Pumkiva Interview

This interview was published on a site called “HAND IN YOUR FACE” (HIYF).
Date online: April 13, 2003. The original is not available anywhere online anymore. The woman on the photo at the bottom is not Adrienne but most likely Xanthippe Svanstrom .

Karen Sullivan and a worrisome Brian Montgomery pay a visit to the all female band Pumkiva for a one on one interview that comes out weird as hell. Huge thanks to them.

Interview/March23-03

Those who were at Boulder on Burnside last weekend witnessed a frightening half hour, black metal played by WOMEN! I was at a side table with a friend having a long island iced tea when i damn near dropped the thing due to my ear drums bleeding. The ugliest sound began to spray the crowd and when the lights eventually came on, Oregon’s Pumkiva were engulfed in a maddening display and ugly defiance at those who scoff at women in metal. I grabbed on to the wall and knew it, my next project for Hand In Your Face had to be a chat with this band but that proved easier said than done. It took many Indian Burns to get a contact number and when I did I was told by the voice on the other end if I really wanted to interview her I had to drive out to Astoria and do it in person. But what’s our motto?? You Fuckin Got It. I know I know, we need a new motto. Brian and I fill up my tank and head westward to the coast. Following the chicken scratched directions, we pull up on a gravel road that winds back deep into the woods and within a few minutes we arrive at a lonely two story house far back in the trees. Upon walking up to the front door we notice all sorts of Satanic imagery adorning the porch. Carved in the front door was the line “Turn around, enjoy the nights, you might not make it out.” Considering Astoria is a tiny town on the coast which thrives on tourists who visit each year due to the nonstop stormy weather and frigid beach scenes, this house seemed very out of place. We were greeted by an absolute beauty. I’m not a lesbian but this girl could make me rethink my stance. Long black hair which was fingertwirled, a little black dress and a face so perfect it appeared to be painted. If this was one of Satan’s daughters, he must be proud. Inside the house it was eerily dark and quiet. She offered us some drinks (rum and coke) and we sat down in the living room. As I sat my recorder down I realized that the coffee table was actually an antique toepincher coffin. I asked if there was a body inside. She grinned and said “Only if you annoy me.” Read along as I talk with Adrienne “of the” Night of the band Pumkiva about Satan, orgies, food, and life.

HIYF: Thanks for doing this.

Adrienne: You're welcome.

HIYF: Last Saturday was the first time I have ever heard of Pumkiva, what is the history behind the band?

Adrienne: That was our third live performance, the first in Portland. It was okay but one of the club owners threw an absolute tantrum when he found out we had used pigs blood on his stage. Well as for our history, there is not much to say. The band consists of our guitarist and vocalist Erzsebet, and I play bass and some violin. We formed in 2002 and have a rehearsal called "Spectres In The Coffin" which we haven't really spread, but we sold some at Boulder over the weekend. Since that demo we have added Aria to the group, she is a great drummer. We used a drum machine on the demo because we were pleased with how it sounded. We are recording an album later this month and it will be out by fall on my label Old Wives Tale.

HIYF: You have a label?

Adrienne: I do. It's very new though and nothing is out yet, but there are about 4 bands right now who will be putting material out through it.

HIYF: Black metal?

Adrienne: Yes, the label will only put out black metal although I may put out a tape by a group from Salem called Ribbons of Black Blood which is not metal at all.

HIYF: So is this an Oregon only thing?

Adrienne: Yes, truthfully I've not heard any good black metal from the states outside of Oregon unless you count Judas Iscariot.

HIYF: What seperates you from the rest?

Adrienne: Pumkiva?

HIYF: Yeah, how is your band different from everyone else? Black metal seems to be suffering from too much unoriginality don't you agree?

Adrienne: Certainly on that aspect. We've listened to black metal for many years now and we have watched the downfall. We wouldn't have started this band unless we knew we would be better than what already exists. Our sound is unheard of by any mark in black metal, let alone other genres. We have taken the horror of it all and translated that into music. Some people have said we shouldn't be making music because we are professional musicians and those comments make us laugh. In black metal, the worse you are, the better received you are. It's all in shambles. If you listen to a record like In the Nightside Eclipse, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, or even what is playing now, you can hear that the musicians have much talent, so these accusations that we have no business making black metal because we know how to play are laughable. These people have no business speaking our name.

HIYF: What is that playing anyways?

Adrienne: It's an album by Ulver called "Kveldsjanger".

HIYF: Well I picked up your tape last weekend at Boulder and it is fucking brilliant. We rarely interview black metal bands in here, but after seeing your performance and hearing the demo I must say that I'm rarely impressed to the degree I am with you. I've been listening to the tried and true bands like Darkthrone and Burzum since 1995 and since then I've heard little that captured my attention like Pumkiva has. Have you had offers from any labels?

Adrienne: We have. Well it's sort of funny you ask. We sent out about 20 tapes to various labels but shortly afterwards I conceived the idea of my label and decided it would be foolish to not put out our album through the label. We got letters back from Supernal, Season of Mist, and some label from Germany we didn't even send the demo too which was odd. Cacophonous also replied with interest which was amusing considering they haven't put out anything in several years. I guess they are back now.

HIYF: And you turned all those down?

Adrienne: Why do you say it like that?

HIYF: Well I just think that's an irrational thing to do.....

Adrienne: Why?

HIYF: Well isn't Season of Mist the label Mayhem is on?

Adrienne: I have no idea. I haven't followed them in many years.

HIYF: It seems that would be a good label for any black metal band to be on.

Adrienne: Not for us. It was Erzsebet who sent all the tapes off and she did it more so just to see which labels would bite. Never in a million years would we sign with someone like Cacophonous. We would like our music to be kept obscure. We have all sorts of ideas. As of now, I will press our album to 200 copies and sell it only within Oregon. I'm sure it will spread further than that but I don't think more than 200 people will want to hear us.

HIYF: What a modest one you are (laughs)

Adrienne: I guess, I just hate people and hate hearing positive things. I don't want to hear how our music is so wonderful and great. I want you to tell me that our music gave you nightmares, it ruined your day. I want to know some form of mental or physical pain transpired. This is a very serious thing, despite the notion you or your readers may have about black metal.

HIYF: What is "Aerie"?

Adrienne: Elaborate

HIYF: The tape has a song called Aerie Descent. I've never heard that word before.

Adrienne: Aerie Descent is a song written by a Norwegian group called Thorns. We covered it because we knew we could rework it into something much more sinister.

HIYF: Why Satanism?

Adrienne: Satanism is our way of life. We serve Satan daily, it is our comfort and our privilege to live the life we do. Satan has always been in me. I lived a peculiar childhood and knew I was different even back in elementary school. By age 12 I began to take this very seriously, and use the practice of Satanism to my benefit. The rest unfolded naturally.

HIYF: How has it benefit you?

Adrienne: In ways most people could never comprehend.

HIYF: I want to ask you something about burning churches

HIYF: Have you?

Adrienne: You want me to incriminate myself? I don't know who you are or why you think I would talk about that with you.

HIYF: Ok. Well I just heard that......

Adrienne: I'm involved?

HIYF: Are you?

Adrienne: I think the recent string of church arsons in this state is a good thing.

HIYF: Were you involved in any of them?

Adrienne: Ask the APD, they've already investigated me. They have low IQ's over there.

HIYF: I knew about that, which was why I asked. Will you tell me how many churches you were asked about?

Adrienne: On three churches.

HIYF: And?

Adrienne: What is your infatuation with this?

HIYF: Any crime is interesting. Mankind has always had a fascination with crime and criminals.

Adrienne: Exactly, they are even in love with the news that their sacred chapels are being burned. Shows how devoted to Jehovah they are.

HIYF: Are you concerned with the environment?

Adrienne: Not in the least. That is for the hippies. Anyone who thinks Earth was meant to last forever is a fool. This is the galactic law, planets are born to die. No star burns forever. The disintegration of o-zone layers and our gradual degredation of resources is unavoidable. Eating organic foods and driving electric cars might spare the world 1 or 2 more years. Environmentalism is more or less another tool people use to "fight the man". None of them really care about that cause.

HIYF: I have to ask this. We ask every single person this zine interviews this question so don't think I've lost my knickers, but what is your favorite food?

Adrienne: (laughs) What?? Umm, probably just a dish of penne pasta with some nice olive oil and crushed pepper, and a bottle of red wine or two. I eat quite a bit of seafood too. Everyone here does. I make a great lobster bisque, at least that's what I'm told.

HIYF: Do you cook much?

Adrienne: Not really. I used to when I was younger but truthfully I don't eat that much anyways. When I do eat it's usually at a restaurant.

HIYF: Do you have anything here that you've cooked?

Adrienne: What?

HIYF: We do this to everyone we interview. We see if they have food they have cooked so we can test their kitchen skill.

Adrienne: Well I've got some baklava I made a couple of nights ago?

HIYF: YES!

HIYF: Ok we need to get back on track now. Tell me, is there cyanide in any of this?

Adrienne: No, I think you'll be ok.

HIYF: You seem so warm for a chainsmoking Satanist.

Adrienne: I'm a rare breed I guess. I'm very secluded back here in these woods, and my group of friends is limited to around four. When the sunsets, the sadistic side of myself comes out. If you knew what has happened in the very basement of this house you would lose your mind.

HIYF: There is a basement? Can we go down and see?

Adrienne: There is a basement but I'd prefer to stay here. I'll show you on the way out.

HIYF: Ok. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

Adrienne: I'm 21.

HIYF: You're kidding?

Adrienne: No, why?

HIYF: Why are you so modest? Not every 21 year old owns their own two story house on a huge lot of land.

Adrienne: I've lived an odd life.

HIYF: What's that mean?

Adrienne: Like I said before, I'm a professional musician. I used to play violin for the Portland Philharmonic Orchestra. I was the youngest member in the orchestra's history which was annoying because I got a lot of press at first, and I hated that. After 3 years with them, I quit. I was sick of that urban life in Portland. I needed seclusion, so I bought this house out here.

HIYF: How do you support yourself now?

Adrienne: I'm an independent art broker, dealing mostly with western Europe art trades to the Northwest.

HIYF: Ok that makes sense considering your walls are covered in paintings.

Adrienne: Good art is priceless.

HIYF: What are your hobbies?

Adrienne: I don't have any hobbies. Everything I do is serious. Pumkiva and Old Wives Tale are priority. I also like to venture out after sunset and walk along the waterfront. That is where the universe transmits subliminal emotions into me and I decode them in a myriad of ways.

HIYF: Are you married?

Adrienne: Marriage? That's for fools. I will never marry nor love any other human. I participate in orgies, but smiles and poetry and loveletters is the Christian method for brainwashed desires to feel accepted by society. I don't want acceptance in any form. I want to spread unacceptance.

HIYF: Orgies? Satanic Orgies?

Adrienne: Correct

HIYF: How come you are so playful?

Adrienne: I'm not playful really.

HIYF: Most black metallers don't like to joke around. It makes them look unserious.

Adrienne: That is because they care what others think. I don't.

HIYF: You and ummm whats that other girls name?

Adrienne: Erzsebet?

HIYF: Yeah her! You and Erzsebet, you both look rather ummmm, posh.

Adrienne: Posh?

HIYF: Yeah. Like, vogue. You don't seem like the usual ratty black metallers. The pictures of you two in the demo look like something out of a designer clothes for Satanists catalog.

Adrienne: I can only speak for myself in saying I take pride in my appearance. You can use your body as a great tool in life. If you look appeasing to the eye, you can get a lot of things you would otherwise never get. The general black metaller has no interest in appearance and rightfully so, but we are very far from your typical orthodox black metal group. We believe strongly in Satan, torture, orgies, self mutilation, terror, and so on. We would be willing to die for the end of Christianity. It's something I've felt inside me for a long time now. Back when I was just 14 I used to stand at the backdoor of my parents place and look out over the land with that big moon just hanging above it all and I knew how far I could take my life. Humanity is very stupid, and life is like a game. It's very easy to manipulate and use people, to hurt them and get what you want, then slip back into reclusion leaving no trace. My appearance makes weak humans more willing to go along with my ideas or plans until its too late. I think you get my point.

HIYF: If you had to describe Pumkiva's music, what would you say?

Adrienne: When you've been in the forest all night and you turn around to come back then pause, turn around again and keep walking further. It's the sound of knowing you can't stop the natural will.

HYIF: That's a fucking weird description.

Adrienne: Never claimed to be normal.

HIYF: Have you ever read Hand In Your Face?

Adrienne: Never, Portland's indie press is disgusting.

HIYF: I doubt many people will read all of this.

Adrienne: I hope not, these are horrible questions. If I had known what kind of magazine this was, I wouldn't have invited you here.

HIYF: We get that a lot actually.

Adrienne: Have you ever read Grimoirs of the Exalted Deeds?

HIYF: FUCK YES!!! Bill Z Bub is GOD!

Adrienne: You remind me of a very timid Bill. Do I scare you?

HIYF: Honestly you do. I like to be joking around a lot but I am serious with black metal and you make me uneasy, that's the word.

Adrienne: Will you let me cut you with my heathen knife?

HIYF: What?

Adrienne: Will you let me cut your arm with my heathen knife?

HIYF: No way, why?

Adrienne: It won't hurt, I want you to taste something

HIYF: Taste what??

Adrienne: Fools blood

HIYF: Whats that?

Adrienne: It's the blood of a fool.

HIYF: Am I the fool?

Adrienne: That question is also the answer.

HIYF: Why are you being so mean now?

Adrienne: Were you under the assumption I was your friend?

HIYF: Hmm good point

Adrienne: I think we are done now

HIYF: Yeah, we need to get back to Portland anyways but it was cool meeting you.

Adrienne: Do you need directions out of here?

HIYF: No we are good but hey, can I snap a picture of you?

Adrienne: For what?

HIYF: For the zine

Adrienne: I don't care

You can write to Adrienne at AdrienneOfTheNight@hotmail.com