TCB
By Christopher Gray, Fri., Aug. 12, 2005
Applied Chemistry
Popular Austin femme-punks the Applicators have, once again, finished their second album. After 2001 debut What's Your Excuse, "We actually wrote another album," explains guitarist Erica Applicator, "but we evolved past what we wrote pretty fast." (Like the Ends and Ramones, the Applicators embody punk rock solidarity via a common surname.) Album No. 2 came "in shifts" over two hectic weeks, with producer Chris "Frenchie" Smith egging them on. "I sang my ass off," testifies vocalist Sabrina Applicator. "Frenchie's a slave driver, but we love him." Longtime friend and Epitaph Records employee Hector Martinez now handles their business affairs, and things have picked up appreciably. The new album, as yet untitled, is being mastered in Los Angeles this week, after which Martinez will shop it to labels (including, presumably, his employer). Back home, the band has been adjusting to last month's split with drummer Stephanie, on which the ladies opt to remain mum, and auditioning new timekeepers, a process Sabrina says makes her feel a little like American Idol's Simon Cowell. "The hard part is when they're really nice but not as skilled as you'd hoped they'd be," she says. Eight people, including a boy(!) and one girl who bought a new drum kit for the occasion, have tried out so far, and they hope to find someone by Sept. 19 at Emo's, their first confirmed show since the Texas stops of this year's Warped Tour. In October, they'll set out for the 100-band Wasted USA festival in San Bernadino, Calif., alongside Flogging Molly, TSOL, the Exploited, Dickies, Turbo AC's, and Austin neighbors the Krum-Bums and Lower Class Brats. As a band long accustomed to heavy touring, "The gap between records has really put a dent in our itinerary," says Erica. "There comes a point when you need an album." So after six years of juggling Applicator life with work and kids – Sabrina and Erica each have elementary-age daughters – they're both pragmatic and grateful. "It really does take a village," Sabrina says. "You have to have supportive family and friends to be able to do it."
