Brett CallwoodRed Alert: Ironically enough, when Vixen released its new single “Red” last week, it came out of the blue. Their last single was “You Ought to Know By Now” from 2018’s Live Fire. The last studio album was Live & Learn in 2006, though only late guitarist and founding member Jan Kuehnemund was on that record from the classic lineup. Not a single musician on Live & Learn is a member of Vixen 2023.
The lineup has shifted dramatically. Iconic singer Janet Gardner left (again) in 2019, while classic lineup bassist Share Pederson went on Hiatus in March of 2022. That has left drummer Roxy Petrucci to fly the flag, and you can kinda understand the cynicism from some quarters. “Just the drummer,” they say. “That’s not Vixen.” As is always the case with these reunions, the proof is in the pudding.
Petrucci has assembled a killer band to carry Vixen forward. Guitarist Britt Lightning and bassist Julia Lage are technically gifted players, both blessed with the appropriate rock ‘n’ roll swagger. And then of course there’s Lorraine Lewis, who fronted Femme Fatale in the ‘80s.
“It’s gelling big time,” says Petrucci of this band. “Everybody’s on fire. When Julia joined, I was actually looking at a couple of other different bass players, but I kept coming back to her. There’s something about her. Sure enough, she didn’t even get to rehearse with us so when Share passed over the bass, literally, on her last show, Julia played the three songs and didn’t miss a beat. She knocked it out of the park, and the thing is that it’s almost like I’ve been playing with her for a long time, because she locked right in with me, which is very important to a drummer and a bass player.”
Lightning, Petrucci says, captures the essence of Kuehnemund.
“She does great with the Vixen stuff,” says Petrucci. “She has her own style and she incorporates that into the Vixen songs. Just makes it a little more fresh sounding. She’s taken the classics and freshened them up, but the feel is still there.”
Lewis and Petrucci previously played together in a ‘90s project called Roktopuss, with Megadeath’s Jeff Young. The fact that their own reunion has reinvigorated Vixen seems like kismet.
“We actually crossed paths a few times because Vixen would play and then we’d hear about Femme Fatale,” says Petrucci. “We went on a tour here and there, and we were all so busy. But I love that song ‘Waiting for the Big One’ — that was one of my favorites. We have that ‘80s thing. We’re from that genre, so the chemistry between the two of us is definitely still there. We’ve adapted that to where we’re at now.”
In fact, contemporary Vixen plays the Femme Fatale songs “Waiting for the Big One” and “Fallling In and Out of Love” live, so it really is a coming together of two worlds. But new single “Red” is solid proof that they’re not content to rely on nostalgia forever. As the sole remaining classic lineup member, Petrucci feels a responsibility to ensure that the quality remains high.
“It’s so important to me to honor the legacy that is Jan and Vixen,” she says. “It’s about the music, and I put a lot of thought into it. When we rehearse and stuff, it’s feeling good and that’s basically what I’m going by. How does it feel to me? How would Jan feel about this? I think Jan would think this kicks ass. ‘Red’ has the huge chorus, very Vixen, with the beautiful harmonies, yet it’s fresh and new. Obviously it has different members so they’re gonna play the way they play. I’m not gonna force them to sound like Vixen because it wouldn’t be true. I have to let them be themselves, and the reason they’re in the band is because I like who they are musically and we connect. You put that together and it comes out a really nice tasting soup.”
She’s right, “Red” is an absolute banger. A blend of ‘80s rock energy and contemporary pop melody, the song builds and builds, and just crashes home. There hasn’t been new Vixen material this good since 1990’s Rev it Up. “Red” was co-written and produced by former Cinderella man Fred Coury.
“Fred had the demo and, when we were working on riffs and things like that, we had all sorts of things flying around but we didn’t have anything complete,” Petrucci says. “I’ve known Fred from the Cinderella days – so he was listening to all these riffs and stuff, and he says, ‘I have a couple of songs you guys should listen to.’ As he got to know us, he got a feel for this lineup and he says, ‘I think this would suit you guys.’ We knew once we Vixen-ized it, it was going to be a great song to come out of the gate with this lineup. What was really important to me was like, our first song has to be a banger. I’m already under a microscope because it’s like, ‘OK, here’s Roxy and these girls, Roxy’s the only original member, gee I wonder what this is going to sound like,’ Well, here you go. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
Indeed. The question now is, will this lead to a full studio album?
“I don’t know that yet,” the drummer says. “We’re just basking in this right now. We want to promote it and focus on this song and then touring. We want to get out there and play. This is a really good live band. The energy that you’re getting from ‘Red,’ that’s what you’re gonna get live. This band has a lot of energy. These girls keep me on my toes. It’s fun though, I’m having a great time.”
So that’s where we are. Vixen plans to play as many shows as possible in the coming months, and hopefully there’ll be more new music soon. “Red” is a great fucking start.
“Come see us live, because we’ll be playing everywhere,” says Petrucci in conclusion. “We’ll come to your town and kick in your teeth.”
Alrighty then!
Red Alert: Vixen’s single ‘Red’ is out now. Visit vixenofficial.com for more info.
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