
DATE: Thursday, July 17, 1997               TAG: 9707160048

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY SUE VanHECKE, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   77 lines

FIGHTING GRAVITY IS GOING BIG TIME

AFTER A DECADE of trying, the boys of the ska/rock band Fighting Gravity have finally landed themselves a major-label deal, signing with Mercury Records in May. The Richmond-based sextet will throw a celebratory party for their Hampton Roads fans Friday night in Virginia Beach.

Of course, the group's oft standing-room-only performances up and down the East Coast, brisk sales of their indie releases and a five-page spread in Rolling Stone didn't hurt their quest for a contract.

``It feels about two shades better than being a minor label recording artist,'' bassist/vocalist David Peterson said from his home recently. ``It's exciting. But there's also a lot of trepidation involved, because you're in more of a do-or-die situation.

``When you're unsigned, then you've always got something to strive for, but once you're signed, the pressure is on to produce.''

The ball began rolling just over a year ago when a friend of the band's, a former Peabody's employee who had gone to work for Mercury, noticed the Rolling Stone article and got in touch with the group.

``I sent her some stuff and we didn't hear back from them for quite awhile,'' Peterson said. ``Then the A&R person called back and said, `We'd like to come out and see you guys.' From there the dialogue started.

``But there's so many hoops that you have to jump through. ``You go onstage when there's a label (representative) in the crowd and you're like, `If we can just slam-dunk this show, it'll be smooth sailing from here on out.'

``Then they come back and say, `It was great, I loved it. I just have to bring my boss out now.' I think there are, like, three people in the entire industry who can actually sign bands.''

Once they knew the deal was in the bag, the band headed up to the Bearsville recording studios in rural New York to start on their major-label debut. It took 40 days and 40 nights - often 18 and 19 hours at a stretch - to complete, hence the Noah-referenced title, ``Flood.''

Slated for release in January, the album includes about half new material and half tried-and-true Fighting Gravity favorites.

``What we were striving to do going in was make a record that compared as closely as we could to the type of energy we try to communicate with our live show,'' Peterson said.

Although it's too soon for details - the album still needs to be mixed, mastered and delivered to Mercury - a video or two and a fairly extensive concert jaunt are no doubt in the offing.

``I don't know that we're the type of band that has ever been very concerned with what our physical image is,'' Peterson said. ``I've gotta start thinking about my hair now and what I'm going to wear. We're going to have to do that teeth-bleaching thing. This is all new to me. It's crazy.''

Hampton Roads electronica artist Bryan Zentz is now linked to a major record label as well. Virgin Canada has licensed an album by the keyboardist, programmer and DJ - who records under the name Barada - from independent house music label Definitive.

``I'd been sending demo tapes (to Definitive) for a good year or so about four years ago,'' said Zentz, whose father, Bob, is a local folk musician. ``I just kept sending him tapes of some house-ier material and he picked it up.''

The album, ``Strategies for a Deeper Design,'' will be distributed throughout North America and is available locally at Planet Music in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

DANNY CLINCH

The Richmond band Fighting Gravity has recorded an album for Mercury

that is scheduled for release in January.

Graphic

WANT TO GO?

Who: Fighting Gravity

When: 9 p.m. Friday

Where: Peabody's, 209 21st St., Virginia Beach

Admission: $6

Call: 422-6212