Tech N9ne talks about his love for music and latest album “Therapy”

You may not be familiar with the name Aaron Donetz Yates, but if you’ve been a fan of rap and hip-hop for the past two decades you surely know the name Tech N9ne!

Born in Kansas City, he embraced rap early in life, even rapping the letters in his name to alert others as to how to spell it. In 1991 he began his professional career as a member of the group Black Mafia. In 1997, after appearing with several groups on different record labels, his solo song “Questions” appeared on the soundtrack album for the Tupac Shakur film “Gang Related.” In 1999 he had partner Travis O’Guinn founded the Strange Music record label.

His thirteenth studio album, “Something Else,” was released last summer and features guest collaborations with artists like Cee Lo Green, Krizz Kaliko and the three remaining members of the classic rock group The Doors (keyboardist Ray Manzarek passed away in May 2013 before the album was released). His current EP, “Therapy,” was released at the end of 2013.

While preparing for a recent concert in Grand Rapids, Iowa, the rapper and music label president took time out to talk with Media Mikes about his 2013 releases and what he has planned for the future.

Phillip Smith: How is “Therapy” different from your other past records?
Tech N9ne: “Therapy” is 7 songs that are just amazing to me. It is just what I was feeling at the time. I know there are some fans that won’t be down with the rock rap sound but that’s what I was feeling, it’s what I wanted to do. The beats were constructed in KC and we than flew out to Venice Beach to meet with Ross Robinson. We stayed at Ross Robinson’s house and Wes Borland (formerly of Limp Bizkit) was staying out there at the same time. He sat in on the album and played on nearly every track. It’s condensed but it’s full of energy. It’s totally different from anything Tech N9ne. It has elements of Tech N9ne because it’s me, it was fun. But it’s all new, a new sound, a new message.

PS: When you come back and play in the KC Metro Area, what is one of your favorite places to play?
T9: I have played everywhere from the Uptown Theater to Kemper Arena. I’m about to play at the Sprint Center here soon. But I’d have to say right now it has to be the Midland Theatre. I won’t know that answer when I play the Sprint Center. I was on stage there one time, Lil Wayne brought me on stage when he was here and it was crazy man. I felt that whole place roar, but this time I get to perform.

PS: Is there any other place that you circle on your tour or make sure that you play every tour?
T9: Denver, totally man. It’s incredible man, incredible. I don’t know how it happened over the years but it happened. It’s still going man, that’s why I have a song called “Colorado” on “Something Else”. I have to give to all the people who have been down with me for a long time. They were always down before KC and now KC is finally catching up! You know it’s crazy out there energy wise.

PS: And they let you get away with Chiefs colors in Denver?
T9: Yeah man (laughs) because they all wear the colors when I come to town. They wear the colors of the rival team for me man (laughs loudly).

PS: Do you ever envision yourself stopping the touring and just falling back on family or just writing?
T9: It’s funny you asked that man…I’ve been saying with this tour that If I stopped…. I would be letting everyone down. They are so with me you know what I’m saying? I feel like I’d leave them high and dry I don’t know if I’ll be able ever to stop man. It’s not like they stopped liking the music and said alright stop. Than it would be easy to stop you know. But I get doper as I get older. I just had my 42nd birthday but I feel like I’m still 19. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to stop…I don’t know. It’s weird.

PS: That sounds like a lot of pressure to keep going.
T9: Man, it’s a wonderful thing to still be afloat after all this time, but to be still getting bigger. It’s wild. I can’t quit this!

PS: Now that you have become known nationally and internationally… you’re no longer just Kansas City’s secret. Is this what you expected? Not just the money and being famous, but that you still have people who want to hear what you have to say, than afterwards stand up and cheer?
T9: Well man I’ve been planning this for a long time, a real long time. I always knew I had something special. It just took longer for me to make it here because I’m different. I’m the black guy with the painted face. It’s like it’s always going to be… I don’t know man… I’m gonna push hard no matter what. I’m going to always stand out. I’m not going to perform for no amount of money and change. I am the way that I am. I always knew that I was going to do this. But this isn’t the end. This is a wonderful thing but it’s not Global Domination. I won’t stop till the world knows my story.

PS: Is there someone out there right now that you haven’t worked with that you would love to collaborate on a song or an album.
T9: I think Two Murders together would be great, I think people would like to hear that, I know I would like to hear that. I would like to hear myself next to one of the best rappers in my opinion. You know I have tried a couple times, and I just haven’t been able to get it done . If it happens it will and if it don’t it don’t. I’m still a fan of the man’s music. We will just see if we can make it happen.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, latest, love, music, n9ne, talks, ...

The Reverend Horton Heat’s Jim Heath talks about new album “Rev”

Jim “Rev” Heath is the lead vocalist/guitarist for the legendary Rockabilly/Punk band The Reverend Horton Heat. The band is set to release their 11th studio album titled “Rev” via Victory Records at the end of January and Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Jim recently about the creation of the album, the bands 30 years career and the trio’s tour plans for 2014.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some info on the band upcoming album “Rev”?
Jim Heath: This was a project that helped us get back to more of the aggressive sound that Reverend Horton Heat is known for. The album kind of harkens back to the sound of the band during the mid-nineties which was during a time when my writing had started to get a little more amped up.

AL: How did the creative process work out for this album being that you were returning to your roots in a way?
JH: One thing that was really fun and different about this record is that with the change in album sales and the music industry as a whole there aren’t a lot of those big budget recording options available like there were in the 90’s. A lot of bands have gone to recording themselves in home studios so I thought that would be something that could be fun. I have a decent collection of recording gear so I got together some sponsors and some high end pro audio gear to start doing this record. In the middle of things we signed with Victory Records which allowed us to go in to a commercial studio to do some bits and pieces of the album. By in large we recorded most of the record in our rehearsal studio in Dallas, TX.

AL: Were there any reservations signing to Victory Records being they predominately work with in the metal/hardcore genre?
JH: Not really. A lot of their marketing is probably aimed towards a different crowd than ours which I thought was kind of a good thing. What bands are on a label is not really as important as it’s more about how well the machinery behind everything works. I didn’t really know how big Victory was until we started talking with them and realizing what the label was. We were super impressed with what they have and how they have a bunch of departments which all work to help promote music in various ways. At the end of the day the solid machinery is what I need to help promote our music.

AL: When you are putting together songs what type of writing approach do you take?
JH: For the most part I tend to always start with lyrics. I will find some lyrics that I like and I will start bashing around to come up with some music or sound that evokes what the lyrics are about. From there I try to come up with the melody. Sometimes things come very quickly and sometimes it doesn’t. Other times a song may come together quickly but the polishing off or finishing can take quite a bit of time for me. There is just so much to think about when doing arrangements.

AL: Do think the large gap between this album and your previous will have an effect on how it is perceived by fans/listeners?
JH: We found out something a long time ago about that as we are a band that has a lot of cd’s out. We also tour a lot. When fans come to our shows they come wanting to hear certain songs so when you put out a new album it can be hard sometimes to get them to accept that new material. People remember the old stuff and that’s what they want to here. Frankly you never really can do that as you are always doing new material so there is going to be something different about them. That’s actually the desired thing as I don’t want to just keep re-writing or rearranging old songs and passing them off as something new. We were putting out an album every two years but it got to where our fans weren’t really accepting those new songs until about 2 years later just as we were about to put out another new album. It got to the point where new albums were almost pissing off our fans so putting out an album every two years got to be where it wasn’t working very well for us. I also find it really frustrating when you put out an album and then you don’t have enough time to go out and play it live as not only do you have to play all the old stuff people know but you only have time to throw in 2 or 3 new tracks. That’s just the nature of the beast not only for us but for a lot of bands.

AL: With a career spanning almost 30 years now what do you feel has been the bands biggest change?
JH: For me the biggest change was the musical direction. This was something that happened early on. We started out as an authentic rockabilly band that played original songs. We were a little more 50’s sounding in the early goings. As time went on we got a little bit more turned up and aggressive. I think in the early 90’s when we decided to take that more turned up approach is what I think helped define our sound. With that said however we still have our rockabilly songs on every album along with some country songs. Sometimes things aren’t planned they just happen. I write songs not albums. I will write one song then a bunch more songs which all end up on an album. That’s just how I work and those things end up being something I never really thought of. I did an album titled “Spend a Night in the Box” which is a little more bluesy and with our last album “Laughin’ and Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat” things lean towards a country sound. Initially that album was going to be a straight country album rather than one that sort of leans towards that style.

AL: Thinking back a ways can you tell us about the bands appearance on “The Drew Carey Show” and how that opportunity came about?
JH: Working with those guys was really fun. Between Drew Carey, Ryan Styles and Diedrich Bader those guys are really funny. The people who worked around them and with them on the show were just hilarious. Just about all of them are stand-up comics. What was funny about that show was that they could barely get it done. It was an ultra-professional set up but then you had these guys all cracking jokes between takes. It made it hard to get everything done. (Laughs) I think how we ended up on the show was that Drew Carey is a big music fan. Drew and his manager took a cross country drive at one point and one of the cd’s they had was “It’s Martini Time”. They liked it and asked us to be on an HBO special called “Mr.Vegas All-Night Party”. We were on there with Wayne Newton, David Cassidy and a bunch of other great musicians and players. From there they asked us to be on the episode. I got to have a couple lines which was really fun.

AL: What other plans do you and the band have for 2014?
JH: We will be doing some more videos for a couple other songs off the new album. We have one out now for the song “Let Me Teach You How to Eat” and we are knocking around ideas for the others. We will be out on the road playing gigs throughout the year as well. We are also going to be a part of some really cool festivals. We always do festivals but we will be on some really high profile ones this year. We are going to be doing Coachella and Punk Rock Bowling so it’s going to be a fun year. I also have my own festival which I put on with my friend Oliver Peck. We are looking to do this year’s in June on the weekend of Friday the 13th. It’s called “The Elm St. Music and Tattoo Festival”. This will be our second year of putting this on and I am pretty excited for it as I think it is something that will continue to grow and be pretty cool.

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Steel Panther New Album “All You Can Eat” Slated for Release April 1st on Open E Records via Kobalt Label Services


Band Celebrating New Release By Sending the Famous Grill ‘Em All Truck Around Los Angeles Today Giving Out Free Burgers: “The Fat Girl” and “Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’ Cheeseburger”

Pre-order All You Can Eat online January 14th

(January 13th, 2014 – New York, NY) The Sunset Strip’s hottest export, Steel Panther, is back and ready to unleash their third full-length album, All You Can Eat, on the world. The 12-track masterpiece is slated to hit stands April 1st in the United States on Open E Records via Kobalt Label Services (KLS). The album will be available for pre-order on January 14th at http://www.steelpantherrocks.com. From the opening acoustic riff of album opener “Pussywhipped” to final chord hit in the album closer “She’s On The Rag,” it is clear Steel Panther is back and better than ever. Songs like “Gloryhole,” “Gangbang At The Old Folks Home” and “BVS” all showcase Steel Panther’s incredible musicianship and ability to write memorable and sometimes educational songs. The band, comprised of Michael Starr on vocals, Satchel on guitar, Lexxi Foxx on bass and Stix Zadinia on drums, have made a name for themselves as one of the most entertaining acts out today. The debut single “Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World,” was released in November with a star-studded video directed by Rob Riggle that has been viewed over 660,000 times. The explicit video for the song can be seen at http://smarturl.it/sppartyvd. Longtime Steel Panther producer Jay Ruston produced All You Can Eat.

The track listing for All You Can Eat is:

1. Pussywhipped
2. Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World
3. Gloryhole
4. Bukkake Tears
5. Gangbang At The Old Folks Home
6. Ten Strikes You’re Out
7. The Burden Of Being Wonderful
8. F@#king My Heart In The Ass
9. BVS
10. You’re Beautiful When You Don’t Talk
11. If I Was The King
12. She’s On The Rag

Steel Panther has also partnered up with acclaimed LA food truck Grill ‘Em All for a promotion to coincide with the announcement of the release date of All You Can Eat. Grill ‘Em All was the winner of the first season of the Great American Food Truck on the Food Network and is known for their heavy metal themed burgers. The band unveiled the album cover of All You Can Eat on the Grill ‘Em All truck and the truck will roam around Los Angeles giving away “The Fat Girl” and the “Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’ Cheeseburger” for free to all Steel Panther fans in Los Angeles. Here is the schedule for the locations of Grill ‘Em All today:

11:00AM – 12:00PM – Origami (1816 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026)
1:00PM – 2:00PM – High Fidelity (1956 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027)
3:00PM – 4:00PM – The Record Parlour (6408 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028)
5:30PM – 7:00PM – The Rainbow (9015 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069)

Steel Panther was, for a long time, rock’s best-kept secret: a cult legend on the LA scene. But in recent years due to the success of their albums (both debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Album Charts), and live shows, the band has enjoyed huge acclaim from fans and peers alike. Steel Panther has been joined on stage by rock and roll icons such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Paul Stanley of KISS, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and Green Day to name a few. Steel Panther has also been seen on Dancing With The Stars, Bad Girl’s Club and most recently in a national web campaign for Warner Brothers Pictures hit film, Rock Of Ages.

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“American Idol” contest James Durbin talks about new album “Celebrate”

Season 10 “American Idol” contest James Durbin recently announced that  he will be embarking on an a month and a half long  acoustic tour to promote his new single “Parachute”. The song which is off Durbin’s upcoming release “Celebrate” due out April 8th shows us a different side James and Media Mikes had the chance recently to talk with James about that change, the upcoming tour and what he has planned for 2014.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell about your new single “Parachute”?
James Durbin: “Parachute” as a song is really accessible and catchy. There are a lot of hooks and spots where you can sing along. I get to have a lot of fun with it and just goof off. I think this song really shows my personality and it shows the changes I have made in my attitude over the last couple of years.

AL: What do you personally feel is the biggest change from your previous work to what is going to be released in the coming months?
JD: The first record was done in two and a half weeks. We did 14 or 15 songs in that time along with photo shoots and everything else that goes along with putting an album out. The first album was thrown together really quick. The new record “Celebrate” I have had a year and a half to two years to work on. In between touring and everything I have been able to get a lot of perspective and time to think. I have gotten to play my cards a little more wisely. I can look at things a little bit more before I do them now and I didn’t have that option the first time around. On the new record I got to co-write 10 of the 11 tracks. There is definitely more me on this record. It’s a lot more personal.

AL: “Celebrate” comes out April 8th. Can you tell us where everything is at in the process right now and a little bit about the pre-order packages that available on your website www.durbinrock.com?
JD: The record has been mixed and mastered so the music is all done. What we are working on now is the liner note and credits. We are also working on a video for one of the songs. We are getting all of the inner working pieces together. The stressful stuff is all done. As for the pre-order packs there are a couple different options. You can get everything from signed cd’s to hooded sweatshirts and bracelets. I also am doing a great partnership with the National Tourette Syndrome Association where $5 from every pre-order goes directly to that foundation. With those pre-orders you get an exclusive shirt that won’t be sold anywhere else along with a signed cd.

AL: Can you tell us about your upcoming tour that was announced recently?
JD: I am really looking forward to playing and getting out there. This tour is an acoustic tour which will feature me on guitar my bass player Justin and my buddy Jeremy. It’s going to be just the three of us jamming and playing the songs the way they were written. It’s going to be a very relaxed, intimate setting. We have been rehearsing lately and adding some interesting spins to a few of the songs. It’s fun to be able to get up there and just do what feels good. We are planning to do about an hour and twenty minute long set. With this tour I want people to be able to hear these songs the way they came out of my hand and the way in which they were originally written. I think this is a great way for people to understand the material.

AL: How do you feel you will be received this time around without the immediate push from “American Idol” and a three year gap between your previous album and your new one?
JD: I am excited to get out there. Last time people saw me I was sort of scraggly looking. Over the past few years I have gotten to know myself again. I feel safe and comfortable in my own skin again. I am still the same guy at heart but I am much happier.

AL: Other than the album release and acoustic tour do you have any other plans for 2014 you can tell us about?
JD: I have to get out there and tour. People need to hear these songs and call up their local radio stations and request them. There is a lot of hard work that needs to be done. I would love to say that I am going to be on tour with someone like The Killers or on the other end of the spectrum Bruno Mars but I can’t say that yet. That would be amazing but we will have to wait and see. Weather I am playing to 30,000 people or 30 people those who come and see me will get the same experience.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, american, celebrate, contest, durbin, idol, ...

Scythia’s Dave Khan talks about upcoming album “Into the Storm”

Dave Khan is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the mythical Canadian metal band Scythia. The group recently released a hysterical music video for the song “Bear Claw Tavern” which has been racking up hits via YouTube.com. Media Mikes spoke with Dave recently about the formation of the band, their upcoming album titled “Into the Storm” and how the idea for their successful video came about.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on how the band started?
Dave Kahn: The band began in 2008 with me and a guy I went to college with. It really all started out as a joke. We quickly found out after doing some shows that we had some catchy material that people liked. We decided to keep some of the fantasy elements we were using but also to become a bit more serious about doing the band. We have a good selection of rowdy tavern music and progressive metal songs because we suffer from a bit of an identity crisis at times. (Laughs) We try and unite those two things with a common denominator be it a melody or something that ties the song to the band.

AL: How did you go about finding members who were interested in doing a band like this?
DK: The funny thing about that is it never happened through the usual channels like musician postings or things like that. When we did put out postings we never found anyone who was on the same page with what we wanted to do. It was more just us getting out there and doing are thing. Initially it was people from college which was a bit chaotic at times as we all came from different backgrounds. Everyone was throwing in different styles which caused a lot of pull. When someone left the group I tried to replace them with someone I knew. I would try and find people who were from outside of our group and familiar with the band. I was looking for people who didn’t look like typical metal heads.

AL: What was it that interested in the fantasy concept?
DK: I have grown up with a great love for fantasy books, movies and games. It has always been a secret side life of mine. I felt the band was the best medium for giving that side of me some attention. I wanted to get up there and creatively show off these ideas I had in my head. Within the last few years in popular culture it has become ok to be a nerd. People are now embracing fantasy stuff and making it socially acceptable and cool.

AL: Can you give us some background on the bands upcoming album?
DK: People wanting to check out the new album can stream a couple of the songs via our band camp page and on CD Baby. We don’t’ want everyone to hear the entire album just yet as we want to make sure that info about the album is out there and we want to have a solid release date. We are almost set to start taking pre-orders and currently have two singles out. “Bear Claw Tavern” and “Into the Storm” are available now.

AL: How does the creative process work for you guys/girl?
DK: I and Terry are the primary story/song writers. This album has had more collaboration than our previous ones as in the past we would write on our own and then bring things together and add in the instrumentation. This time Terry camped out at my house and we both sat in front of my pro tools rig and we did everything together. This was far more collaborative. The other two band members provided input as well but they didn’t do as much of the creative work.

AL: Tell us how the idea for the “Bear Claw Tavern” video came together?
DK: On our last release we had sort of a drinking song on there called “For the Bear”. That song got people excited especially when we were doing shows in North America. People really got in to it and I knew we needed to do something big. At the time we were shooting a video that I think we paid $250 for and after that we said that for the next video we wanted to shoot one at a tavern. The more we thought about it we realized that people who watch videos want to watch ones that are good. We knew we didn’t want to do another video like the one we had just done. I went and talked to Director Richard Olak because I knew he had an idea about fantasy. Now when I started this I never realized how much things could cost. Richard brought me up to speed on things and I explained to him that this was something we had to do. He brought up the idea of crowd sourcing and ultimately that is what we did. We raised about $2500 through Indiegogo.com. That money allowed us to get a start on things so we gave it to Richard and told him to just run with it. Just before we were set to start shooting Richard came to me and told me that the only time the tavern could give was from 12am to 12pm on a holiday. He told me that he had to basically ditch his entire story line due to the tavern only being available at that one time. That was something that I didn’t want to hear. (Laughs) Richard told me he had all the actors and crew coming and that they would figure something out on the fly. I was a bit hesitant that this was going to happen without any issues. I ended up being completely wrong as things went great! We got there and Richard told us to just rock our asses of. That’s what we did and they were able to get our stuff done in about 3 takes. We saw some of the characters on set beforehand but didn’t really have an idea what they were going to be doing. After taking a break we came back to set and everything in the place had changed. There was a little person running around with a hot dog trying to give it to a wizard! (Laughs) I knew then that the video was going to be really cool. We sat and watched the rest of the shoot which was really great. Everyone who worked on this video was really awesome.

AL: Besides the release of “Into the Storm” what other plans does the band have going in to 2014?
DK: We are in the process of booking a tour which will take us through Canada and the United States. Unfortunately it is going to keep us more towards the western half of those countries for now. We are also working on some festival in the east which will hopefully give way to some shows in Philadelphia and New York. After the release of the “Bear Claw Tavern” video we have been getting requests to go all over. We would love to make all those requests happen but in order to drive to some of these places is not always feasible as it’s quite of an investment. We are also looking to tour Europe this year as well.
For more info on Dave and his band Scythia you can check out their official website at www.scythia.ca

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, dave, khan, scythias, storm, talks, ...

Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde talks about new album and “Evening with Zakk Wylde” tour

Zakk Wylde is a name that needs no introduction. From his legendary work with heavy metals “Prince of Darkness” Ozzy Osbourne to his signature pinch harmonic filled works with Black Label Society, Zakk’s mark on music is certainly present. Starting in February of 2014 Zakk will be hitting the snow covered roads of Canada as part of his “Evening with Zakk Wylde” tour. The shows will feature a mixture of music and readings from Zakk’s 2012 book titled ”Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker’s Guide to World Tour Domination”. Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Zakk recently about the tour, Black Label Society’s upcoming album and about the recent departure of long time Black Label guitarist Nick Catanese.

Adam Lawton: What can we be expecting from the upcoming run of “An Evening with Zakk Wylde” shows?
Zakk Wylde: Aside from a lot of pyro, concussion bombs and the launch of the Black Label Society winter collection of men’s lingerie it’s going to be us up there jamming.(Laughs) I am going to be doing some solo stuff with the guitar and singing and then with the piano as well. Along with the music I will be doing some readings from “Bringing Metal to the Children” and doing Q and A sessions with the fans. We will be talking about everything from what gear I use to Ozzy stories to how many times a day I get prostate exams. (Laughs)

AL: Will a lot of the music resemble what we saw/heard on the recent “Unblackened” release and can you tell us about the special VIP packages that are available for the shows?
ZW: Yes, totally. I think some of the stuff we will we doing is even more stripped down than the “Unblackened” stuff. For the VIP packages again I want to make sure everyone is healthy and regular so they get the free prostate exam as well. (Laughs) There’s only 25 available for each show and along with a meet and greet fans who purchase these will also get some other cool Black Label Society goodies.

AL: The shows announced thus far are all in Canada. Will there be more happening later on in the States?
ZW: We did two short runs on the East and West coasts with this type of layout. I thought it would be cool to take it to Canada as we always have a blast when we are up there. It worked out that there was some time before the new album coming out that we could put these shows together. Everything has worked out great scheduling wise before we roll out the new album in April.

AL: You also will be out as part of the Experience Hendrix tour and as part of the Metal All Stars tour. How did you get involved with being a part of those tours?
ZW: The Hendrix thing is going to be really great. I am a fan of everyone who is playing on those shows and it’s going to be cool to see what they all bring. A lot of these guys I have never met before so it will be a cool experience that I am really looking forward to. The Metal All Star stuff is another batch of shows that are going to be really cool as well. Whenever I get invited to do these things it always ends up being a good time.

AL: With the Hendrix material being a bit different from what you’re known for have you been doing anything special to get ready for these shows?
ZW: I have done covers of people’s material as bonus tracks and such on previous albums so Black Label-izing songs is something I am familiar with. Whenever you get to cover an artist or a song you really like it’s always a good time. With the Hendrix material things will be no different. I am going to probably pick a couple more obscure songs to do as I’m sure songs like “Purple Haze” and “Voodoo Chile” will already be in the set. I’m just going to pull out some of my favorites and jam them out. I think it’s cool when you hear someone else’s take on a song. The Hendrix song that Stevie Ray Vaughn did as well as Sting’s version of “Little Wing” are both slamming.

AL: Can you give us an update on the new Black Label Society album?
ZW: We are just finishing mixing and plan to release it in April. This new album is one that it going to be back to the heavy riffs that the band is known for. I can’t believe that it’s been 4 years since our last studio album “Order of the Black”. We have been really busy since that release so time has passed quickly. For a while we were putting out an album a year which was fun as I love being in the studio just as much as I like being on stage. Some guys like one over the other but I love them both equally. They are different as when you are in the studio it’s a controlled environment and live is live. You have one shot and that’s it. With the studio you can sit back and look at things and add stuff here and there.

AL: With Nick Catanese recently leaving Black Label Society how do you feel the band dynamics will change seeing that Nick had been with the band for 15 plus years?
ZW: Nick played with me on the “Book of Shadows” tour before there was Black Label Society. We were driving 20,000 miles crammed in an Astro van playing to 10 people every night. I will always love Nick as he is a family member. When he came to me and said that his new project was something he felt he had to do I totally supported his decision. I want the guys who I play with to go on and do well. I wish him all the best. We have a couple contenders in the running for that spot right now and I am either going to have them come out with us on the Canadian run or have them with us at this year’s NAMM show which we have to have a second guitar player for. The short list we have are all great players. Nick is a rock so not having him around after 17 years of being together will be different. The thing about Black Label is that everyone who has been involved with the band has been unique and brought their own thing to the group. Once this new guy is in they are in till they decide to leave. If Nick wanted to come back and do a run with us some time our doors are always open. That’s just how things are with this band. We are all buddies.

AL: Being an artist who is always releasing new signature music gear do you have anything planned for release at this year’s NAMM show?
ZW: As far as the signature stuff goes I have the new Gibson Moderne of Doom that was released recently. With that I took an old classic and updated it. This guitar now has more of a Les Paul type neck which comes with an ebony fret board. This is one of those guitars that is so ugly it’s awesome! That’s why I love it.

 

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Iced Earth’s Stu Block talks about new album “Something Wicked”

Stu Block is the lead singer of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. The group is set to release their 11th studio album via Century Media titled “Plagues of Babylon” in January and will be hitting the roads here in the States starting in April. Media Mikes had the chance recently to speak with Stu about the creation of the new album, its guest performers and how it fits in to the “Something Wicked” saga, An ongoing story spanning the groups last few albums.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some info on the new album?
Stu Block: This album is a pretty dark and heavy album. The first half has sort of a concept that follows a zombie apocalypse type story while the other half of the album features more standalone songs. It kind of reminds me of an old Rush record where you get half concept and half standalone material. There is something for everybody on this record and it takes the listener on an emotional rollercoaster. We are really proud of this record.

AL: Where does the concept portion of the new record fit in with the “Something Wicked” saga?
SB: That really is those first six songs. You can take any period in time or history and apply it to the “Something Wicked” universe. This is something people can really read in to and we are very aware of that.

AL: Did the 3 year gap between this album and the previous affect the creative process at all?
SB: No not at all. Our creative process has always been the same. Jon and I have good creativity together and we both had input towards the record. Jon keeps his big toe on this type of thing because there is a standard for Iced Earth records and he is the man with the vision. Both this album and the previous one are really great heavy metal albums that were very proud of.

AL: Can you tell us about some of the guest appearances on the album?
SB: The song “Highwayman” was an awesome thing to do and it was really a lot of fun. We were able to do that song with some of our best friends. Russell Allen is a vocalist who I have looked up to for many years and we became friends through touring together so that brotherhood was something that was already in place. We also had Michael Poulsen of Volbeat who we just finished a tour with and have all become friends with. This song was sort of a brain child of Jon’s and it’s been a song he has been mentioning wanting to cover for a few years now. Everything worked to where we could finally get it done and it turned out great. I think this song shows the uniqueness of everyone’s voice. We also had Hansi Kursch from the band Blind Guardian and Demons and Wizards sing on a track as well. He and Jon have been friends for a really long time and for me it was an honor to get to sing along side of him. Hansi is a really great guy to be around.

AL: The album is going to be released in a number of different formats. Can you tell us a little bit about those?
SB: I know the album has been mastered in a couple different formats. One of those will be a vinyl format with no compression. I can’t wait to hear that version as I hear it sounds amazing. These different mixes are something that people will really enjoy. There is a mix for people who listen to their music on ear buds and there is a mix for people with high end stereos and then the vinyl format as well. There is a box set that is going to be available also which includes an hour long DVD and some other really cool things that I think fans will like.

AL: Can you tell us about the tour which was announced recently?
SB: This tour is going to be a long one. We are currently rehearsing for the tour as we speak. We start in January over in Europe and from there head to Australia and New Zealand. From there I believe we will be hitting Canada and the United States before heading down to South America. For all the dates fans can go to www.icedearth.com .

AL: You mentioned that you are rehearsing for the tour as we speak. How does the band go about selecting which songs will make it into the set list?
SB: It’s funny that you ask that because this last set was something that came out of our tour with Volbeat. Michael is such a big fan that towards the end of the tour he handed Jon a list of songs he wanted us to do on the next tour. I think the list had almost 40 songs on it. We narrowed it down to around 20 or 25 with some of them being songs we have done before and some of them we hadn’t done before. The set list for this upcoming tour kind of came from Michael. (Laughs) Generally Jon and Luke our bass player put the set lists together and if there is a song I want to do that gets throw in as well. I am excited as there is some really cool stuff we are going to be doing on this run.

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Michael Angelo Batio talks about new album “Intermezzo”

Michael Angelo Batio first burst on to the music scene in the late 1980’s with his band Nitro and quickly became known for not only his playing speed but also for his use of unique guitars. In the early 1990’s Michael ventured off on a solo career which has taken him to over 50 countries around the world and also was recently named by Guitar World readers as the fastest player in the world. Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Michael recently about the creation of his new album titled “Intermezzo” and the latest edition to his line of Dean MAB guitars.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about your new album?
Michael Angelo Batio: The album is titled “Intermezzo”. The term intermezzo is an Italian musical term which denotes a piece of music that is in between two major parts of an opera. During longer opera’s there would be an intermission and during that time there would be musical pieces that would be played titled intermezzos. Sometimes these works would become more popular than what was being played before and after. I have had an amazing career up till now and there are a lot of amazing things going on within music. I consider myself to be in that intermezzo phase with my career. That’s where everything really started. The tracks on this release are all new original material and I got some really amazing guest musicians to perform on them with me. Everyone from George Lynch and Rusty Cooley to Michael Romeo and Jeff Loomis had a part in this record. There is just so much talent on this record and I think it is the best record I have ever done. I am very happy with how it turned out. This was my first time using seven string guitars and I think this is the heaviest album I have ever done. It not as time signature intense as some of my other stuff but it is a super complicated album even though it may not sound it.

AL: How did you go about selecting who you wanted on the record and, which track they would play on?
MAB: When I was writing I wanted everything to be new. I wasn’t going to rehash old song parts or anything like that. For example on the song “8 Pillars of Steel” I put some music together in 4/4 timing and then played some very syncopated sections along with that. I then asked the owner of Dean Guitars, Elliot Rubinson to play bass as he is a phenomenal player. From there the idea was to have everyone play over the same chord progression. By doing that you are able to here different players take on the same music. That track came out great and the solos really tell a story as they progress from player to player. We did a lot of crazy things on the record. Sometimes we would go back and add things after we got peoples take and then it would go out to the rest of the guys. I just had an idea and it got bigger than life. Everyone I used on this album is not only a friend of mine but I am a fan of their work. I am sure I could have even gotten more guys but at some point you have to make a stand and say enough is enough. (Laughs)

AL: You also had fans write a couple songs for album. Can you tell us about that?
MAB: Dave Reffeit is kind of like my right hand man on this record. I had most of the songs written and they were all pretty close to being finished before we got Michael Romeo. I had told Dave one day that I didn’t have any more in me and nothing else had been recorded so I asked Dave if he could throw something together and he said yes. Dave is a young guy that is very metal and comes from a little bit different school than I do. He wrote the song “Juggernaut” and we had my engineer mix it and it came out amazing. I have a big fan base and I like engaging them so this was my way of giving back a little. I actually had another fan by the name of Maxwell Carlyle who plays in the band Hellion write a song for this record as well. This was actually the third song Maxwell has written for me. Everything worked out great and it fit well within this record.

AL: Can you tell us about the addition of a 7 string model to your line of Dean MAB guitars?
MAB: One thing a lot of people might not know about me is that I was probably one of the first guys to use a seven string guitar in rock. If you watch the Nitro video for the song “Freight Train” you can see that the top two necks on the quad neck guitar I am playing are in fact seven string necks. This was at least a year or two before Steve Vai came out with his seven string. I have always been interested in extended range instruments and pushing the limits of things. For me I have wanted to use seven string for quite some time and I was always bugging Elliot at Dean to put one out for me. Dean wasn’t known for seven string guitars so he was always hesitant to put one out. He ended up telling me that if I wrote some seven string music the company would put out a model. The whole “Intermezzo” album is seven string music. (Laughs)

AL: How involved were you in the design of this model?
MAB: I like wild shaped guitars. I have had everything from double neck guitars to rocket shaped guitars however; I am not stupid enough to think that everyone else likes what I like. The idea of a signature guitar is in fact your signature but there is a lot of money involved when starting with an idea and ending with a finished product. The companies have to be able to sell these models when it’s all said and done. I told Dean Guitars not to put my name on my models as historically models with players names on them don’t sell. We did settle on calling the series the MAB series so that it was associated with me and the first model I did for the company sold through the roof. The new seven strings follow the idea of what we did with my previous models as we wanted to keep the body shape normal and not go with a leap of faith. From there we put in components that I really and that’s how it all really developed.

AL: Can you tell us about your upcoming tour plans and how you plan to perform the new material live?
MAB: Some of the stuff from the new album I won’t be able to perform live but I have been very fortune in my career as I have multiple ways that I can go out and tour. I have the option of doing clinics, solo shows and a multi-media rock guitar tribute show that I do as well. I have been working with two different companies here in the states to put these multi-media shows on as I really enjoy going out and doing my version of other peoples music. I will be performing some of the “Intermezzo” material in a number of these performance settings and between these three options I have about 120 shows lined up this coming year.

AL: Do you have any other projects coming out that you would like to mention?
MAB: I have worked with the guitar tutorial company Metal Method over the past few years to put out a couple videos titled “Speed Kills 1, 2 and 3”. What we are looking to do is to go back and reshoot those. This series was originally shot in 2004/2005 which wasn’t really a long time ago but in the video production world these are ancient. The playing on these was still there but they weren’t shot in high definition or anything. We think that we can make things look a lot better by redoing the series so along with touring I am going to try and fit this work in as well. I really want to run with “Intermezzo” along with everything else.
For up to date information on Michael you can visit his official website at www.angelo.com

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Bob Kulick talks about working with Kiss and “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson” album

Bob Kulick is a Grammy Award winning producer with credentials that read like a who’s who of music royalty. Bob is also the older brother of ex-KISS/ current Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick, and has performed on stages around the world with groups such as Alice Cooper and Meatloaf. Bob’s newest production project “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson” was recently released via Cleopatra Records and Media Mikes was fortunate enough to speak with Bob recently about the release and his longtime relationship with KISS.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what initially sparked your interest in music?
Bob Kulick: My cousin played guitar and during family functions she would often play her acoustic guitar. My sarcastic, Brooklyn mother would always say things like “why can’t you do something like that”. It was sort of a dare on her part. My cousin started showing me the basics and when The Beatles came out the seed was planted. I do recall that even before that when I was a child in school we went on a trip to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The orchestra there performed Ravel’s “Bolero”. I remember sitting there with my mouth hanging open and I just started to cry. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. The gift I was given was announced that day. That was the birth of my gift and I just couldn’t recognize it initially. That was something special. I went on to college and did all that stuff but I still wasn’t happy. My gift was music and that is what I wanted to do. I knew if I applied myself and gave it the one thousand percent that it needs I would get the result I wanted.

AL: Having worked with everyone from Meatloaf to Alice Cooper at what point did you start to notice your transition from a performer to a producer?
BK: Being a studio musician afforded me the look see at people who I probably wouldn’t have ever gotten the chance to work with otherwise. The stuff I did with Diana Ross was one of those instances. She was dating Gene Simmons from Kiss at the time and he called me from the studio one day to ask if I would come in and play a solo. I went in and ended up playing the solo on her number one hit single “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”. Hanging around with people like that and utilizing my brain really helped. I got to watch guys like Eddie Kramer and Tony Bongiovi work so I just watched everything. I never was really interested in engineering as I was more interested in song creation. When I met my mentor Dick Wagner who worked with guys like Lou Reed and Alice Cooper I really got a firsthand look at somebody who was an arranger and a writer. Dick was also the guy who hired me to fill in for Steve Hunter on the Australia/New Zealand leg of the Alice Cooper tour and to play on Mark Farner’s solo record. I learned all the little tricks from him. It also became apparent to me at this time that the business was changing, as was the music. After being out on the road with Meat Loaf, Paul Stanley and Diana Ross my desire to be out on the road constantly had also started to die down. I said to myself that I wanted to try producing so that’s what I did. I met my first partner Billy Sherwood who had a studio here in Los Angeles and when he got the gig in Yes he handed me the keys and I started getting hired to work on projects which included a series of tribute records I did which included a Metallica tribute album that ultimately won me a Grammy. As of late I have started performing more regularly. I have been doing charity gigs as well as some Kiss tribute band gigs. I was part of the pre-Kiss Kruise kick-off party this year in Miami. I also jammed recently with Dick Wagner and Mark Farner at another event. It’s been nice to rekindle that fire and show myself that I can still dish it out. I even still look the same, as I haven’t lost any hair. (Laughs) It was like getting back on a bike after not riding for a while. It’s a blessing to be able to do both and to see and talk to the fans. I am very lucky, blessed and grateful.

AL: You have been working with KISS on and off almost since the bands inception. What do you think has been the biggest contributing factor to that ongoing relationship?
BK: My visibility with the band has been several fold. I have participated not only as a player on records and as part of Paul’s 1989 solo tour but I also have worked with the band as a writer. Even now I still get up and jam with the guys at various Kiss type events. Because of my visibility with the band I have been dubbed the 5th member of KISS. (Laughs) I have played on a number of KISS tracks like “Nowhere to Run”, “Rockin’ in the USA”, “Partners in Crime” “All American Man” and “Larger than Life”. There is quite a wealth of work there. The band has thought of me enough over the years that they even interviewed me recently as part of a new KISS documentary. It’s great that Gene and Paul acknowledge the times we had together. During the time of Paul’s solo album he was by best friend. People always ask me about that experience and what it was like working on that album. It was great! I got to hang out with my best friend. There was no pressure and it was fun. That’s why it came out so good. Paul would show us the songs and we would play them a couple times until we thought we had it and that was it. It was very organic. Everyone was really professional.

AL: Can you tell us about your work on the recently released album “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson”?
BK: Michael Jackson even after his death is still one of the biggest stars in the world. The second album I did with Diana Ross he wrote the song “Muscles”. I was always fascinated with him and would often ask Diana what was up with him. (Laughs) After the work I did on Dee Snider’s Broadway album and the Frank Sinatra album we decided to take that same attitude and idea and apply it to this record. We weren’t re-writing or changing any of the songs, as we wanted to remain faithful to the originals while at the same time being different. We came up with a tunings that worked and got some guys that could really dish it out. We got some classic metal guys like Chuck Billy and Paul Di’Anno along with Lajon Witherspoon, Corey Glover and Angelo Moore from Fishbone who did an awesome job! We were very lucky to have such a great group of musicians/singers be a part of this record.

AL: Were you involved with the song selection at all?
BK: We worked in conjunction with the label on that but all of the arrangements are my partners and mine. No one came to us with arrangements ahead of time, as these types of albums don’t generally work that way. We usually will cut the song as a template and then send it out to someone to see if they would be interested in doing it or not. By doing that the artist gets to see maybe not the finished product but they have the framework of what it is.

AL: Having done a number of tribute albums what is it that interests you in these types of projects?
BK: Some projects are harder to do than others. So the idea of putting together a track say for instance the Chuck Berry song “Run Rudolph Run” which we did for the Metal Christmas CD and getting guys like Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl as the band is just crazy. No one but me is doing things like that. I am the guy who comes up with these creations. A lot of times the creations are what make the people want to show up and be a part of these projects. That’s how Tim “Ripper” Owens got connected with Yngwie Malmsteen. I put them on a track together and Yngwie loved it! For me it’s all about making exciting concepts of these songs through the arrangements and through the combination of people who play and sing on them. The word tribute really is just a title. People have been covering songs for years and I am a guy who likes to stir the pot. It’s just music which is about the fun and I like to push the envelope.

AL: Can you tell us about any other projects you are currently working on?
BK: I worked on a song for Dee Snider and Giuliana Rancic from the E! Channel which available now on ITunes. We did a very unique arrangement of “Silent Night”. This is a really cool version of the song as you don’t know what you are getting until you start listening. I also have a few other projects in the works however I can’t announce any of those just yet. I also have been working with my brother Bruce on some songs that we hope to have out early next year. The idea with these songs is to keep things within the boundaries of our audience. We want to make songs that people who enjoy our work will like.

 

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Ben Draiman talks about debut album “The Past is Not Far Behind”

Ben Draiman is a singer-songwriter/pianist who grew up in Chicago, IL. Heavily influenced by a wide variety of music and styles, his music can best be described as strong, emotional, melodic rock, fusing the softness of the piano alongside the intensity and roughness of electric guitar. Media Mikes had the chance recently to discuss Ben’s musical background, his new album and the decision to covers Disturbed’s song “Stricken”.

Adam Lawton: Is music something you have always been interested in?
Ben Draiman: Definitely. As long as I remember, even before I learned piano at age 13 I was a little obsessed with music.  Singing in the shower, raiding my brother’s music collection, and the moment I could play what I heard on the radio I was set!  I’ve been singing and playing ever since. Music has always been a very important part of my life.  It’s where I turn to when I need to work something out, when I need to seek answers, and when I’d like some comfort.

AL: What can you tell us about your debut album, “The Past is Not Far Behind”?
BD: It’s a collection of material that was written over the course of a few years.  Much is based on particular dark periods in my life, which is usually the time I get most inspired. Much of it explores themes of an existential nature.  We are often thrown into painful situations that come all of sudden and for which there doesn’t seem to be much explanation. The more we try to figure it out, the more complicated and often worse things get. It seems at times that the only path to salvation is by accepting the here and now and moving forward as best as one can, clinging to the hope that tomorrow will be better. That is the album in a nutshell. It is some of my most personal material. Some of which I wasn’t entirely comfortable releasing until I did.

AL: Can you tell us about the decision to cover your brother David’s song “Stricken”?
BD: The idea first came about when I was discussing successful covers with my friend and producer, Raz Klinghoffer.  He had said that some of the best covers are ones that change the song 180 degrees and that if I was going to do a slow cover best to choose a fast paced song.  I honestly didn’t think it would work. “Stricken” has long been one of my favorites, something about the hooks and the lyrics that resonate well with me. In fact, from a lyrical standpoint it was exactly the sort of thing I myself would write so it was very easy to connect to.  So that very night I went to the piano and tried it. I play by ear so it didn’t take me long to come up with a basic arrangement. It became instantly clear that the lyrics and the melody lent themselves well to a ballad and I was immediately hooked. I then got together with producer Yuval Kramer and the amazingly talented pianist, Nina Vouraki, both from the Symphonic metal group Reign of the Architect and we began working on it in the studio.

AL: Can you tell us about the video for the song “Avalanche” and why you chose that song as the one to do a video for?
BD: I wrote “Avalanche” in college. I was studying at an Israeli university in a language and culture so different from what I was used to. I had felt incredibly alienated at the time and was having a hard time trying to find my place and make sense of it all.  Following a rather sudden break-up with a girl I had been dating I found myself in kind of a dark place. Around the same time I was also deeply immersed in literature with an existential bent, particularly the works of Franz Kafka. I pretty much read everything he ever wrote, among the more popular pieces was a short story he did called “The Metamorphosis” that deals with a guy who for no reason wakes up as a beetle and spends the rest of the story coming to terms with it. The existential themes he deals with in his work mainly consist of finding a way to deal with an absurd reality. Life can throw all sorts of interesting and rather challenging things your way. The more time you spend trying to figure it out, the more entangled you get in its complex web. The only path to salvation seems to be in accepting things the way they are, not questioning, and in such a way rising above it and moving forward, a task that is never easy.  This was a central focus for the song and ultimately what led to many of the elements for the video, which depicts an absurd reality as indicated by the characters wearing the masks. The only solution was to embrace the absurdity and stop trying to understand or question it. Sometimes wrong is the way things are meant to be, and knowing that and accepting it for what it is can at times be the only path towards salvation

AL: What type of tour plans do you have in place to support the release?
BD: I’m currently still performing locally here in the Middle East but I am planning US shows for February.  The first one that I can officially announce will take place at the BFE Rock Club in Houston, Texas on February 8, 2014.

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Kill Devil Hill’s Mark Zavon talks about new album “Revolution Rise”

Mark Zavon is the guitarist for the hard rock group Kill Devil Hill. The group, which also features former Pantera bassist Rex Brown, Heaven and Hell drummer Vinnie Appice and vocalist Dewey Bragg, has just released their second album titled “Revolution Rise” via Century Media Records. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with mark recently about the creation of the new record and what the band has planned for the coming year.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the new Kill Devil Hill album “Revolution Rise”?
Mark Zavon: The new album is just killer! Jeff Pilson co-produced the album with us. That guy was a huge positive influence on the whole process. He is a great songwriter and had a lot of good input. The album turned out great and we are super proud of it.

AL: What do you feel were the biggest changes made on the record compared to the bands previous release?
MZ: We had a lot more time to spend on this new record. The first record we had to do in about a month. Along with the limited time frame we also had a limited budget so we had to try and get things done as quick as we could. Things are both good and bad that way. This time around we had the time to spend getting things together. We also had a couple breaks in there as well as Rex had his book come out and Jeff plays with Foreigner. Getting everybody’s schedules to line up at times was a little difficult. Even though that part of things was a little bit difficult it gave me time to work more on the songs. We were able to put a little more energy into the writing/recording process this time around. I think it turned out a lot better than the first album.

AL: What type of approach do you guys take when it comes time to start working on a new record being that you all don’t live in the same area?
MZ: Every song is different. Sometimes we work together sometimes we work separate and send ideas back and forth to one another. Some of the songs on this new record were written originally for the first album however we had too many tracks so we held on to them. There was definitely a more collaborative approach to writing on this record as everyone was involved and contributed ideas. It was nice having everyone involved this time around as with the first record a bunch of that stuff was written before Rex even joined the band. There was a lot more of a combined effort this time around and we all demoed stuff in different places and then put it all together. We literally came from every angle when putting this album together.

AL: Prior to the albums released you signed to Century Media. What has that partnership been like thus far?
MZ: The thing that we were really missing on the first record was the promotional aspect of things. We were working with a label from Germany who had no real presence here in the States. That was tough as they didn’t really get behind the release all that much. With Century Media things have been much different. We actually started out by going down to their offices and playing a small acoustic set for everyone there. They are located right in Los Angeles, which is local for me. They came to one of our shows at the Roxy and they have been like family. Century Media is the type of label that likes to get behind their artists and promote them. Combining that with the whole family vibe has been a step in the right direction for us. Something like this is what we have all wanted for a long time.

AL: A lyric video for the song “Why” was released recently, Are there any plans to shoot a full production video for any of the songs of this album?
MZ: I think there will be some more lyric videos to come out for the other songs but we also just shot a video for the song “Leave It All Behind”. That should be coming out soon and is going to be really cool. We shot the video at an old missile silo site north of the San Fernando Valley. It was cool and we all had a good time. We actually worked with the director before on our last video and I think it turned out great.

AL: What other plans does the band have in place for the rest of this year leading into 2014?
MZ: We have plans to take the holiday season off and then start back up towards the end of January. There are some plans in the works for the upcoming NAMM show to do some things with our sponsors. From there the plan is to hit it hard and promote this record through out the coming year. The more we play the happier I am.

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Devour The Day’s Blake Allison talks about album “Good Man” and touring with Hinder

Blake Allison is the lead singer/guitarist for the band Memphis, TN based rock band Devour The Day. The group recently finished up a successful tour run with Hinder and has also re-released their “Good Man” EP which features a brand new set of mixes. Media Mikes spoke with Blake recently about the group’s formation, the bands re-release and their upcoming plans for 2014

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the band?
Blake Allison: Joey Chicago and I have been writing songs together for a long time. We got to the point with our old band Egypt Central where Joey and I were writing all the music. When the band started everyone pitched in with the song writing equally. As that band went on and we experienced some member changes it came down to Joey and I putting all the music and lyrics together. We started writing what would have been the third record for that band and during that process our singer left us high and dry. We decided that what we had could be really great material and possibly be used for another band. We loved that band but Devour the Day is really close to our hearts. This music is exactly as we want it. In the previous band we would write the music and other members would perform it. With Devour the Day we can do everything we want and it seems to mess with our musical background better. This music is straight from the heart and for the first time in a long time we can finish a song without outside help as we are creating it.

AL: Can you tell us about the re-release of the bands “Good Man” EP?
BA: We just finished that up pretty recently. We teamed up with Brian Malouf who is legend in the music industry for making great mixes. He helped us take this whole thing on and we actually were working on in while we were still on tour. We started out shooting ideas back and forth over the phone on how we could give the songs a make over. When we signed to Caroline Records we were super excited and we thought that doing this re-release would be a great way to kick things off. Everyone here is super excited about what we have coming up for 2014.

AL: The band recently finished up a tour with Hinder. Can you tell us about that experience?
BA: Those guys are friends of ours from back when we had our first band. They are just nice people. I think a lot of people would assume that people who are famous are jerks but these guys are not. These guys are living out their dreams and are very happy doing that. Those guys have always taken care of us and when we decided we were going to tour Devour the Day I gave the Cody their drummer a call and asked him to put in a good word for us. He did and landed us a tour that has had us on the road for the better half of 2013.

AL: What was the reception like from the fans?
BA: It has been amazing! We kind of share the same audience and can be heard on the same types of radio stations. The crowds may start off looking at us like we are a little bit weird as they have never heard our songs before but by the end of the set they understand what we are about and what we are trying to do. It can be hard to come out of the gat e and connect with a crowd so we get up there and just lose it and act like idiots. (Laughs) The crowds have loved it though and we are excited to get back out there.

AL: Your song “Good Man” is doing really well right now can you tell what made you choose that song to put out first?
BA: When it came time to pick a song to release there really wasn’t much of a dispute when it came to choosing “Good Man”. That song just stood out as something different from the rest of the material. Simply put it was the strongest song on the record. That song really was the catalyst for putting everything in motion. We had a group of songs that we were going to do and once this one was completed and sent out it got a lot of attention.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands Kickstarter campaign that just wrapped up?
BA: We had discussed putting a video together and the first thing that came up was how could we make a video on a small as budget as possible. We started toying with the idea of doing a cheap video, which generally equates to a band playing in an empty warehouse. That’s just not who we are. We wanted to do something different. Joey’s brother Dan handles the non-profit side of a company called Neighborhood Film Company. They put together Kickstarter campaigns for films that help provide jobs to people in need. We thought it would be a good idea to take the same approach and we came up with the idea of doing a video recognizing all of the people who have helped us get to where we are. We are looking forward to starting work on this and the idea is to make people cry and do something different that what a typical rock band would do.

AL: Can you tell us what the band has planned for the rest of this year leading into 2014?
BA: We have some really big shows coming up towards then end of this year. We have some things in the works for 2014 but I can’t really say too much about that just yet. We are really excited though as we will be out with some newer bands that have a similar sound to us. That should be a really great time.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, allison, blake, days, devour, good, ...

Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy talks about new album “Fortress”

Myles Kennedy is the lead singer/rhythm guitar player for the hard rock band Slash and Alter Bridge. The groups 4 album titled “Fortress” was recently released to rave reviews and the group is currently touring Europe in support of its release. Media Mikes had the chance recently to ask Myles a few questions about the album and what it’s like splitting time between two successful projects.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the new album?
Myles Kennedy: Mark Tremonti and I started the writing process for “Fortress” last year while we were touring with our various projects. We both agreed to meet in Florida starting in January to begin the arrangement process. Things went pretty quickly from there because we didn’t allow ourselves to over think. With that said we certainly tried to challenge ourselves and venture into new musical territory as much as we could.

AL: What do you feel was the most difficult part of working on this record as compared to the previous 3?
MK: Our fall tour and record release date had already been set so it was challenging knowing we had a finite amount of time to get the record done. Another challenge was not allowing ourselves to utilize the same arrangement approaches we had used in the past. It was very important to push ourselves as a band and continue to evolve.

AL: Does having multiple projects and larger time gaps between releases affect your creative process at all?
MK: It liberates us. I feel like our various projects keep the creative juices flowing all the time and benefit the songs at the end of the day. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a writer, singer, guitarist and performer in the last few years.

AL: Can you tell us about the “Addicted to Pain” video which was released recently?
MK: We teamed up with Dan Catullo for this video. He directed our live DVDs which we recorded at Wembley Stadium and Amsterdam. We were definitely on the same page regarding the overall vibe and visual concepts which made the process go quickly.

AL: Can you tell us about the upcoming Alter Bridge tour?
MK: We are currently touring Europe getting the set refined. At this point we are trying to mix up the set-list more than we have in the past. We have a lot of diehard fans that travel all over to see us. Often times they come out and see us more than once on a tour cycle so we are trying to keep them in mind by switching tunes out from the new record in order to keep it interesting. The hard part is when you find a set that has a great flow you have to be careful how much you alter it or the show will suffer. It’s a delicate balance.

AL: Do you have any other projects in the works that you would like to mention?
MK: At this point we are focused on Alter Bridge. I am working with Slash and the guys on new material for the next record and I am sure Mark is chipping away on songs for next Tremonti record as well. We are lucky to have so many musical outlets to keep us busy and it’s definitely something we don’t take for granted.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, alter, bridges, fortress, kennedy, myles, ...

Escape the Fate’s Robert Ortiz talks about new album “Ungrateful”

Robert Ortiz is the drummer for the heavy metal band Escape the Fate who in May of this year released their fourth studio album titled “Ungrateful”. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Robert recently to discuss the album and the bands current tour with Five Finger Death Punch.

Adam Lawton: What have things been like for the band since signing with Eleven Seven Music?
Robert Ortiz: Well it’s been interesting. They have really backed us as we have had a rough year sorting out new management and it’s been kind of hard to get all of our visions across. We are now with 10th St. which is kind of like a partner with Eleven Seven. Since joining with them full force, everything has been moving forward and on track. It’s obvious that they are working hard to make sure that all of our art gets out to as many people in as many ways as possible.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands current tour with Five Finger Death Punch?
RO: Well were really fucking stoked on it! Five Finger Death Punch is personally one of my favorite bands out right now. They are really killing it right now and it’s a huge opportunity that they are giving us. So far their fans are definitely connecting with us and it feels like our first tour again. Were having to win new fans over again every night and it’s been just amazing.

AL: Now that the album “Ungrateful” has been out for a bit are there any songs from the album that you really enjoy playing live and if so why?
RO: It’s very weird because there are songs you love to play because of the energy and there are songs you like that are slower but more emotionally involved. The songs off “Ungrateful” are very uncomfortable to play. They are not hard but just awkward. I can’t play them as freely as most our old shit. While I love playing the songs I am thinking a lot while I am playing them. “Fire It Up” is probably my favorite though. It’s the epitome of what I just explained.

AL: Can you tell us what it was like working with Patrick Stump and Mick Mars? And will the track you did with Mars ever be available?
RO: The track we did with Mick will most likely not ever see daylight. It’s very rough and we have kind of moved on from where our heads were at during that time. But I can tell you it was fucking amazing working with him. It was crazy to be around such a character. Patrick Stump is a fucking genius. He looks at music in such a different way. Patrick focuses so much on the heart of the song and what it is about. We sat down and figured out exactly what we wanted to say. From there the melodies came very easily. It was just so simple but, coming from guys who love to riff it was such a different approach. He is so fucking good!

AL: Does the band have any other plans for the remainder of 2013?
RO: As far as I see right now tour, tour, tour. We have a very special one coming up early next year that has yet to be announced. I know our diehard fans will lose their when the news is released so be on the lookout for that.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, escape, fates, ortiz, robert, talks, ...

Sarah Miles talks about her first full-length album “One”

Sarah Miles is a singer/songwriter who has just released her first full-length album via Rock Ridge Music titled “One”. Media Mikes had the pleasure of talking with Sarah recently about the new album and what first drew her to music.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what first interested you in music?
Sarah Miles: I grew up in a pretty musical family. It was something I was always surrounded by starting at a very young age. I sang in choirs and a cappella groups all through high school and college. In high school was when I got my first guitar and around that same time is when I started writing music as well. I also started doing some performing on my own. The more I started doing that the more I started to realize that music was something that I wanted to do full time. I went to college while still doing music on the side and after I finished college I moved to New York and have been doing music ever since.

AL: What was it like working on your first full length album?

SM: It was an awesome experience. I had released two EP’s prior to this on my own which was a lot more difficult as I didn’t have a fan base yet so the music was just kind of there. With this new album I have been around now for awhile doing shows and I got myself a manger to help with things as well. I released the album through Rock Ridge Music so I had a lot more support and backing with this release which was very exciting. The actual recording process for the album was really cool as I worked with a great producer by the name of Dave Pittenger. The recording took almost a year and I had been writing for about two years. It was a very long process but totally worth it because I was able to pick out my favorite songs. Everything was really cool and I got to meet a ton of great musicians along the way.

AL: Having taken so long during the writing process was it hard to pick out or reconnect with some of the songs during the recording process?
SM: It was definitely tough. Even while I was recording the album I was still writing. You are always changing as is your music so it was certainly a challenge. I tried to pick out songs that all worked together and which had similar themes which made things a little bit easier. Things were certainly tough but I am happy with the choices I made.

AL: What is your standard approach for writing a song?
SM: Usually I start on the guitar. I will pick out some chords I really like and just play them over and over again. From there I may come up with a melody and then the lyrics come second. There are times when that can be different though. If I am writing about a specific thing that happened to me or was something I saw things may be reversed. Typically I start with the melody and go from there.

AL: You have a quite a few YouTube video. Do you plan to make any for songs off of “One”?
SM: I am going to be doing a video for the song “Standup” which I am super excited about. I am shooting it this month along with a video for a cover song as well. There is certainly going to be things to check out in the near future.

AL: Can you tell us about some of the live shows you have coming up?
SM: I have a few shows booked right now and I am hoping to book some more in the New York area soon. I live in New York so I do have a couple NY and Philadelphia shows already booked. I will also be doing some college shows throughout the east coast which will be a lot of fun. I am also looking in to doing web shows. This is something I am really excited about doing. I just did my first one a few weeks ago and I the idea of my fans being able to watch me from wherever they are is really cool.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, fulllength, miles, sarah, talks
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