IT was just last November when San Jose’s genre-shuffling rock band Preaching to the Animals found its vocalist. Shawn Packer of the Shitkickers was hosting a birthday party for PttA lead guitarist Josh Santaga, who happened to hear Rachelmae Havens singing a Misfits song.
“We were all in the backyard,” Havens says. “I was singing the Misfits’ “Halloween” and he comes over and sits down. Shawn says to him, ‘Aren’t you looking for a singer?’ So, he told me to come in during a practice to audition.”
What she didn’t know was that she already had the gig.
“Josh called me and said, ‘I got a singer, dude. She’s awesome!'” says drummer Doug Doherty.
The band quickly discovered Havens carries her own weight. Literally.
“We played a party and, check this out, Rachel carried the P.A. and set it up. She lifted it higher than us,” says Santaga, who also plays in noise metal band El Buzzard and has also played with the punkers in Curbside.
Havens also brought a new dimension to the band’s songs with her lyrics.
“We had two structured songs, and we gave them to her, and she came back with lyrics in one day,” Doherty says.
Havens says her lyrics are usually about human relationships and lost love, and often there’s a story within each song. Sometimes she comes to practice with songs already written, and the band plays around the lyrics.
“Most of the lyrics get written in my car, while I’m driving. I mean, I sing them,” she says.
Preaching to the Animals make quite a visual impression. At their shows, they dress like preachers, neck collars and all. In a band of boys in uniforms, Havens stands out in her trademark dresses—she buys a new one for every show.
The band delves into electric blues, hard rock, rockabilly and even a hint of punk. Santaga and Doherty have been playing together for the past two years just for the enjoyment of playing. They would play for hours while digitally recording the songs. Then Doherty would then go back through it all and cut out sections, realizing there were songs in there without even knowing it.
Bassist Nate Fouts was the last addition, a friend of Doherty’s who rounded out the quartet. A show opportunity came quickly when Los Hot Boxers asked them to open for them at the Blank Club.
“Then Corey [O’Brian] was so stoked with us that he asked us to play the Cash’d Out show, which for us was totally generous.” Santaga says. “We get there and it’s packed, wall to wall. So, here we are, Doug and I have been playing forever, and our second show, we get money. I’ve been playing in bands my whole life. I mean, it’s not making big money, but it pays for the studio and the new P.A. Everything’s happening quickly.”
Perhaps their across-the-board style comes from their mix of influences. Havens is a huge fan of Glenn Danzig and the Gossip’s Beth Ditto. Santaga likes old ZZ Top, while Doherty names Iron Maiden and Missing Persons as top influences. “From heavy stuff to punk stuff to gospel,” Santaga says.
The band wants to build on its momentum by recording at House of Faith recording studio with Bart Thurber.
“We’re going to record as many songs as we can in one night, probably five songs,” Santaga says. “Then we’re going to record a live album, for our actual debut. It’ll be free to download on our website, and then we’ll sell the album, a shirt and a sticker for $10 at the shows. “We’re not in it for the money.”
With or without monetary compensation, there appears to be a lot of preaching in the band’s future. “If it continues to happen like what has happened the past two months, it’s going to be awesome. We want to hit it hard,” Santaga says.
PREACHING TO THE ANIMALS plays Friday, March 5, at 9pm at the Caravan Lounge, 98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose; free. (408.998.6220)
