Talena Atfield
Encyclopedia
Talena A. L. Atfield is a Canadian bass guitar
player, best known as a former member of Kittie
.
In 1999, Atfield joined Kittie to replace Tanya Candler on bass guitar. Although she did not play on Spit
, the first studio album by Kittie, the cover art on later pressings was changed to represent her presence in the band. She performed on their second album and the band's accompanying live appearances. In 2002, Talena Atfield left and was replaced on bass guitar by Jennifer Arroyo.
The reasons for this departure have been a subject of heated dispute between Atfield and the Lander sisters. There are many rumors about why Atfield left, as with former Kittie member Fallon Bowman
, but this is what has appeared on a MySpace supposedly (yet questionably) belonging to Atfield herself:
"I would like to clear something up, the money wasn't an issue for me and that was not the reason for my departure, they replaced me before I even left. They gave me an ultimatum, to sign something I was unable to sign because it did not benefit me in the least and did not give me control over myself, they said to sign it or leave because they had already found someone new to play bass. And that right there was enough for me to decide on, if they could replace me that quickly without even talking to me then they obviously didn't want me there anyways. They can state whatever reasons they want for me leaving. They don't even know why because they never even called me to talk to me about it, they had Jeff call me to tell me the news, and I am sure it makes them look better if I am a 'money grabbing whore' or so they have been saying." - Talena Atfield
According to Morgan and Mercedes Lander, they had called Atfield's house to set up band practice for the up coming tour. Allegedly, her father told them that she did not want to be in the band anymore. According to the two sisters, they had no intentions of kicking her out of the band and were very surprised that Talena had gotten her father to tell them she was quitting the band.
Other sources state that a replacement had been in the works long before Atfield left, and that she had received a phone call from a band member stating that she had a limited amount of time to sign a contract offered to her to renew her status as a hired hand in the band, with no option to make changes to the existing contract, or she would be replaced.
Atfield was forced to return a BC Rich Custom Widow 5-stringed bass when she had left Kittie. More recently, she has shown a liking for the ESP-LTD bass line series, one of which she later sold on eBay to a fan.
's Amphibious Assault industrial music project.
Atfield served on a judging panel for America's Hot Musician
, a reality talent competition for instrumental musicians, alongside Duke Ellington Orchestra alumnus Gregory Charles Royal
and National Symphony Orchestra violinist Marissa Regni. The show was to air on the Oxygen Network in July, 2007. An attorney representing the current incarnation of Kittie served American Youth Symphony (producers of "America's Hot Musician") a cease-and-desist letter for their use of clips from the band's video "What I Always Wanted" in the opening sequence of the show.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player, best known as a former member of Kittie
Kittie
Kittie is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in London, Ontario in 1996. A quartet of women, the group rose to success in 1999 when the track "Brackish" from their debut album Spit became a hit single...
.
Early life
Talena Atfield began playing guitar at 14 after receiving one as a Christmas gift from her parents. Since then, she has aspired to be part of a band but all the friends she formed bands with seemed to be a lot less dedicated than she was and they failed to even rehearse together.Kittie
Talena had just about given up on playing in a band when she received a phone call from Mercedes Lander. Talena was asked to take the place in local band Kittie as their bassist Tanya Candler had just left for "personal reasons". Talena had been a supporter of Kittie and was happy to join them so she learned how to play bass guitar in two weeks to go out to New York to film the video for Brackish.In 1999, Atfield joined Kittie to replace Tanya Candler on bass guitar. Although she did not play on Spit
Spit (album)
Spit was the successful debut album by Kittie, a Canadian metal all-women band from London, Ontario. It was released in 1999 on Artemis Records and projected the band into the mainstream heavy metal music scene...
, the first studio album by Kittie, the cover art on later pressings was changed to represent her presence in the band. She performed on their second album and the band's accompanying live appearances. In 2002, Talena Atfield left and was replaced on bass guitar by Jennifer Arroyo.
Leaving Kittie
Regarding her departure, the band stated "We are so sad and disappointed that Atfield chose to leave the band. We wish she would have stayed with us, but we view it as an opportunity for a new beginning and promise our fans a more mature and ferocious band with the addition of Arroyo on bass."The reasons for this departure have been a subject of heated dispute between Atfield and the Lander sisters. There are many rumors about why Atfield left, as with former Kittie member Fallon Bowman
Fallon Bowman
Fallon Bowman is a musician from Ontario, Canada, best known for her involvement with Kittie, Pigface, Amphibious Assault and most recently, a solo career. She is of Dutch and Indonesian descent.-Kittie:...
, but this is what has appeared on a MySpace supposedly (yet questionably) belonging to Atfield herself:
"I would like to clear something up, the money wasn't an issue for me and that was not the reason for my departure, they replaced me before I even left. They gave me an ultimatum, to sign something I was unable to sign because it did not benefit me in the least and did not give me control over myself, they said to sign it or leave because they had already found someone new to play bass. And that right there was enough for me to decide on, if they could replace me that quickly without even talking to me then they obviously didn't want me there anyways. They can state whatever reasons they want for me leaving. They don't even know why because they never even called me to talk to me about it, they had Jeff call me to tell me the news, and I am sure it makes them look better if I am a 'money grabbing whore' or so they have been saying." - Talena Atfield
According to Morgan and Mercedes Lander, they had called Atfield's house to set up band practice for the up coming tour. Allegedly, her father told them that she did not want to be in the band anymore. According to the two sisters, they had no intentions of kicking her out of the band and were very surprised that Talena had gotten her father to tell them she was quitting the band.
Other sources state that a replacement had been in the works long before Atfield left, and that she had received a phone call from a band member stating that she had a limited amount of time to sign a contract offered to her to renew her status as a hired hand in the band, with no option to make changes to the existing contract, or she would be replaced.
Atfield was forced to return a BC Rich Custom Widow 5-stringed bass when she had left Kittie. More recently, she has shown a liking for the ESP-LTD bass line series, one of which she later sold on eBay to a fan.
After Kittie
Atfield was also a member of Fallon BowmanFallon Bowman
Fallon Bowman is a musician from Ontario, Canada, best known for her involvement with Kittie, Pigface, Amphibious Assault and most recently, a solo career. She is of Dutch and Indonesian descent.-Kittie:...
's Amphibious Assault industrial music project.
Atfield served on a judging panel for America's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician
America's Hot Musician is an American television program which first aired on Lifetime Real Women in July 2008. The show is a reality talent competition which features strictly instrumental solo musicians of varying styles competing for a one year recording contract.In its first season the program...
, a reality talent competition for instrumental musicians, alongside Duke Ellington Orchestra alumnus Gregory Charles Royal
Gregory Charles Royal
Gregory Charles Royal is an American musician, composer, author, and a judge on America's Hot Musician, as well as a plaintiff in a 2009 lawsuit against Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.- Biography :...
and National Symphony Orchestra violinist Marissa Regni. The show was to air on the Oxygen Network in July, 2007. An attorney representing the current incarnation of Kittie served American Youth Symphony (producers of "America's Hot Musician") a cease-and-desist letter for their use of clips from the band's video "What I Always Wanted" in the opening sequence of the show.