Jim Morrison's '60s band the Doors tapped into Otep's imagination and literally changed her life.
"I remember when I heard 'The End' when I was a kid," Otep said by phone from her home in Los Angeles. "Before I heard that song, I didn't know music could be so cinematic. And the fact that Jim Morrison was a poet only added to the nuance."
Otep, whose name is an anagram for "poet," said that, thanks to the Doors, she sought out music and art. And those things saved her life. "I was in a place where it was dangerous to be. My life had a lot of poverty and violence, and it was music and art that helped me survive and rise above it."
When Otep, whose last name is Shamaya, embarked on a musical career, she knew the kind of band she wanted to put together. "First off, I wanted whatever I did to be pure and from deep within myself. I wanted to expand my thoughts and explore creativity as much as I could.
"We make aggressive music, and I wanted to do that and have no restrictions."
Otep formed a band named after herself and recruited bassist Evil J, drummer Doug Pellerin and most recently guitarist Scotty SH (who replaced Lee Rios in December; Rios had replaced original guitarist Rob Patterson back in 2003).
The band's first full-length album "Sevas Tra," released in 2002, sums up what Otep — the band and the singer — is all about. The title is actually "Art Saves" written backward.
"There was a lot of baggage I carried into that record," said Otep. "It was therapy for me to get my emotions out. And get the pain and anger out. And it was edifying to me. That's why we named the album the way we did."
The band landed a gig with Ozzfest and opened itself up to a load of new listeners. "Ozzfest was wonderful for us. We got huge responses. And it wasn't just the 'aggro' (meaning aggressive) crowd. I had parents and their children coming up to me and telling me how our music has helped them deal with the pressures of life. Or how it has helped with their creativity and imagination."
When Otep (the band) decided to record a new album, it knew exactly what to do. "We had talked about the direction of the album and we knew where we were going to go with it. We worked with Greg Wells as a producer, and he really filled in the gaps."
Wells had recently worked with the Deftones, and he inspired Otep to push her own envelope. "He is an amazing man. He could sit down with any instrument and play whatever came into his mind. He is an accomplished musician and producer. He had us really thinking about our music and what the album needed. He was the perfect mentor."
The new album, "House of Secrets," is not only the record that follows "Sevas Tra," but also an emotional follow-up for the singer. "With 'Sevas Tra,' I was finding myself. With 'House of Secrets,' I'm assessing myself. Have I changed? Am I still clinging onto those feelings I did when we were recording the other album? Have I grown any?
"For the most part, I have to say I have progressed. And I feel this album shows the band maturing."
Still, Otep knows when she performs songs from the other album, it has a way of ripping open old wounds. "I find myself singing it from a different part of myself. Yes, I do remember how it felt when I wrote those songs. But I do know there are fans out there who have felt what I've felt and are still feeling what I sang about. And to show them that all isn't hopeless and you can grow is what I focus on.
"But it is emotionally difficult to do that. However, it's worth it because of the connection I forge with the fans."
If you go
What: Otep, American Head Charge, Candiria
Where: The Circuit, 7711 S. 700 West
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
How much: $16 and $18
Phone: 467-8499 or 800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com