Decomposed: How would you define yourself? Tell me about DM. the missing:. And your music outside of the missing:.
DM: I define myself as a PeeWee Herman trapped in an Edward Scissorhands body. the missing:’s music is pretty much the soundtrack for the shit in my head that doesn’t get out on a regular basis. And I don’t really make music outside of the missing:.

Decomposed: Before I met you I never got into the type of music you play, since knowing you I’ve gotten into the music and understand the missing: is a household name. What sets you apart from the rest of the bands?
DM: Tenacity, I suppose. We’re one of the few local bands that have stuck with it for more than a few years, so people are bound to run across our name at some point or another. Plus (throwing modesty aside) we put on a damn good show, if I do say so myself! Even if you don’t like the music, I guarantee you’ll walk away saying, “Interesting. At least they put a lot into it.” Then maybe you’ll throw up.

Decomposed: Who chose the name for the band and why the missing:?
DM: I originally pulled “The Missing” from the Ministry song of the same name. I was listening to that album a lot at the time. Also, I was thinking about my brother, who had served in the Gulf War several years earlier. There were some tense times when we wondered if he wouldn’t come home. So “The Missing” was changed to all lowercase letters and a colon was added to make it seem more like an unfinished list. As in, “Among the missing:.”

Decomposed: Who writes the lyrics for the band and what do some of them mean?
DM: I write the lyrics, but the music is a group process. I don’t write dark, tortured poetry, and I don’t write the lyrics before the music is written. So the lyrics are created by what the music makes me feel. As for their meaning, I’m pretty literal. The only song that ever confuses people is Scary Kitty. Most people think it’s about S&M or a stalker. It’s really about a game I play with my cat. To me, that is never not funny.

Decomposed: Do you have a song that’s more meaningful for you than any other one? Or a favorite one that you love to play more than the others?
DM: I try not to write throwaway songs, so every song means something to me. Even Scary Kitty. But I enjoy playing Belief, because our bassist gets to play a specially modified bass with a cello bow and it looks really cool. Plus I usually don’t injure myself during that song, so it’s a pleasant little break for me. Broken is also great, because it encompasses a range of styles: melodious, far-eastern inspired goth to balls-out crunchy metal all in the same song.

Decomposed: How is the search for the drummer going?
DM: Abysmal. Thanks for bringing it up.

Decomposed: Do you have a favorite show that you played? What bands were on the bill? Do you have a shitty experience to tell us about at a show you played? No need to tell me what bands played that show.
DM: I think my favorite show was the one we played at Life in December of 1999. There were a few hundred people there, and they loved us. Granted, they weren’t all there to see us, but they liked us just the same. We did a great show, plus we got to do a metal version of Word Up by Cameo, which was hilarious. I don’t remember who else was on the bill, and frankly, I’m too lazy to go look it up in the Scrap Album. (Yup, I have a lot of band Scrap Albums.) Our shittiest show ever was one at Meow Mix. I was really sick and lost my voice right in the middle of the set. I was mortified. Ouch. That’s one scab I’d rather not pick at, thanks.

Decomposed: What are some of your musical influences? What did you grow up listening to? Who would you like to see come back from the dead?
DM: Everyone in the band comes from different musical backgrounds, which I think makes for an interesting mix. John’s into old metal like Maiden and classic rock. The bassist loves punk. Me personally, I was a classically trained trombonist for many years. I loved 80’s pop, the stuff I listened to as a kid, plus some early metal. I started getting into the goth-industrial thing in maybe ‘89 or ‘90. Some of my influences are: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Stravinsky, NIN, Tool, Weird Al, Pat Benetar, Danny Elfman, Twisted Sister, Benny Goodman, Ozzy, Dead Can Dance and the Dead Kennedys, but obviously the full list is really long. I try to glean a little something from everything I listen to. And I’d really like to see Gene Krupa come back from the dead. Then I’d club him over the head and force him to play for my band.

Decomposed: Anybody in your family play, sing or into your style of music?
DM: Not at all. They’re extremely unmusical and think I’m insane and that my band is awful. I think my niece is learning how to play the piano, but I don’t know how good she is. And nobody sings. One *could* make the argument that I don’t either, but oh well.

Decomposed: Did you train to become a singer? Why a singer? Do you play any instruments or want to play any instruments? Do you write any of the music?
DM: To the first question, nope, not at all. One day while listening to the creatures (side project of Siouxsie and the Banshees) I just sort of decided to become a singer, and that was that. I play trombone, and used to be quite good at it. Hell, it even paid for my college education! I can’t really play much with my current apartment situation, so I’ve become rusty over the past few years. (Come to think of it, I guess playing trombone for so long really helped increase my lung capacity, so that *could* be considered training. Sort of.) I play a little bass (it took so long to replace our bassist that eventually I learned how to play just so we could rehearse) some piano and exactly three songs on guitar. I also have a theremin that I’d like to get better at. And yes, I write all the melodies by myself and I help write the music (along with at least one other person). Like I said, it’s a group effort.

Decomposed: Everywhere I go in your scene all I hear is the missing: this, the missing: that. Has the band opened any doors for you outside of music?
DM: Wow, you do? I mean, ummm, of course you do. ;) Well, the band has opened at least one door for me outside of music. One night, I was loading equipment into L’amour before a show and someone said “Are you in the band? Hold it, I’ll get the door for you.” That was a big help. But other than that, no.

Decomposed: All right enough of the same shit you get asked. Time to get wild. Ready??
DM: Sure thing. (holds two fingers next to each other) Here’s the edge; here’s me. Woo-hoo!

Decomposed: When you’re onstage looking so fucking hot, ever get so turned on from the music that you can’t control yourself?
DM: What the hell are you talking about? Well, I get into it, but it’s angry stuff. So periods of “I can’t control myself” usually involve me getting injured from jumping around and getting whacked in the head with stuff. My head gets hit often. I think this explains a lot.

Decomposed: There is a picture of you on my site sitting on a wooden horse (that’s obviously one very lucky wooden horse) and the picture shows your goofy side. But the thing I noticed first was that amazing big smile. Is it hard for you to turn on and off the evil side of you when you’re on and offstage?
I don’t turn off an evil side. I’m basically goofy all the time, but when I’m performing, bad stuff comes out. Like a faucet, I suppose. The faucet isn’t evil (unless it was in an evil house and some really evil ghost possessed the house and localized its entire demonic presence in that particular faucet, thereby making it evil) but it serves as a release. It channels, if you will.

Decomposed: I’ve seen you play, you have unmatched presence and energy onstage. Do you do anything to get ready for a show like yours? You work out?
DM: No, but I pace a lot. And I usually eat a tube of mini M&Ms.

Decomposed: You’re wild as hell DM, are you that way offstage? What do you do for fun? Got a job? Kids?
DM: I work as an EMT. I love it, but it pays next to nothing. I have a cat, which is as close to kids as I plan to get. And what is this “fun” of which you speak? Is it related to that other mythological entity called “free time” that I hear so much about?

Decomposed: You have energy like a fucking 12-year-old. How old are you? And none of that a lady doesn’t tell her age shit? 
DM: Lady my ass. A *woman* doesn’t tell her age. Deal with it. But yes, mentally I’m in the 12-14 age group.

Decomposed: Your look is totally exotic, looks like you have some Irish in you as well (which every women I have dated has, not that’s any kind of hint or anything). What nationality are you? Were you born here in the states?
DM: I was born in scenic Staten Island, the home of the World’s Largest Landfill. My mom is Irish and my dad is Italian, but I’m sure there’s some other shit in the mix as well that nobody talks about. I look pretty un-exotic without all the make-up. I think that throws people off.

Decomposed: When we first met you stopped me dead in my tracks; I had to take a picture of you, does that happen often? If so are you comfortable with that shit?
DM: Was I blocking the stairway or something? I didn’t mean to stop anybody. No, it doesn’t happen on a regular basis, but when it does, I think I kind of disappoint the photographer more often than not. I won’t pose like the Queen of Darkness or anything so I usually end up looking like an idiot.

Decomposed: You would look pretty damn good riding on my bike. In fact, I’m thinking of doing a likeness of you on my tank. You like Harleys?
DM: When I was 16 I told my dad that I didn’t want to buy a car, I wanted to buy a Harley. (I was working at Spencer Gifts in the mall at the time; I don’t know *how* I thought I was gonna buy a chopper on *that* salary.) He thought it was a great idea. However, he STUPIDLY brought it up at the dinner table by accident one night and my mother freaked right the fuck out. So the answer was no. And I haven’t had the money since then to get one. Shit, I can barely afford my crappy car, which I really need. Never mind something just for fun. (There it is, that “fun” thing again.)

Decomposed: I guess you’re into horror and shit as the entire world should be, what are you’re favorite movies? Do you like gore and blood? Would you ever be in a movie? What do you think about all the tits and ass in the B movies lately (more like porn horror)? Would you rather see it go back to more guts, limbs and blood?
DM: I like classic horror stuff, both old (like Dracula) and new (like, well, Coppola’s Dracula). ;) Seriously, as far as horror goes, I like Hellraiser, Alien, Jaws, and the Nightmare on Elm Street/Friday the 13th/Halloween stuff. I love Tim Burton’s films, which aren’t technically horror but have a lovely gothic look to them. I like comedies, and gore and blood usually make me laugh. But I can only watch so much of it. (When I *really* want to laugh I watch Showgirls.) I was in an HBO short film once, mainly because I happened to be in the club when they were filming and the chick who was supposed to do the part didn’t show up. I had one line. I wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award that year, but that shit is all politics anyway, you know how it is. As for T&A, it’s an important part of the horror genre, but it has become a little stale and predictable.

Decomposed: You and I are both from NY. After what happened a year ago, do you think that we’re in for some shit around here? You nervous of that crap? Against war or for war?
DM: I’m only worried because as an EMT, if any shit goes down I’ll be exposed to it first. That kinda sucks. But no, I’m not cowering in my closet waiting for an attack. I’m opposed to violence, but I’m also opposed to standing there while some dickhead slaps me around. I dislike George W., but I love and support America. So if someone’s gonna fuck with my country and my city, I’m gonna fight back. I just wish it wasn’t the innocent people who get hurt all the time. I mean, shit. Why don’t we take all the safe, warm politicians like George & Co., Saddam and Bin Laden and throw ‘em in a locked room? Let *them* fight it out and kill each other. Don’t let them destroy countries for private agendas.

Decomposed: Being such a talented, hot lady do you have problems with other ladies in the scene? Or the dickhead men that don’t take no for an answer?
DM: The only female musicians I have problems with are the ones who are making mainstream music. And it’s NOT because of their music, mind you. It’s because they’re doing little to nothing to improve the image of women in rock. You wanna be a serious musician, Sheryl Crow? Stop posing nearly-naked in music magazines. You wanna be a rebel, Pink? Don’t take your clothes off and pose like you can’t wait to get fucked. You wanna prove that your band is more than just you, Gwen Stefani? Sign a contract that makes sure they appear *with you* on the cover of Spin. You wanna make raw, emotional punk rock that I believe, Courtney Love? Stop going to fashion shows in thousand-dollar gowns and trying to be a Hollywood Princess. Granted, I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, but so far, I have yet to see one real female rebel in mainstream music. That’s fucking SAD.

Decomposed: I’m sure you’re sought after by everybody you come in contact with, what makes DM turn her head? Would it be a man with long dreads (laugh)? Seriously, what kind of man makes you interested or women if that’s your thing?
DM: I don’t generally elicit that kind of response from people. Most times, people tell me that I’m too scary to approach, which is so funny it just about kills me. I rarely turn my head at anyone, but I will admit that even plain women can be very attractive if they have great personalities. Even when I see someone really, really smokin’, I generally just say (to myself) “wow, hot” and that’s the end of it. I can’t be bothered with relationships; I have too much other shit to worry about and I’m not interested in pursuing someone just to have them turn around and say, “Ick, no thanks.” I have my relationships, but it’s made clear at the beginning that “band first, you second.” Also they’re warned that I *might* be crazy. I personally don’t think that I am, but my cat keeps telling me otherwise. But what the hell does he know? His brain is the size of a walnut.

Decomposed: I would describe you as the Vampire goddess of Metal: stunning beauty, brains and talent. Since we are in a industry that’s dominated by males and male egos, do you think your beauty has helped or held you back and what would you say to the person that judges you on looks and not your very cool personality and talent?
DM: Generally the only problem my appearance poses is that I am clearly female-looking. And so people sometimes assume that, since I am a girl, the band sucks, or can’t possibly be heavy, or I can’t sing metal, or whatever. This is really annoying. Also, my bassist is female, and she can play rings around male bassists in the metal scene. She rocks.

Decomposed: Well the fat lady has sung (and that sure as hell isn’t you) and it was my pleasure learning about you DM. You got anything you want to say to the masses?
DM: Yes, I do. I’d like to say something meaningful, insightful and important. But instead I’ll just thank you for supporting women in the scene and recommend a bunch of unsigned female-fronted bands that I think kick ass. In no particular order: Crisis, Hydrovibe, Spider Rockets, The Abuse, Mahavatar, Tapping The Vein, Bottom, Volition, Binky, Tang, Collide, KuF, Wench and Devil Kit. You can find links to all of these bands on our website, www.themissing.com. And thanks again.