Mary Beth Abella, What Happened to the Girls by Elizabeth Nitz Go Go Magazine October 17 edition "I never thought it was really possible." It's a lame excuse, but it's the truth. After ten years of performing music in Colorado, it didn't occur to Mary Beth Abella that producing an album would be a good idea. Her musician friends weren't much help, gripping her with horrifying tales of misfortune and bankruptcy. But her fans, who wanted a more portable version of her music, won in the end. In early 2002, she stepped into a recording studio with lofty goals and 12 of her most entertaining rock songs."I had this idea that I could do it in a month." She laughed at her naivete. Mary Beth stuck to a strict schedule, however briefly. Her band laid out drum and bass tracks at light speed. Then the first of many crises happened -- her bass player quit after a few days of recording. Frustrated and broke some months later, Mary Beth threw out most of the early work and resigned to proceed at a less death-defying pace. She and her co-producer (and brother) John Abella acquired their own equipment and wrangled over the tiny details of each song. She calls the album What Happened to the Girls, hinting at one of her favorite themes of how a strong girl can become a submissive woman. Mary Beth's music is a mix of morbid ballads, bubbly, sarcastic pop tunes and punk/metal rock operas. But let's back up a few years. As part of a music-minded family, Mary Beth played the piano but didn't compose her own music until discovering the guitar at age seventeen. "There was something about picking up a new instrument and not knowing how to play it, and just being able to try to find things and be creative and make shit up as I went, that really was inspiring and allowed me to write." She admits to having been a Beatles junkie growing up after seeing Paul McCartney on a TV commercial. Later influential highlights are blues artists Bessie Smith and Nina Simone, who "captured that powerful, deep sadness" that underlined a roller coaster childhood. Songwriting became a constructive way to express her feelings and deal with painful memories. She prefers not to talk about the specific subject matter of her songs, some because it is too personal and some because it came from her years of experience as a social worker. She did describe the dark anthem "Your Skin" as a realization that even a counselor is not immune to moments of despair. Many artists politely turn down the chance to play in Denver's more intimate hole-in-the-wall venues but Mary Beth enjoys the challenge and can often be found on the grittiest stages. "I like to play those kinds of places because they are more real." We noticed that she did not, however, turn down an opportunity to open for Alana Davis at the Bluebird a few months ago and admits it was nice not worrying about sound quality or electrocution. Mary Beth discovered it's tough being female in the music industry without being a "hard ass." She recently uncovered a common desire by female musicians to network and share tips for marketing, booking, high-tech equipment and dealing with male musicians. She has been active in the Colorado Music Association for years, and finally formed her own committee this year, Colorado Women in Music (CWIM). The committee's activities such as the Venus Fest concert series have already created enough noise to gain the support of local business and media. Despite its success in promoting local female musicians, this side project took more effort than she expected. Her goals for the future include learning how to delegate so she can have a life. The hardest question she has to answer pertains to her own future. She wants "to use this album as a stepping stone" but her dreams of major labels and national tours fall solidly on the reality of making a name for herself locally first. Going through the process of arranging songs for the CD has showed her where to make improvements in her live show. She is more sure of what she needs from her band and the four are getting great audience feedback. The latest gossip about Mary Beth is that she has heard positive things from both CMJ and Righteous Babe Records about her album. Her official CD release party is set for November 9 at the Lion's Lair, although What Happened to the Girls is for sale on her website, www.marybethabella.com, and at Denver music stores. Suppose she does get out of Denver and becomes successful? Maybe she'll start to believe that recording an album was worth it.