Christian/Durand : Phatlanta Peaches

Christian/Durand : Phatlanta Peaches
Atlanta based band Christian/Durand made their city proud by taking top honors in one of fourteen nationwide talent searches to select acts to perform on the Lilith Fair Tour.

By Alan Back
What year is it again?

This summer there was a chance for me to sit down with these talented young women and find out what makes them tick.

Lisa Christian and Lisa Durand, natives of Philadelphia and Atlanta, respectively, have been performing together for about two and a half years. Christian has some 14 years of guitar experience under her belt, Durand over seven. In addition, Durand has been playing harmonica for about five years. The combination of this instrumental expertise with in-your-face vocals nearly separated the Variety Playhouse from its roof when the duo performed at the talent search.

If nothing else, they were among the best-dressed people in the place, performing in identical two-piece business suits. The suits did about as good a job of controlling the two Lisas' exuberance as I did-that is, they were no help at all. I lost control of this interview within the first minute, and I cheerfully let it go. The following is some of what transpired when I followed Durand's request to "[a]sk something else about us!"

AB: What got you started on playing music?
LC: I heard the Beatles when I was about 12 or 13, and I flipped out. I just had to have a guitar. That's what did it for me.
LD: What started me playing? Just this overwhelming need to be the center of attention in all places-No, no! Just kidding.
LC (to LD): You've got to be careful in interviews!
LD: I know, I can't say that. I'll read it and think, "Wait a minute, this is not what I meant!" There are things that might sound good, but don't look so good in print.
LC: And I think she's fat and ugly. (Laughter from LD) But I meant it in the nicest possible way! (More laughter from LD)
LD: I love it [performing]. I live for it, and I can't think of anything else to do. That's pretty much why I do it.

AB: Sounds like a good enough reason. Do you do this for a living, or is it a side project?
LD: Yes, we do this for a living. Not a very good living, mind you, but we're living.

AB: It's something you like to do-
LC, LD: Oh yeah.

AB: -and it's something that gives people out there pleasure.
LC: Thanks!
LD: We like to hope so.

AB: Have you done any recordings?
LD: Yes. We are currently in the studio, as a matter of fact, at EMI in Nashville. We're doing some demos down there, and they're shopping us around. We commute between here and Nashville.

AB: These demos-are they your first major recording venture?
LD: Yes. We've done some small projects around town, but nothing like this.

AB: What got you interested in going into this talent search?
LD: Uh-the newspaper? (Laughs)
LC: No, seriously, we thought it would be great exposure and a chance to meet a lot of different people and musicians.
LD: There were a lot of people here we'd never heard of. It was fabulous, meeting them.

AB: And hearing what they were up to.
LC, LD: Oh yeah.

AB: When you won this thing, did you think that this would be the result-that you'd end up snagging the top honors?
(LC, LD shake their heads)
LC: We'd hoped that could be the case, but there's a lot of really good talent here in Atlanta.
LD: Expected to win it? No, not at all.

AB: Now that it's happened and you're going to be performing at Lilith Fair, what is it about the whole event that you're most looking forward to?
LC: I know I'm looking forward to playing at a large venue. We did the Olympics-

AB: Oh, really? [I was off campus at the time.]
LC: Yes. We played Centennial Park, and that was really neat: a lot of people and a really great venue. This is the sort of thing I'm really looking forward to, and also being involved with some of the artists that Lilith has.

AB: There's a flip side to that last question, and it's this: Is there any new degree of pressure or nervousness, now that you've been picked to play at Lilith Fair ?
LD: I think, yeah, we'll be nervous. [Lakewood] is a big venue.

AB: Good! I wouldn't have believed you if you'd said otherwise.
LD: (Laughs) I hope I don't sweat too much.
LC: I hope I don't sweat through my clothes.
LD: I hope I don't throw up-not on stage, anyway.
LC: I think it'll be just a general kind of nervousness. We were apprehensive about tonight.
LD: Yeah, we were totally nervous about going on stage. I can just imagine that Lilith will be nerve-wracking. But I get the most enjoyment out of that kind of stuff, especially when it's over. It's just this cool feeling. I love pushing through nerves.

Best of luck to these two gifted performers who stuck their last names on either side of a backslash. After winning the talent search I predict the only the sky is the limit... Call (404) 377-4976 for more information on where the band will be playing.

Copyright © 1998 by Gregory S. Scherrer, Editor and by the Student Publications Board

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