Ever since the release of its debut album
Olympian in 1995, British foursome Gene has been dogged with
comparisons to another much-loved Brit quartet, the Smiths. On the
band's latest effort, Drawn To The Deep End, the Smiths'
influences aren't as prominent, but it's still hard not to think a bit
about Morrissey and company when you listen to Gene. 
"It's a ball
and chain that we have, but it's getting smaller," says Martin Rossiter,
the Morrissey-like vocalist who fronts Gene, of the Smiths comparisons.
"It's something we never really denied. The only point we have tried to
make is that is one influence of 100. Part of the reason it has followed
us around like a sick puppy is the fact we are British, there are four of
us [Rossiter, guitarist Steve Mason, bassist Kevin Miles, and
drummerMatt James], we are all male, and that we write with very little
cynicism, and that there is an honesty and openness about the records.
What we find is that people will say it sounds like the Smiths on the
first listen, but on the fifth listen, they can't understand why they
thought that in the first place."
You can't say that Rossiter's
melancholy songs, such as "Where Are They Now?," don't come from the
heart. The singer is just now learning to deal with serious bouts of
depression that are not just some sort of a shoe-gazing pose.
"I'm
hoping things will be looking a bit brighter," he says. "I'm sure you'll
know by the next album. You'll be able to hear it." On a more serious
note, Rossiter admits that he can't write when he's depressed. "I can't
even think about getting out of bed, never mind picking up a
pen...There's absolutely nothing romantic about depression. When it's
bad, it's hell on earth and I absolutely wouldn't wish it on my worst
enemy." Perhaps as a result of the taming of his depression,
Rossiter is feeling downright optimistic about Gene's fortunes in
America, despite the fact that band has yet to make significant strides
in terms of radio airplay or record sales.
"We never went in
expecting to be No. 1 in three weeks," Rossiter says. "We aren't that
naive. We always intended to slip in through the back door of the house
and have people not know how we got there."
