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METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Nadja. So glad to be catching up with you. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us at Metal Pulp And Paper. We appreciate it.
How are you? How are things going so far?
NADJA PEULEN: I’m good thank you! It’s been very busy and hectic for me the last few months and I’m just now getting around to certain things like this interview. The New Year hasn’t officially started for me yet! I’m behind ha-ha.
MPAP: Most fans will know you from the Los Angeles nu-metal band Coal Chamber, which you joined back in 1999, taking over temporary bass duties from Rayna Foss. You would end up playing with the band for a couple years, with a brief hiatus in between with you eventually taking over the bass permanently in 2002 when Rayna was no longer going to continue being a part of the band. André Breton, who was a French writer, poet, anti-fascist, and was best known as the founder of Surrealism published a book called Nadja back in 1928. It is one of the iconic works of the French surrealist movement and begins with the question, "Who am I?". So, who are you Nadja? What else other than what was just mentioned should all the Metal Pulp And Paper readers need to know about you and what you’ve done?
NADJA: Who am I? A question I ask myself daily! I am European & American and I’m a musician and an artist. I have played bass for Coal Chamber, Roadrunner United, and various other projects which you can read about in my bio on my website.
MPAP: It has probably died down a bit, and don’t worry, we’ll skip the usual question I’m sure you must get asked a lot, "will Coal Chamber ever get back together again?" Instead, we’ll reflect a bit about the history of Coal Chamber, the popularity that the band had on many, but most importantly; among other things, I’d like to talk to you about what you’ve been up to since the 2016 indefinite hiatus of Coal Chamber and what your next endeavors are and have been?
NADJA: I haven’t been very musically active, as I only like to involve myself in bands or projects that feel right and are organic. I don’t like to do things just to do them and have something to talk about or cash in. It has to have meaning and feel good or I’m not interested. Until that right situation or band comes along I have plenty of other interests that keep me busy and engaged. I still work on designs for my T-Shirts and I’m considering writing a book amongst tapping into other new ventures.
MPAP: Like mentioned earlier, you would join Coal Chamber in 1999, playing on again, off again with the band, and wouldn’t record an album together until 2015s Rivals, the fourth and final studio album. After being a part of Coal Chamber for 16 years, what was it like finally being involved creatively with a Coal Chamber album? You were finally able to express yourself in original music and not just play someone else’s material instead?
NADJA: After having supported the second and 3rd album live on tour almost in its entirety, recording the fourth album Rivals was like coming full circle to me. Meegs, Mike and I are musically already tuned in with each other after playing together for so long that it all felt pretty natural. I am obviously familiar with their style and to write the bass lines for the record came pretty easy to me. I finished all the bass tracking within 3 days in Florida with Mark Lewis, which was a great experience.
MPAP: Not taking away anything from your time spent in Coal Chamber, but did you, or have you ever, thought about your time being spent in a different band that was more concrete and you were able to be more involved with?
NADJA: Sure, and I did. I had my own band in 2010 and was very involved in all aspects of things creatively and business wise. As much as it can be fulfilling to run your own band and create your vision, there’s still always compromise, and hiccups and it is a lot of work and responsibility. There’s pros and cons to everything.
MPAP: It must have been tough not really growing any roots in the band with the in and out departure of Rayna Foss, and the eventual turmoil between Dez Fafara and Miguel Rascón over the course of the band’s history?
NADJA: Not really, we’re all L.A. people that come from the same scene and know all the same people. So, I never felt like a stranger or outsider even though Rayna was the original bassist more than 16 years ago. From the very beginning I had a connection with the band and was able to be my own entity in it and form my own bond and roots with them and the fans. Turmoil in a band is inevitable; it’s like a marriage but with multiple partners.
MPAP: If you go back to after the commercial success of 1999s Chamber Music, Coal Chamber’s 2nd full-length release, the band toured worldwide and did festival tours with such high caliber bands like Slipknot, Type O Negative, Kid Rock, Pantera, Ministry, and Machine Head. Did you enjoy being out on the road with Coal Chamber at that time and being a part of huge festivals?
NADJA: I always enjoy touring; it’s where I feel truly at home and alive. My childhood was already sort of gypsy like, so I adjusted really quickly. Being on the road is like second nature to me.
MPAP: What was it like to be performing and being a part of the total mayhem and chaos during that year?
NADJA: It comes with the territory, so you have to embrace it. Nothing shocking to me. I only get bummed when a tour cancels and I’m forced to go home.
MPAP: Any fond memories that stand out the most that you can share here?
NADJA: There are countless fond memories of my touring with Coal Chamber. I’ll forever be grateful that they gave me the opportunity they did and put me on the map. It gave me a platform to express myself and hopefully inspire others to do so as well. The guys are like brothers to me and we will always be connected no doubt. We’ve had great & bad times and maybe we’ll have some more.
MPAP: It is widely known, and not a secret to most, but during the 1980s through the 1990s, things were done excessively, especially in the metal music genre. If this is something you can talk about, did you ever have a problem with drugs or alcohol during your tenure with Coal Chamber?
NADJA: I never had a problem with drugs & alcohol period. I’ve made my experiences and partied but most people in their 20’s do. I had fun, but never loved it so much to become dysfunctional or an addict.
MPAP: Moving forward, life after Coal Chamber, Dez Farara would, of course, continue with his other metal band Devildriver that he had formed in 2002, and you would also continue being a part of your T-shirt and apparel company called CruelTees that you had launched in 2003. Your T-shirt and apparel product is sold online and through such stores as Hot Topic. What else should we know about CruelTees and the blood, sweat, and tears, you put into it?
NADJA: I’ve put the company on hold while working with Coal Chamber on Rivals and I’m thinking about taking it into a new direction and collaborating with other designers in the future. There are currently still some classic designs on my website (nadjapeulen.com) until I fully launch Crueltees again.
MPAP: What has life after Coal Chamber been like?
NADJA: I can’t complain. I take life as it comes. Trying to control the outcome has never served me well so my new plan is to have no plan and see what happens.
MPAP: With music still strong in your blood, you would join and be a part of the theatrical alternative rock duo called Vera Mesmer in 2012. Unfortunately, Christopher Mesmer would later part ways with the project in 2013, with you only releasing your debut EP called Orphans, and then the single and video called "Down The Hole".
NADJA: I didn’t join VM, Chris and I started the band together in 2010. We ended up using his old band name for some reason and unfortunately it didn’t work out. I look at this period of my life as a learning experience that had great potential.
MPAP: Do you have any plans to start or join another band anytime soon?
NADJA: I have some ideas that I might be working on soon as well as some artists that I’d like to collaborate with on songs and art. I’m not opposed to joining another band if the right one comes along, so I guess I’m available for now.
MPAP: Before we bring this interview to a close, we’ll finish it with a few last questions. One straightforward question, one off the wall, and one; who knows what the hell you’d call it. You decide which one is which?
What’s something your brain tries to make you do and you must will yourself not to do it?
NADJA: Eat chocolate all day every day!
MPAP: If you were handed your bass and given a one-minute music slot during the Super Bowl, what would you want to play for everyone watching?
NADJA: Free "Fire & Water".
MPAP: It's Thursday at some point in 2018; we're staffing you on a huge music media project for Metal Pulp And Paper in Calgary, Canada on Monday. Your flight and hotel are booked; your visa is ready. What are the top five things you do before you leave and get on the plane?
NADJA: 1). pack, 2). find my passport, 3). shower, 4). get coffee, 5). call mom.
MPAP: With each musical door that closes, a new one must open. Music for you and others will go on for many years to come. What can your fans expect in 2018 and beyond for Nadja?
NADJA: I don’t know what 2018 will bring for me musically & creatively but I have a good feeling about it. I’ll definitely let you guys know via my website and socials:
www.nadjapeulen.com
instagram: @nadjapeulen
twitter: @nadjapeulen
Facebook: @officialnadjapeulen
MPAP: On behalf of myself, and Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Nadja, for being a part of this interview. Any last words for all the readers and your fans out there worldwide?
NADJA: Thanks to the die-hard fans that have supported Coal Chamber and me over the last few decades we truly appreciate it.
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