Heidi Shepherd & Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies)

Carla Harvey is a musician, actress, artist and grief counselor.  Heidi Shepherd is a musician and actress. Together, they are the co-lead singers of the band Butcher Babies.  The band has a new single out now "Best Friend" - a cover of the Saweetie song.  There is more music coming soon, as well as upcoming shows and new music videos.  We discuss all of this plus the history of the band, the band's wine, Guns 'N Roses and more! 

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:37 - Recent Tour
0:03:35 - New Single  "Best Friend"
0:08:15 - Heidi's Family
0:09:27 - Best Friend Music Video
0:12:10 - Making Music Independently
0:13:25 - Butcher Babies Wine & Desert Rock Winery
0:15:13 - Cutting Out Hard Drugs & Less Partying
0:19:25 - Paris Hilton & Kim Kardashian & Strawberry Cocaine
0:21:01 - Carla Quitting Playboy to Work at a Funeral Home
0:25:02 - Grief Counseling & Helping People with Music
0:26:35 - Playboy Company & Playboy Mansion
0:31:05 - Formation of Butcher Babies & Tribute to Plasmatics
0:33:58 - Not Putting Value in The Hate
0:36:20 - Early Shows in L.A. & Punk Rock Antics
0:42:01 - Band Blows Up & Early Tours
0:46:02 - Band Arguments & Touring with Other Bands
0:50:07 - Acting
0:54:00 - New Album, Music Videos & Singles & Art
0:56:15 - Guns 'N Roses
0:58:10 - St. Jude's Children's Hospital And Pitbulls & Addicts
0:59:45 - Outro

Butcher Babies website:
https://butcherbabies.com/

Carla Harvey website:
https://www.carlaharvey.com/

St. Jude's Children's Hospital website:
https://www.stjude.org/

Pitbulls & Addicts website:
https://www.pitbullsandaddicts.org/

Chuck Shute website:
http://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

Well, this was a really fun one for me. We've got two butcher babies here, Heidi and Karla, both singers of the band butcher babies. And the cool thing about them is all the other stuff that they've done and continue to do. They both do acting have a butcher's baby wine. Carla does art and grief counseling. They're just fascinating people. And they've got great stories and insight into entertainment, business and life. So stay right there welcome to the my little show here. Appreciate you doing this. How was the tour you just got back from tour.

Heidi Shepherd: 0:42

So much fun. It was really long. We're very, we're very excited to be home for a couple of days. We leave again, in just a few days, but only for one festival this time. So it's basically we've been on the road since July. So it was really fun. But we're probably I mean, I could probably speak for everyone saying that we're, we're happy to have a couple of days to sit on the couch.

Chuck Shute: 1:07

Yeah. Because there's this overseas in Europe, or is this an America?

Carla Harvey: 1:11

Well, it was it was we started off in America on a long tour and went straight to Europe. And Europe is it feels harder to tour. It's a blast. But it feels harder because you're so much further away from your dog, your significant other. And there's if there's a day off, you can't just fly home and get that a little bit of time with each other. So it felt long, but I will say this this time was especially fun because we saw so many things together as a band.

Chuck Shute: 1:41

Oh, like touristy stuff. Do you do the fun touristy stuff?

Carla Harvey: 1:45

Oh, yeah, we did all of the touristy things this time, which is something that we I feel like we haven't gotten to do in a while. I mean, obviously, because of the pandemic, but also, I just feel like we were very in sync and wanting to get off the bus and go see the world together on this tour, which made it for me, a way more pleasant experience. Because when I missed the dog miss my boyfriend, I had my my best friends to you know, see the world with me.

Heidi Shepherd: 2:11

Yeah, so it's fun. What's that, Heidi? It was really fun. We it was it was definitely like a, you know, we have a new appreciation for touring since it was kind of ripped away from us for a while. And so every single day, we get up together, find a local coffee place and just go and explore even if it's just going to the mall. You know, it was it were just a new appreciation. And luckily, everyone was in good health this time too. Because sometimes, you know, it's really easy to get sick on the road. Everyone slept well. No one was sick. So we were able to go out and really explore together.

Chuck Shute: 2:49

How much time do you guys get to explore before you got to be back for like rehearsal or soundcheck or whatever.

Carla Harvey: 2:57

Well, I'll tell you what, this time was really cool because we weren't the headliner. So we had less responsibility. We had a soundcheck you know, around 334 o'clock every day, and then from from that point on, it's like super fast paced, but in the morning, we had lots of time to kind of get up and explore we can sleep till noon and still get a little exploring on

Heidi Shepherd: 3:20

just that.

Chuck Shute: 3:23

That sounds awesome. Well, you know, you're talking about being best friends. So that's the new song that's out right now the best friends song so how many like little like teenyboppers Do you think like accidentally, like click that like they typed in their own listen to my song best friend and they click that one and they just get like horrified on purpose.

Heidi Shepherd: 3:42

That's actually like, that's a good marketing tactic. But that was not the plan. I hope I hope maybe it reached you know, some of the younger generation kind of maybe a gateway into metal. You know, for us, it was kind of a no brainer to cover this song. I think the first time that I heard it, I sent it to Carla and was like, this song is so cute. It's so us. And then we brought it up in the studio and everyone was on board. It was a very last minute thing but everyone was on board like yes, let's make that heavy. Let's have fun with it. And honestly, every time that we perform this song live it's it's almost like weird those young kids having so much fun on stage and and we really felt like that song really represented the two of us so well because we really are best friends and we have been for 15 years and we started this band as best friends just hoping to play some you know fun shows together on the you know, on the Sunset Strip and you hear we are all these years later touring the world and it just kind of brings back those feelings of hey, we're out doing this with our best friends like we're really lucky.

Chuck Shute: 4:58

Yeah, how did you decide What level of heaviness to go because you guys kind of like you don't just always do that heavy sometimes it's a little more singing and this one's like full on, like screaming like I'd say like if you're like 11 year old kid, and you put that on by mistake, like it might scare you a little bit like that. But I mean, yeah,

Heidi Shepherd: 5:17

well, I think what, what for me what was gravitating for metal when I was around that age, is because it did scare me. So who knows that maybe we maybe we converted some 11 year old metal heads here that'll someday follow in our footsteps. Um, you know, that song was actually, when we first started kind of diving into the musical part of it, it really was kind of difficult because you want to maintain the integrity of the song because it's such a unique cool song. But also we want to make it our own and make it heavy. So at first we were kind of sticking to the tempo and you know, just playing the song II almost like easy listening. And we realized we weren't doing you know, we didn't, it wasn't doing it any service. Like we needed to make this heavy in order for us to be able to put it out it needed to be super heavy. So we stripped everything Henry was like, Hey, go into the studio and just scream this like you would just like you're performing it. So walked in there into the microphone and just did it up tempo full scream, and then the song was written within five minutes from that it just the riff came. We told our drummer just go ham. No bars hold like don't there's no rules here. Just overdo it. And that's the that's how this one came about. But we wanted to make it really heavy, I think for us. In order for it to make sense.

Carla Harvey: 6:47

It needed to be heavy.

Chuck Shute: 6:48

Yeah, needs to be butcher babies. It's because it's not you know, it's your song. Now, if you're doing a cover, did you change some of the lyrics?

Carla Harvey: 6:57

A couple of questionable lyrics we had to change. Yeah, so

Chuck Shute: 7:00

did I hear that right then? Okay. It said instead of it said you don't need no dick. Is that what she says? Oh, you say? Yes. Okay, I gotta just check in. Yeah, there's one. I was like, I think they do that. Right. Okay.

Heidi Shepherd: 7:11

The only one that we changed, we were going to change a couple other ones. And then we actually we did change them. And we went home for a couple of weeks, we came back to Michigan to finish the vocals. And we were like, You know what? Who cares? If we say rich ass boys want to fuck on us? Let's just say that.

Chuck Shute: 7:35

I'm sure there's some truth to that too, right?

Heidi Shepherd: 7:36

Well, no, no, that's not it at all. I just first we were gonna we're gonna say sick ass boys. And it was just kind of, you know, that's the song. It's fun. In fact, I was at a an aerobics class in Utah the other day and they were playing that song the aerobics instructor was like, I don't like this part. And I'm like, I love this bar. It's, um, you know, I think for us, it is keeping at least the stuff that we you know, feel comfortable being okay with saying. I think it's liberating.

Chuck Shute: 8:11

No, because I think you grew up kind of like in a strict household. So did you have to like hide your like, your mom found a corn CD and she was like, oh my god, what is this? Like? You had to try to hide stuff? Like did you listen to other stuff? Do you like hardcore rap and things?

Heidi Shepherd: 8:23

Yeah, juvenile I had I had a juvenile CD. My mom did not let me keep I had a BG he's the one that did a bling, bling. Some Jay Z. And yeah, my mom was not cool with any of that. You know, what's really interesting about that, you know, my parents are very, very both of our parents very, very supportive in what we do now, but at first I think people were a little bit shocked by it. I remember Carla's dad on the phone one time was like Don't quit your day job. You know, my parents didn't speak to me for a while. But now our parents are very, very, very supportive. My mom really loves corn now. You know? Really? Yeah. Ray Luzia just posted. His wife posted a video of their whole family walking up rocking out to best friend you know, so it was it's like kind of fun to see mom corn likes best friend. But she really loves like she loves corn now, you know, she she'll go to these shows, she'll go into festivals with us and she has a huge appreciation for heavy metal now.

Chuck Shute: 9:26

That's super cool. And the music video for best friend was filmed was that that was in Vegas.

Carla Harvey: 9:32

That was actually in a small little town in New Jersey at a club called the bear den. I guess it's a legendary little small strip bar. And they had some of the most part exactly what we dreamed of having in our video. They had a one of those stripper showers. A great stage with smoke that came out and a couple of their local girls came down to be in the video which was amazing because they were perfect. Yeah,

Heidi Shepherd: 10:00

they were there it was, it was awesome. So we were on tour and we we needed to shoot a couple music videos. So we had a day off and we reached out to Dale rage He's He's the director of the video. And he lives in New Jersey. And he's like, and I've got the perfect place for you. So we took a day off in New Jersey, and we invited a bunch of our butcher babies fan base to come out and be in the music video, just an open casting call, obviously, over the age of 21 to be in the bar, but it was, it was so cool, how many people came out, and just rocked out with us. And, you know, one of the local girls, the the dancers there, she's like, I always dance to your song headspin. So this is a dream come true for me. So, to us, it was it was a dream come true for us. It was really cool to be in the legit area. And the girls came through and they acted so perfectly. It was just like, it was like they were like hired actors, you know. So it was it was really really fun and a really long day, but super successful.

Chuck Shute: 11:11

Whose car is the isn't the video. I don't I'm not a car guy. But I was like I saw that car. I was like that's a cool car.

Carla Harvey: 11:17

Well, there's a lyric in the song. But another thing that we changed in the song was the kind of car that I'm driving in which I love Corvettes. I always had have, I've had a bunch of them. And so she sings to me is that my bestie and a Vette. So we had to get a sick Corvette for the shoot, we rented this one. I actually have the same car at home, but it's not yellow, the yellow is so hot, and it was absolutely perfect for. For us. Heidi actually has the yellow car. And I love that. So it was the perfect combination for both of us. But we had so much fun driving that

Heidi Shepherd: 11:52

I drive it. Don't touch my Corvette. I was just hanging out the passenger side

Carla Harvey: 12:01

of your best friends.

Chuck Shute: 12:04

The next one you got to cover here we go. Are you guys do you have a new album coming out? Is are you between labels, though? Are you do you have a new label? Because I thought you left the old one, right?

Heidi Shepherd: 12:15

We did. We are doing this independently on Oh, we wanted to, um, when we left Century Media, it was on our own terms, we we kind of just saw the way that the industry was kind of going and it was becoming more artist friendly and things that you can do on your own. And band that's established. It's it's, it's doable. And so we decided to give being independent a shot and through the songs that we released in 2020 and 2021 are some of our most successful songs that we've ever released and the fastest growing. So it made sense. And it still makes sense. And so for us, you know that we're going to do the whole album independent. And so far we've loved it. We've, we've kind of taken the power into our own hands again, and we get to do whatever kind of music we want to do whatever kind of music videos we want to do. And it's just us. We're the ones calling the shots here. And I feel more liberated than we have, you know, in a decade. So that's awesome.

Chuck Shute: 13:23

I love hearing that and you guys are really business savvy. Right so you're good at marketing yourselves and selling merch and you have a wine too is that back on the market because every time I go on the website it's not working but I thought I heard he's one of you say that it's there's one that's from Arizona. Yes.

Heidi Shepherd: 13:41

Our wine is it was for bottom of a bottle the song that we released it's sold out. I'm maybe maybe at some point we'll bring it back. We are going to be you know doing something special with that song pretty soon so maybe we will bring that back but desert rock winery in Scottsdale, right where you are. Yes, desert rock winery has been so influential and they make wines with a lot of different bands and you know wrestlers a bunch of a bunch of people and so have I never heard of this place. I have to go check it out. It's really cool. They have more just like the tasting rooms

Chuck Shute: 14:21

in Scottsdale. They don't they don't have the vineyards in Scottsdale because those would melt and

Heidi Shepherd: 14:25

no no yeah, it's just the tasting because I believe their vineyards are in California. And they we actually went to desert rock and formulated this wine together. And it was a real like a real group effort. Carla and I both love our wine. We love love, love our wine. You know every night on tour, it's like our white wine together because red wine dries out our vocal cords but we'll have a glass of white wine together and it's you know, we wine is really special for all of us. So It was kind of, like a no brainer to release that wine.

Chuck Shute: 15:05

Okay, cool. So you both still drink wine then?

Carla Harvey: 15:08

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Okay, because I know you probably have a glass tonight. Okay,

Chuck Shute: 15:13

but you guys are like, calm down a lot on the party, right?

Carla Harvey: 15:18

No, no. What makes you think that

Chuck Shute: 15:23

Heidi told the story, it was so inspiring. It was like this thing where she was just going clubbing all the time. And then this guy, like, almost died next door. And she's like, Okay, I gotta like, calm it down on the party and a little bit, but that was more like maybe harder to club drugs, ecstasy and stuff like that.

Heidi Shepherd: 15:38

That was that was a night of ecstasy. Absolutely. I used to rave a lot when I was in my early 20s. And honestly, I cannot imagine touching hard drugs at you anymore. Things are so laced, people are dying, left and right. It's, and not only that, but I don't, I've gotten older, my partying consists of, you know, I might drink a bottle of wine and myself. That's my kind of party. And you know, I'm 37, almost 38 years old. And I just, you know, I appreciate life so much. And I just think that it's not for me, those kind of those kinds of days are behind us. And I mean, even Carla, she wrote a book about how, you know, those type of days they happened in when we were young, and it shaped our, to who we are today. But it's not something that we can don't, we definitely wouldn't have members of our band that, you know, went down that path on the road, either. It's just, it's too, it's too dangerous. We were super grateful for our careers. And it's just not something that we really condone. But when you

Carla Harvey: 16:49

when you when you party like that, when you do drugs, when you drink excessively, you know, you think you're being productive during the day, but you're really not, you're really just pushing things around. When I stopped doing drugs, and my whole life change, I was able to think clearly see things clearly. I felt more creative than ever. And I wish that more people would, you know, understand that or get that it's not because I feel like when you are into doing drugs or or behaving a certain way, that's your life and you can't imagine it, that it could be better. It's almost when you stop, you almost feel like life is going to be boring. But it gets so much better without being clouded all the time.

Chuck Shute: 17:39

Well, yeah, it's like it reminds me of the guy from Def Leppard Phil Collen, where he was talking about how he would go out and like his Folk is like his main focus was so it's like, you talk about the time when his focus is getting drunk and, and partying, all that stuff. And then, so then when he stopped, he's like, Oh, I have like, all this time. So what do I do? So then he started working out, I know, you've probably seen him the guy's like, ripped, he's like, yeah, 20 years older than me, and he looks like half my age. But I mean, that's just what because now you have time to be, like you said, productive, I think that's a huge part of it.

Heidi Shepherd: 18:07

I think for a lot of artists, especially out on the road, you know, we were lucky, we go see things together, we'll go to a coffee shop or altar and sleep all day to preserve my voice, but I can see how on the road, you know, you have all this free time, one beer could lead to heroin, I could totally see how that could happen. And I think that we've had each other, you know, to, we really enjoy each other's company, and we have each other to sit and hang out with you know, and I can see how those type of, I guess, behave, that behavior could seem appealing on the road. It's something to do. But for us, I think we've become so pervy to the fact that I'd rather go to the gym with my best friends and get a good workout together and be on that high rather than any other type of high. And it's interesting because the other day, I you know, as we get older, these are the things that we do. I would have gone to brunch on a Sunday morning with some old friends. Instead, we meet up at 10am and go to an aerobics class. That's just kind of how things have shifted in our lives.

Chuck Shute: 19:22

But at one point when you were partying, you're partying like some high like A listers, like Paris Hilton, and did you say Kim Kardashian? Did you really actually hang out with her to?

Carla Harvey: 19:32

Where are you hearing this heart? Wow, where are you reading? This is not true. It is true.

Heidi Shepherd: 19:37

It is. Yeah. So and it's interesting because I just today read a story about how Paris was kicked out of the wind or banned from the wind here in Las Vegas because they found a bag of cocaine on her back in the day. But here's the thing is in Los Angeles, that young you know Kim Kardashian It wasn't who she is today by any means she was was Paris Hilton's assistant, but those those girls would hang out with some of my friends that I knew. And so I would just be there and yeah, I mean, I saw some stuff and did some stuff but honestly like, those were that was just that was just a small, small little time in my life.

Chuck Shute: 20:21

Still sounds kind of fascinating though. I mean, if you want to share that dirt or either on air or off air, I'm happy to hear

Heidi Shepherd: 20:28

well, here's the thing. Here's the thing that I tried during that time I believe it or not, they have strawberry flavor cocaine.

Chuck Shute: 20:35

i Yeah, I heard you say that. So fascinating. Very, very,

Heidi Shepherd: 20:38

it was like, I've haven't seen it since. I have no idea how or why but it was, you know, back in my early early early 20s. I'm like, sure. Sure. Tried it, you know. And that was the table that I found that in so crazy.

Chuck Shute: 20:57

You both have such fascinating lives. Carla, tell my audience about so you because you worked as an entertainment. Was it like a reporter or something for Playboy? And then I love this, like you you said decided one day like this isn't for me, this feels meaningless. I want to do something meaningful. And you want to help people. So you get like an actual like degree in what is it like embalming or something and you work in a funeral home, that is such a 180. I've never heard of anything like that

Carla Harvey: 21:24

wasn't complete 180 I'd always been fascinated by funerals and embalming. Since I was a kid. I feel so I have a degree in mortuary science and mortuary business. So my whole thought process behind that was, you know, I'd come to LA to play music. And I kept going through bands couldn't find the right fit. But I did get picked to be a news anchor on the Playboy channel. And it was a huge contract. And I thought that this was going to be this amazing break, and I was going to be just on this whole new path and everything was going to be wonderful. Well, it wasn't wonderful. I found it to be very degrading, they treated me horribly. So I was making all this money. And I was young, and but I was so unhappy and I wasn't doing what I felt was important. When you're a musician, you're writing songs, you're doing a, b and c to make D work. And it's very fulfilling, because you're putting your own emotions into something. When you make artwork, you're putting your emotions into something, when you're reading off a teleprompter, you're just reading off the teleprompter, it's not life changing in any way. And you're not doing anything important for anyone, I'm sure. It's a very empty feeling. And so I just was so unhappy. And I decided to go back to school and just quit entertainment all together, based on my experience with Playboy. And I decided to I found a mortuary science school in Orange County, and I was like, I'm gonna just follow that path. I was interested in when I was younger, and I'm just gonna go for that full throttle. And I changed my life completely. You know, at Playboy, I was going to parties every night, doing drugs. At school, I had to be there at 8am. Every morning, I couldn't miss any labs at all, or else I wouldn't be able to graduate. And I just changed my whole focus and whole life. And it probably saved my life to do that. And I fell in love with that whole career. And I worked in a couple of funeral homes around LA. But then I found our band and we took off and I had to leave that life behind.

Chuck Shute: 23:54

It's interesting, though, that it was fulfilling like, to me, that seems so depressing. Because I think you said you also, besides doing the mortuary stuff, you volunteered at hospice, and you're like holding people's hands as they die, I mean, that sounds like really emotionally draining.

Carla Harvey: 24:09

You know, it is emotionally draining. I've always considered myself to be an empath, which I know is something that gets tossed around a lot by people. But I truly believe that since I was a child, I've been that way. I've just been able to sit with people in silence, take on their grief, help them and be that person for them. So I also do grief counseling now, especially since we're on the road so much and I can't physically always be working at a funeral home. I believe that some people have a certain gift that they're supposed to share with the world. And I believe that's one of my gifts, is being able to work in that industry and help people during the hardest point of their life. And it's when I first started I didn't want to work with families. I just wanted to work with the bodies. I've always been really into science and I thought it was fascinating. Did you know the embalming process in itself? Then I discovered that's not what I wanted to do. I wanted to work with the families, the people who really needed me the people who are left behind and have questions and, and need to have some help getting started on their grieving process. So I really threw myself into that. And, yes, it is a lot to take on. And there's things that I've seen and heard and have been a part of that are completely consuming. And I've learned how to kind of take care of myself to make sure that I don't get too stuck in it. But I feel like I've always had that gift to be able to take it in, and then release it and so that I can keep helping people.

Chuck Shute: 25:45

When I must, yeah, especially the grief counseling, it must be rewarding, because you're helping people and you probably get accolades for like, the people probably, like very thankful and grateful for them,

Carla Harvey: 25:56

to see in someone's eyes that they feel like they can kind of take that first step. There's a light that goes off, you know, and you and you feel like you've you've helped someone, it's it. I think that's the greatest gift in the world. And we do it through our music as well. You know, we hear so many stories from people about how a song that we wrote a lyric that we wrote something that we did change their life, and it's, if you can help one person, it's just an incredible feeling. It means so much more than reading the news, oftentimes. I think I made a good choice.

Chuck Shute: 26:34

Yeah, it's this sort of you actually, like work? Like, you go to the Playboy Mansion and stuff. Like did you watch the documentary The TV show about playboy? Is that accurate? Some of the stuff they were accusing half of and all that,

Carla Harvey: 26:45

you know, I had, I had corporate issues of Playboy as far as the way they treated people. When I would go to the mansion, I didn't have any terrible experiences. I didn't see anything terrible going on. But it's still to me a very dark place. It's these men who paid to be there looking for young girls. To me, it seemed very, gosh, how do I say it almost like a front for kind of prostitution, it just seemed like a very dark place where there was men looking for one thing and girls looking for men with money to give them this other thing. And I don't know, I just it was something that I didn't want to be a part of, in any way, shape, or form. And even the simplest things like if I wanted to bring one of my girlfriends to the Playboy Mansion with me, I have to send in her headshot to make sure she's good enough to come. I don't pick my friends that way. I don't do that. You know, I don't like being put in situations like that. And I don't like that, that lifestyle. It wasn't really for me. But of course, on the flip side of it, I grew up in Michigan, and a lifelong dream wants to be a part of the Playboy world. You know, when I when you're a young kid growing up listening to Guns and Roses and Motley Crue and, and you know, hearing about Playboy and Hugh Hefner, there's an alert there, and you want to find out what it's all about. You want to be a part of it. And it's, you know, it was an interesting life to take in as long as you don't get stuck there.

Chuck Shute: 28:25

So it sounds like maybe the Fantasy was better than the reality.

Carla Harvey: 28:28

Isn't it always though.

Heidi Shepherd: 28:31

I also worked for Playboy and I had the exact same experience I did. I was on the radio show though. I had a morning show with them. And I had the exact same experience I did not enjoy the company, the company side of it. I've been I went to the parties, the parties are cheesy and silly, you know, never saw anything weird. I watched the documentary, we on the entertainment side of it when you do the TV, the TV shows or the radio shows or you produce any of those shows. You're not really thrust into that world. So Playboy TV and Playboy radio are very separate from the magazine. And I would host I would I produced playmate hour and then I produced Bridgette show and then I was on the morning show and I didn't have time at night to go do these things. I'd be at work at 330 in the morning, and I have time at night to go see all these shenanigans that were supposedly happening at the mansion and even our guitar player also worked for Playboy you know all of us kind of came from that world and saw all sorts of different things and we all had kind of the same experience where it wasn't the fantasy is not what you see you see all these good the glitz and the glamour but on you know the back end side of it. It's really kind of a it was definitely a dark company and I came from professional radio I didn't mornings for seven years was the love of my life at the time. And I decided to take a job at play Were radio and it was very demeaning. It was very, you know, on Tuesdays, they want you to be topless Tuesdays and, and I was like, I'm not taking my shirt off, I'm on the radio. And they're like, what you're ruining the show it just to, to me, and I know that Carlos had this experience as well. It didn't give value to the things that were professional in. And coming from being a professional host. I found it very, very demeaning to my profession.

Chuck Shute: 30:30

That's really interesting to hear that perspective. I like hearing this kind of stuff. educational for me.

Heidi Shepherd: 30:37

You know, I in fact, at every time we're in, I feel like it's mostly in Europe. But they they misconstrue our positions at Playboy as us being playmates, which, you know, they say, x playmates, blah, blah, blah. And it's like, no, no, we, we worked for it. She worked with a TV station and worked for the radio station. And, you know, and it was such a small, small potatoes in the big things that we've done in our lives.

Chuck Shute: 31:03

Yeah. So then you guys formed this band, kind of just for fun, right? You met on MySpace or whatever. And so for the people who don't know that, don't get it. The name is from the Plasmatic song. And then that was kind of you did an ode to Wendy Williams at the beginning with the tape on your boobs and stuff like that. And then like, and then you stopped doing that, because it was like you've evolved or whatever. But people didn't get that that was a the reference of that band. It was like a tribute to her basically.

Heidi Shepherd: 31:29

Yeah, that was the wildest thing because to us, we looked at Wendy Williams, as a pioneer of females in this industry, especially the heavier, more punk side of music. And we severely overestimated how many people would understand that, you know, she really did pave the way for women like us to go up there and just say, doesn't matter what I look like, doesn't matter what I wear, you know, what you want me to sound like, doesn't matter what you want me to dress like, I'm gonna go up here. And I'm going to do what I want to do. And I think that that is really kind of like Bible for a female in this industry at this point, at least. And when we first started, people kind of looked at it as especially having people know that we both worked at Playboy that like all these playmates, getting up there, taking their shirts off, trying to play some heavy metal. When that wasn't it at all, we it was really an ode to early our First Lady, and, you know, even the name, it was a single from Wendy Williams, the Plasmatic. Put your baby. And I think now looking back at it, we definitely made all the right moves. It was unique, it was different it was in your face. And if you think about the early 2000s, that's what MySpace was, even the more the crazier you were, the more attention you know, everyone was trying to out weird each other. And we kind of just had two girls in a band going up there screaming, you know, wearing the nipple tape. It was wild. It was weird. You know, but we kind of grew up. You we started this band, nearly 15 years ago, you saw us grow from young women, to adult women. And we did it in front of everybody's eyes. And I think that reflects in our music as well, you can hear it but it was, it was an interesting thing coming out and all these dreams we had when we were kids, I would lay in bed and I would listen to a band, put in my Walkman. And listen to a band and pretend I was the lead singer, whatever band I was listening to and imagine what my stage moves would be. And all of a sudden, I'm living that dream. But there's people in Tennessee that tell me to get cancer and die. You know what I mean? Like there's all it was just it was such a weird thing in my, you know, at 23 to have people be telling me I hope you die, because I was following my dream. But so how

Chuck Shute: 34:14

did you handle that? All these? What would you call them trolls or haters or negative reviews or whatever people telling you to? How do you block you block it out? Or do

Heidi Shepherd: 34:23

you learn not to really put value in what other people think in that aspect? Because really, the base of it was that we had each other and we were living our dreams together. And that was the important thing and there were people that were gravitating towards it. I remember first when we first felt like holy shit, this is this is real. It was on the Mayhem Festival in 2013. And, you know, it was on a larger scale and we're looking out and we're seeing that people are respecting it and they're they're seeing it for what it is which is The amazing show, they're having the time of their lives, that I think we remember those emotions. And that's the important stuff. Not, you know, this guy who works at this website, you know, like, that's that that's his opinion, or her opinion. But I look out and I see these 1000s of people jumping up and down circle pitting singing our lyrics back at us. That's the important thing. And also, as Karla stated earlier, you know, when people come up to us, and they say, that song, like that song right there changed my life. To us. That's, that means more than someone who's like, in Tennessee saying, Go die. Because you covered this song or because you're different than me. You know, we when we first started, there were females in this industry, but not at all on this, the scale that there are today today. There's so many powerful women out there just kicking ass. When we started there, were not that many. And so it was weird for people. It was awkward. It was they like, okay, I can maybe handle one girl in a metal band. But two girls? I don't think so. So it was it was definitely we're treading on weird territory at that time, really.

Chuck Shute: 36:20

So like the first shows because you guys started on the strip. And I mean, it obviously grew into this huge thing where you know, you'd like you said, you're playing in front of 1000s. But initially, when you started on that strip with the first shows, do they go well, or I mean, what kept you going, they must have had,

Carla Harvey: 36:35

they were amazing. But we are we formed in Los Angeles. And we were in another band together that have the same attire. And we gained this big fan base, but also we used to fly or the streets of LA. I used to work at a bar and I would go give every person in that bar a flyer to come to our show. And LA is La you see beautiful women everywhere, scantily clad. So it wasn't like, Oh my God, these girls are crazy. We weren't Mid America.

Heidi Shepherd: 37:09

But it was just more

Carla Harvey: 37:11

accepting. And it was rock and roll on the Sunset Strip.

Chuck Shute: 37:15

Yeah, and it's on your terms now. Right? So like, whereas before with Playboy, like, Oh, you're going to do topless Tuesday, like they're trying to tell you what to do. But now you're deciding how you want to dress. If you want to dress sexy, you can dress sexy. If you don't, you don't but you're deciding everything's on your own terms, right? Unless you have a manager. The differences

Heidi Shepherd: 37:32

is, you know, with the nipple tape, it wasn't to go up there and be sexy. It was more so of a punk rock thing. And I think anyone who saw the show in that era can definitely attest to it. It was punk rock. It was it was in your face. And it wasn't up there like hey, it was more so I'm gonna grab your neck and pour Jack and then I'm gonna spit in your face like that. It was Punk in that in that, in that essence and, and I'm seeing Carla's smell right now because she knows

Chuck Shute: 38:04

what other antics did you have, like I heard you

Carla Harvey: 38:07

know, stuff. I have the greatest photo still. I would love to post it of me and Heidi and we've got a verb pouring alcohol down this guy's throat and he's got a broken nose. There's blood everywhere. He's got the big smile on his face. That's what kind of shows we had. Yeah,

Heidi Shepherd: 38:28

it was it was we didn't break his nose. He broke his nose on his cord in the pit. But, but it went away. It was punk rock. And I think that people saw pictures of us and assumed that it was we're going up. They're doing a strip show, which was not the case at all. And but honestly, you know, some people, they're like, I'll bring the tape back. But that shit hurts, man.

Chuck Shute: 38:54

I didn't want to get like sunburned or something with it. And that sounds so painful.

Heidi Shepherd: 38:58

I don't think like, I also don't want

Carla Harvey: 39:02

to have to worry about if I'm too bloated to wear the tape today. From time if you want to put a T shirt on man.

Chuck Shute: 39:09

That's everyday for me. I never put the tape on.

Heidi Shepherd: 39:13

No, but you know, that was that was a long time ago. Um, you know, when we first start, we started this band in 2009. And it it was it was a long, long time ago over a decade ago. And I don't regret it. I think we were just young girls having the time of our lives and we loved the punk essence that there was in Hollywood at the time we're feeding into it and to us. We had a blast. I remember our very first show as butcher babies so we were in a band together prior to that that had five girls fronting that shit. And four dudes in the back we had residencies all over Hollywood a Viper Room, the dragonfly the Key Club, the Roxy are everywhere. Um, some days we're going up against Steel Panther and we have just as many people and so, but it was a cover band and we wanted to do something original. And so we split from that and created butcher babies. Our very first show was sold out at the cat club, you know, so we had kind of created a buzz prior to prior to it and La treated us like it was it was awesome. They treated us great. And it wasn't until 1/5 One fateful night in Orange County during the NAMM show, it was a Schecter after party at the juke joint. And the PA had blown the band before blue the PA but we're like we're still gonna get up and we're gonna play a show. We used to cover a song called fucking hostile. Well, it's amazing, right? So we someone took you know, some shitty video on a shitty cell phone and posted it online and that that video went viral. And people were mad that we were covering Panthera they were mad that we were chicks they were mad that we had tape on our tips and it was just kind of it was a perfect recipe for accidentally blowing up in that in that in that time. And I think if we had had it on our own terms, the music would have preceded itself rather than that that video.

Chuck Shute: 41:23

So that guy you a lot of attention, but it was like negative but it still helped the band in a way. Yeah,

Carla Harvey: 41:28

it didn't. Oh, yeah. We there was a blurb in revolver magazine as someone called us and said, You guys are in revolver magazine. You're in revolver magazine. And we're like, what? And there's a tiny little blurb at the bottom of the page that had some astronomical number and it said number of times editor in chief has watched What's your baby's cover a fucking hostile Kim and we're like,

Heidi Shepherd: 41:51

oh my gosh, we're famous.

Carla Harvey: 41:55

So that's a good thing lay on the cover.

Chuck Shute: 41:59

So there's those kind of moments that were you like, like you said before, where you're planning out in front of 1000s Was there one where you're like, Okay, we at one point Carla, did you quit your job because that then you had to because you have to go on tour.

Carla Harvey: 42:12

We had to go on tour. So what happened was I had got my dream job at Forest Lawn if you know Forest Lawn it is this exquisite cemetery mortuary in the Hollywood Hills. Everyone is buried there from lemme to Brittany Murphy, Ronnie James Dio, and I got a job there as an embalmer. But we also got a tour. It's like, that's how life works. It gives you two choices all the time. And they're both good fucking choices. But what do you do? One is more of a risk than the other. I mean, I could still be involving at this gorgeous place right now. It's not a care in the world. Or, you know, our music career could have came crashing down and we would have gotten nowhere. I made the right choice. I thought to myself, I can always go back in and get a job at a mortuary whenever I want. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You know, when you have a once in a lifetime opportunity. And for me, this was it. And so I just decided to stick with butcher babies. And again, perfect choice, right? Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 43:22

absolutely. So that was that the that was a tour. That was before a Marilyn Manson tour, though, right? That was the big one that broke you guys also, in a way, right?

Heidi Shepherd: 43:30

That was a big tour. Oh, Marilyn Manson. Yeah, that was a big tour. Yeah, the first tour that we did actually was in the United Kingdom, opening up for Fozzie. And it was incredible. We played the Download Festival. That was our very first tour. But the first time that we toured the United States, it was hard. There were there were a string of shows 18 shows in a row. We were in a converted airport shuttle that didn't have AC or brakes or like a working transmission. We spent half of that tour in the back of a box truck, because our stuff had broken down. It was difficult. You know, we didn't have any dressing rooms, which is we can handle it now. You know, but it was so exciting, because it was our first tour. But looking back, it was hell on earth. But it was so boring.

Chuck Shute: 44:22

Because with most bands, those are the best stories. It's like trying to make it and it's like, yeah, you're what is the one we're like, with anthrax or something where they would like eat like ketchup soup or something. I don't know. There's so many cool stories. I love those kinds of stories.

Heidi Shepherd: 44:36

Yeah, you know, and there's a picture where we were in New York City playing right in the heart of New York City. And I just got a jug of water. I hadn't washed my hair and days. It was just it was time. So I just wore a sports bra and leggings and I just doused my head no wash my hair in the streets in New York City. And that, to us was absolutely incredible. Every moment of that tour was a dream come true. Even though it was so difficult, I would say that's the hardest tour that we've ever done in our entire careers. But we were just living or living our dream. And we didn't know that this is a one in a million chance, things like this do not come around, we're going, we're gonna make the best of it. And I'm glad that we did. I'm glad that we stuck together. And I'm glad that, you know, all these years later, we're sitting here having this conversation. And you know, we're still best friends. We're still we went through so much together. And we still have a lot of stuff to go through together. But we're still best friends. And I think the reason that this band has succeeded is because we look at it this way. First. We're best friends first, a band second, and we respect each other that way. And it's an an honestly, it's been wild, but so much fun. We because we look at it that way.

Chuck Shute: 46:02

But you never get into fights or any other tips or how do you handle that? And I hear stories of bands getting in like fistfights.

Heidi Shepherd: 46:08

That hasn't happened yet.

Chuck Shute: 46:11

How do you how do you do you have when you have a fight? Is it something that where you get over the next day? Or? Well, I silent treatment? What do you do?

Carla Harvey: 46:21

I think that we both take a step back sometimes and think about things and think about what we mean to each other. And then you approach it differently. Everybody has argument sometimes, especially when you're in not only just a friendship, but a business and a creative relationship. Like that's three things right there that you have to balance. So again, I think that the what Heidi said, you know, is it's the risk starts with respect. And we have to respect each other's opinions and thoughts and mindsets and lives and, and look at things. Things have changed over the years, we have to look at things differently now than we did five years ago, 10 years ago and adjust accordingly. But we always work it out.

Heidi Shepherd: 47:08

Yeah, I think, you know, we, we don't get in as many tips as I think most bands do, to be honest. And I think a lot of it has to come down to that respect level. And also looking at, you know, the things that we've done together and the boundaries that we've crossed the barriers, we've broken down the things that we have changed with each other. I think that right there just makes everything worth it to. So when there is an argument, we look at those things, we really are like family. I sometimes think that I think I'm closer with Carla than I am my own sisters, because of all these things that we've accomplished together all these things that we've done together. So if we look at each other as family, you know, and best friends and respect each other in that way. And listen, I think a lot of people don't listen, we listen to each other we listen to, you know, even if it's just about what you had for breakfast or something, you know, doesn't matter. We listen to each other. And if there isn't a small argument, it just takes a little bit of listening to the other person's perspective. And understanding that, you know, we love and respect each other.

Chuck Shute: 48:27

Yeah, that's cool. Well, then I know you had that fight not within the band. But there was another female band. I don't want to say your name. But did that ever get squashed? Or is that still like we're the girl? That's crazy. Don't

Carla Harvey: 48:40

even think we should give that attention? Because it is such a it's so insignificant to us. Like all of that. I don't even want to give it any attention.

Chuck Shute: 48:48

Is that the only thing you've had like that like because everyone else has been really good and cool that you've met

Heidi Shepherd: 48:53

never had any type of like weird issues. It's it's awesome. Because, you know, we've toured with I can't even count how many bands. And it always walks away with a huge positive experience. And I think what it is this people, you know, they may assume one thing about butcher babies, and then when when they get around us, they're like, Oh, these guys are super chill. And, and so we haven't had any bad experiences like that. And, you know, honestly, I don't know anyone who's had a good experience with the person you're speaking of. So it doesn't really matter. All I care about really is that we have fun together. We walk away from a tour happy and want our band to walk away from the tour having had the best time of their lives. And so we treat every tour like it could be the last like we're having a blast together. We go on stage every single night and have a party and it is so much fun. And that's the important stuff right there. I And it always reflects like you in any band we've toured with that's that. That's what they can say about

Chuck Shute: 50:05

us. That's super cool. Now, are you? Are you both still doing acting? Because I know you both have done act in the past, I guess. Because Hi, do you have a film coming out? Right the Virginia bitches?

Heidi Shepherd: 50:15

Yeah, yeah. That we have not filmed it yet. Oh, but yeah, we it's Randy black, isn't it? Elisa? March enemy, a whole slew of amazing people. John Witherspoon is seven death. Yeah, yes. A whole slew of amazing people are slated to to be in this film. I actually just got the final revision of the script, just while we were on tour. So I'm reading it right now getting used to my parts. I grew up acting. My parents have a film business. And so it's just something that was in my blood growing up. And you can't really, once you catch that bug, it never goes away. In fact, I thought it was gonna go away. And I'm like, I'll final tattoo my hands. I've had more rolls with tattoos than I think I did without so. Okay. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 51:11

And you Carla, are you just kind of done with that? Because you have the grief counseling? That's No, I

Carla Harvey: 51:16

actually I love acting and I would love to do more films. And I live in Chicago now. So there actually is work out here as well, but not as much as in LA. It's not as easy anymore to just go on an audition. Because I'm so far away from from Los Angeles, but we get called for parts. And we'll like yeah, we'll do it. Anything. I love it you guys

Chuck Shute: 51:40

did together right? This was all of the Yeah, the devil's card and carnival with did you get to meet Hasselhoff on that one?

Carla Harvey: 51:49

No, we didn't work with Hasselhoff, but we did work with Paul Sorvino, which was amazing. And I always talk about one of my favorite memories of all time was getting our makeup done. And the trailer and Paul Sorvino SAT was sitting there getting his makeup done for his role. He played God and we killed him in the movie, but he was getting his makeup done. And he was singing Italian operettas as we were all getting our makeup done. So what a cool memory to have of an incredible person like that.

Chuck Shute: 52:22

Ya know, that's super cool. Yeah, you guys have both worked with some some big stars on the TV and movies. Do you have any memories like that, Heidi?

Heidi Shepherd: 52:30

Well, she was there. She was. I was there for that. Um, I did a really it was deemed the worst horror film of all time. So, accolades for that. It was all animals with Naveen Andrews, Naveen was in last and amongst a bunch of other stuff. And there was a part in it where I danced on a bar, just like having a good time before I got murdered. I was dancing in a bar, and they played party like a rock star party like a rock star. So every time I hear that song now, it brings me back to like, what a fun cool opportunity that was to make a film with Naveen Andrews, Nikki A Cox from Jeepers Creepers was in it as well. It was just like, that was really cool. That was in, I think, 2007 I believe. And then I did another horror film or another horror thing called slasher, which is on Netflix. And it was a small cameo. But it was just so much fun. I got to go into Canada and like, meet all these actors that I had been watching throughout the first season of that show. So it was just really unique experiences that we get to experience. And I do think that because of our platform in butcher babies, more or more opportunities like this, you know, start rolling around, and it's fun. We'll take them.

Chuck Shute: 53:56

That's super cool. Awesome. Well, I know you guys gotta get going. So the best friend song is out now. And there's a couple other singles. Is that all part of the new album that's going to be coming out? Are you just doing singles? Now? How's that work?

Heidi Shepherd: 54:07

No, we have we have an album that was gonna be a double album, really? But wow. Yeah, that'll be coming out in mid, you know, early next year. And we have a bunch of singles leading up to it. In fact, right before we jumped on with you. We were chit chatting about edits for a new music video. So we have a lot of a lot of stuff planned. A lot of really fun. You know, for us, it's really fun and exciting because we get to be so creative. We're gonna go do more music videos at the beginning of the year. And it is it's it's all exciting. It's all very exciting. I can't wait for other people to hear what we've created. This album that we're releasing. We went to Michigan in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere and recorded this album and you couldn't really hear that it was recorded in the dead of winter and it it there's those weird emotions out there that people like any hair, so very excited. Okay,

Chuck Shute: 55:04

cool. I'm excited to hear that. Anything else you want to prom and there's so much so many things that you ladies have done and and are still currently doing

Heidi Shepherd: 55:12

well. I think just stay tuned for new music. Carla's art is always beautiful and around. Carla, are you releasing a new thing soon?

Carla Harvey: 55:22

No, I'm not losing anything new soon, but I've always got art on my site. Carla harvey.com. Actually, we just I just did a piece of art for our bands for the release of best friend. So you guys can check that out on the butcher, babies site, butcher babies merch shop calm. All I do all day on tour is draw draw draw. So it was fun to draw. I always loved drawing Heidi and I so

Chuck Shute: 55:47

I love our I mean, I can't I can't draw myself but like you guys, you guys know the band edge of paradise? Yes. Yeah, like Margarita Monet. She did this painting I bought it was like it was only like $99 I was like, You need to charge more for this stuff. Like it's like amazing painting. And she sent it to me. It's really cool. So that's all to check out your art too. And that's really neat.

Heidi Shepherd: 56:06

I was looking at it behind you. I was like this this really cool art you've got behind you. Yeah, she does. I was looking at that warrant.

Carla Harvey: 56:12

Cherry Pie. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 56:15

Because like that's, I know what one of you are both your guns and roses fans, right?

Carla Harvey: 56:19

I'm a huge Guns Roses fan. And I grew up listening to stuff like Warren, you know? Yeah, so I was I haven't I met Axel. Yes. I also mentioned

Chuck Shute: 56:32

like a weird comment or something.

Carla Harvey: 56:34

He made many weird comments. Oh, many.

Chuck Shute: 56:39

Oh, is that like flattering or creepy or both?

Carla Harvey: 56:43

I think this is the way that some people flirt by saying weird creepy things, but I didn't fall for it.

Chuck Shute: 56:50

Or fall for it. I probably would have fell for I Love Actually. He's like so amazing. Like,

Carla Harvey: 56:56

no, no. Guns and Roses was my favorite band of all time. It was the first band that made every hair on my arm stand up when I heard Welcome to the Jungle. So I have a an unnatural love for Guns and Roses. In fact, the reason I moved to LA was because of Guns and Roses because I saw the image images of the Sunset Strip and I had to be a part of it based on the Guns and Roses videos. So I'm not the Guns Roses nerd.

Chuck Shute: 57:24

I know everything. I even listened to like the weird like bootlegs, I would buy the tapes when I was a kid, like the demos and stuff, the songs. It was weird. And then he listened to me like the sounds nothing like maybe they weren't even the real band. I don't know. I maybe I got conned, I don't know. But it was.

Heidi Shepherd: 57:41

It's like some some GarageBand like,

Chuck Shute: 57:45

yeah, I could have done. I mean, it sounded like Ohio. Just I'm excited for the new guns and roses music too. I suppose like that's gonna happen. At some point. You can Oh, yeah. Yeah. And then maybe they'll do a tour and you guys can get on and jump on and do some shows with them.

Heidi Shepherd: 58:00

Well, that would be a dream come true. And I'm just putting it

Chuck Shute: 58:03

out there into the universe right now. That's what I do. So Well, I'll let you guys go. Last thing I always just ended with a charity though is there? I know you did some stuff. I watched these really cool interviews you did on you rock foundation. It was like, people should check that out. Because it's really inspiring. You both tell your story in more detail, very personal stuff. Is that still charity you're working with? Or is there another charity want to promote here? No,

Carla Harvey: 58:27

I think we each have a charity. Heidi, if you want to go first.

Heidi Shepherd: 58:31

Say, you know this is actually a company that I would love to work with is St. Jude. And we've opportunities have come up but since our band's name is butcher babies, we're not allowed to but I still would like to

Chuck Shute: 58:48

come on. There's like it's entertainment. That's

Heidi Shepherd: 58:51

yeah, the charity I would like to highlight is St. Okay. Yeah,

Chuck Shute: 58:53

we've I've highlighted that one several times. It's a great charity. So if people have some extra money after they buy the album, then hopefully the wine if it comes back because I'd like they can throw some money at St. Jude's and then Carly, you have one too.

Carla Harvey: 59:05

I really am obsessed with pit bulls and addicts. You can find them on Instagram. I'm a huge advocate for pitbulls. I have a 14 year old old lady Pitbull. And I do think that pitbulls and people who have past problems with addiction are you know, often get pigeonholed into a certain category. And this this gentleman has this great foundation where he's, you know, an addict that is working with pit bulls and rescuing them. And he's doing some really amazing things. So I highly recommend pit bulls and addicts.

Chuck Shute: 59:38

All right, cool. Well, thanks, guys. I will look forward to new music and new wine too. Thanks, Jack. Appreciate it. Thank you so much. Bye bye. Good holiday. My thanks again to Heidi and Karla. Both very kind ladies and generous with their time. Check out the new single best friend. It's on streaming along with their great music. Check out the website and still work for cool merch, follow them on social media, of course, your likes, follows shares, comments, all that stuff, help the band and you could do the same to help out the show. I appreciate your support as always, the year is gonna be wrapping up soon and looking back. It's just been pretty crazy some of the guests that we've had on here so I want to say thank you, to all the people who've listened. Thank you to the PR people and management who've helped set up these interviews and of course, thanks to the guests as well. Have a great day and shoot for the moon.