Scarling.

Scarling.
Christian Hejnal and Jessicka 2005
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Noise pop Alternative rock Shoegaze Art rock
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Sympathy for the Record Industry
Associated acts	Jack Off Jill Candyhateful Honey to Ash Messy The Cure Brian Jonestown Massacre Amusement Parks on Fire The Ingenues
Website	www.scarling.com
Members
Jessicka Christian Hejnal
Former members
Garey Snider Samantha Maloney Kyle Lime Radio Sloan Rickey Lime Derik Snell Beth Gordon

Scarling. is an American noise pop band from Los Angeles, whose core members are Jessicka and Christian Hejnal-Addams. The band formed in 2002. They have released two albums, Sweet Heart Dealer and So Long, Scarecrow.

Name

The band's name comes from a fictional word created by singer Jessicka in 1999. In 2001 the definition appeared on Scarling's website: "Middle English, from Old English scaerlinc, from scar+ -ling, -linc -ling; akin to Old High German von scar, Latin scarnos 1. the smallest mark on your heart left by the healing of a severe injury. 2. he or she who is scarred densely almost emotionless. 3. a mentally challenged/physically handicapped sibling of a normal star. 4. a band from Los Angeles. The "S" in Scarling. is sometimes lower case and the word itself ends in a full stop or period." ^[1]

History

Scarling. was formed by singer Jessicka Fodera (known simply as Jessicka) after the dissolution of her band, Jack Off Jill. She and guitarist Christian Hejnal were introduced by guitarist Lisa Leveridge,^[2] and they began rehearsing and recording in a San Fernando Valley performance space; after the pair had written a number of songs together, they began a search for additional band members and eventually cemented the first and very short lived lineup of Scarling.

In early 2002 Jessicka was introduced to Long Gone John, owner of Sympathy for the Record Industry, by mutual friend Mark Ryden. On March 19, 2003 Scarling's debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole", (produced by Chris Vrenna) was released on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. Its cover featured an illustration called "Wound 39" by Mark Ryden.

Christian Hejnal, Scarling. playing at ULU, London 2006

In April 2004, Scarling. released their debut album, Sweet Heart Dealer, a seven-song release again produced by Vrenna and packaged by Ryden. Later that year, Jessicka was featured on the cover of ROCKRGRL magazine's vocalist issue. Scarling was then invited to join the lineup of the Robert Smith-organized Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, Cursive, The Cooper Temple Clause, and longtime inspirations The Cure. ^{[3] [4] [5]} Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and nominated "Sweet Heart Dealer" for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize.^{[6] [7] [8]} While Alternative Press Magazine said Scarling. sounded like, "being French kissed by the most beautiful beings in the world, really alluring yet massive stuff."^[9]Three weeks before joining the Curiosa tour, drummer Garey Snider was briefly replaced by Samantha Maloney in order to perform live at a group art showing at the Copro/Nason Gallery (Santa Monica, CA). Weeks later they found drummer Beth Gordon who served as Scarling's permanent replacement. Scarling with the help of friend and fill in bassist Radio Sloan, continued to play around Los Angeles and San Francisco at high profile clubs such as, The Bottom Of The Hill, Spaceland and The Troubadour.

On Thursday October 21, 2004, John Peel, English disc jockey and radio presenter, invited Robert Smith to stand in for him while he was in Peru as a Guest DJ on what turned out to be the last Peel Session Show.^[10] Smith played Scarling's Crispin Glover as one of the tracks in his eclectic set. ^[11] Scarling. were also chosen by Smith to be part of his Celebrity Playlist on iTunes along with Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Supergrass, Nirvana (band), Placebo, The Psychedelic Furs, and several bands that played on the Curiosa tour earlier that year.^[12] Smith wrote a quote about each song and wrote "Beautiful shadows" next to the Scarling. track. ^[13]

After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling announced in early 2005 that their second album, So Long, Scarecrow, would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are the Music Makers", and was released on August 23, 2005. So Long, Scarecrow was co-produced by Rob Campanella, formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, at his studio, The Committee to Keep Music Evil Headquarters. The critical reception for Scarecrow was generally strong: Alternative Press gave the album a 5 out of 5 rating^[14]. Simon Price from The Independent said,"In contrast to the abrasive JOJ sound, Scarling. work up a wonderfully hazy guitar swirl, reminiscent of post-My Bloody Valentine noise-pop from the Britain of the early Nineties." ^[15] Chris Beyond from No-Fi Magazine described Scarecrow, "somewhere between Blonde Redhead and Sonic Youth and said "there are 13 tracks on this album, but they leave you wanting more." ^[16] Scarling's was even touted as resurrecting goth' by Venus magazine,"Goth isn’t dead. It’s just evolved into a sweeter version with Scarling’s variety of distorted but, dare I say, gorgeous version of the once-dreary genre. On the band’s full-length debut, So Long, Scarecrow, frontwoman Jessicka’s syrupy yet cautious vocals are quite different than her former angry, self-mutilating persona in the late ’90s Marilyn Manson-esque group Jack off Jill." ^[17]

In December 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first UK tour creating a buzz for themselves and selling out most venues. SLS's first single City Noise is featured on the compilation Alright, This Time Just the Girls Vol. 2 and 2006's Staring To The Sun. The song Bummer a track from SLS was featured on Showtime's The L Word season 3 episode "Latecomer",^[18] as well as an Urban Outfitters/Filter magazine compilation. An episode of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (season 2) is titled Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole. ^[19]

In 2006 Scarling continued to tour in the US and Europe, embarking on their first co-heading with UK shoegaze outfit Amusement Parks on Fire^[20] and opening for The Wedding Present^[21] and Depeche Mode later in the year.

Scarling. currently resides in the neighborhood of Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California. On February 14, 2006, (Valentine's Day) while on a break from touring, Jessicka and guitarist Christian Hejnal were engaged. Their wedding took place on October 13, 2007 at the Oviatt Penthouse in Los Angeles. ^[22]

Discography

Albums

• Sweet Heart Dealer (2004) — Sympathy for the Record Industry
• So Long, Scarecrow (2005) — Sympathy for the Record Industry [Artist Mark Ryden created an alternative cover for the 12” vinyl version].

Singles and EPs

• "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2003):

  "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" — "H/C"

• "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2003):

  "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" — "H/C" — "Creep"

• "Crispin Glover" (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004):

  "Crispin Glover" — "Love Becomes a Ghost"

• "Crispin Glover" (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004):

  "Crispin Glover" — "Art of Pretension"

• Scarling. / The Willowz (split 7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2005)

  "We Are the Music Makers" (Scarling.) — "Break Me Down" (The Willowz)

• "Staring To The Sun" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2006)

  "City Noise" — "Staring to the Sun" — "Wave of Mutilation"

Compilations

• Blisscent II CD Compilation (2003)
• Alright This Time Just The Girls Vol. 2 (2005)

cover by Camille Rose Garcia

Cover Songs

• "Creep" by Radiohead
• "Wave of Mutilation" by Pixies

Sources

• Chicago Music Guide Scarling. Interview 2005
• Filter magazine 2005

References

External links

• Official website
• Sympathy for the Record Industry
• Scarling's MySpace
• Scarling. Allmusic Guide Page