Janet Gardner Relives the ’80s in New Paramount+ Sequence, Talks her Love of Rock n Roll

An awesome swath of musicians, their music, and their followers have ceaselessly been disparaged through the years. I am speaking about “hair metal” bands and their followers.

A brand new three-part sequence now on Paramount+ digs into a number of musicians and their experiences of the period, recounting their rise and when the fiery flame of the brightest interval for his or her model was snuffed out.

We had the possibility to meet up with a few these musicians, and at the moment, we’re sharing our dialogue with Janet Gardner, greatest often called the lead singer of the all-female group Vixen.

Gardner, now a dental hygenist and nonetheless making kickass music together with her husband, Justin James, opened up for I Wanna Rock: The ’80s Steel Dream director Tyler Measom and for us throughout our candid dialogue.

Please see the total dialog beneath, which has been edited for readability.

Hello, Janet. How are you?

I am good, thanks. How are you, Carissa?

I am doing very nicely. Thanks for asking. I used to be undoubtedly a fan again within the day, so it is a thrill to speak to you.

Oh, good. Thanks.

What number of occasions through the years do you suppose you have been requested to recount your Vixen story?

Oh, many, many, many occasions, however you recognize what? It’s what it’s. It was a really cool time for me, so I do not thoughts reliving it infrequently. It is type of enjoyable.

Did being questioned by documentarians change the expertise? Did they ask higher questions, higher knowledgeable? What was that have like, versus simply explicit journalists?

They did a number of analysis, even selecting who was going to be the members in it, so yeah. It was humorous as a result of Tyler, the director, actually was not that aware of the style.

He is slightly bit youthful and did not stay by way of it, so he actually needed to do a deep dive to get a way of it and to get a really feel for it, and he did an awesome job. I believe it was undoubtedly extra in-depth, and hours and hours and hours of interview, ranging from the place have been you born, the place did you develop up, issues that, yeah, you do not usually go that deep.

What was essentially the most stunning a part of that have?

It was exhausting. I’ve a brand new respect for those that do actuality reveals as a result of being in entrance of the digicam nonstop like that’s exhausting. I do not know the way they do it.

How lengthy have been the interviews?

Properly, we did most likely 5 hours on the venue that was chosen to do the primary interviews, after which they got here to the home for an additional 5 hours, after which they got here to my work for most likely three or 4 hours.

It was quite a bit, and only a few days of that, I used to be like, “Oh, my God, I’m so glad that they’re leaving.” Love them to dying, they have been all wonderful, proficient, fantastic folks, nevertheless it was very intrusive in your life.

Oh, positive. You are not going to be on the rock star model of Huge Brother anytime quickly?

Completely not. That is a tough go.

Have you ever seen the completed product?

Of the documentary?

Yeah.

Yeah. No, we watched it final night time. We had a household gathering. We obtained some meals, and we watched it from begin to end.

What did you suppose?

Properly, I’ve recognized these guys for a lot of, a few years, and it was eye-opening for me. I used to be like, “Oh, my God. I had no idea.” I had no thought. I imply, I knew little bits and items of issues that had occurred, however to not that extent. My jaw hit the ground a number of occasions. It is like, “What? I didn’t know that.”

What’s your greatest takeaway?

Properly, I believe it is actually good for individuals who have a sure preconceived notion concerning the music enterprise and even our explicit style of music that it was simply, “Party, party, party, party, party, party,” and there wasn’t far more to it. Properly, there was much more to it.

I believe it undoubtedly pulls down the curtain slightly bit on the entire rock star factor. I assumed it had a number of coronary heart, and it was actual. It was very actual, and I appreciated that. There was nothing pretentious about it.

As a fan and someone who lived by way of that period and nonetheless has an awesome affection for that music, it surprises me how a lot disdain there nonetheless is for it, though it is also celebrated.

If you happen to see a film typically, you may hear that music in there as a result of it was so infectiously completely happy. Every part was simply, “Let’s have a good time, let’s enjoy life,” versus the extra dour stuff that adopted.

Proper. I imply, there’s a spot for all of that. For me, what I attempt to do and what I like to do, and what Justin, my husband, additionally loves is to attempt to encourage folks. I believe that is what we at all times tried to do. We tried to try this in Vixen — encourage ladies to empower folks. That is what we nonetheless attempt to do to this present day. That is what Justin and I attempt to do.

I imply, yeah, all people will get depressed. Truthfully, it is quite a bit simpler to write down songs about disappointment and anger. That stuff comes straightforward. It is a lot more durable to write down issues that encourage folks, I believe. It is far more of a problem. It is simple to only be bitter and write about how miserable all the pieces is.

And to rant.

Yeah, precisely. I believe it is quite a bit more durable to show that round and assist to encourage folks to higher themselves and their lives and the world and all of that. A whole lot of it was fluffy and enjoyable, and I believe folks want that too.

Your life has issues. Typically you need to go to a present and simply have enjoyable. I believe there’s nonetheless worth in what we did, and it is nonetheless useful at the moment.

My mates and I, whilst adults, would by no means quit the expertise we had with your whole bands, by no means. We glance again on it so fondly, and it nonetheless informs our musical style at the moment.

Superior. I really like listening to that. Thanks. You are still on the market.

We’re. In spades! There are a number of us. This documentary goes to be very well obtained.

Oh, nice.

Simply so you recognize. There is a shot within the sequence of you in a golf cart, speaking about shedding all the pieces. How did the underside falling out of ’80s metallic drive you to pivot into different instructions, each personally and musically?

Properly, I took a while to lick my wounds and do different issues that I had loved in life, and I put music to the sidelines for a minute. I knew it would not final as a result of I adore it an excessive amount of. I really like doing it, even when it is only for myself sitting in a room with a guitar, expressing myself to my canine.

I adore it, however I did put it apart, and by chance I had an awesome help system. My household is wonderful.

I had good mates that have been wonderful and simply mentioned, “Hey, you’re no different than you were when you were on top of the world. There’s nothing different. You’re still talented, smart. Everything is still ahead of you, so enjoy yourself, enjoy your life, and know that things will get better,” they usually did.

It took a while and a number of reevaluation, and a number of scary. Like I used to be expressing at the moment, I put all my eggs in that basket, and when it crashed, it crashed. I simply instructed myself, “I’m not going to let that happen again. I’m going to have better balance. I’m going to have other things in my life,” and music will at all times be there.

It would at all times be part of it, however I would like different issues. That was what it actually taught me, and so that is what I did, and now I am in the most effective place I have been in a few years. I’m so completely happy in life proper now, so all of it works out, however all of us battle.

All of us undergo occasions. It is like anyone else. Dropping their job or having some career-changing occasion is tough, nevertheless it does make you stronger, and it makes you smarter.

You parted methods with Vixen in 2019. What’s it been like letting go of such a good portion of your life and seeing someone else decide up the place you left off with that band?

It is high quality. Like I mentioned, I am in a very good place. I wasn’t once I needed to depart. That is why I needed to depart. It is good. It is optimistic. I do not suppose I ruined it for anybody. They’re nonetheless persevering with, and that is nice, so I haven’t got to really feel unhealthy, and I am simply actually pleased with what’s taking place in my life.

I’ve music. I’ve it with the one that is my life companion, and that is actually satisfying. We love making music collectively, and the album’s out. It simply got here out lately, and sharing it with the world, it is all good.

I imply, it was powerful. It was exhausting to let it go. I am going to admit that. There was part of me that was like, “Oh, my God, this has been a part of me forever, one way or the other.” It was exhausting, however I made the precise alternative, for positive, as a result of I really feel higher than I’ve in a very long time. It is all good.

I actually benefit from the Gardner/James music, so you have not missed out on something creatively.

Properly, that was a part of the battle that we have been having in Vixen was the artistic facet. This particular person did not like that particular person’s thought, and that particular person did not like this particular person’s thought, and this particular person did not need to do that, and that particular person did not need to work on that.

When you could have a big committee like that, it is exhausting to maneuver ahead. To get all people on the identical web page, it is tough. For Justin and I to get two of us on the identical web page, it is simple. It is made issues circulate quite a bit simpler, for positive.

I really like that you simply nonetheless have a lot fondness for the previous. Your music 85, it is like an anthem to all people who lived by way of that point, even when we weren’t in a band.

That was the item as a result of I’ve such fond recollections of the early days earlier than Vixen obtained signed. It was so carefree, and we had a lot enjoyable and a lot hope for the longer term. You understand, we had nothing, however we did not want something. All we wanted was our guitars and one another.

I’ve such fond recollections, and I hope it reignites that for different people who have been doing related issues or simply getting began of their life at the moment, and all that form of harmless hope. Yeah, I nonetheless love that.

How a lot of your self are you placing into your music now?

Properly, it is a balancing act, for positive, as a result of between Justin and I, we now have three children. We’ve jobs; we now have a canine, we now have a mortgage. We’ve all that very same stuff all people has.

For us, we take pleasure in it a lot that it is our leisure. We go to see reveals. We see different bands play, different artists. We go see comedy, we go do issues, however we additionally like to remain dwelling and simply create. It is one thing that we take pleasure in collectively, so we may give quite a bit and we’re nonetheless at dwelling.

We nonetheless have children working out and in and asking for issues and disrupting us, nevertheless it’s all good. It is all a part of it, they usually take part. We get them singing the gang background vocals, they usually’ve been in a few the movies, and we simply have enjoyable with it. It is one thing we take pleasure in, so it is simple to present the time that it requires.

Do any of your children have musical aspirations?

Ryan, our oldest son, performs drums. Our youthful son, Ashton, performs drums, and he’s beginning to be taught guitar. He is beginning to get fairly rattling good.

London, our daughter, has very eclectic music tastes, so she loves music, however I do not know if she has any aspirations of doing it. It is a part of her life, for positive. She’s at all times listening to music. We will hear her within the bathe. She’s obtained music on within the bathe. It is popping out of her room on a regular basis, and she or he’s obtained actually attention-grabbing style. She’s an attention-grabbing woman.

That is an exquisite factor to say about your daughter.

Oh, yeah.

It truly is.

She’s distinctive and good, and attention-grabbing. She’s distinctive. I really like her to dying. Boys are nice, however they’re boys. [laughs]

It is good to have each, is not it?

Yeah. The boys are simpler to learn. Undoubtedly, what you see is what you get. London, it’s a must to dig slightly deeper, however there’s a lot there. There’s quite a bit in there. Yeah, they’re all actually good, good children.

Usually, how does it really feel to nonetheless be kicking ass as a rock musician into your sixties?

I’ve at all times liked it, and I at all times will adore it till the day I can not do it anymore. It feels simply pretty much as good to maneuver folks, to look into the group and folks get it.

Individuals are getting what you are feeling, what you are saying. There’s nothing prefer it. It feels simply as wonderful all these years later, and hopefully will till I am six toes underneath. It is nice.

What recommendation do you could have for folks on the market with musical ambitions and stars of their eyes?

Properly, I believe the most effective piece of recommendation is to be your self. Search your soul. Be who you might be. That is what makes you you — your perspective. That is what folks need, and that is what is going on to make folks gravitate to what you are doing. If they do not, that is okay too.

Your love of doing it’s the place it ought to begin and finish. Every part that occurs in between is simply your life journey. Simply be your self. Savor each second that you’ve got along with your music and with the folks you like. I do know that is type of on the market, however …

No, it isn’t.

You understand, you will get particular with little particulars of, nicely, that you must do that, and that you must try this, watch the enterprise finish and do that, and make good selections for this and that, however you recognize what, it would not actually matter. It is the journey and the expansion that actually are going to make your life completely happy and good.

I believe that is terrific and well-earned recommendation.

Thanks.

I need to thanks a lot for chatting with me at the moment. It was an absolute pleasure, and I want you luck in your tour, and I hope all the pieces goes nice.

Nice. Thanks a lot. Thanks for all of the help through the years and for nonetheless having fun with what we do. Which means all the pieces to us. Thanks a lot.

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You may watch I Wanna Rock: The ’80s Steel Dream, an MTV Studios manufacturing in affiliation with Gunpowder & Sky, proper now on Paramount+.

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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a employees author and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Selection Affiliation, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of tv and movie with anybody who will hear. Observe her on Twitter and electronic mail her right here at TV Fanatic.