Yellow #5 - Gene Trautman / Molly McGuire / Dave Catching
Molly McGuire played on Queens of the Stoneage's "Songs for the Deaf", The Mark Lanegan Band's "Here Comes That Weird Chill", Brant Bjork's "Local Angel", and Mondo Generator's "A Drug Problem That Never Existed" and "Live at the Troubadour."
Now she's gonna release an album with her band Yellow#5 , called "Demon Crossing" due out on Scat Records in the US, and in Europe through Germany's Cargo Records.

Words | Molly McGuire

When I was 23, I had a two piece bass and drums band with my boyfriend. The band was called Rhudabega. We basically ran away from Canada and moved to New Orleans together. We toured the U.S. and Canada for about six years and then had a very sudden split. I happened to be in Toronto during the break up and was consequently stranded there for about 6 months.

Finally one day I packed up my '66 Valiant and headed south of the border. On this 24 hour trip I wrote "Moon Man" and "Auto Pilot." The rest of the songs were to reveal themselves within the first two weeks of being back in New Orleans, where I saw all the songs through to completion before getting Dave [Catching] and drummer Michael Brueggen [Supagroup / Rock City Morgue / Blackula / Syrup / Inbred Bipeds /GNI ] to back me up.

Yellow #5 - Molly McGuire There was [and still is] a new bar there called the Circle Bar, owned by Kelly Keller and Dave Clemmens. They had live bands in the low lit, living room-esque belly of the club and I thought it would be a great place to do a creepy lounge act; music that people could drown their sorrows to.
Yellow #5 was the first name that came into my head. That would have been the name of the next Rhudabega record. We played a few shows at the Circle Bar in early 2001 and that's where the band got started. Kelly Keller passed on in 2004 -the album is dedicated to her.

I stayed in New Orleans for about seven months and then followed Dave out to L.A. upon invitation of playing in earthlings?. I also ended up playing with Mondo Generator and subsequently met Brant Bjork who offered to accompany us in Yellow #5 after hearing an impromptu gig at El Matador in New Orleans where we played during Hurricane Isodore.

Brant did the record with us about a month later out at Rancho De La Luna, engineered and partially produced by my brother Brenndan McGuire [live sound and studio producer of Sloan, Sam Roberts and many more]. Final production and mixes were by Greg Biribauer of The Spores.

This album is a product of perhaps the lowest point in my life. All the while I was determined to make the music as beautiful as possible, because it was essentially a tool to help deal with what I was going through. I was always a fan of Tom Waits, who was always able to make down and out seem beautiful somehow.

D E M O N  C R O S S I N G  >  On to the songs...

Demon Crossing
This song is the accordion version of "Deviant Angel."

Auto Pilot
Was written during the 24 hour drive down to New Orleans after I packed my car with everything I owned and left Toronto. My car was on its last leg and I felt like we had something in common. Almonaster is a road near Gentilly just outside of New Orleans where it is said that's where many murder victim's bodies are dumped in the scrap yards. Cars nor people want to end up there.

Yellow #5 - Demon Crossing No Loitering
This is about my old neighborhood convenience store in the 9th ward. It didn't have a name, but it had a huge sign that said no loitering and so it became eponymous. The sign never stopped crowds from gathering outside to enjoy the 50 cent beverage selection.

Screaming Mimi
Okay, I'm not a guy, but it's written from a guy's perspective. The name demanded it.

Moon Man
Dedicated to my rear view mirror ornament. This song was written on the trip to New Orleans as well.

Bad Girl
Dave just comes up with this stuff on the spot. Sometimes we capture it, usually not.

Jackie
My friends and relatives call me Molly. However, Jackie is the first name that appears on my ID so when banks, business people, solicitors or collection agencies call me they use this name. This is my reply when they call.

Lust
Written about my first crush in over 10 years. I'll never feel this sexy again, ever.

ICFCFBM
This is a little embellished, but I do come from a long line of kick-boxers. I guess the only untruth about it is that my mom wasn't cajun. It's not that far off, though because the same French Canadians that were kicked out of Canada were her fore fathers. I just think the fact that the French and Irish were allowed to cross-breed because they were all Catholic can be volatile.

Seven Addictions
Well, at least I'm not in denial.

Hair of the Dog
The vicious circle chronicles.

Herman R. Miller, Esq. III
Dave checking his microphone.

Wine Spo-dee-o-dee
Originally written by "Sticks" McGhee. A completely unself-conscious drinking song. Our chance to rock out on the record.

Deviant Angel
This song is still a bit of an ink blot to me. Written completely out of the sub-conscience, it makes way more sense than it should.

Cut Off, LA
The final destination of the journey, a peaceful and mysterious place just south of New Orleans where troubles dissolve into the backwoods and swamps of the Louisiana Bayou.

I'm much better now...
Molly McGuire 2005