Britt Lightning and Tommy London are no strangers to rock fans. Britt has been the guitarist in Vixen since 2017, and in addition to fronting NYC legends The Dirty Pearls and his solo career, Tommy London can be heard across SiriusXM as one of the platforms top rock DJs. The two are combining forces for some exciting new music and you can help!
Please press the PLAY icon below for the MisplacedStraws Britt Lightning and Tommy London interview –
On how they came together and the vibe of their music – Britt – Well, I guess I’ll start real quick. When I met Tommy, I knew he was cool. I met him hosting the M3 festival that Vixen was playing. Then that day he sent me his album, and I listened to it. I have to say, not that I didn’t expect great stuff from him, but I was really blown away with it. I was so impressed with the sound, the songwriting, his voice. I knew he was really talented. So, I’ve always wanted to do a musical project with him. We’ve been kind of talking about it for quite some time now, and every now and then, working on songs here and there. it just came to a point where we’re like, “This is pretty good stuff. I think we can make something awesome with all this. We need to really get serious about it.” We’ve been writing a lot and I think the vein of the music is rock with like big pop hooks. It’s not like heavy metal by any means, but it’s not pop-pop. Tommy, what would you say?
Tommy – She’s a shredder on that guitar. As soon as I saw her play, I said, “Man, I gotta get on stage with her and, and start writing some songs”. When we were together and we would just jam a little bit, and song ideas would come out and slowly start to develop. We would write a song here, write a song there, song idea here. Then all of a sudden, man, they really just started coming out. We were like, “Okay, that’s the sign we got. We gotta start putting this together and figuring out”, which we did. Like Britt said, the songs are just really fun hard rock power pop songs. Pretty much what she does, and I do individually. We just teamed up together and did it. Cheap Trick, Billy Idol that type of stuff that we’re into, that makes you wanna stand on your feet and put your fist in the air and sing along.
Britt – So, good driving tunes. Actually, you said the other day, they’re like summer songs, get in your car and crank it up for the summertime. Nothing too overly serious. It’s like good fun rocking out music.
Tommy – So if you have a convertible Jeff, you’re gonna put the top down and blast these tunes. I promise you.
How fans can help get the record made – Britt – We started a GoFundMe. We were torn between the GoFundMe and the Kickstarter, and the only reason we went with the GoFundMe was the Kickstarter has a lot of tiers that people give away, such as merch and albums and we were just trying to get the music done, so we don’t even have all of those things produced yet. So, if we did that, all the money would be going towards making all that too. But we really wanted to make a really great record because it’s all about the music first and foremost for us. So, we’re getting that together and we launched that a couple weeks ago and, very exciting that we are over half our goal now as of today. So, we’re doing great. We’re super excited and thanks to everybody that’s already helped out. Now we’ve locked in a producer and a studio, and so we’re gonna be working with John Fields, a great producer who’s done Pink, he’s done Soul Asylum, he’s done Miley Cyrus, he’s done tons of stuff. I’m drawing a blank here, but he is just a really great. He actually did Tommy’s original record. Well, we were going back and forth on so many producer ideas and then I was like, “I gotta say your album sounds (great) I have zero comments on it. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. It’s so good”. So, we’re like, “Yeah, I think he’s the guy”. He’s got a great studio in Minnesota, Minneapolis and so we’re very excited about that. Hmm.
Tommy – If anyone wants to take part, part, little, small, it doesn’t matter. We appreciate it all and the support, and you can get those links on Britt’s social media pages as well as mine, and on GoFundMe, if you just search Tommy London or Britt Lightning, I’m pretty positive it’ll pop up. It’s been just amazing seeing everyone just support us in this. It’s just incredible. A lot goes into making a record. People don’t realize it’s not like I’m just putting on my laptop here that I’m talking to you on and able to record. You can do that. But it depends on the level of record you wanna make. Of course, being the artists that we are, we want to take it to the fullest. We need a great producer to help us with our vision and a studio where we can sound amazing. We got the musicians and we’ve done the rehearsals. It’s so wild, as a songwriter, one of my favorite parts is hearing the songs come to life. Not just at the rehearsal, but when you get into the studio and you see how A plus B equals C and it’s just really wild and then you take it to a whole other level. So, we’re looking forward to all of that because we are so ecstatic about these songs and we just can’t wait to hear how they’re just gonna get even higher when we get into the studio with John.
On if they were nervous to go the crowdfunding route – Britt- We were real nervous about it and we weren’t sure if it was a good idea even, but at the same time, like Tommy said, people don’t know what go goes into it. If you’re working with a record label, the budgets are pretty big because of that. I have a limited knowledge about making demos and things like that. But yeah, I no means claim to be a producer. Just everything that goes into it, the preparation, the hiring musicians, renting the studio, working with the producer paying for rehearsals. There’s just a lot. Yeah, we were nervous, but we were like, we got nothing to lose. Worst case is people don’t donate, but we’re still gonna work hard and, and try our best regardless.
Tommy – I’ll keep it real with you, Jeff. We were a little fearful of doing it for a few reasons. One, yeah, what if you put this out there and you don’t really get the money you want, or even half of it, or even any kind of percent. Then there’s the other fear of being judged over it. There are so many artists that have done it that inspired me to say to myself, “Well, maybe it’s, it’s not the wrong thing”. Willie Nile is a great example. remember when he started those GoFundMe and whatnot and I saw it. I was like, “Wow, the fans really got behind him”. Steel Panther is another band that I had seen. The Warning, fantastic band who did the same, and I was like, “Okay, getting the support of the fans and the friends and the family. Maybe it’s the right thing to do”. I’ve never pulled that trigger before. Neither has Britt. Like I said before, and I’ll say it again, overwhelmed by the response. Putting it out there, if anyone else would like to join the party, feel free. That would be amazing. We’ll make sure you get the music before anyone else.
On if they plan to play live after the music comes out – Britt – Definitely, I think that’s gonna be the strength. We’ve done quite a few jams together at this point now around LA and things like that. I always have fun being on stage together. But Tommy is such a, a showman, a front man, and yeah, we can’t wait to bring the live show. That’s what we’re most excited about after we get there.
Tommy – Oh, yeah. The way she plays on stage and just takes everybody away with her guitar playing and, the combo we can’t wait to, to bring it on stage. We’ve jammed on stage a few times most recently at the Ronnie James Dio Cancer benefit Britt and I did Van Halen’s “Panama” which was a lot of fun. We’ve yet to do our originals and do our show on stage, and as soon as we get all these songs together start rehearsals for that and we’ll be bringing it to New York, LA, and everywhere in between. So, I can’t wait for that.
On comparing the New York and LA music scenes – Tommy – Well, I’ll tell you what, in both cities there are so many great bands, a ton of talent. With me putting the shows together, what makes it a little different, a little harder is in New York, I played in that scene for so long and I lived in New York for so long, I know all the bands. I could walk out my door and go see a band. Out here, I know a few of the bands and I hear about some of the bands, but I’ve yet to experience all the bands, so it’s a little harder to put them all together, but I’m figuring that out and that’ll happen. The talent is really great and so many different types. Heavy metal, punk, and power pop. I’ve been trying to bring some New York bands out here. I did that with the first show with a band called Killcode. They came out and I’m gonna do more in the future with that. It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy working with the local bands. I think it’s important. Anything I can do, even though I can’t really play them on the radio. I’m on three channels in SiriusXM. But I can always shout out a band and anything I can do to help get the awareness I’m always game to do. I’m doing another one in New York, so I’ve been doing them back and forth whenever I’m in the city. That’ll be on July 23rd, $5 Rock Show.
That’s another thing. Side note, I’m trying to get the whole $5 Rock Show concept here in LA. It’s a little tougher to do with these club owners, but I’m knocking down some walls and hopefully I can make that happen soon. That’s important because that’s what’s gonna get the traffic there even more to discover another band and to stay the whole night, or even just go out. In general, a lot of these clubs in LA are charging $15 or $20, and that’s just too steep. I wouldn’t pay more than $20 to go see someone at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, which is a 500, 600 seat. I can’t see how a small club can do the same. Maybe it’s the rents or whatever, and I’m not knowing the backstory, but nonetheless in this case, less is more.
On Britt’s pre-Vixen background – Britt – Before that I was playing for an artist named Alejandro Sanz, a big Spanish artist. Then I was playing with Rachel Platten a pop artist. I had just moved out to LA from Boston where I’m from. After those tours had kind of wound down a bit and, and when I first came out to LA I was actually working at Universal Records. Just ’cause I got out here and I was like, “Wow, everything’s like expensive”, and I came out here without a gig and “Okay, it’s go time. I gotta pay my rent and stuff”. I got a business degree, a music business degree from Northeastern University and I had never really used. So, I was like, “Maybe now’s the time I’m supposed to use it”. We’ve got all these great record labels and business music businesses out here in LA. So, I started doing that and then I started playing out around town and hitting the jams and things like that. Vixen’s manager was kind of looking for somebody to take the guitar player role and heard of me and came out and saw me at one of the jam nights. So that’s how that started. I’m glad that happened because I really wasn’t digging the desk job vibe. I thought I could do it. I enjoy learning and working on the work and contracts and things like that, but just being stuck at a desk and in that corporate environment, it wasn’t it wasn’t where I was vibing.
On possible new Vixen music – Britt – Yes, we have a couple things in the works. An album, I don’t see that right now. I think it’s more of like a singles game in the moment from everybody’s perspective in the band. So, I think that we’re gonna hopefully release a, a single here and there coming up soon. Like I said, I know for sure we’ve been working on one that’ll be coming out. Rosa (Laricchiuta)’s voice is amazing. It really, really fits great. It was just such a seamless transition with her and so I think the band’s stronger than ever and so yeah, we are ready to rock and make new music.
On Tommy’s future plans – Tommy – Right now the focus is the music her and I are making. Who knows in the live show, I’ll maybe throw in some of the solo stuff. Her and I have talked about it and it depends on what songs we need and to fulfill a contract or a set and whatnot. We’ll take that as we go. But yeah, musically my focus right now, 100% on the band Britt and I are putting together, which by the way, we have a name, can’t announce it yet, but that will be coming soon as well. We’re very excited about that. A lot of exciting announcements that they’re all coming. They’re coming.
