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Band profile: Vestiges of Ecstasy

by Neal Taflinger

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The band is (from left) Derek Felix, Jeremy McQueary, Mia Kileen, Gregg Jones and Chad Jackson. (Submitted photo)

Several years back, local rockers Heaven & Hell got hit with a double whammy: Leaders Mia Kileen, 31, and Gregg Jones, 32, parted with bandmates and then learned that they couldn't keep the name, thanks to ex-Black Sabbath vocalist Ronnie James Dio.

Dio had reunited with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, and had begun touring as Heaven & Hell. This turned out to be a rainbow in the dark, if you will, giving guitarist Jones and vocalist Kileen a fresh start.

They recruited guitarist Chad Jackson, 35; bassist Jeremy McQueary, 31; and drummer Derek Felix, 31, and became Vestiges of Ecstasy. Kileen recently told Indy.com about the new band, record and inspirations for her lyrics.

The old band was called Heaven & Hell, and Vestiges of Ecstasy's first record bears the same name. Can you clear up the confusion?

Gregg and I had decided to start a band still using some of the Heaven & Hell tunes, but with music that went in a slightly different direction. The words "Vestiges Of Ecstasy" actually translate to Remains of Heaven. Gregg and I are what remains of the old group, and we felt a new name with the new members would kick start things in a new direction.

How does caring for your two young sons affect the band's goals and aspirations?

It really doesn't hinder things as much as you would think. Before, when we would play out five times in a month, it actually seemed harder to get people to come out to shows -- they just figured they would come to the next show. But having the space we do in between shows has helped us attendance-wise, which gets us even more excited to play out.

If something big did happen for us, we would make it all work out. I would have my mom come on tour .....

The lyrics on "Heaven & Hell" seem to focus on problematic relationships and mistrust. Is that accurate?

I honestly draw a lot of my lyrics from movies and situations around me. I'm a people-watcher and often I use my writing to express how I perceive they're feeling. Problematic relationships and mistrust come into play in many aspects of life -- I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's not lovey-dovey crap, so don't worry.

How do your lyrics about dysfunctional relationships go over when your partner, Gregg, is on stage with you?

It's not really about him. Sure, he will make me mad every now and then, and I'll get a great lyric out of it, but as I said, it's aspects of many things that go into my writing.