On Saint Bernadette's third release, WORD TO THE LOURDES, lead singer Meredith DiMenna emerges as Madonna's rock n' roll kid sister. 'In the 80s, Madonna kicked the door down. She was powerful and positive and singing that women should express themselves,' Meredith says.

The title represents a missive directed at Lourdes, Madonna's actual daughter, as well as the metaphorical daughters of Madonna, who like Meredith, grew up in the 80s and 90s with her as a role model. 'In her own way, I think Madonna touched on the fact that most relationships are more complex than 'my man just left me',' she explains. 'I process all the relationships I have through writing songs. It's how I stay relatively sane.'

Relative sanity is also a by-product of what the band considers the 'redemptive' power of rock. 'I think of rock music as an expression of some type of hunger,' Meredith says, 'for sex, for truth, for meaning, for escape. That's why it's always a little weird for women in rock. Our conventional role with respect to these appetites is to fill them. What about our hunger?'

In their live performances, Meredith thrashes, jumps and rolls around the stage she shares with her husband, guitarist and co-writer, Keith 'Touch' Saunders, and the rest of the band - incendiary slide guitarist Joe Novelli, bass player Brian Anderson and drummer Dave Valle. She's strong, wild and vulnerable at the same time, and her interaction with the other band members reflects a true camaraderie. ;I like men. I'm not against them,' she laughs. 'Everyone in the band has a voice.'

Regarding her own voice, Meredith says, without a whiff of irony, that she counts Jack Bruce, Paul Rodgers and Rod Stewart, as well as the Material Girl, among her list of idols and influences. 'It's the push and pull of male and female energy that we try to explore in our music.' It follows then, that her vocal range is physically and emotionally elastic - over the course of this twenty-minute EP, she can sound as seductive as Jim Morrison or as commanding as Mick Jagger and then wind up earnest and heartbreaking like Toni Price.

The album, an exploration of many forms of heartbreak, was written mostly in dreams, which Meredith would hurriedly write down upon waking. Despite the challenges of their life as married band-mates, waking up with one's co-writer is certainly convenient. 'I like to take inspiration from someone else, like a spark,' says Keith. 'I can nurture it and get a fire going.'

WORD TO THE LOURDES is Saint Bernadette's most rock 'n roll offering to date, and it is the first of three they plan to release in 2009. They own their record label, Exotic Recordings, which grants the band the freedom to let their creativity be their guide. 'We don't have to massage or change ourselves to fit into anyone else's vision or schedule, so we can do absurd things like release three albums in one year.' Meredith says. 'Of course, there's disadvantages to that as well, but for now, it works for us.'

So what tips can this married couple offer to rock fans in search of true love? 'Sometimes when you're the most realized version of yourself,' Meredith explains, 'a guy can't handle it. The ones who can handle it, are the ones you want to marry.' This pleases Keith, 'She made me reevaluate my standpoint. Men can stop all the posturing and chest-bumping and,' he laughs, 'like Justin says, bring the sexy back.'