The Voodoo Organist & the Voodoo He Do
Interview with M. Alberto Rivera
Listening to the Voodoo Organist, AKA Scott Wexton, one might get confused. Is he himself possessed or is he shouting cautionary tales?
Musically The Voodoo Organist falls somewhere in between the smoothest B3 players and the funkiest Southern Baptist Church organist you’ve ever been blessed to hear with the sensibilities of a great silent movie accompanist. Delivering his vocals, with emotional aplomb and moral certainty, his delivery is delightfully twisted and deranged. With songs like “The Revenge of the Black Widow,” and “The Devil’s Chasing Me,” there’s a troubled narration, and the warm seductive sounds of the Hammond organ to compel a listener to stay an hear all he has to say.
This is not some tired rehashing of Horror/death rock moves we’ve seen a thousand times at this point. This is a fresh take on that which goes bump in the night.
With seven independent releases under his belt, The Voodoo Organist is an unflappable indie music veteran, seasoned performer and responsible for spinning tales of woe.
He was good enough to sit down and share his thoughts on what lurks in the darkest shadows . . .
M. Alberto Rivera: What or who inspired you to play Horror themed music?
Voodoo Organist: I’ve always been into “spooky” things. When I was in kindergarten, I was left behind at a school trip to the Zoo because I was in line
to buy a rubber skeleton. When I was 16, I purchased my first Alien Sex Fiend record, and they’re still one of my faves to this day. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins is a huge influence on me.
MAR: A lot of your songs sound as if you’re scoring music for a horror film. Do you ever have a specific scene or film in mind when you write?
VO: No – actually I try to have nothing on my mind when I write. I’ve been playing for 30 years; when I write songs I turn my mind off and play whatever comes to me. If I like it, I’ll do it over and over until the song writes itself.
MAR: Which songs do you enjoy performing most?
VO: It changes; for whatever reason, sometimes songs I love just don’t feel right. I quit playing Pitchfork Man years ago because I just wasn’t feeling it, but I’m bringing it back on this tour, and I’m loving it. Laughing at you is a fun one to play. Same withBattery Acid.
MAR: What’s your favorite Horror film?
VO: If I had to pick one and only one, the Shining is the first to come to mind, and one of my all time faves. I love the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and is a close second.
MAR: Favorite scary book or story? (if different from the last answer?)
VO: Lovecraft’s “Lurker at the Threshold.”
MAR: Do you ever feel restricted by the horror genre?
VO: Well, I don’t really consider myself Horror Rock or Death Rock. I write songs that come to me – I don’t purposely try to be “evil.” I have a very black sense of humor. The demons in my songs are metaphors.
MAR: Do you ever feel like you’d like to collaborate with a full band?
VO: As for the Voodoo Organist, I don’t ever want a guitarist. I have nothing against guitars, it’s just that there’s enough of them in rock music. I’m on the fence about a bass player – I enjoy kicking the organ bass pedals. I don’t think I’d want a stand up, which would probably surprise a lot of people. If I had a bassist, I would want someone in the Stranglers vibe. I think my ideal would be a baritone sax player, and percussionist along with my drummer. But to be frank, I don’t have the money to pay a full band.
MAR: If the Voodoo Organist could appear on the soundtrack of any scary film, which film and which song would it be?
VO: I had a song appear on the Return of the Living Dead IV, and it was an honor to be part of that. Being part of a Rob Zombie movie would be amazing.
MAR: If you were going to be in a horror film would you rather be the villain or the hero, or victim?
VO: The guy playing the organ at a seedy bar.
MAR: What do you have planned for the next tour?
VO: Song wise I’m playing everything from some of the first VO songs I wrote, to new songs which will be on my forthcoming 7th album, Organeddon. I have a new organ rig that looks like it came from the set of A Clockwork Orange, and sounds equally as cool.