Mother Feather: "It’s all straight from our guts"

Ann Courtney is the voice and soul of Mother Feather, a self-proclaimed “pop cock rock” band hailing from New York City. Despite having been around since 2009, they’re only now releasing a full-length debut, the self-titled record out later this month via Metal Blade Records. This may come as a surprise to some, as the band are anything but metal. “We’re not a metal band, we’ve never been a metal band,” Ann explains. “Bryan Slagel [founder of Metal Blade Records, who gave Metallica their first break back in 1982] knew exactly what he was getting into. Metal Blade does primarily put out metal, but they do also put out hard rock, and it’s pretty exciting to be at the farthest end of the spectrum, because we stand out immediately, as many YouTube comments have pointed out.” “I think it’s great and it’s sort of metal in a way,” she continues. “One of the biggest themes of metal is being an outsider, and so it’s sort of ironic isn’t it that by not being metal, we’re the outsiders. I think it’s interesting how everyone thinks Bryan is doing something so subversive, but really he’s just an authentic fan of Mother Feather. It’s really exciting and cool, I’m glad to be the black sheep and the underdog, and that actually gives me a lot of fire in my belly.” Mother Feather grab your attention before they’ve even started playing, but the abundance of eyeliner, glitter and latex that form the band’s look is more than a simple aesthetic. “I started the band because I felt there were all these sides of me that didn’t have a place to exist and thrive. It was kind of a high bar I was setting myself, and I still have to rise to that bar. I have to be physically well to do these shows, I have to be strong, and limber and it’s vocally very challenging. Now, I realise that Mother Feather has become bigger than me. I’ve seen how pure the response is from fans, and how much things mean for them. It’s turned into a bigger responsibility.”