Exclusive interview with Jenny Smyth of The Organ

I've had the Organ's new album, "Grab That Gun", on a constant replay since I got it. A combination of The Smiths, Joy Division, and Blondie, The Organ takes its influences as a starting point and flies from there into its own unique sound. Band member Jenny Smyth took time out to answer a few questions about life as a vegetarian in a touring band.

Meatfilter: How long have you been a vegetarian?

Jenny Smyth: Over 10 years.

MF: What happened that interested you in becoming a vegetarian, was there an "Aha" moment, or was it a gradual change?

JS: My mom fed me vegetarian food as a little kid, but I started eating meat and stuff for a while in later childhood (so did my mom. I don't know why). Then when I started high school around age 14, my friend and I decided to become vegetarian just because we thought it was cool. And of course in theory I realized it made a lot of sense. As time has gone by I can think of more and more reasons why I never want to be "non-vegetarian" ever again.

MF: The Organ has been compared to the Smiths (among others). Was the song "Meat is Murder" an influence?

JS: Well that definitely influenced my decision to stop eating meat as a teen. I just thought the girl in the video was the epitome of cool and I wanted to be like her.

MF: When you're on the road with the band has it been hard to find good vegetarian food?

JS: Yes. Especially on highways. In cities you can usually find out from people you meet where to eat. And people in other bands I know who tour a lot will often say where they found someplace good.

MF: What city have you been to that had the best eating options?

JS: San Francisco I think. Or Tucson. And here, Vancouver B.C.

Many thanks to Jenny for her time and to Yvette Ray at Mint Records for setting up the interview. Now support a fellow vegetarian; go out and buy the album!

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'There will be no animal products in sight,' Warchol said of his upcoming wedding to Tracy Lake. 'There's nothing her father likes more than prime rib. He's a little bit disappointed about the wedding because the only time he really gets to eat prime rib is when people get married.'

Instead, the guests will be treated to a vegan buffet in which there will be no meat, no eggs and no dairy products. There will be plenty of fresh vegetables cooked in olive oil, pasta primavera and even a cake made with soy milk instead of regular milk and either tofu or bananas instead of eggs.

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The Vegan Society, the world's first, was born in November 1944 - after a lengthy gestation. As early as 1909 the ethics of consuming dairy products were hotly debated within the vegetarian movement. In August 1944, Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson (a conscientious objector later to be acclaimed as the Vegan Society's Founder) agreed the desirability of coordinating 'non-dairy vegetarians'; despite opposition from prominent vegetarians unwilling to even consider adopting a diet free of all animal products.

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Quick history:

You can probably give a pretty accurate account of exactly when that Ah-ha moment happened. When you decided a vegetarian lifestyle was the right lifestyle for you. But do you know where vegetarianism started and how it evolved?

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