What Happened After "Splitsville"

By Rob LeBourdais

What happened to Mother May I is what happened to many bands in the mid-nineties during what I call the "post-Nirvana signing frenzy". Without getting too whiny, we were basically cast aside after our CD came out, so the label could pay more attention to "higher priority" bands that they felt were more likely to make them lots of money. After Nirvana got huge, the major labels were signing any band with loud Fender guitars and stringy hair. As a result, there were lots of great and not-so-great bands fighting for attention at our label, and I assume, other labels. It seems that the philosophy at major labels is to sign a bunch of bands, and see which ones miraculously get some airplay. The rest don't stand a chance.

When "Splitsville" finally came out on Valentines Day of '95 (after rushing to finish recording it a year earlier), we had already toured the States extensively as the label wanted, to try to make our name known outside of the DC area. We loved playing live, and let it be known that we were willing to tour to promote the record. We soon got the opening slot on the Soul Asylum club tour, which was for the follow up to thier huge record "Grave Dancers Union." We followed them up the East Coast to Canada, playing the WHFStival at RFK Stadium in our home town on the way. Our single "Meet You There" was getting played on HFS and lots of other stations, especially in the Midwest. Just when there seemed to be real momentum building and we actually thought it all might take off, we were told by Columbia to come off the road because "Splitsville" was "dead in the water" and there wouldn't be a second single. This for an album that more than one big station programmer claimed was "full of singles."

As you could imagine, we were crushed. Columbia wanted to hear new songs, so we went into the studio and cranked out seven songs (which I still think are great) and sent them in. They wanted more. Finally we let it be known that if they were going to drop us, to go ahead and do it now instead of stringing us along. So they did.

To be fair, the guy who signed us was a true fan, and we remain friends to this day. He no longer works for Columbia, and I'm sure most of the people who we dealt with at the label are no longer there, although we wouldn't know-the people who act like your best friends and biggest fans at the label stop taking your calls the day they decide to drop you. I still consider it thier loss-all the bands that they gave priority to in lieu of MMI are now dropped or have broken up.

We went our seperate ways for a year or so-Damon to his parent's in New York, Lars (our 6th bass player) went home to Champaign, I went back to NY where I grew up. We continued to get together to write and record demos (some of which have recently surfaced on the new "Demos" CD) and play the occassional gig. Lars eventually decided he'd had enough and resigned. I decided to move back to the DC area where I had grown some roots, and before long, Damon moved back as well. We started working on new songs with Mike Harvey, our engineer/friend, and started to get excited about the prospects of reforming with a second guitar. I wanted to get Graham, our bass player from years before, back in the band, and after several phone calls, he agreed. Over a period of 2 1/2 years or so, we wrote and recorded a bunch of stuff that made up the bulk of "33 1/3",which was released ln 2000 on Sam Records. We also played shows in the area whenever possible, mainly at the 9:30 club in DC and at IOTA in Arlington, Va.

Since the the release of "33 1/3", Damon has relocated from the Washington D.C. area (where we have lived for the majority of Mother May I's existence) to Chicago. I have taken an animating job in Los Angeles, while Graham and Mike hold down the fort in Northern Virginia. As a result, we haven't played very often over the last year! What's New? By semi-popular demand, we have just made available a CD compilation of our demos which we recorded at various times throughout the 90's, creatively titled "Demos 1990-1996". It contains 19 studio-quality recordings that are available now for the first time on CD. As this is an entirely homegrown product, it is not available in stores, but can be ordered from Not Lame Records at www.notlame.com. Please keep up with the latest MMI news right here!