Josh Gilbert is the bassist for the metal-core band As I Lay Dying. The band is set to release its 6^th full length studio album titled “Awakened” on September 25^th and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Josh recently about the upcoming release.

Adam Lawton: What can we expect from the band’s new album “Awakened”?
Josh Gilbert: We worked with producer Bill Stevenson this time around and approached things much differently. We added more of a punk rock attitude to Bill’s suggestions and routines. I think that had a part in how the record was shaped and sounds. The album still sounds like us but we spent a lot more time on crafting the flow of the songs and not just the actual riffs.

AL: Did you have any reservations about going into the studio with a new producer?
JG: I think we were all pretty excited about it. We probably would have used Adam D. but he was busy finishing up things for Killswitch Engage. We had been at a standstill and the idea to work with Bill came up. It was a bit out of the ordinary but I think that is what peaked our interest. Once we talked with Bill everything started to click. He had these very detailed notes on the songs and we all got really excited.

AL: Was there a lot of pre-production for this album?
JG: We went in with 14 or 16 songs that we had fully demoed with vocals and guitars. We usually will write a riff and then show it to one another and go from there. We basically will record the album twice because we want to hear how everything will sound together. We are very thorough and we get a bit obsessive about the writing process.

AL: Can you tell us about the video you shot recently?
JG:  We just finished shooting a video for the song “The Greater Foundation”. We have started to get edits back on it and its looking really cool. We hope to release it very soon.

AL: How does this album compare to the bands previous work?
JG: Are previous albums all have the classic As I Lay Dying sound to them. They are very melodic with a Swedish metal influence. Then there is version 2 of our sound which is more brutal and less melodic. When we do a record we usually have a few songs in each of those styles. On this record our goal was to craft these songs to be as seamless as possible. We didn’t want there to be any gaps as we wanted to cover the full spectrum of our sound in each song.

AL: What are the bands plans after the Mayhem Festival wraps up?
JG: We get to go home for about a month just to re-group. We have been in the studio and on the road for a few months now. While we are home we will be finishing everything up that we need to for the new album to be released. In October we will be heading over to Europe with Trivium and Caliban. After that we will be hitting the states for a club tour.

Ricky J is a singer/songwriter whose album “Paint the Town” hit the Canadian music charts at #3. His latest single “One Drop” is currently also making its way up the charts. Media Mikes had a chance to ask Ricky a few questions about the album and his involvement with the internet site Cheaterville.com.

Adam Lawton: What made you want to get into music?
Ricky J: I was always into music for some reason. My parents always had music playing around. I always felt a strong connection to music. It’s like a gut feeling that’s kind of hard to explain.

AL: Can you tell us about your latest video/single “One Drop”?
RJ: “One drop” is my current single in Canada off my current album “Paint the Town”. The album has been #3 on the hit charts in Canada. I’m still working the single so I can say we are still building and pushing that song. “One Drop” came about through my co writer DatDude back in Montreal. He had an idea started that he showed me and I came on and we wrote pretty much the entire song together. The aim was to get a Taio Cruz vibe but with my swag and vibe on it. The song is about how there are some girls that you can buy them everything and there are some girls who just want to go out and have fun. They are the girls who don’t care about money or status.

AL: Can you tell us about your work with cheaterville.com?
RJ: Cheaterville! I Love that site. The owner James is a cool dude. Here is a guy who got cheated on and based a site out of it. (Laughs) CheaterVille was looking for an anthem for their site and we connected through mutual friends. I wanted to give them an anthem that was NOT cheesy and not too cliché. I wanted the song to be a little more real. I produced and wrote this song with Sibley who is another HOT L.A artist. I took some of my thoughts and also based it on some situations people I know were kind of going through. Cheaterville wanted it to be something that would work for their site, for radio and for clubs. Don’t forget the song is on iTunes now! (plug plug).

AL: How would you describe you latest album?
RJ: “Paint the town” is a feel good album. It hits you with a little bit of all my influences. The album makes you want to get up and move. Expect a good time with some good music.

AL: Where is the best place for people to go to keep up with your latest news and releases?
RJ: Fans can always check out my music on iTunes. For anybody that wants to check out my music videos or all the online content I have they can go to  www.youtubec.com/rickyjmusic and or all the readers can show their support and follow me on www.twitter.com/officialrickyj

The Los Angeles based rock band Attaloss released their first EP earlier this year titled “Attaloss”. The band is currently out on tour in support of the release and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with the band about the formation of the group and the making of the EP.

Adam Lawton:  What led to you guys starting the band?
Chris Johansen: The band started about two years ago. We had all came from other projects and each of us knew what we did and didn’t want to do. We really took our time and made sure we had great people who were in it for the right reasons. We took about 6 months getting it all together as we all came from different cities. When we all finally met each other in person we knew we had the right group.

AL: How would you describe the band’s sound? And what makes Attaloss stand out from other bands?
Matt: I would probably put us in the modern rock category. We have a very popular sound (Laughs). Other than our live show which I think is what really sets us apart, I would say our music is fresh and it keeps your attention.

AL: How would you describe the band’s latest release?
Danny Aguiluz: We are extremely excited about this album. We have been on tour now since before its release in March. We have gotten a lot of really great feedback from people who have bought the album which has been cool. We are very proud of how it turned out.

AL: What was the recording process like for the album?
Dakota Clark: We wrote as many songs together as a band as we could. I think we had 30 verse/choruses written. After that we got a hold of our producer and just rapid fired the songs at him. He would tell us what songs he thought would work and which ones didn’t. We would then take the remaining songs and work them really hard. We started out with 5 songs which we worked on for about 2 months in the studio. Once we had those done we thought it would be cool to just do a full length album. We wanted to show people that not only could we play rock music but we could also play acoustic.

AL: Did you find performing the acoustic versions of the songs to be any harder than the electric versions?
CJ: The songs were all originally written on an acoustic guitar. It was almost like taking them back to their birth. During this time we were still a four piece until Matt Geronimo joined us. He added a whole other layer of harmonies and vocals. Those added things really changed how the songs sounded. When we went back to playing them acoustically it opened up an entire new world of sound which we were really excited about.

AL: Are there plans to release a video for any of the songs?
CJ: We have  a video for our first single “Open Door”. We had also planned on doing another single/video release however the director who we worked with on “Open Door” got called out to shoot in China. This guys works all over the world and we had him locked in for about two weeks but then he got called out. Hopefully when we are done with this tour we will be able to work on the video.

AL: How much longer will you be out touring? And what other plans does the band have?
Zo Perea: We are actually going to be out for a couple more months. When we get back we plan to take 6 months off from touring to do some songwriting and hopefully release a new EP.
CJ: This whole year has been about being on the road. We will have been on the road for more than half the year when this tour wraps up. This has been about just getting out there and building up our fan base. We have been lucky enough to get on 27 different radio stations and made our way out to those places that have supported us. We now know a lot more about who we are as a band and I think our next release will be a true 12-14 song album.

Order of Nine
“Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror”
Nightmare Records
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Originally formed under the name Templar, the Pennsylvania based band Order of Nine are back with “Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror”. The album is the follow up to the bands 2008 release “A Means to Know End” and could be described as 2 parts Type O Negative and 2 parts Dream Theater. Each of the 11 songs contained on the album cover immense ground both musically and lyrically. From virtuous guitar shredding to booming base lines, and haunting vocals that reach down into the very core of one’s soul Order of Nine give their all. The albums opening/title track “Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror” sets the tone for the album and lets you know right off the bat just what you are in for. While tracks such as the thickly layered “Dreamspeak” feature elegant piano passages combined with classic guitar shredding. The song “Reign Down” which is featured towards the end of the album was another personal favorite as it had an early Queensryche vibe while still sounding fresh.

Though the band could easily be classified as a progressive metal band their songs don’t follow the often standard 12 minute plus time frame. With most of the albums tracks clocking in at just under 6 mins. Order of Nine does a great job of getting in and out. You won’t have to worry about lengthy solos or overdubbed intros wasting your listening time as “Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror” cuts right to the chase. If you are looking for something to bolster the prog-metal section of your music collection pick up a copy of Order of Nines latest album “Seventh Year of the Broke Mirror”.

Track Listing:
1.) Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror
2.) Words that were Said
3.) Dreamspeak
4.) Spiral Staircase
5.) Changing of the Guard
6.) Innocence
7.) Third Wish
8.) Eye of the Enemy
9.) Twelfth Talisman
10.) Reign Down
11.) Winter’s Call

Fozzy
“Sin and Bones”
Century Media Records
Producer: Rich Ward
Tracks: 10

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Sin and Bones” is the 5th full length release from the heavy metal band Fozzy. Fronted by WWE super star Chris Jericho and backed by Rich Ward, Frank Fontsere, Paul Di Leo and Billy Grey the group has been releasing albums since 1999. “Sin and Bones” continues the Fozzy tradition of no frills in your face American heavy metal. The album is being released via Century Media Records and features 10 blistering tracks produced by Rich Ward.

Being a big wrestling fan growing up I remember when the band first came out and featured Chris Jericho’s alter-ego Moongoose McQueen. The band has come a long way since then proving that they are a legitimate band and not just something created for television. “Sin and Bones” opens up with the eerie “Spider In My Mouth” which sets the stage for songs like the album’s title track “Sin and Bones” and the trudging Ozzy Osbourne esc. “Shine Forever”. The album features some great playing by the band and the overall production/mixing of the album was very clear and crisp.

Over all not a bad album but not a great album either. “Sin and Bones” at times tries to cover too much musical territory causing Jericho’s vocals to sound strained which at various times gave the performance an uncomfortable feel. I think it’s great when a band tries to venture into different styles and ranges however if not done correctly the result can be devastating. “Sin and Bones” isn’t that far off track but just enough to rock the boat.

Track Listing:
1.) Spider In My Mouth
2.) Sandpaper
3.) Blood Happens
4.) Inside my Head
5.) Sin and Bones
6.) A Passed Life
7.) She’s my Addiction
8.) Shine Forever
9.) Dark Passenger
10.) Storm the Beaches

Close to Home
“Momentum”
Artery Recordings
Producer: Andrew Wade
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

“Momentum” is the 3rd and latest release from the Cincinnati Ohio based band Close to Home. For those unfamiliar with the post-hardcore group consisting of Josh Wells, Andrew DeNeef, JJ Cooper and Travis Hartman the group has been around since 2005 when it was formed by Josh and Justin Wells. Early on in its career the group was dealt a vicious blow when it lost original bassist Brad Andress to cancer in 2006. The band has since rebounded and their newest album “Momentum” is surely the bands strongest effort to date. The album is being released via Artery Records and features 11 in your face tracks produced by Andrew Wade (A Day to Remember)

Energy and intensity is what you find on the latest Close to Home album “Momentum. From start to finish the band keeps its listeners attention through all 11 tracks. From catchy pop styled choruses to gruff screamo vocals it’s hard not to become wrapped up in this album. Tracks such as “Don’t Waste Your Breath”, “Family Ties” which features guest vocals from We Came As Romans Kyle Pavone and Dave Stephens and “Sleepless in Cincinnati” are beautifully crafted works that showcase each of the member’s talents.

When a band switches lead singers it can go one of two ways. Either it works out great or it totally flops. In the case of Andrew DeNeef taking over for Nick Stein it worked perfectly. The band sounds stronger than ever and should be extremely proud of what they have created as the album lush and full of life. If you are a fan of bands such as A Day to Remember, Of Mice of Men and other groups in the post-hardcore genre you will surely want to check out Close to Home’s and their latest release “Momentum”.

Track Listing:
1.) Make it Count
2.) Don’t Waste Your Breath
3.) Pirates Belong at Sea
4.) Hanging Onto Nothing
5.) Family Ties
6.) Backstabbers Need Not Apply
7.) Sleepless in Cincinnati
8.) Young & Stupid
9.) Fake It Til You Make It
10.) Modern Warfare
11.) Nights like Tonight

Blaqk Audio
“Bright Black Heaven”
Superball Music
Tracks: 12

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“Bright Black Heaven” is the latest release from synth-pop group Blaqk Audio which consists of AFI lead singer Davey Havok and guitarist Jade Puget. “Bright Black Heaven” is the follow up to the groups 2007 debut release “CexCells”. The album is being released via Superball Music and features 12 new tracks produced by both Havok and Puget.

Release dates for “Bright Black Heaven” have been being announced since 2009 and an after a number of postponements the album is finally being released. Fans of the group’s previous release “CexCells” will surely enjoy the new album as it features a much more polished and mature approach. This could be accredited to it being the group’s second release or the fact that it has been in production for 3 years. Either way I found this release to have improved leaps and bounds from the previous. Song structure seemed to come more in to play making each of the 12 tracks unique and colorful. Tracks such as “Fade to White”, “Everybody’s Friends”, and “Bon Voyeurs” all had some interesting elements of darkness added to them which at key points broke through the synth fueled poppy backing tracks.

Though Blaqk Audio is totally separate from Havok and Puget’s other group it is still hard to see the two in any other light. Even though I think “Bright Black Heaven” is a bit dated in its approach there were still a few AFI nuances hidden within several of the songs which were fun to hear. These little glimpses will surely give AFI’s fan club the Despair Faction hope that new material from the bay area band will eventually come to light. However until that happens, fans will have to adapt to the new sounds created by Davey and Jade.

Track Listing:
1.)    Cold War
2.)    Fade to White
3.)    Faith Healer
4.)    Deconstructing Gods
5.)    Everybody’s Friends
6.)    Let’s Be Honest
7.)    With Your Arms Around You
8.)    Bliss
9.)    Bon Voyeurs
10.)   The Witness
11.)   Say Red
12.)   Ill-Lit Ships

Michael “Vampire” Orlando is the lead singer of the metal group Vampires Everywhere. The group recently released its second full-length album titled “Hellbound and Heartless”. Media Mikes caught with Michael at this year’s Vans Warped tour to discuss the band’s latest work.

Adam Lawton: How would you describe the band’s latest album?
Michael Orlando: I would say its more dark and message driven. The album is more real and less contrived. Our previous record was more of a cluster fuck of what we were and it featured a different line up. “Hellbound and Heartless” is more of what we are trying to be.

AL: How does the band generally go about writing its material?
MO: This time around we produced the record ourselves. We had a demo process at our house and we went in to the studio with the album pretty much completed. We just showed the engineers what we needed to lay down. It was more or less me writing the lyrics and our rhythm guitarist DJ “Black “ Blacker writing the music and we all just put everything together.

AL: Is there a track that’s sticks out as a personal favorite for you?
MO: “Star of 666” is one of my favorites. It’s a very 90’s/new metal sound. The song has a really cool vibe and an awesome message that means a lot to me. It’s an awesome track.

AL: Have there been any highlights for the band on this year’s Warped tour?
MO: Las Vegas! We played in front of Mandalay Bay and had a main stage slot that day. There was a sea of people there as was our label. It was really good timing and it was a lot of fun.

AL: What are the bands plans after Warped tour ends?
MO: We have a cool tour coming up that we can’t announce just yet. There are some pretty big sponsors that are going to be behind it. We also just released a new video for the song “Drug of Choice”. Other than that we are going to just keep pushing the new record.

AL: What type of treatment did you give the new video?
MO: The video is about social climate in Hollywood and it follows a girl though Hollywood who is trying to be noticed. The video has a really cool twist at the end that I think people will enjoy.

 Adult Swim’s Animated Aggressors to Release New Album in North America with CD/DVD Combo and

Clean Version on October 16, 2012; Limited Edition Vinyl Follows on November 6

DETHKLOK returns this fall with Metalocalypse: Dethklok Dethalbum III, the highly-anticipated follow up album that fans of the animated band have been begging for. The stars of the Adult Swim series Metalocalypse will unleash 12 brand new tracks that are more brutal than ever before in this fall’s release, set to hit stores throughout North America on October 16, 2012 from Williams Street Records. The Dethalbum III is once again co-produced by Metalocalypse co-creator Brendon Small and Dethklok producer Ulrich Wild (The Dethalbum and Dethalbum II). The cover art was also illustrated by The Dethalbum and Dethalbum II cover artist Antonio Canobbio.

Dethalbum III will not only be released in its original CD and digital format, but also as a Deluxe Edition CD/DVD and a clean version of the CD. The Deluxe Edition CD/DVD will include a 32-minute behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of Dethalbum III, as well as music videos and much more. A vinyl edition of the album with special etching will be released on November 6, 2012.

The full track listing for Dethalbum III includes:
1.      I Ejaculate Fire
2.      Crush the Industry
3.      Andromeda
4.      The Galaxy
5.      Starved
6.      Killstardo Abominate
7.      Ghostqueen
8.      Impeach God
9.      Biological Warfare
10.  Skyhunter
11.  The Hammer
12.  Rejoin

The fourth season of Metalocalypse, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha with Small executive producing, recently wrapped on Adult Swim and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 30. Along with all 12 episodes from the series’ fourth season, theMetalocalypse Season 4 DVD and Blu-ray releases will feature more than two hours of special features. Highlights from those features include a 90-minute feature film of Nathan Explosion tackling his latest Shakespeare reading, in “Nathan Reads Shakespeare 4: Comedy of Errors,” a series of band member “StaresDowns,” a look at Dethklok Fan Art, “MurderThoughts,” a “Pickles Flyby” and much, much more.

For more information on DETHKLOK and Dethalbum III, please visit http://metalocalypse.tv/ or http://www.adultswim.com/music/, and more details, including pre-order information and a corresponding fall tour for Dethklok, are set to be released shortly. Stay tuned for an assault of new information, multimedia and exclusives coming very soon.

JT Hodges
JT Hodges
Release Date: August 21st 2012
Label: Show Dog Universal Music
11 Tracks
35 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I had the privileged of interviewing JT in person last year and he was one of the nicest and humbled guys in the business. You can just tell that his inspiration and creativity was flowing like crazy. At the time, he only had his one single “Hunt You Down” released but promised a great debut album. Let me tell you he really delivered on his words. My only real complaint is that the album runs a little short at 35 minutes. I would have liked it to be a little longer. Nonetheless, it is one of the best country music albums that I have had the privilege to listen to in the last few years. Keep an eye out for JT Hodges, he is going to be doing great things for the genre.

It is rare on an album that honestly every single track is single worthy but that is the case with JT’s debut album. I think they are going to have a very hard time picking his new single. JT’s songs aren’t just scripted tracks. You can tell that there is fantastic real life experiences behind each track and they are just dripping with inspiration. “Sleepy Little Town” and “Goodbyes Made You Mine” are both guaranteed to be hit singles very soon as they are the most catchy on the album. JT also has a very unique song in the business that sets him aside from all other country acts. His tracks are not large productions but feel like they really draw you in to each songs. If you don’t like this album well then it has a simple solution…”I’m gonna hunt you down!”.

Track Listing:
1. Rather Be Wrong Than Lonely
2. Sleepy Little Town
3. Hunt You Down
4. Give It One More Night
5. When I Stop Crying
6. Goodbyes Made You Mine
7. Leaving Me Later
8. Right About Now
9. Rhythm Of The Radio
10. Green Eyes Red Sunglasses

Dj Ashba is the guitarist for the hard rock/metal groups Guns N’ Roses and Sixx AM. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Dj about his work with the groups and hit recent connection with Bullyville.com.

Adam Lawton: How did you first get hooked-up with Axl Rose?
Dj Ashba: Sharon Osbourne introduced me to Axl in 2000 during the time I was recording the Beautiful Creatures album.

AL: What is the hardest part about balancing your work in Guns N’ Roses and your work with Sixx: A.M.?
DA: Well due to the fact that Sixx: A.M. is not really a touring band it makes things much easier. That’s not to say we won’t ever get out and play some shows, but we really enjoy just writing and putting out great albums. We tour a lot in Guns but we have some nice breaks which allows me to focus on my other passions.

AL: What was it that made you want to start your own media company “ASHBA Media, Inc.”?
DA: I was an artist before I was a musician, and in my mind art always goes hand-in-hand with music. When I was in Jr. High, I had a cartoon in the local newspaper and I have always been the “artsy kid”. I created ASHBA Media, Inc. when my artwork was seen by Virgin, and they appointed me as their agency of records to brand and market all of the Virgin Megastores worldwide.

AL: You are involved in a number of different ventures (music, art, clothing, etc.). Is there one that you find more satisfying than the others?
DA: No, One is a nice head break from the next, but they are all part of the same world.

AL: How did you get started with BullyVille.com?
DA: I had bought a brand-new house in Las Vegas, and my neighbor happened to be James McGibney-the CEO of Bullyville. After sitting down and talking to him I felt I needed to get involved. I think it’s a wonderful thing that he is giving people a place to go online to raise awareness. Because of what I had been through in my childhood, I wanted to help and Bullyville.com was the perfect vehicle.

AL: What other projects do you have in the works?
DA: I started a corporation called ASHBA AUTOMOTIVE GROUP with Ryan Freidlinghaus of WEST COAST CUSTOMS. We will be launching the brand-new, Limited Edition ASHBA CHALLENGER, by Dodge. We are very proud. It is the ultimate, modern “Rock N’ Roll Hotrod”. Rock N’ Roll and hotrods used to go hand in hand, and it’s an American tradition that we want to bring back in a big way. I will also be launching a social network, called “ASHBALAND.COM, A Rock n’ Roll community”. It’s the ultimate place on the net for fans to unite, come together, and share their love for music.

Composer: Hans Zimmer
Release Date: July 17, 2012
Label: WaterTower Music
Tracks: 15
Running Time: 43 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Hans Zimmer has worked on every score in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy along with James Newton Howard.  On “The Dark Knight Rises“, he takes this task on solo.  It ended up but being a decent but not outstanding finale score to a fantastic trilogy.  “The Dark Knight” score definitely trumps this one by quite a bit, sort of like the film does as well.  Normally, I really do love Hans Zimmer’s work but overall it is not his best work.  I just don’t see myself spending a lot of time revisiting it like I did with his past work like “Inception”.  Also there were a definitely some mastering and clipping volume issues on a bunch of tracks. Despite my feelings on the album, it is still a big success charting at #7 on the Billboard top 200 making it the first score in over 10 years to break the top 10!

The score runs a very short 43 minutes and the only real notable track is “Rise”.  If the whole album played as epic on this track, then the whole album would have benefited. “Rise” also is the final track on the album and in fact possibly the last Batman track from Zimmer.  The song takes it time getting started but really gets epic and runs a nice 7+ minutes. But it is so good I just wish it was longer.  I do see myself leaving this song on my iPhone for many months to come.  Although not able to be reviewed, there are 3 additional tracks available for download and 2 are exclusive to the CD: “Bombers Over Ibiza (JunkieXL remix)”, “No Stone Unturned (exclusive)” and “Risen From Darkness (exclusive)”.  There is also an Extended Original Motion Picture Soundtrack available but I am not sure how much it could improve the overall score. Overall, if you are a die-hard Batman fan, you might enjoy this final chapter in the trilogy…or at least keep “Rise” on loop.

Track Listings:
1. A Storm Is Coming
2. On Thin Ice
3. Gotham’s Reckoning
4. Mind If I Cut In?
5. Underground Army
6. Born In Darkness
7. The Fire Rises
8. Nothing Out There
9. Despair
10. Fear Will Find You
11. Why Do We Fall?
12. Death By Exile
13. Imagine The Fire
14. Necessary Evil
15. Rise

Matt Jones is the vocalist for the British rock band The Treatment. Media Mikes talked with Matt recently about the band’s debut album titled “This Might Hurt” and what they are most looking forward to this summer touring with Motley Crue and Kiss.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the band?
Matt Jones: Dhani Mansworth our drummer started the band when he was 14 and still in school. He kind of brought us in from all different areas. He found Ben Brookland our guitar player first and then it was like a snowball effect after that. Ben knew Rick and then Rick knew Tag Grey. They found me on Myspace when that was still doing stuff. Over the last couple years we have just gone from there really.

AL: How would you describe the band’s sound?
MJ: We are a straight up hard rock band. You can kind of here some of our influences like Judas Priest and AC/DC in our sound. People call us classic rock all the time which is fine. That is a great genre of music and it’s what we all listen to.

AL: Can you tell us about the band’s debut album?
MJ: We released it here in England last September. It took about a year to record prior to that. It has been a long going thing for us. It will be brand new for those people in the States which is great. The album has been well received so far and we have been having a lot of fun playing the tunes.

AL: What type of writing approach does the band generally take?
MJ: We all kind of work as a group. Ideas seem to come from everywhere and we actually record as we are writing. When someone has an idea we press record on the computer. We will record the guitars and then just build up from there. When we listen back to it is when we may decide to make changes. It is a really sort of slow building process.

AL: Does the band write all the time or do you set aside specific times to get together and write?
MJ: We write all the time as we are lucky enough to all live together. We live with our manager’s family as our drummers dad is our manager. As soon as we have ideas we just get together and start jamming. We are always working on something.

AL: What are the video/single release plans for the album?
MJ: We just released a video for the song “Nothing to Lose”. Fans can check that out on YouTube. The video is a bit of a performance piece as we rented out a recording studio and gave the video a real old school vibe. We wanted it to look like when all thebands that we like we’re doing things. It’s a real fun video.

AL: What can you tell us about your upcoming tour with Motley Crue and Kiss?
MJ: This will be the bands first trip to the U.S. and we are really excited. This is a huge tour. For us being an English band that gets to come to the U.S.A. it’s just amazing. Bands from the UK have been going over to you guys for some time now. It’s kind of like the promise land. (Laughs) Nikki Sixx has been a massive supporter of ours even though we don’t know how he really came across us. Ever since he did he has been very good to us. We are really grateful for all of his support. It’s going to be great playing our songs and getting to see Motley Crue and Kiss every night.

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• Interview with JT Hodges
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Thomas Augusto is a member of the pop group Midnight Red. The group has recently released a new single titled “Hell Yeah” and Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Thomas about the single and the groups plans for the summer.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the formation of the group?
Thomas Augusto: I first met Eric Secharia about 5 or 6 years ago. He at the time was living in California and I was living in Texas. Eric had started to put a group together with Anthony Ladao and they called me to join them. From there we found Colton Rudloff by searching “kid that can sing” on YouTube and, from there we had found Joey Diggs through a mutual producer. That was pretty much the formation of Midnight Red.

AL: What was it like when you all first got together in the same room for the first time?
TA: I think we were all measuring each other up. There was definitely no tension but we were trying to figure out what each other was about. We had actually met Colton and Joey on the exact same day. We took some time to get to know each other but once we were Midnight Red things were effortless.Everything blended together well and it seemed meant to be.

AL: What is the group’s writing process like?
TA:  There is a mixture. Some of the things we write on our own and some of it is written as a group. Anthony is a very talented producer who makes some great beats. We usually will just bring all of our ideas together and go from there.

AL: Can you tell us about the new single “Hell Yeah”?
TA: We recorded “Hell yeah” in Paris with Red One. It was just a blast! It’s a really cool song that we all like. The song fuses several genres in to one. There are some huge pop elements in the song along with dance elements and hip-hop elements. There is a guitar riff in the song that almost reminds me of Red Hot Chili Peppers.

AL: How did the idea for the song come about?
TA: “Hell yeah” was actually created by Red One and his team. We first heard the instrumental portion of the track before it was even done being made. There was a portion of the chorus done but when we heard it we just started exchanging ideas.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands EP?
TA: The EP is currently available on ITunes and was something we put out to help promote us out on the roadduring our tour with New Kids on the Block and The Backstreet Boys. We worked with Red One on that as well and it was a really fun project. We recorded it in Los Angeles and performed a number of the songs while we were out on that tour. The EP gives fan a taste of what they can expect from the full length album.

AL: What are the bands plans for the rest of this year?
TA: The full length album will be out towards the end of this year. We also will be touring and doing a lot of radio promotion.

Ricky Phillips is no stranger to world of rock music. Over his 30+ year career Phillips has played bass for a number of successful groups. He is probably best known for holding down the low end for the legendary classic rock band Styx. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Ricky recently about the bands current tour with Reo Speedwagon and Ted Nugent as well as about the bands recent Blu-Ray release titled “Styx: Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight- Live”.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the bands current tour with Reo Speedwagon and Ted Nugent?
Ricky Phillips: Both Styx and Reo Speedwagon have some incredible history that goes way back. We are both from Illinois and have toured together before but this is the first one we have done together in about 3 or 4 years. We did do some one off shows here and there but the idea came up to put us together and have Ted Nugent open. It is sort of a collaboration of Mid-West rock bands. The attendance at these shows has just been amazing. When you go out each year you never know what the shows will be like. The first leg of the tour went well and was sort of business as usual. This second leg has been sold out every night which just blew us away. It’s really crazy how it’s caught on. This success may lead to us doing a similar tour sometime next year. The fans seem to really enjoy the line up and if you think about it each group is quite different so we are trying to put a different slant on mid-west rock.

AL: What has been the biggest difference in the crowds as of late?
RP: There are so many young people now that have discovered classic rock bands. They seem to be at a point in their music listening lives where they are looking for what came before. We are those guys. When I and the rest of the guys in the band were younger and at this point we were heavily influenced by the British music movement. From there we looked back and found artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Guys like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page were into these acts so we started searching them out as well. It is pretty cool seeing these new young faces as they watch and sing along. We have a great cross section of fans.

AL: Can you tell us about the DVD/Blu-Ray the band recently released?
RP: The “Styx: Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight- Live” came out really great. The Blu-Ray did amazing and I couldn’t believe how many people were waiting for that. I think we were actually number 2 in sales for the first couple weeks on Amazon.com. Those two albums go together so well that the discs came out beautifully. Doing those shows was like going back the vinyl era where you dropped the needle and boom the music kicks in. We did each album in its entirety the way it was recorded so fans could have that feeling of knowing what the next song is. They could get wrapped up in the songs. We would then take an intermission and come back and play “Pieces of Eight”. It was just so much fun. When we first did those records and you were trying to get them on the radio you would pack one side with what you thought were going to be the hits. You were trying to foresee the future. When you do a live concert things are exactly the opposite. You generally start with the B cuts then the hits and close out with your encores. It was a bizarre way to do a live show like an album but it seemed to work really well. The Blu-Ray version of the show is definitely the way to see it.

AL: Was it hard going back and playing some of the material that you hadn’t played in awhile?
RP: At first it was a little tough. We worked pretty hard on the material and once we got in to it we knew we weren’t turning back. We did a lot of switching off between vocals parts as there are just so many stacked vocal parts on those albums. We even threw a microphone back to our drummer Todd Sucherman who is a great singer. Getting those extra voices were crucial and probably the biggest challenge. We like challenges like that and we welcomed it. Things turned out really well.

AL: VH1 recently did a re-mastered episode of the “Styx: Behind the Music” episode. What was it like having to delve once again back in to the bands history?
RP: Personally I am not a fan of those kinds of shows. I am a bit of a weirdo. I don’t like people knowing my bands business. I liked the concept of not knowing about a band until you went and saw them live. You might see a picture or two of a band in a magazine or something but that was about it. I loved that mystique. Watching these types of shows is a little difficult. I know fans like them and we are in a different age now. With reality television and things I guess these types of shows fit right in. The episode is pretty well represented I think. They shot some footage of me while I was in England and I was a little afraid to watch the show. After seeing I thought it was good and gladthat it was out there for fans to see how the band came about and how we have evolved.

AL: What other plans are in the works for the band?
RP: The band will continue to tour and live its daily life. As that happens things are always evolving and stuff start to tell their own stories. We have been writing new material and talking about getting it recorded for some time. I have started to hear more and more about it as of late. We may find some time in our schedules to actually do that. For us it’s really about the touring business. After this tour wraps up I think we have about a week off and then we go back out doing “An Evening with Styx”. I kind of know what parts of the country we will be in but I don’t know the exact venues.