a rock star rebel from the beginning. Lapis: Yeah, so, 5th grade. G: How did this love grow into Bitter Grace? Is this your first band? Lapis: First, last, and always. G: That sounds like a Sisters of Mercy song. Lapis: Sounds familiar! No really, it's my project. I've been doing it all my life. Officially we started back in 1985, still going strong. G: Speaking of Sisters, I hear their influence in your music. Would you say that's true? And who else do you consider influences? Lapis: Good question. Definitely an influence. I would say also Depeche Mode, Psychedelic Furs, The Church. G: And what are some of the themes you find yourself writing most often about? Lapis: Most often, love, or should I say . . . you expect so much from love and it never comes through. The whole letdown. G: The disappointment of love. Lapis: The disappointment of love. That's exactly it. G: That's very gothic. Lapis: Well, you know what, it's very honest. G: Okay, speaking of very gothic, how would you describe the band's music? Lapis: I would say old school goth. We're always thinking about the emotional content of the music. Now we have more of an electronica club sound but only because the club scene itself has changed. G: You're currently recording your second CD. How's that coming along and when will it be done? Lapis: Well we had a couple of glitches here and there, but, you know . . . G: Like what. Lapis: Well, we had to replace a couple of players which we won't mention. But we have come through and the EP should be out in late September. G: Are you going to shop it around? Lapis: We're shopping it, we have a couple of cool labels interested in it. We're thinking about sticking to the whole independent thing just to have the creative control over it. G: When do you think you're gonna play out to support the new stuff? I know you guys just played out last week, that was the old stuff. Lapis: That was the old stuff. The next gig we have coming up is for Alchemy's 7th or 8th anniversary. G: Which is when? Lapis: I believe it's September 15, but don't quote me on that. Keep an eye on our in-clubs page for the exact date of Bitter Grace's show. In the meantime, you can read more about Bitter Grace on their website, and before you catch them live, get to know their songs at their mp3.com page. top of page