What makes a hard working union man in Pennsylvania suddenly decide to chuck everything aside and head to Texas? That’s one of the things I made sure I asked Rick Hornyak when we spoke. A singer/songwriter with a great gift for lyrics, Hornyak is currently embarking on one of several short tours planned for 2012 in support of his new CD, “Marigold.” I recently talked to Rick about his music, his passions and, of course, why Texas?

Mike Smith: How long had you been writing songs before you decided to pursue music as a career?
Rick Hornyak: I guess I started writing songs when I was about 19. I used to work in a steel mill and that kept me pretty busy so there weren’t a lot of songs from age 20 to 27, when I finally had a dozen or so that I was kicking around. When I was 27 I moved to Austin (Texas) and I’ve written a lot more since. So probably when I was around 19 or 20 years old was when I started coming up with original songs.

MS: How was it adjusting from quiet, sleepy Pennsylvania to wild and crazy Austin?
RH: I have to tell you it was really terrifying for the first six months. I really am from one of those middle-of-nowhere, one traffic light towns in Pennsylvania. I was afraid of the city. My parents had lived in Pennsylvania as did their parents and we grew up thinking that the city was dangerous. I was always afraid I would end up in the bad part of town or that something was going to happen to me. But as soon as I learned the names of a few main roads I discovered I could get where I needed to go. I’d have to say it was terrifying, but exciting, at the same time.

MS: “Marigold” is your first full length CD. Is there a deliberate tone to the album? You have a nice collection of ballads mixed in with some up-tempo tunes.
RH: We actually sent around a pre-release survey to friends and family and people we already knew who were familiar with the band. We sent them mixes of the songs and tried to get an idea of the order to put the songs in…what were their strong points. We went through about 30 of those. I’m so happy that people took the time to fill them out. To listen to the songs and fill them out. The song “See This Through” was a very popular one. Another song that people were really leaning towards is “Right in Front of Me.” As for any kind of theme, I’ve recently just discovered that I was reaching a kind of inner peace when I was writing. I fell in love again after ten years of sort of being single and a little bit bitter. My life was starting to get a little more stable. I wanted to start taking care of my body more…to be a little less self destructive. So that’s really the kind of general tone…it captures a time of my life when I did a lot of reflecting.

MS: I’m glad you mentioned “See This Through.” It’s one of the songs that I really took notice of on the CD. I’m a fan of great lyrics and that song definitely fits the bill. Were there any musicians that influenced you when you were growing up…made you say “Wow, this is what I want to be!”
RH: I have a really diverse music sense because I listened to everything growing up. When I was a kid I listened to 50s and 60s pop records that my parents had. I’ve loved music, as I’m sure you have, probably since I was 5 years old. It made me want to dance around the living room. I grew up listening to Tommy James and the Shondells…the Supremes…the Beatles. Those were my parent’s records. I don’t know how much of his actual style I picked up, but Bob Dylan, when I was in my early 20s, he showed me the power of what a songwriter could be. The way that somebody else’s words can make you think that song was written just for you. I’ve had people tell me that about a couple of my songs and it’s so flattering. The song we were just talking about…”See This Through”…a friend of mine was inspired by the song to put her bar up for sale and move to Hawaii. She gathered enough money for a couple of months, got an apartment and got a bartender job. She let her employees run the bar until it sold. I kind of got off the question (laughs)…I’d definitely have to say Bob Dylan was a real influence.

MS: You’re on the first leg of several short tours this summer. Do you have any plans to record again soon?
RH: I’ve got some songs in the works. All of the new candidates are here. A few that are done and about a dozen or so in the refining process. That’s something that’s tough to do when you’re on the road and touring. You’ve got so many things to do that you often lack that three hours you need to go in and try to write every day. But that’s what I’m doing in my free time. I’m trying to make sure that I’ve got a lot of new material ready. I feel I need to push myself. I want to top my next record in my own head. That’s how I felt with “Marigold.” I felt I had taken a big step. That I was getting better. I could hear it and that’s a great feeling for a song writer.

Rick concludes this leg of his 2012 tour with a stop Sunday night, May 13, at Ernie Biggs in Kansas City. For more tour information, or to order his new CD, go to www.rickhornyak.com

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John 5 has played guitar for many notable acts in variety of music genres. He is probably best known for his work with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. John 5 is set to release his 7^th solo album titled “God Told Me To” in early May. Media Mikes was very fortunate to be able to talk with John 5 recently about his work on the new album as well as his work on the new Rob Zombie film “Lords of Salem”.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from the new solo album “God Told Me To”?
John 5: What I wanted to do with this album was to make something a little different from my previous releases. I wanted to do a half electric and half acoustic album. I was really into doing some cool Spanish style acoustic songs. I also wanted to incorporate some rhythmic styles played on the body of the guitar. The idea was do something more than just your standard strumming techniques. I was really into that style of playing on the album. The other cool thing about this album is that it is going to come with a DVD as well. The DVD will have clips of me in the studio recording the songs as well as some footage from being on the road. It even will have its own horror host hosting the DVD. It’s really a cool CD/DVD package which is something I personally love. I am very excited for the album’s release.

AL: Are there any guest performers on the album?
J5: No. I did a lot of this while I was on the road or writing with other people. I didn’t really have a chance to do anything like that. I did everything on my own when I had some free time. Maybe for the next album I will do a bunch of guest appearance type things.

AL: Do you plan to make a guitar tablature book to accompany the CD?
J5: I don’t think so. I did put out a book recently titled “The Book of John” which shows a bunch of my techniques. I don’t think we will be doing that for this album because there is a lot of transposing which is a lot of work. We will have to see.

AL: What can you tell us about your work on “Lords of Salem”?
J5: I did the musical scoring for the film. I love challenges and scoring is definitely a challenge. You are dealing with music that sometimes does not have a time signature or even a certain key. You are also dealing with a variety of instruments and musical styles. It was so much fun. I actually just finished it and it turned out great. I am very proud of it. I saw some of the movie and it is going to blow people away.

AL: Did you provide all of the instrumentation on the score?
J5: I and Griffin Boyce did everything. It was just me and him. I did a lot of the stuff on guitar using an Ebow or a violin bow. It’s really cool.

AL: Do you see yourself doing more scoring in the future?
J5: I don’t know. I worked so hard on the project but it’s kind of just background music. There is a lot of work for that. I love Rob’s movies and I was very honored to be a part of the project. If Rob does another movie of course I will do it. I don’t know if I will venture off.

AL: How is it working with Rob in a band setting compared to a directorial setting?
J5: We have a great time just hanging out with each other. However when its business its business. He gives me clear ideas of what he wants and as long as that’s what I deliver we have no problems. I have always listened to talk about how certain people don’t listen to what he is saying. I have made sure to always listen. A lot of times when he is explaining something I will record the conversation and I will tell him that I am doing so. By doing that I will have exactly what he said and I will go from there. This has worked out amazingly for us. A lot of times you can forget what somebody says during conversation so this has really helped.

AL: Can you tell us about this summer’s tour?
J5: We are going to be touring this summer with Megadeth. I am really excited about this because they are a band I love. It’s great being on tour. It’s like heavy metal summer camp. There is nothing better to me than touring in the warm weather in the United States. I love it!

AL: What will the bands lineup be for the tour?
J5: It will be me on guitar, Piggy D on bass and then Ginger Fish from Marilyn Manson on drums. Ginger has a really great groove. I played with him for sometime in Marilyn Manson as well and we are really happy to have him on board.

AL: Do you have any other plans in the works?
J5: I wrote some music for the next Lynyrd Skynyrd album as well as for the next Rod Stewart album. We also will be starting the recording of a new Rob Zombie record in June after the tour ends.

AL: This will be the second time you have worked with Lynyrd Skynyrd. How did that all come about?
J5: I did 6 songs on the bands last album. I did “Storm”, “Gifted Hands”, “Skynyrd Nation”, “Floyd” and a bunch of other tracks.  I got involved with the band through my publisher who asked if I would be interested in writing some tunes. I love Skynyrd more than anything else in the world!  I am very educated in the bands catalog so writing with them was an honor and a treat.

For more information on John 5 be sure to check out his website at www.john-5.com

Andy Milonakis is known best for his TV series “The Andy Milonakis Show” on MTV. Andy also loves rapping as seen in the movie “Waiting…”, which he co-stared and provided a single to the film. Andy has teamed up with MTV alumni’s Riff Riff and Dirt Nasty (aka Simon Rex) to form Three Loco. Andy took out some time to chat about this new group and their upcoming album.

Mike Gencarelli: How did you get together with Riff Riff and Dirt Nasty?
Andy Milonakis: Dirt Nasty showed me Riff Raff on YouTube. Riff gave out his number on some funny video and Dirt called it. We both met up with Riff Raff, we stopped by the weed shop first to make sure he had a warm welcome. We met up with him and got fucked up and started recording videos. My favorite thing that riff raff did was off camera. We got burgers and I threw my lettuce on the ground, he got mad at me and was like “ahh man why did you waste that, I love lettuce”

MG: Who is the leader of the group?
AM: We don’t really have one, Dirt is good at organizing real life shit, like studio sessions and all that good stuff, he also is the only producer out of us 3… I’m the internet geek and I’ve been giving a lot of cool sample ideas to producers. Riff Raff is the funniest, I never thought I would play the straight man, but I feel like my rhymes are the most normal and least funny out of all of us. It kinda pisses me off but for some reason I’ve been writing less jokey shit lately.

MG: Are you jealous that you partners have all cool stage names?
AM: A little bit, I mean, a cool thing that goes along with rapping or being in a band is coming up with a cool name, and I just made it a choice to keep my own name, I thought it was cool. Also fuck those guys, I came up with the name Three Loco, so I have something to hold on to..

MG: What kind of fresh rhymes can we expect from this album?
AM: Super fresh, Riff Raff has been killing it with the hooks and we’ve been working with all kinds of dope producers. IDAP, Diplo, DJA, Rich Skillz, Sinden etc, sorry if I missed any, my brain is tired.

MG: Where they all freestyles or scripted songs?
AM: Mostly written, we did a few freestyle bits here and there, not sure what will make it on the album yet.

MG: How long did it take to complete and when is the second album coming out?
AM: Most of the work was done in 1 month. Not sure about the second album yet, damn, why are you rushing us [laughs].

MG: Is there going to be a remix album?
AM: We might, we’ll at least have people remix some of the songs, but possibly the whole album.

MG: How can we purchase this album when it drops? iTunes? Vinyl?
AM: iTunes definitely, we’ll probably print a few hard copy ancient shiny disc things and Vinyl would be cool just for the fuck of it.

MG: The band is all alumns from MTV, have you ever considered pitching reality show for Three Loco?
AM: Prob more interested in developing it as a sketch show more than reality

MG: Can we get you to record a song about MediaMikes.com?
AM: For about 10K we can make it happen. Thanks, and look out for our first video and live performance, should be both happening on Cinco De Mayo.

Tony Foresta is the lead singer for the thrash band Municipal Waste. The band just released their 5^th studio album titled “The Fatal Feast: Waste in Space”. Media Mikes caught up with Tony prior to the bands show in Syracuse, NY to talk about the new album.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the band’s latest album?
Tony Foresta: We basically took a year and a half off and just started writing. We spent quite a bit of time prepping and getting everything from the layout to the art work all in order. It’s probably the hardest we have every worked on a record. We wrote around 20 songs however only 17 made the album. We wanted to write as much as we could and then go in the studio and pick our favorites. I think everything worked out really well and we have gotten some real positive feedback so far. We worked our butts off on this album.

AL: What is the writing process generally like for the band?
TF: It varies. Sometimes Ryan and Phil will come up with riffs and we will just knock around different ideas. A lot really just depends on the type of song. We usually will practice between tours and during that time write a couple songs here and there. What seems to happen most often is when we start getting tired of playing the same songs out on tour we then decide to start working on some new stuff. You start to have a feeling when it’s time to do a new record.

AL: Did you approach things differently with the new album since changing labels?
TF: I don’t think we did on purpose but, there definitely was more fresh air. Things had started to get stale with our previous label so we wanted to branch out and do something different. It has been kind of like dating a new girlfriend. The band really needed that to help us be more creative and have fun.

AL: Are you guys going to be doing any video shoots for any of the songs off the new album?
TF:  We just shot two prior to leaving for this tour. We knew we were going to be out on the road for awhile so we figured we better bust some out. We shot one video for “Repossession” and one for “Fatal Feast”.  We worked with Josh Speed who did our “Sadistic Magician” video. That video has been one of our more popular ones so we decided to go with Josh again.

AL: What are the bands plans for the summer and fall?
TF: We are going to do a full US tour which will last about a month. We plan on bringing out some cool bands with us on that one. After that wraps up we will be going to Europe and then Australia. We definitely will not be staying home for any length of time.

Norwood Fisher is the bassist and a founding member of the legendary punk/ska band Fishbone. Media Mikes got to talk with Norwood recently about the bands recent documentary “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone” and their upcoming album.

Adam Lawton: What were your first thoughts when the idea of a documentary film was brought up?
Norwood Fisher: I thought it was a nice idea but I wanted to wait till we were done writing the story. I wanted to be closer to the finish line. The band at that time was in a bad place and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell that story from where I was sitting. I wanted to be able to see a curve/arc from where I was at.

AL: Was it hard working with the cameras around?
NF: Once we had agreed to do the film we knew that we would be fully exposing the inner workings of the band. Personally I am not so attached to looking good. We knew going in that we would have to let the film be what it was going to be. I did talk to the directors as they were sensitive to the fact that we might not want them to film certain things. My attitude was fuck it! Let it slide.

AL: Was it hard reflecting on some of the bands past?
NF: I had made friends for the most part with all of the dark corners of my past. When everything was happening I really faced it head on. I know it was hard at times for Angelo to talk about some of the things that had happened. For me I don’t hold any resentment. It took all of those hardships to get me to where I am now. My life isn’t always easy but, I like being me.

AL: Do you have any regrets towards anything shown in the film?
NF: For me I don’t have any regrets. I am looking at it as an honest story that I said yes to allowing it be captured and displayed. If I look like and asshole then that just might be who I am. (Laughs) If I could see it then I have the opportunity to do something about it or not. I think everything is good and the difficulties of the band were shown. When we started we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We may not have known how deep things were but, we did know we were the ones laying on the barbwire so that others could cross over. I think we all knew pretty early on how that was going to work.

AL: What can you tell us about the new Fishbone record?
NF: We have about 4 new songs but they are not quite completed. We started them back in September and Angelo finished the lyrics in January. We have a few more over dubs to work on and then we will be done. I am really happy with the songs that we have and the energy is very good. It’s different from what we did on the “Crazy Glue” EP but, it still has some of that same spirit. If you put these tracks along with the “Crazy Glue” EP it might read like an older full length Fishbone record. The tracks are groovy rocking.

AL: What is the bands approach to song writing like?
NF: Recently we have been thrust into the recording situation without a whole lot of thought. The last few records were basically what we thought we could do quickly. We were very fortunate that what we did do was cool. The next batch of songs we are going to do full pre-production. We will probably go in with 25-30 songs and pick out the best 10 or 15. As a band we try to jam and Angelo will try and find lyrics that marry best to the songs. The last album that Angelo and I actually sat down together and wrote was “Still Stuck in Your Throat”. There wasn’t a lot of pre-production on that because at the time we were basically putting together a new band. Sometimes Angelo will hear a piece of music and instantly have a lyric. Other times I will see a lyric and have the perfect piece of music for that. Then there are times where it’s like a cage match.(Laughs)

AL: Is there a chance we will see a reunion of the original line up?
NF: Right now it doesn’t seem so possible. However in the long run it’s not impossible. I personally have a lot of love and respect for those guys. I try my best to honor the legacy that we all laid down together but, we do have some difficulties.

AL: Do you have any other upcoming projects we can be watching for?
NF: Fishbone has a lot of work ahead of it. We have some international touring to cover as well as a good portion of the United States left to hit. If everything goes right we will probably be doing a couple more videos from the “Crazy Glue” release. We will be working from now until at least September on the new full length record. Personally I have a record in the can from my side project that I want to release at some point as well. I have been playing with a number of different people lately also and that’s been really great. However, right now Fishbone is my priority.

Lucas Vidal is the composer for the new horror/thriller “The Raven”.  Later this Fall, he is also composing the new action film “The Cold Light of Day”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Lucas about his new score and inspiration behind it.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you incorporated Edgar Allen Poe’s legacy into your score for “The Raven”?
Lucas Vidal: The first thing I did when I started was to do research into Allen Poe’s life and state of mind in the film.  The music that he was listening to at the time.  When I spoke to the director (James McTeigue), he wanted to make sure that the music was something contemporary, not a period sound. We ended up getting into a really cool stage of creativity.  In fact we ended up doing really cool sounds for Allen Poe’s main theme.  We used an distorted electric guitar, which then interacts with the orchestra.  It helps the rhythm of the film a lot.  Overall it was a combination of real orchestra and electronics, since they were looking for a modern score.

MG: Did you have a lot of creative freedom working with “The Raven”?
LV: Yes, I did.  I was very open for ideas and suggestions though.  (James) McTeigue he knows what he is talking about, I mean he did “V For Vendetta”.  I was lucky to be able to learn a lot from a guy like that.  I was very opened-minded and yes I definitely had a lot of freedom on this project.

MG: What was your most challenging aspect for this score?
LV: I think to find the sound. Since McTeigue wanted something different than I expected.  The specific themes in the music are a lot of different than the movie. Once we got that got that down, it was a lot easier to start working.

MG: You also worked on the score for “The Cold Light of Day”, which is coming out this Fall; how do you feel it compares?
LV: The genre falls more under action for this one. There were a lot of big hits and rhythm in the orchestra.  “The Raven” was much darker.  I had a lot of of fun with both films.  We recorded in London at Abbey Road and we used a huge orchestra for both.  I think the approach was different but similar in the sense that it helps whats happening on the screen.

MG: When composing a film, what genres do you enjoy working in most?
LV: Well, I have done a lot of horror, thriller and action.  I would love to do more dramas and animation.  I love animation and dramas, like a really good drama!  A lot of dramas are orchestra driven and that is what I enjoy the most.

MG: Tell us about what you have upcoming?
LV: I cannot tell you right now, but I have a really cool movie coming up.  We are signing in the next day or two.  It is going to be very very interesting.

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Taki Sassaris is the lead singer for the rock group Eve to Adam. The New York based group released the album “Banquet for a Starving Dog” in September of 2011. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Taki about the album and what it’s like playing in a band with a family member.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the bands most recent album?
Taki Sassaris: This album I think is our most mature as a group. The songs were written about experiences we all have endured as a band. I think there is a lot of reflection in the songs that are put on display. This album is a testament to the fact that we are one of the very few bands that are making our way through the modern rock world that have been together over a decade. We are very proud of this album.

AL: What is the band’s writing process like?
 TS: The process it’s self varies. It often will depend on who brings in what idea and where everyone is at during that time. Some songs come from the jam process and are shaped over time by everyone in the group. Other times I will start a song on my own and then bring it to the group to finish. Every song has its own identity depending on how it came about. A lot of the harder more up tempo songs come out of the rehearsal situation. I personally find that setting to be the most fun to create in. I am really able to realize the song in the moment while trying to decode what the message and the emotional content is. As a writer I find this to be the most adventurous and exciting. I think a bands best worth is when they are working together as a band to come up with the best material possible.

AL: Were there any different approaches taken in the studio for this album?
TS: During the actual recording process we concentrated more on getting full live takes. We wanted the takes to have the band playing together for a majority of the album. There were a couple tracks on the album that were recorded in just one take. One thing that has evaded us in previous recording efforts was capturing that live feel from the shows. We consciously made an effort to capture a live flow with this album. I think we did that and it is a more accurate representation of the band.

AL: Does being in a band with your brother ever makes things difficult?
TS: It’s a complete blessing probably 97% of the time. The 3% percent where things go array get pretty hairy. He and I know how to push each other’s buttons very well. We are either one another’s protector or destroyer. When him and I argue or fight it can get ugly quick. We try to step away from that but you never know when you wake up if that’s going to be one of the things you are going to have to work through. We have a very strong working relationship and we balance each other. We don’t have too many black eyes or scars to show for it.

AL: What can you tell us about the bands current tour with Creed?
TS: We are both represented by the Agency group. We have been out supporting the new album since July with various groups. We had a really good run opening for Hinder that got us put up for the Creed tour. We were lucky enough to get it and it’s been an honor. This tour is the largest situation we have ever been involved in. The level of show production and crowd volume has been amazing. Creed is a band that defined our genre for more than a decade. It’s been a great challenge to us getting to warm that crowd up every night and showing people that Eve to Adam deserves to be in the conversation. The run is very intense but its fun.

AL: What is next for the band?
TS: We will be touring all through the summer and have been booked for quite a few festivals. Some things haven’t been announced yet as it is still a little too early. Our label and management have estimated to us that the band will finish 2012 out on the road. Hopefully after that we will get right back in the studio and make another album. We have a lot of ideas that we are dying to work on. We are very busy and very happy.

Neal Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 2011 for his role as drummer in the Alice Cooper Group. Besides working with Alice Cooper, Neal has also played with The Plasmatics and, Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult. Media Mikes had a chance to speak with Neal recently about his career in the music business and his new solo album titled “Kill$mith Two”

Adam Lawton: What initial sparked your interest in becoming a solo artist?
Neal Smith: The original Alice Cooper band broke up in the 70’s. After that I played in a few different bands as well as doing an album with The Plasmatics and Buck Dharma. When I was working with Buck I co-wrote the song “Born to Rock” which got play on MTV. Through the 80’s I got interested in real estate and ended up getting my real estate license in the state of Connecticut. I kept writing over this time and worked on a couple projects. One of the projects was to play some shows in Texas with Mike Bruce and Glen Buxton from the Alice Cooper band. We brought in Richie Scarlett to play as well. Sadly 6 days after the project wrapped up Glen passed away. It was around this time that I decided to finish up a lot of things I had sitting on the back burner. In 1999 I released my first solo album. The album was originally recorded in 1975 and titled “Platinum God”. I got a great response to that album and afterwards put together a group with some friends called “Cinematic”. We were doing shows in New York City and while there I saw bands like Kings X, Pigface and Tapping the Vein. These bands were playing this really hard edge industrial metal. I liked the power of the material and wanted to come up with something that had the early rebellious image of Alice Cooper along with the macabre side. In 2008 we released the first Kill$mith album titled “Sexual Savior”. I was really inspired by all these newer bands that were beyond grunge. We just released “Kill$mith Two” a couple months ago.

AL: What do you think was the hardest part of transitioning from drummer to solo artist?
NS: I have always written. Even before the Alice Cooper Group I was a stand up singer in a band. I have always sung a little bit. I have always been very comfortable in any position even though drums are my forte. It was more of a new challenge. I jumped in over my head and learned everything I could. I had some great teachers and inspiration. Things weren’t difficult but there were some challenges. I think the biggest challenge though for me is coming up with songs that I like. I am the type of writer that writes when I am inspired. I can go for months or even years without being inspired to write a song. However when I am inspired the ideas come like a tsunami. The new album features 12 really solid songs. I don’t think there is any filler on this album. Alice Cooper and producer Bob Ezrin heard the demo for a song on the new album titled “Evil Voodoo Moon” and re-wrote it for Alice’s album “Welcome to my Nightmare 2”. The song is actually the first single off that album titled “I’ll Bite Your Face Off”.

AL: How would you describe/classify the “Kill$mith Two” album?
NS: I would say it’s definitely in the super hard rock/metal category. This album has more melodic choruses than the previous album. The new album may not be for everybody but it gave me the chance to experiment with some writing on my own and create the “Kill$mith” character. I wanted both “Kill$mith” albums to have a much darker and more macabre edge which is something I feel I was very successful at.

AL: What can you tell us about the new video you just put out?
NS: I wanted to pick a song off the album that was a musician’s song. There are a lot of great players on the album and one of those was Pete Hickey. He did an amazing solo on “Squeeze like a Python” and I wanted to feature a song that was one of the better songs that I really liked. I like to play for musicians and I think this song does that. The video is very sexy and hot. There is a fantasy element that is woven in between the verses of the song. We sort of took a classic approach to making the video. I think everyone did a great job. After having the video up for close to a week now we have received 3,000 hits. I have been amazed by the response.

AL: Can you tell us what the touring plans will be for the group?
NS: We will definitely be doing more videos. That right now is really our thrust to get the word out about the band. There has been some interest in the band going to Europe to play however nothing has been confirmed. As soon as dates start to be set up they will be posted on my website www.nealsmithrocks.com

Brendon Small is the creator of the popular Adult Swim series “Metalocalypse”. Brendon is also the guitarist/vocalist for the live version of the band Dethklok. Media Mikes recently had the chance to talk with Brendon about his upcoming solo album titled “Galaktikon”.

Check out our interview with Brendon Small about Season Four of “Metalocalypse”

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about your new album?
Brendon Small: To start with people who want to hear the album before its release can go to my website www.brendonsmall.com and sample the entire album. It’s different than I guess what I am known for at this point. I tried to coin a phrase for this album and that is “High stakes intergalactic extreme rock”. That is what this record sounds like to me. This album is a long concept album that I wanted to have different 70’s space elements. I wanted modern metal and rock sound in there also. The sounds really range from bands like Queen and ELO to Soundgarden and Smashing Pumpkins. This is something I am doing on my own time outside of Dethklok to be able to explore more melody. No influence was unwelcome during this process. Anything I felt like doing I just went and did it. I didn’t care because I wanted the album to sound like I thought it should.

AL: Can you tell us about the actual concept for “Galaktikon”?
BS: I had finished the guitars and bass for what would be the last song on the record. The track basically only had the rhythm guitars and a temporary bass track. I was improvising some vocals over the top of those and at the time still had no idea what the album was going to be about. While I was singing I thought that the song sounded like and energetic final battle chase sequence. I used some lines about a guy going to save a girl. What I was really doing was thinking about a superhero on his way to save the girl but complaining about it. The end result was what if Superman and Lois Lane had a big, messy public divorce. She left Superman but still ended up getting into trouble all the time resulting in Superman still needing to save her. Even worse than that is what if she started dating Lex Luthor? She is going to have to rebound somehow. It’s an intergalactic divorce story. Each song takes on a part of the story and it progresses throughout the album. The story is kind of obliquely written and I wanted these songs to function almost like pop songs in a way. The songs do have a meaning underneath all of this stuff.

AL: Was the initial writing process different for this album as compared to when you are writing Dethklok material?
BS: These songs are a little bit more odyssey based. The songs take a lot of twists and turns. The first song on the record titled “Trident” has somewhat of a bridge and then it takes all these left and right turns. It is all kind of melodic and makes sense on its own logic. I did however experiment with a couple odyssey composed songs on the second Dethklok album. Generally for the stuff I do with Dethklok I will go into the studio with some drum parts and work with Gene Hoagland. We sort of cut and paste his ideas and my ideas together and then I will lengthen or shorten the guitar parts in order to fit the song. Digital recording really gives you an open session where you can just mess around constantly. It is like a gigantic sketch book that you are always changing and moving things. That’s how I work. I don’t have anything fully formed when I start out. I just have energy or a tempo. When it comes to melody or vocals it’s just me experimenting on top of stuff till they start to sound right. That’s how I do guitar lines as well.

AL: From start to finish how long did this album take to complete?
BS: This was a pretty long process. I think it took about 2 years. I had the recording done around April of last year but I wanted to pick the right time to release it. I thought now would be a good time as season 4 of “Metalocalypse” is set to come out as well. I think I will get more bang for my buck releasing the show and the album at the same time. The drums were actually record back in 2009 prior to starting the second Dethklok album. The contracts weren’t finalized yet to start that record but I had everything booked already.  I would have felt like a jerk bringing all those guys in and not having any work for them. I gathering up a bunch of riffs that were written back in 2005 that I knew wouldn’t work for Dethklok and told the guys they were now working for me not the show. We did the drums and they sat on a hard drive while I went on tour and finished season 3 of the show. Once I was finished with all that stuff I realized I had spent all this money on drums and that I needed to do something with them.

AL: Is there one track that stands out above the rest for you personally?
BS: I have no objectivity with this album. I will listen to the songs and think that I would like to fix certain parts or that I like another part. I think throughout the record you can hear me starting to sing a little better. (Laughs) By the last song I think my vocals have gotten stronger. I don’t necessarily have a favorite. I do have moments that I enjoy. Really anything with a guitar moment excites me. There’s a part in the song “Dangertits” where I think I have a really great guitar tone.

AL: Any tour plans for this album?
BS: I don’t have any tour plans right now. I am going to see how the album does. This record is totally independent. I financed this thing all myself. I talked to some labels but I knew I would probably get a better deal if I did things on my own. I am pretty much going to be selling it through my website. It’s not going to be a sound scan thing so people won’t know how many copies have been sold. I will probably put it on iTunes the day of the release but all the pre-order stuff is going through my website. Whether the album succeeds or fails I have learned a lot about being an entrepreneur.

AL: Do you have any other upcoming plans?
BS: I have some projects that I am working on where I would just end up being a producer on. I can’t really talk about those unless they get picked up. There are some things that I am really excited for. There is some stuff out there that I would also love to do. First things first is I have to get this record out and season 4 of “Metalocalypse”. There is going to be a whole bunch of cool announcements coming out related to the show. That stuff will probably keep me busy for awhile. I am a very lucky guy in that I have gotten to do what I want with the people at Adult Swim. They are great people and give me a lot of creative freedom.

Tyrone Wells is a singer/songwriter who has had music featured on television shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy” and “One Tree Hill”. Tyrone recently released his 8^th studio album titled “Where We Meet”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Tyrone about his new album.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us an overview of the new album?
Tyrone Wells: “Where We Meet” is my first full length release since being on Universal Records. This is an independent release which allowed for a lot of freedom. I wasn’t forced to write something that the label thought was suitable for their purposes. It was more about what I felt like releasing. The whole thing was very freeing. I took about 2 years to make the album as I wanted the songs to be something I could stand behind. I initially wrote about 80 songs over the last two years to be considered for the album. I actually recorded 23 or 24. The songs that weren’t used for the album will most likely be released on and EP sometime this year. I have loved being indie again. It’s like coming back home as it is similar to what I was doing prior to signing with Universal.

AL: How did you go about narrowing down the 12 songs that appear on the album from the initial 80 you had written?
TW: I work real closely with my manager. When I write a song I will often do a simple vocal/guitar demo. I will then send it to him and a few other people I trust to have them weigh the song. If I really feel like fighting for a song I just stick to my guns and record the song. I do like having ears to bounce ideas off of because I could think a song is really great while others may not think the same. It’s good for me to have the process that I do.

AL: How do the new songs compare to some of your previous works?
TW: You kind of never know. You have to release it and see just how it does. I am a good finisher in that if I start something I make sure it’s completed. It’s good to be disciplined like that. It makes it a lot easier to critique when you are hearing something in its finished state. As far as a difference from my previous work I am not sure as the new songs are basically acoustic guitar and vocals. If they were fully produced I am unsure what type of life the songs would take on.

AL: What can you tell us about your YouTube channel?
TW: I actually have been a little bit slow to use YouTube. When I started doing music it wasn’t even around yet. We are really starting to see how important it is. It’s fun to be able to throw some stuff up on there. I recorded 4 or 5 of the songs live on the album and we have video of that on the channel. I think it’s a good tool to get your music out there.

AL: Are you planning on touring off of the new album?
TW: We have a big tour planned. We start at the South by South West festival in March. From there we are doing a 2 week long west coast run. After a week or so break we will be heading back out to tour the rest of the country. I think we are playing somewhere around 42 dates. We should be visiting just about every major market.

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Sean Danielsen is the lead vocalist/guitarist for the band Smile Empty Soul. The band has recently signed with eOne Records to release a new studio album titled “3’s”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Sean about the band and their new album.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from the band’s new album?
Sean Danielsen: The album is called “3’s” and we are releasing it via eOne. The album will be available May 22^nd and it is definitely mine and the bands favorite record thus far. The album is more mature and a little more developed. The album is also a little heavier but still has a melody. It’s very musical and fun to play.

AL: Did the band take any different approaches to the writing/recording process?
SD: We pretty much took the same approach that we always do. The songs are different in a lot of ways as they are very guitar riff orientated and progressive. This wasn’t really on purpose or anything but it was more so about what was coming out right now. We recorded very similar to how we did our last album “Consciousness”. We worked with producer Eddie Wohl again as we feel he really gets the band and we have a great process with him.

AL: Will there be a video to go along with the albums single?
SD: We are gearing up to do a video for the first single possibly next month. The first single is called “Afterlife” and we have a really cool treatment that we want to get made. I think it’s going to be great if we can get it all done.

AL: How do you think the band has evolved since its start?
SD: We have all changed so much as both people and as a band. I would have to say that everything is different about us now. We are completely different from when we first started putting out albums back in 2003.

AL: What have you noticed as the biggest change in the industry since the band has been together?
SD: The industry has changed just as much as we have if not more. When we released our first record it was still the tail end of what I guess could be called the glory days. Napster had come out and killed some album sales but the economy was still ok and records were still selling at about half of what they had sold previously. Now everything has been turned completely on its head. It’s a lot more bare bones and low budget. There is a lot of do it yourself type things and social media going on. It’s a strange and always changing industry.

AL: What will be the tour plans for the album?
SD: We have a spring tour booked that stars in May and will go to about mid June. We have 38 dates booked into about 40 or so days. We will be doing a nationwide swoop basically. The Veer Union and a band called Iownya will be heading out with us. The tour is being presented by Jagermeister and it should be a lot of fun. There also have been talks of doing a late summer tour with Fuel. I think the summer is going to be really great.

Sully Erna is the lead singer for the band Godsmack. The band is currently touring as part of the Mass Chaos tour featuring Staind and Halestorm. Media Mikes had a chance to be a part of a teleconference with Sully to discuss the tour and the bands new live album.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the current trend of multi-headlining band tour?
Sully Erna: Yeah. You know what? It’s really not that different than how it used to be back in the day. There was always at least two strong bands that went out and obviously a third or a fourth, even back in the ’80’s when it was Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe or whatever. I don’t think this is really that uncommon. I think that question is maybe more geared towards festivals where it takes seven, eight bands to fill up an amphitheater or whatever.

AL: What can fans expect from the live shows on this tour?
SE: Well, we’re not supporting, like, a new studio record, but we do have a live CD coming out. We are known to be a live band so it was nice to capture that finally and put together this CD. I think we just have the mentality of going out for something similar to a greatest hits tour. We’re just going to put together a really fun set. Obviously we’ll have the drum battle that Shannon and I do and we’re just going to try to put together the best and most energetic songs we can. This is actually kind of a vacation for us a in the sense there’s no real hard work behind prepping for a new record and all that stuff. This is kind of let loose and have fun with it tour.

AL: Is there a plan in regards to which band will be closing the show each night? And is there any possibility of onstage collaboration between any of the three bands?
SE: I feel like either band could close. All three bands are strong. The whole line-up is great. Any single one of these bands could go on first, second, or third; it wouldn’t matter. I mean, the whole package is really strong and I’m really excited about it. As far as collaborating, Mike and I  have spoken about it. We’re going to try to figure out a handful of songs that a bunch of us could jump up and just have some fun with a band of the night, which we’re all about. And so we don’t know what those are yet, but we’re definitely going to consider it and we’re going to try to put something together that just tops the night off and becomes fun for everybody.

AL: How do you prepare your voice prior to going on on tour?
SE: I do nothing. I swear to God. I’m not even saying that to be funny. I do nothing; I may sing along to the radio a little bit but then again I don’t really qualify myself as an amazing singer. I go up there and hack it up with everyone else. I do drink a lot of tequila before I go on stage, though. That’s not a lie. It bring out all the phlegm. The vocal warm-ups don’t work for me, so it’s either tequila or something and then it brings out all the crap that’s in the throat.

AL: I know you’re doing both solo shows and shows with Godsmack this spring. Has it been hard preparing stuff for both types of settings, because they are quite different from each other?
SE: It depends as I am doing three different things. The Avalon thing was a lot more complicated because it’s an eight-piece ensemble and I had musicians from all over the world. I have cello players from Bulgaria and one of my percussionists is from Ireland, and that’s a lot more complicated, a lot more work is involved, but I haven’t been doing that lately. If anything, I’m just doing some solo shows by myself, just to keep my voice warm and it’s one of those things that I enjoy doing as well. But there’s no competition with Godsmack or anything like that, and I enjoy doing both. So, it’s really not that complicated to just go out and play a few side shows here and there, just to stay in tune. I’m really preparing for this tour. I mean, I’m looking forward to getting together with the guys and just firing up this show, because we haven’t really done anything in a little bit.

AL: Could you tell us a little bit more about the new Godsmack live album?
SE: It’s a live record from Detroit, Rock City. We thought it was just kind of a very exceptional show for us. We had a really good show. We were recording a lot on that tour. We actually recorded the whole tour. We were going to do a compilation, like this song was from Vegas, a song from Chicago, some from Dallas, but I don’t know, the more we looked in this Detroit show and the more we figured out that it was a really good show for us. It’s a special kind of fan base that they have there. They live up to their reputation. They’re a great rock audience so that’s where the record was recorded from.

AL: Your lyrics span a broad spectrum from a very deep and thought-provoking to a more direct and in your face. What type of prep do you do to take yourself from one level to another?
SE: I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about that. I guess it depends if I’m going from Godsmack to the solo stuff and it’s a completely different world, but within Godsmack genre, it’s all kind of the same. The band’s fairly aggressive, loud and raw so it’s pretty easy to stay there. I need to kind of separate the two for sure, because one’s very different from the other, but I need balance to both. I need to be one in order to be the other so I think the stuff I do as Sully Erna is the more serene kind of humble stuff and then Godsmack is obviously for Godsmack. There’s really no set preparation I do. It is what it is. I just can’t blend the two together. I couldn’t do a bunch of Godsmack songs and then switch right into solo stuff; it wouldn’t work. But I don’t, like, sit Indian style and float in the air, if that’s what you mean

AL: Can you give me an idea of what it’s like working with Shannon Larkin and what he brings to the band?
SE: I am probably Shannon’s biggest cheerleader. I have known since 1986/87. We met when we were both drumming in different bands and we did a bunch of shows together and probably he was the first and only guy since that made my jaw hit the floor when I watched him play. If you’ve seen Shannon, you know what I mean. He’s the most animated – he’s just amazing. Like, to me, he’s probably the best showman drummer I’ve ever seen. He’s got a great energy about him. He’s a really super great guy. He’s got a great heart and he’s real considerate. On stage he’s a monster; he’s so not what he is offstage. He’s been one of my idols and I’m really proud and grateful to have him in this band. He was my first choice and he wasn’t available when I first reached out to him when I started the band. Years later when we decided to let go of our drummer, I reached out to him just one more time. He had just happened to leave his band and he was going to give it up. He was pretty much hanging it all up. Shannon’s a great guy, man. He’s a great drummer and, I don’t know, I can’t say enough about him.

AL: Are you working on any new Godsmack material?
SE: We’re hoping for 2013. We just started listening to some ideas. It’s still very, very, early in that stage, so we’re not sure yet, but we are going to shoot for 2013 sometime.

AL: You guys have toured with so many great bands in the past is there any musician’s that you have still yet to meet but haven’t had the chance?
SE: Yeah, the guys from AC/DC I haven’t met yet. I think they would be fun. I met most of the people that I’ve been inspired by over the years and we’ve toured with most of them as well, but AC/DC is one of the bands I haven’t met; Brian Johnson or Angus Young. I think that would be great to meet them. They are one of the last bands that I would want to actually tour with, but I’m afraid of them. They’re too bad. I hear the guitar tech gets a bigger applause when he bring Angus’ guitar out and puts it on the stand than the opening acts do. It’s true!

Doug Gray is the Founder and Lead Singer of The Marshall Tucker Band.  He has been with the band for 40 years now and shows no sign of slowing down.  He recently released a solo album of lost recordings called “Soul Of The South”.  The Marshall Band will be appearing in Orlando, FL at the Orlando Jai-Alai Fronton on Friday April 13th, click here for more info on that show. Doug took out some time to chat with Media Mikes about the new album, touring and what else the band has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about your new album “Soul Of The South”?
Doug Gray: This was a record that never had a name and was never going to be released. I started recording it within a year after Tommy (Caldwell) had gotten killed, our bass player, so around 1981. I wanted to go to Nashville and pick some songs out.  I had wanted to do something more rhythm and blues, since I grew up singing rhythm and blues.  I found a Michael Bolton song that he had written but never release, as well as a bunch of different songs. I thought it would be fun to do if not to keep my mind off things. I ended up with the Memphis Horns on there and a lot of other players from Nashville and also other rock ‘n roll bands.  Once we made a cassette of it…we never listened to it for about 28 years. After that time, one of the partners for the record label got a copy of the cassette and said we should pull try and pull some of these tracks out and release them.  So we put it out and people really seem to like it. It was just another experiment and so far it’s paid off.

MG: What do you like most about touring today?
DG: You know what, people that left us after the first five years came back in 20 years and said “Man, you are as good as you ever were”.  20 years later, you get parents that come with their kids.  Now I am even seeing pregnant women and I know there is going to be another generation of fans.  I think that is cool as can be.  The music is good and that is what it is. We just love going out their and sharing it with our fans. As long as the fans come, we will still get up there on the stage.

MG: I know the fans have their favorites songs but what are yours to perform?
DG: Well I think “Take the Highway” is one of the first original rockers. You go back and listen to it today and it sounds better now than it did on the record. The good part is that we actually are playing it better.  We did it as good as we could back then but we updated it as time went along.  We play it faster.  It wears me out singing it and it is just intense. Just so fantastic and it only gets better and better.

MG: Do you feel that The Marshall Tucker Band as evolved from when you started?
DG: We had no choice.  A lot of the times, guys get older and they don’t want to be on the road. Toy (Caldwell) himself told me, before he passed, he said “I am glad you got it, your the one that will keep it going”.  We don’t sell anything compared to people that walk around with submarines on their head [laughs].  But we are continuously selling CDs and digital downloads. We have opportunity for the next five years to be with Sony Distribution.  They see it just like the public sees it.  Am I proud that I stuck with it and do I believe in all the people I brought in this thing? You better bet your butt I do!  Everyone plays and everyone is a part of it.  That is what is important!

MG: I am a big Lynyrd Skynyrd and Zac Brown Band fan, would love to see you guys tour together in the future.
DG: We do stuff with Skynyrd all the time.  As far as Zac Brown goes, we do have a gig coming up with them.  Somehow Marshall Tucker always seems to get incorporated in the mix.  As far as big group shows, I would love to go to Philadelphia at the JFK Stadium and have 120,000 people there with us.

MG: What can we expect from 2012?
DG: Oh man.  December the 21st, we will be waiting to be lifted up into the sky with this Mayan calender thing.  We will probably be on the tour bus and no better way to go if you gotta go.  We are going out there and got a lot of concerts and festivals upcoming.  I love doing the festivals, whether we are playing for 4,000 people or 200 people it doesn’t matter. As long people show up they are going to be treated to some of the best music they have heard in a week.

MG: Tell us about next year’s Rock Legends II cruise?
DG: It is going to be cool, man.  It is from January 10-15th, 2013. The most important thing is that Paul Rodgers is now on the roster, he is such an amazing singer.  The Foreigner guys are gonna be there. Hatchet is on there with us.  We are just so excited for this.  There is going be some amazing four-hour jams on this cruise.  I have already spoke Rodgers and plenty of other guys.  I don’t have to even ask Hatchet or .38 Special because they can’t keep their asses off the Marshall Tucker stage [laughs]. We just jam and it is going to be fantastic.

Mike Mushok is the guitarist for the band Staind. The band is currently part of the Mass Chaos Tour which includes Godsmack and Halestorm. Media Mikes had a chance to be a part of a teleconference with Mike to discuss the tour.

Adam Lawton: In the last couple of years there have been a lot of bands teaming up for multi band headlining tours. Is this a reality of the music business today? And are these larger scale tours something that needs be done in order to survive?
Mike Mushok: In my opinion it’s something we’ve always tried to do. I know we always try to put together the best package we can. I think in this economy it’s tough for people to have extra money to be able to go to a show. It’s kind of a luxury. The more bang for the buck you can give them, I think the more likely chance you have of getting people there and, hopefully, give them the most value for the dollars. That was really the idea for us and we had this record and we were looking to who we could play with. Godsmack was like, “That would be fantastic if those guys wanted to do it.” So, we went and put it together.

AL: How do you think the Staind of 2012 compare with the Staind of 1995 or 1999?
MM: We have a different drummer now so that’s one big difference. I think what we did with this record was to kind of come back to what Staind of ’99 was. That was really the idea behind it, to kind of get a little more aggressive. The reason we started the band was to play more aggressive music. We kind of went on this journey and I think the last record we lost the progress. I enjoy the journey. I love some of the songs on the last record, but I think after completing that we said, “Let’s kind of go back to why we started the band,” and that’s really what the idea was behind the album. Aaron also has a solo thing going on now, so that kind of ties up his time.  It makes it a little more difficult to get all the time we need for STAIND. So, those are really the big differences.

AL: How did drum tech turned band member Sal Giancarelli end up being the new drummer for the band? and how have you seen him change both musically and personality since his promotion?
MM: Sal has been with the band since ’99 and previous to that he was in bands that we used to play with. We always knew he was a great drummer. Even during his career as a drum tech he had other bands that he tried to pursue a career in music with. Being able to be a drum tech was a way of getting out there and kind of getting some of his stuff out there. There were a couple shows where John was sick and Sal filled in. So this wasn’t the first time Sal played with us. Sal just seemed like the perfect fit to go from behind the drums to playing them. He knew all the material and we knew he could more than handle it. Personality-wise he’s the same guy. We had these web-isodes on our website where we made him seem like this big egotistical guy and wanted to name the band after him, it was all a joke. Sal’s the most quiet, down-to-earth guy you’ll ever meet, and he hasn’t changed one bit. Sometimes when you introduce someone else, it’s a whole other personality. We knew his personality. He’s been on the road with us for 12-13 years so he was already part of the family.

AL: Besides the new drummer did anything change on the last album? And are the same problems that were there before this hiatus still there?
MM: No. We made the record basically the same way we always make a record. I’ll come in with a bunch of ideas. We get together and figure out what Aaron likes and wants to sing over, and then pretty much finish them and start tracking. Making the record was pretty tough. I mean, losing John along the way wasn’t easy. We had a deadline to meet for the label. Aaron put up the solo record. As far as problems go, I mean, I don’t know. You play with somebody and you’re around somebody so much there’s always issues. Did they go away? I mean, look, we just deal with them. We’re all adults. We’ve been able to maintain this for a long time and I think that you have to pick your battles. I think between Johnny, Aaron, and I we can say pretty much what we want to each other and realize that the band is what’s important. And that’s why people ask me when we’re doing a record. They thought we were going to break up. No, we knew we had to finish the record and that’s what we wanted to do, but you kind of work through all of those things. It takes people making compromises and being able to admit sometimes when you’re wrong and being able to give in.

AL: “Not Again,” was released last summer. Do you have any plans to release additional singles and any videos from the new album?
MM: No, that’s it. We’re calling it quits. Yeah, there’s a single, “Eyes Wide Open,” is out now, and we’re trying to figure out what’s going to be next. There’s a live video that we did with “Eyes Wide Open” also. So, yeah, we’re on single number two now and I think its top ten or something.

AL: Was there any real thought process or purpose behind making this album self-titled?
MM: Yeah. We really wanted to kind of go back to where we started as far as a band, and I think that was kind of why we ultimately decided on having it self-titled. I mean, there was talk about it being called, “Seven,” because this is the seventh record and that’s what seven demons on the cover kind of represents is that. That’s kind of how we ended up incorporated that. But, no, it was really just about the fact that we kind of got back to playing with the music.

AL: Staind has been together for 15 years or more now. What would you say are the biggest reasons for the band lasting that long?
MM: I think all three of the bands on this tour know that if it wasn’t for the fans, we wouldn’t be here. They allow us to do this. Those are the ones that buy a ticket, come to the show, support the bands, and, I mean, that’s why we’re still around obviously. We do our best to write the best music we can. I know Lzzy and Sully do also and you try to put out the best product that you can and you hope that people like it and want to listen to it and be a part of it. So, we’ve been fortunate so far and, hopefully, we can continue.

Lzzy Hale is the singer of the rock group Halestorm. The bands has a new album out is currently on tour with Staind and Godsmack as part of the Mass Chaos Tour. Media Mikes had a chance to be a part of a teleconference with Lzzy to discuss the tour.

Adam Lawton: When did Halestorm realize they were different or differentiating from the local area bands? And was there ever a time that you wanted to walk away from music?
Lzzy Hale: As far as being discouraged or anything, I mean, this is a crazy business and there’s no real set way to do it. I think a lot of it is learning as you go and you learn a lot about yourself. I think there were a lot of moments that I thought, “Am I really this crazy to do this?” But I think in a lot of ways there’s a fine line between obsession and determination over the course of many years, it’s a little bit more towards the obsession. I think in a lot of those moments now , where I’m like, “Oh, my God, I can’t do it.” It’s just kind of making the decision to put one foot in front of the other. We celebrate the low times as well as the high times. My guys and I do, we have a song on the record called, “Here’s to us,” actually written about that. I mean, my guys and I literally celebrate the low times, like when you think, “Well, guys, we could go home right now. This could all be over tomorrow,” then you literally go and buy a cheap bottle of champagne and write the date on it and say, “I’m just glad we did it with each other.”  We can always go back and play bars and clubs. We would love to do that anyway. It’s never really going to stop. I just think that it’s all about putting one foot in front of the other and we’ve just always had that goal. As far as setting ourselves apart from the local band scene, I mean, we definitely stick out. I started when I was 13; my little brother was 10. I mean, throughout our early years it was always like there’s that  kid band with the chick and the tiny kid on drums, that has always, by the way, looked younger than he was! You can’t stick out more than that! We definitely knew that we were different, but we were very lucky, though. We had a lot of the local bands and a lot of the bands from around the Central Pennsylvania area and on the East Coast who’d give us a chance. We would open up for them and for local bands. We did a mini tour with a couple of them. I owe our first real leg up as a band to all of those bands. It take a village to break a band and to raise a band. I’m literally in awe at all the support we got from you guys. We were little tikes. We want to thank the entire scene there for that.

AL: Who are the influences that helped create the sound and presence you have?
LH: I’ve always been about 10 to 20 years behind when it comes to my interest in music, much to my little friend’s chagrins. So, when I was growing up, I listened to a lot of my parent’s music. It was a lot of 70s and 80s hard rock. Deep Purple and Pink Floyd, anything with  a color basically. Ha! Black Sabbath. I had a very crazy family.  It was very Partridge Family meets Spinal Tap. We always say – when my brother and I started the band, our parents were like, “Sure, absolutely.” So, obviously they are out of their minds. But that really was what influenced me at an early age and also the reason that I kind of dropped piano for a while and started guitar, because you had to kind of say to yourself, “Well, do you want to be Elton John? Or do you want to be Black Sabbath?” The great thing about a lot of those old records, though, is that even now you can still go back to them and learn something new and still be inspired. Those records are definitely responsible for how I identify with HEAVY music. When I was a teen the Spice Girls were what all of my friends wanted to be. I was listening to Alice Cooper. I feel it was the wiser choice.

AL: You started performing when you were about 13. How does the Lzzy of today compare to back when you started? What’s been the biggest change as a musician and what has stayed the same?
LH: I am definitely more confident now than I was at 13. We started out playing anywhere and everywhere. After we started making a name for ourselves you could see that it became my identity and it’s just something that I couldn’t live without. So confidence is a factor from before I was a band member to now, but, some things are different and some things stay the same. In the beginning, you’re in a rock band and you’re having fun because you are just getting a little bit of a taste of it. You don’t care what’s going to happen. We play one club and then that leads to  another club ,that leads to a tour. Now, I still have that fire, but it’s also balanced with a lot of politics and a lot of business sense. In a way it’s just growing, there’s more things I’ve got to think about now like maybe I should sleep a little bit, because I’m got some big gigs coming up. You don’t really have to worry about as a kid. I look back fondly at the early years and I’m lucky to still have that spark and that I love it as much as I ever did. I’m very lucky to have turned something I love into my career. I get to go up on stage rock out with my best friends and with my little brother. I have the best job in the world!

AL: After the success of the bands first CD, what aspects of the new release are you most excited about?
LH: Everything. I’m so proud of this record. I mean, when we made our first record, it’s our first record so we weren’t really sure what we were doing and we weren’t sure who would grab on to it  and who we were actually going to be singing to. So, with this record, we had just a better concept of our fans and a lot of what we did was inspired by them and the feeling that we got during our live shows. Also, the music is bridging the gap between what we do live and what we can do in the studio. This was lost on our last record, so for the people that are geeks about this stuff, we recorded drums to 2″ tape and we hashed out most of the stuff, just the four of us sitting in a room as a band. So, it’s a nice step up from the last record! There more energy and also more intimacy. You’re going to be hearing and tasting a lot of different sides of Halestorm on this record. I’m excited about what people are going to think.

AL: How did “Love Bites” set the tone for the new record? And what was the thought process behind putting out the digital EP in advance of the album?
LH: Yes that was the first song that we wrote and the first song that we recorded for the new record. That particular song was directly inspired by the cover “Slave to The Grind” by Skid Row that we put out a couple months ago. When we recorded it we discovered that, wow, we can actually do a song at this tempo. We should write one like this. We ended recruiting “Love Bites (So Do I). You have to realize that we literally got off tour, had 24 hours to pack, and then got on a plane to L.A., and were in the studio the next day recording this song. We got to record drums for it at Sunset Sound in the Van Halen room! It sounds amazing, It definitely set the tone for the record because we were barely off tour, the amps were still ringing in our ears. There’s a lot of energy that we captured while we were still kind of in that tour mode. Really that one and then the first eight songs that we recorded to be considered for the record were very aggressive and probably the most aggressive that we’ve ever done. They’re very riff heavy and I’m screaming my head off, It’s funny because what happened halfway through was I ended up writing some of the most intimate and personal songs that I’ve ever written, and I was like, “Wow! What a turn.
The finished product ended up being this record that has a very strange duality  to it and showing literally all sides of myself. “Loves Bites” gave us the road map for keeping that sort of live, human element throughout this record.

AL: Are any of the songs on the new record leftover from the last studio album sessions? Or that have been around longer?
LH: It’s kind of all of the above. They aren’t necessarily the same songs from what was considered for last record. Basically that entire time is the cut off and we started anew. However, there were a lot of riffs and small parts that were written around that time that we incorporated into some of the new songs.  “Love Bites” was a song we played on our last tour and that was us kind of testing it out to see how a song like that would go over live. We were listening to a lot of Lamb of God at that time and my guitar player, Joe, had this amazing riff and I kind of turned to him like, “Do you want to do something strange”? I wanted to kind of harness my inner James Hetfield for the bridge/breakdown, and ranted some crazy stuff over his riff. With “Love Bites (So Do I)” we’re trying to do something different that would stick out.

AL: Halestorm are known for having a really awesome support schedule and you have played with some of the biggest names in rock music. Do you guys ever get star struck with some of the people that you’re touring with?
LH: There definitely has been the occasion. I am a girl after all and being surrounded by such handsome men on nearly a daily basis, it’s a great position to be in! You learn so much from all these people and the fact that both STAIND and Godsmack, have had such huge careers and have such experience on the road, I think that to me I’m really looking forward to just watching, listening, and being completely put in my place, because it seems like every time I think, “Well, you know what? I’ve got this. I’m the boss.” And then you play a tour like this and you’re like, “Man, I’ve got to practice.” So, I am star struck. I am amazed every night at what there is to learn from these great bands. I’ve also had the amazing privilege to open for some of my classic idol such as Megadeth, Black Sabbath with Dio, Alice Cooper. They definitely leave me speechless. I’m going to be talking with Pat Benatar soon too. It’s like, “Man, what do I say to these people?”

AL: How did you prepare yourself vocally for this tour?
LH: You do have to prepare yourself for any tour. I mean, you’re going to be singing every night. You’re going to be talking to everybody. To me, it’s about common sense. We’re practicing as a band, then I’m making sure I’m not doing anything too stupid before we start the tour. I will do warm-ups and cool-downs and drink my water, and do a live show. It’s really quite simple on my end.

AL: Are you going to be performing any cover songs on this tour?
LH: Probably not. We might throw in one or two depending on the show, but considering the new album is dropping, we’re going to be playing most of our new stuff!