“...engaging and intelligent...”
“...early Blondie”
“The Ramones if they had a female singer”
“I can see teens just dancing on the bed pillow fighting”
“Very fun, upbeat, and flirty”
“Go-Gos, New Wave, Bangles”
“3 Chord Chick Rock!!!”
“Hole meets Garbage”
“Oh, fun girl vox!”
“Chrissie Hynde would be proud”
Long before joining the New Orleans institution Cowboy Mouth, bassist Regina Zernay was fronting her own band, MECHANT.
Based in Los Angeles and formed in 2002, MECHANT was one of a small handful of new, high-energy power pop bands.
But behind the polished surface was a band that weathered some nasty storms. Playing every kind of venue in Southern California, going through two band line-ups, and withstanding painful personal issues, the band survived more than five years, recording two CDs along the way (a self-titled two-song EP, and the full-length "Fate and The Arsenal").
As a bassist, Regina had played with dozens of Southern California bands, like Big Violin, Ten Pound Troy, The Syrups and Red Delicious. In 2001, she joined well-known Dreamworks/Megatronic rock band Halfcocked.
By 2002, Regina had enough songs to form her own band, and MECHANT was born. The french word for "wicked," Regina found the name in Fredric Dannen's book, "Hit Men."
Regina began recording MECHANT's first demo with producer & guitarist Jonathan Hayes. With drummer Mike Earnhart and Big Violin singer/guitarist Jim Jet, the band started playing live in 2003. They released their first 2-song EP by the year's end.
What happened next was a meltdown. All the band members departed, and due to personal issues, MECHANT was put on indefinite hold.
But surprisingly, after two years of near death and dormancy, MECHANT was reformed. Anchored with Regina on lead vocals, the band now consisted of Mark Burgess on guitar, Robert Hirsh on drums, and Daniel Frohnen on bass. A new record was also released, called "Fate and The Arsenal."
A combination of feminine vocals, loud guitars, throbbing bass and smart-mouth lyrics, "Fate and The Arsenal" sums up the wild life of a girl living in the big city. If you listen closely, you can even catch hints about what happened during MECHANT's two-year disappearance.
And for now, it looks like MECHANT has disappeared again. As the full-time bass player for Cowboy Mouth, Regina has been busy traveling throughout the country, and as of 2009, the world.
Her plans for a future record are a closely guarded secret. For a band that has already risen from the ashes once, that could mean anything.
In the meantime, "Fate and The Arsenal" is still available at CDBaby and iTunes. You may want to get it now - you never know when this fickle bass player might pull the plug...
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