Getting kids to choose to see your set over other bands on the Vans Warped Tour can be a challenge, but when your band has two of the hottest women in the metal genre, things are a little easier. So metalcore band Eyes Set to Kill, which comes straight out of Phoenix, should have a good turn-out on Tuesday, June 29 at Cricket Wireless Pavilion, not just because sisters and band members Anissa and Alexia Rodriguez are stunning, but also because the local band, signed to Break Silence Recordings, has amassed a following of fans from all over the world since they came together in 2004.
The band's currently touring in support of their new album, Broken Frames, an album the band says is their most fun yet and on which Alexia sang an octave higher than usual, creating an album that's still rock heavy but also catchier than ever. She talked to New Times about what it's like to be repping for women on the tour and in the industry, her inspiration on the album and her thoughts on going solo.
New Times: You formed this band back in high school. How have you evolved since then?
Alexia Rodriguez: I guess what's helped me evolve is working with different producers, and I've learned a lot from other musicians. Touring all the time has helped a lot. I have a better vision of what I want Eyes Set to Kill to be.
NT: How do you feel about being a woman in such a male-dominated genre?
AR: After touring and being so many different places, we've met a lot of girls we've genuinely been inspired by. We really want to keep sending out a good message about women starting out rock bands and starting different types of music instead of just the stereotypical pop music. We want girls to know they can do the stuff guys do.
NT: Are there any challenges to being a female rock artist?
AR: I think people judge harsher because it's not everyday you see women playing the type of music we do. Now we're starting to see bands who open for us that have girls that aren't afraid to scream or play lead guitar.
NT: How is it playing in a band with your sister?
AR: We're best friends. We share clothes, we share everything. We've had some kind of tiny fights, but we get along all the time. I think that's one thing that makes it easier to tour, is having her there.
NT: What inspired you while you were writing Broken Frames?
AR: I started realizing every song was about memories I didn't want to have any more. With "Broken Frames," I started that song about any ex I've ever had and how I wish I could get rid of any memory I had of them. That song just started being about wanting your memories to go away because they're painful to remember, from having a friend committing suicide to relationships. I wish I could get rid get rid of these memories, just like I could get rid of frames.
NT: You've done some acoustic solo shows with your own material. Would you ever put out a solo album?
AR: I'm trying to focus on Eyes Set to Kill Right now, but we might release it later when Eyes Set to Kill has a break. I write so much on my own, it would probably be bad for me to not release them. The songs are pretty personal, and they're things I've written when I'm on tour or when I get off tour. I can't imagine myself doing it yet because I'm trying to focus on the band, but I think it would be a good thing because there have been a lot of bands that do that and have side projects.
NT: You've played Warped Tour in the past, but this is the first time you're on the whole tour. What are you looking forward to about it?
AR: I'm so excited to be playing it because a lot of our fans have always been begging us to play it. It'll be cool to see what we can draw. I'm afraid I'll get too tan, because I'm already tan because I live in Arizona, and I'm Mexican. We're definitely a new type of band, and I don't think there's going to be any other band like us on Warped Tour.
NT: What are your goals for the next year?
AR: Just to tour, and we really want to go back to Europe and South America and maybe Australia. To do an international tour would be so fun. We played Brazil last year, and we have a lot of fans everywhere, and we hope to reach them next year.
NT: Why would you encourage people to check out Broken Frames?
AR: It's a really fun album, I think. There are a lot of songs that are just fun to listen to and that will be fun to rock out to live.
