We know we’re doing something right when people stumble across our site, hear our music and become so excited they want to get involved and help promote us. Billy Donald, editor of the online ‘zine Drummer Interviews, heard a few of our songs and, as he puts it “discovered the music of Morex Optimo, and found some great little tunes that take more twists and turns than a Mexican Novella.” He was particularly impressed with Heather’s fantastic drumming (and who wouldn’t be?), and immediately contacted us for an interview with her.
Bearing in mind the vicissitudes of the Internet, we have archived the interview page. We would prefer, though, if you read it from its source, where you can also catch interviews with other greats, like Jimmy Carl Black, David Sylvian, and Eric Bloom.
The following interview is copyright 2002, Billy Donald
Heather Wagner – Morex Optimo
Q: Heather, thanks for taking the time to join me here! You are currently the: drummer for a cool little band called Morex Optimo in New York. For those not familiar, can you describe the band’s sound and musical theory?
A: Thanks so much, I’m flattered to be asked. I guess Morex Optimo is a rock band,but one living somewhere in the more provincial suburbs of ROCKtropolis, e.g. we would have to drive about 2 hours for milk. Luckily we lactate! The music can be romantic, melodic and sentimental but also atonal and quirky with some odd times. “Fans” have suggested that some of the music would make a great soundtrack for cartoons. If Morex Optimo had a musical theory it would probably a close to Alfred Jarry’s ‘Pataphysics or Dada, but that sounds pretentious. It would also be like a child earnestly singing a song she learned in school, probably it’s a song about 2 fish who are in love but cannot be together because of Fate.
Q: You have two tracks available in MP3 form on your site entitled Big Tongue Man and The Exactly Commensurate Abattoir which I thought had a great original sound. Have you recorded any other tracks or do you have an EP or full length CD available yet?
A: We have recorded more… but we haven’t released a full-length cd yet. We’re hoping to do that early next year.
Q: I wanted to ask you a bit about your drumming background. How long have you been playing and who were some of your biggest drumming influences?
A: I started playing when I moved into a space where a band practiced. Having always fantasized about playing drums, I asked if I could play the kit when the drummer wasn’t there and they said “you can *be* our drummer, we can’t keep a drummer for more than a few months” (another story that). That was about 7 years ago and I started studying formally about 4 years ago (I actually had a false start when I was about 13 and I bullied my parents into getting me drums at a garage sale. At the time my “influences” were AC/DC, Def Leppard and Judas Priest which I tried to bang along to. Once I started listening to Rush I just gave up in defeat and sold the drums to buy pot).
Well, like many drummers and nondrummers alike, I love Keith Moon so much it hurts, both for his spirit as well as his explosive and inventive drumming; also the other oft-cited rockguys Mitch Mitchell and John Bonham. Ringo and Mo Tucker of the Velvet Underground are other influences as well as King Coffey of the Butthole Surfers. I don’t think punk drummers get enough kudos. But honestly I can be just as moved by a malaligned subway train clanking along a track or a syncopated dot-matrix printer doing its thing.
Q: What kind of gear are you using on the road or in the studio right now?
A: The drums I bought from my cousin a few years ago: it’s a Gretsch Blackhawk 7-piece kit, though I am only using one rack and one floor tom. I’m sure there’s some teen metalhead out there who would make much better use of it, but my dream is to have a custom kit built since most drums are not tailored to the more petite frames that many ladies such as myself are blessed with.
Q: Heather, thanks again for your time to join me here. I wanted to finish up by asking you what the band has coming up in the next few months?
A: Well, right now I’m about to tour with another band — Suran Song in Stag (cruelmusic.com) — a great post-punk performance art rock band, but once I get back, we’re planning to do some more recording and want to put out a full-length album. I’ll definitely keep you in the loop if you’re interested.
