Double Trouble
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By Kelley Simms photo by Beatriz Mariano
rom just a quick glance at each other while on stage , Butcher Babies ’ s duo bombshell vocalists – Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey – know exactly what each other is thinking … and they can ’ t help but to crack up or give each other a sly smile .
As best friends performing in a band , Shepherd and Harvey have been slugging it out among the oft-criticized metalcore / nü metal genres while gaining a dedicated fan base since their 2009 inception . The ladies – who share a true partnership – have perfected their trademark call-and-response vocals that perfectly accompany the band ’ s ferocious sound . Butcher Babies recently dropped a double shot of modern metal savagery with its new double album , Eye for an Eye … …’ Til the World ’ s Blind , last month , via Century Media . The band began writing and recording the songs that make up both albums from 2019 to 2023 and released a barrage of singles in 2020-21 . Although they had no intention of releasing a double album , COVID-19 struck and gave the band more time to write another full album ’ s worth of material .
Eye for an Eye … contains seven tracks , including a new version of “ Sleeping with the Enemy ,” featuring Five Finger Death Punch ' s Andy James . This album is a bit more diverse compared to the 14-track ( including the odd
20 illinoisentertainer . com august 2023 album closer “ Don ' t Touch My Pole ”) …’ Til the World ’ s Blind , which is more in the vein of the band ’ s previous material . Eye for an Eye … was recorded in the sundrenched summer in Arizona , while …’ Til the World ’ s Blind was recorded in the frigid winter in Michigan . The dichotomy of the two albums is the distinct vibes that were experienced by the band in each location .
IE ' s Kelley Simms caught up with Heidi and Carla via Zoom to discuss their longtime friendship , the band ’ s new double album , and their upcoming tour – which includes a stop ( August 5 ) in Tinley Park .
IE : Butcher Babies just returned from a European headlining tour that included stops at Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium and Resurrection Fest in Spain . You ’ ll be joining headliners Mudvayne , as well as Coal Chamber , GWAR , and Nonpoint , for The Psychotherapy Sessions North American tour from July 20 to August 26 . With a Tinley Park date on August 5th , what do you like most about playing in Chicago ? Carla Harvey : The Midwest has incredible metal fans . I grew up in Detroit , so I saw it firsthand growing up . And now that I live in Chicago , it ' s the same intensity as it was when I was a kid . I don ' t know what it is , but people just love metal . Even when Charlie ( Benante of Anthrax ) and I go out to eat or go on dates here in Chicago , we get recognized all the time . Which is rare for people in metal bands . To be recognized on a regular basis , you know there ' s just a ton of metal love here in Chicago ! Heidi Shepherd : Every time we ' ve ever played there , it ' s always been one of our best markets . I remember the first time we actually played Tinley Park was on the Mayhem Festival 10 years ago . That show holds a special place in my heart because it was the first time my mom and my grandma , and a couple of other of our family members came out and saw us play . It was really a special moment for me with my mother and her mom , and it just holds a real special place in my heart . My grandma has since passed , so I ' m excited to return to Tinley Park and refuel those feelings .
IE : The double album dropped in July , and I believe most of Eye for an Eye … consists of previously released singles ? HS : Not all of them ; there was one that wasn ’ t ( previously released ). We were actually recording an album in 2019 and had set to start releasing it and finish recording it in 2020 . Obviously , plans changed and so we decided to just keep writing , and the things that we were writing about , the things that we were experiencing in life , obviously were changing along with the rest of the world . And we decided , let ' s just take this creative high and go and create another album and down the line , we ' ll just release both of these together . I think it was on accident that it happened this way , but it was a happy accident .
IE : You started writing and recording these songs from 2019 to 2023 . Do these tracks still mean the same or instill the same emotions now that they are finally released ? HS : Totally ! And I feel like if you have a great song , it takes you back to the moment that you first heard it . If you ' re a listener or if you ' re a writer , it takes you back to the core emotions that you felt that caused you to write the song in the first place . There ' s still those core feelings that resonate within us when we ' re on stage , especially when we ' re on stage together and we look at each other and we remember a moment that we had or a moment the song ' s about . And sometimes we can ' t look at each other during certain songs . I remember on this past tour , Carla looked at me at one point and just busted up laughing , and I was like , “ What are you laughing about ?” And she said , “ I don ’ t know , I just looked at you !” Looking back at our song “ Bottom of a Bottle ,” which is
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