According to Adam Adam 12\ Bravin, DJ/beatmaker of She Wants Revenge, his band is a unique entity in the world of today's music, fresh and unhinged from the restraints of anybody or any influence, with pristinely relevant things to say.
At least that's one possible interpretation of the nondescript, bland way in which he answered interview questions—as if reading right out of ""Dealing with Journalists for Dummies""—while eating lunch somewhere in Montreal. In the end much of what he said about his band seemed true, but in an opposite sort of way.
In truth, She Wants Revenge is a commonplace band, on the lesser end of a huge post-punk revival, and completely reliant on its influences. Their trashy lyrics, sung with that ever-recycled hauntingly urgent Ian Curtis drone, fit the cheap beats and synths of the music. It's emotional, but it lacks grace. It's dark, but it lacks mystique.
""We're electronic incorporated rock ... I met [lead singer] Justin [Warfield] in the valley when we were young. We kept bumping into each other for years and at a barbecue we decided to start working on some hip-hop together. We weren't really feeling it, so I gave Justin this beat I had been working on—a little slower, a little darker and he really liked it,"" said Bravin. ""And we kind of made this sound out of our collaborations.""
Since forming in 2003, they rapidly signed with Geffen, released their self-titled debut, got Joaquin Phoenix to direct one of their videos and are now headlining their first tour. It seems She Wants Revenge is on a swift rise.
""We've been very fortunate. We had no idea how big we would be,"" Bravin said. ""I think we're successful because people can really get into the music. Justin's got great lyrics which I think people can relate to. I don't think it really sounds like anything out there right now.""
But surely he must recognize the sheer number of bands out right now that She Wants Revenge cops from.
""I don't look up to those bands,"" he said. ""I think we have something different to offer. I like Blonde Redhead because they create their own sound and there aren't a lot of bands doing that. I think we do that and people enjoy it.""
Influences or no, it's impossible to ignore the debt that She Wants Revenge owes to Joy Division, an iconic band that it already outsold in the States.
""We make honest music. You can look around and see Joy Division or New Order, but it's not about that. That's what we grew up with in the '80s, so naturally that's part of us,"" he said.
Bravin carries with him a charmingly hackneyed, cavalier attitude about musical independence.
""It's really about not caring what other people think. We just make what we feel. It's honest because we're not trying to make it a certain way. And we didn't care about anyone but ourselves and what we thought of the music. It happens that people have picked up on it. We didn't know any of this was going to happen.""\
