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CHERRI BOMB - NIA LOVELIS

Cherri Bomb are a four-piece band based in LA. Signed to Hollywood Records, the girls – Julia Pierce, Miranda Miller, Nia Lovelis and Rena Lovelis – have toured with Smashing Pumpkins (at the request of Billy Corgan) and played shows with Filter and Camp Freddy to name a couple. All while still in their early teens. The quartet are super-talented, having discovered a love for music early on. Not only that but they have written some superb songs such as ‘Spin’ and ‘Mirror Mirror’ and you’ll also find an amazing cover version of Foo Fighters ‘The Pretender’ on YouTube. We discovered that not only are Cherri Bomb bound for superstar-status with such talent, but they’re also caring girls with three of the four members being vegetarians! After having a little chat with drummer Nia for Black Velvet (the interview will be in issue 70), we then asked her a few questions for SaveAScream…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    
SBV: What vision did you all have for the band when Cherri Bomb first formed? Did you discuss what you wanted the band to be like or what you wanted to achieve with the band when the four of you got together?
NL: When we first started the band, we were about ten years old so we didn’t really know what the future held for us. And still, it’s broad and open. It can just be anything. 
 
SBV: When exactly did the band form? I read that in the beginning Julia put ads in papers to audition for band-members. When did you have the final line-up?
NL: About 2 ½ years ago we had the final line-up. We had Rena in the band and we had Miranda. That was kind of when everything kind of clicked.
 
SBV: How has your drum collection grown since then?
NL: When I started out, I started on an electronic kit – a Roland. A few years after that, two years into the band, I got an endorsement or a deal with RCI and they actually sent us a kit for $2000. It was awesome. It sounded like thunder and I just fell in love with it. Now DW… I love DW kits.
 
SBV: In the video for ‘The Pretender’, Cherri Bomb’s cover of the Foo Fighter song, Rena sings the lead vocals whereas Julia sings main vocals in many of the other songs. How come Rena sang the vocals in ‘The Pretender’?
NL: It kind of gave Julia a chance to get into her guitar player zone and it kind of gave Rena a chance to come out of her shadow because she’s kind of like the brooding person of the band. And so Julia had time to focus on her parts and get really into it and it brought so much. When Julia wasn’t singing we had so much fun… Even when she is singing, but… It kind of gave us a chance to spread out. There’s no actual lead singer of the band.
 
SBV: Besides the Foo Fighters’ ‘The Pretender’, you’ve also covered ‘Volcano Girl’ by Veruca Salt and done a few other cover versions. Is there a song that you haven’t yet covered by another band that you almost wish you'd written yourselves? What’s a good example of a perfect song to you?
NL: One of my favourite songs that I’ve actually learned and would love to cover is ‘Judas’ by A Perfect Circle. I just love that band so much.
 
SBV: Have you ever seen A Perfect Circle live?
NL: No, but I wish I did!
 
SBV: Your own songs ‘Mirror Mirror’, ‘Already Dead’ and ‘Spin’ are available for free download at cherribombband.com. Out of your own Cherri Bomb songs, which means the most to you?
NL: ‘Already Dead’. And we have a new song that we haven’t put out yet but it’s really fun, it’s called ‘Drawing A Blank’. It’s really fun, it’s kick-ass, bad-ass. It’s kind of like an in-your-face song.
 
SBV: While reading up on the band, I discovered that you became vegetarian at the age of 7. Is anyone else in the band vegetarian?
NL: Yes, Rena and Julia.
 
SBV: What was it that initially urged you to become vegetarian?
NL: When I was really, really young I wanted to be a veterinarian. Almost all my life I’ve been dealing with animals, I love them so much. And one day I just decided… I think I watched a movie… and it freaked me out because of the cruelty to animals and the terrible things they do. I don’t want to be a part of that. I’d rather make myself healthy and help the animals.
 
SBV: What did your parents think when you became vegetarian so young? Did they encourage it?
NL: Yeah, they did. They just wanted me to be healthy – and I wasn’t feeling well when I ate meat. I don’t know, it didn’t really click with my body. So they were actually all for me being vegetarian.
 
SBV: What’s your fave veggie food?
NL: I love burritos without anything on it. I love beans… I just love beans!
 
SBV: Has anyone famous inspired you as far as being vegetarian or speaking out against animal cruelty? Billy Corgan’s vegan… Jared Leto’s vegan, and people such as Pamela Anderson do a lot of work for PETA.
NL: PETA really inspired me. Trent Reznor I think put something up about PETA and that really inspired me. I was thinking ‘Wow, he’s a star but he still cares about the earth and about the animals’. There are a bunch of stories that really inspired me. Even Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, they put it out there that animal cruelty is wrong, and it is. It’s just really inspiring.
 
SBV: Do you think you’ll get more into animal rights the older you get?
NL: Oh yeah, totally.
 
SBV: You have a lot of rescue animals. You’ve had dogs, cats, birds, mice and snails as companions. Can you tell me about the bond you have with your pets?
NL: Actually all of our animals are rescues. Some of the stories are really, really sad. Most of our animals were either abused or came from shelters and we took them in and it felt good because they felt safe and we were giving them another home. And we actually brought their trust back and that’s a good feeling altogether.
 
SBV: Do you think more people should rescue animals?
NL: If they’re qualified to do it and they really care and they’ll take the time, then they should.
 
SBV: What are your thoughts on people who breed animals to make money?
NL: All of these animals need homes and breeding more animals… it’s not right. It doesn’t make any sense.
 
SBV: A lot of animal cruelty goes on in the world – everything from testing on animals to dog fighting and hunting. What is something you really hate that you wish we could ban?
NL: There was a video on PETA that I watched a long time ago... the Fast Food thing. I really don’t like how they kill the animals. It’s inhumane and it’s not right at all.

Visit www.cherribombband.com for more info. Great girls with big hearts and awesome music. Catch them at the Reading & Leeds Festival in August or Sonisphere this weekend.

 

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