Actress enjoying musical success
By Vasiliki Marras
Oct. 27, 2004 9:00 p.m.
It is all too often that when actors try their hands at being
musicians, the results are disastrous. But some actors manage to
make the switch smoothly, as in the case of Juliette Lewis,
frontwoman of Juliette and the Licks.
Most people remember Lewis as either the disturbed murderess
from “Natural Born Killers,” for her Oscar nomination
for her performance in “Cape Fear,” or as the
“sexually enlightened” Heidi from “Old
School.” But unlike many actors who attempted unsuccessfully
to become singers, Lewis has managed to escape the
actor-become-musician curse.
With a few Warped Tour dates under her belt, and a U.S. tour on
the way, Lewis’ life as a musician is really taking off. And
this Saturday, Juliette and the Licks will be playing with Courtney
Love at the Wiltern.
“We’re calling it a “˜rock-off,'”
Lewis said with a laugh. “I’m just excited to be
playing the Wiltern; it’s the place where Patti (Shemel, the
Licks’ drummer) and I first bonded two years ago, and now
we’re going to be playing there two years later. It’s
just going to be great.”
Having been together for two years, Lewis says that her main
goal with her band is becoming a strong live band.
“For me, its all about the live show,” she said.
“Anybody can sound good if they go into a studio for an
eternity. That’s not how I wanted to develop.”
And a strong live performance she has, as she’s been
compared to the likes of Iggy Pop and Steven Tyler of
Aerosmith.
“Gee whiz, that has flattered me to no end!” gushed
Lewis. “I think it’s a response to the energy I try to
give. I like to go into the crowd and get everybody
going.”
Although the focus of the band is on the live show, they
released “Like a Lightning Bolt” for purchase on the
Internet in September. The EP will be available in stores with a
DVD in January.
Between their studio effort, “Like a Lightning
Bolt,” and a slew of live performances, Juliette and the
Licks are endeavoring to prove that they deserve a spot in the
category of up and coming musical acts.
But despite the growing success of her band, Lewis still loves
acting.
“The good thing about acting is that it only takes five
months out of the year, so it leaves a lot of time for my
music,” she said. “With music, I write everything, and
it’s directly from me, whereas when I’m acting,
I’m helping to sell other people’s stories.”
