THE COLOR GUARD - By Rachel Rokicki
stars in bars

Throwing back beers at Siberia on a Tuesday night in early February, the Brooklyn based members of The Color Guard sat down with me to discuss their evolution, their third album and what makes them tick. A band with "proggy vocals, dark guitar melodies and a healthy dose of irony" (TimeOut NY), The Color Guard has also received praise from Entertainment Weekly and The Village Voice. Led by the feisty Lalena Fissure, their intricate harmonies and rich metals hooks give them their distinctive glam rock sound.

The Color Guard right? During the Civil War pipers and drummers often accompanied soldiers to keep them in beat and keep up their spirits. On those lines, a soldier always carried the "colors," hence the term color guard. Does your name reflect this idea?

We came up with the name after throwing a number of things around. Our original name was actually SuziBlade, but it made it seem like there was just one of us; and we're four.

So you're saying you don't incorporate flags, sabers, or batons while you're performing?

No sabers, but we do play in front of a silver and black flag that drapes over the back of the stage.

Tell us about your music background.

I started playing the bass awhile ago when I worked at the Houston Chronicle. When I came to New York for art school I co-founded the Hissyfits. Eventually, I wanted to start something new and The Color Guard developed. Now it's me (Lalena Fissure), Jeanne Gilliland on bass, Josh Zisman on lead guitar, and our newest member Chicago Joe Salvati on drums. We continue to evolve and rehearse out in Brooklyn at Flood studios.

And you've got your own label? Tell us about it.

Yes, Suzieblade Music. We've also got our own clothing line, stickers, posters, shirts, you name-it. We're always looking for passionate music fans to spread to good word about our new album.

Who do you consider your main influences?

The Pixies, Lacuna, Mars Volta, The Gathering, Kate Bush…along with others like the Cocteau Twins, The Talking Heads, Zappa, and the Banshees.

Explain your sound.

As Josh points out, we're like a pot-luck-dinner, you never know what you're going to get. We all sing, so there's a lot of intricate harmony.

What's your creative process? Do you write all the songs?

I usually bring in the lyrics and layout as much of the songs that I've been working on beforehand, and then we all dig right in.
Where do you play in NYC? Any bands you like to play with?
We play at venues like CBGB's, NorthSix, and Arlene's Grocery. We recently shared the bill at Siberia with our friends Battery, The Twats, and Black Sonny.

What are you listening to?

Arcade Fire, Midnight Movies, the Zutons, and The Shins.

What are you working on next?

We've been practicing a lot and hope to have a new record out in 2006.

"We came up with the name after throwing a number of things around. Our original name was actually SuziBlade, but it made it seem like there was just one of us; and we're four. No sabers, but we do play in front of a silver and black flag that drapes over the back of the stage. "