In the world of modern rock bands, Blonde Redhead might contain the most complicated web of relationships. Of the three band members—Kazu Makino, Amedeo Pace and Simone Pace—two are twins, two are married, two are Italian and one is Japanese. The band's music, fittingly, defies easy classification. Its first album, released in 1995, was a heavily experimental onslaught; Kazu's voice was nearly drowned out by Simone's urgent drums and Amedeo's screeching guitar. The group's new album, 23, however, is a more mature, lush soundscape that bristles with melancholic beauty; Kazu's alto soars above a thick carpet of spacious melodies. Of course, change is inevitable, and Blonde Redhead has had a long time to evolve.
"My twin brother Simone and I first played together when we were ten," explains lead singer Amedeo Pace, a native of Milan. "For our tenth birthday, Simone got a guitar from his godfather. My godfather was my cousin (and much poorer), so all I got was a wooden flute. Finally, I begged a family friend to get me a guitar, and Simone and I started playing every Sunday in church."
At sixteen, Amedeo and Simone left Milan to pursue music in New York. In 1993, they met Kazu Makino, a beautiful Japanese art student with musical aspirations. Makino quickly warmed up to the twins (particularly to Simone, whom she later married), and soon the three started playing music as Blonde Redhead.
Thirteen years and six albums later, the band has had its share of ups and downs. "Simone and I disagree on many things," says Amedeo. "Fighting is harder with your twin because you're not supposed to disagree on anything." But as the haunting, multilayered sounds on 23 suggest, complication isn't always a bad thing. Plus, says Amedeo, "One good thing about working with family is that, even when you fight, you know they still love you."
