Tag: Music

Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: Mark Slaughter discusses his new single, ‘Halfway There’, career highlights

Released in May from EMP Label Group, Halfway There is a stunning return to form for legendary rock vocalist, Mark Slaughter. His new album channels the classic feel of early Slaughter albums like Stick it to Ya and The Wild Life while at the same time providing material with an adrenaline-fueled, twenty-first century appeal.

Slaughter also does a bit of soul-searching on the new release. Particularly on the album’s emotionally-driven title track. A ballad that’s easily on par with hits like “Fly To The Angels” and continues to showcase Slaughter as one of rock’s most recognizable and versatile artists.

AXS recently spoke with Mark Slaughter about the new single and more in this new interview.

AXS: “Halfway There” is your new single and the title track of your album released earlier this year. Can you tell me what inspired it?

Mark Slaughter: The concept I was speaking to with Bill Jordan [co-writer] was a song that talks about how things change as we get older. At this age, we’re all starting to lose our parents and many others around us. We thought this is where we are in life. So, we wanted to write a song that really got in there about what we’re going through. It hits the nail on the head.

AXS: How would you describe the new album in terms of its sound and how it relates to some of your previous work?

MS: There’s definitely an aspect of Slaughter in there. A lot of people don’t realize that Dana Strum and I wrote, produced and perform the music to this day. We’re the only guys from our genre that had that much control back then and still carry it. The records I’m doing now are ones where I’m in control and making the songs come across the best they can be.

AXS: What’s your songwriting process like?

MS: I usually write music first. I hear orchestras in my head and then follow the bouncing the ball with what the melody is. There’s something about how the song feels and how the melodic structure works that’s important to me. The lyrics usually come after the fact.

You can read the rest of my
Interview with Mark Slaughter by
Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: Lindsey Stirling discusses her holiday Album, ‘Warmer In The Winter’ and ‘Dancing With The Stars’
Photo by Cara Robbins and used with permission.

Warmer In The Winter is the first holiday album from critically-acclaimed electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling. The album features the multi-talented artist’s renditions of such holiday favorites as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Carol of The Bells,” “I Saw Three Ships” and “Jingle Bell Rock” as well as several original numbers written by Stirling.

Stirling in joined by a slew of other chart-topping, special guest artists on Warmer In The Winter, including Becky G, Sabrina Carpenter, Trombone Shorty and Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low.

AXS recently spoke with Lindsey about Warmer In The Winter, her time on “Dancing With The Stars” [where she placed second with her partner, Mark Ballas] and more in this exclusive new interview.

AXS: What made you decide to do a Christmas album?

Lindsey Stirling: I love Christmas music and one of my favorite things about it is how it ties people to their memories. Everyone has their own favorite Christmas songs that have become tradition and brings back tangible memories. I’ve always wanted to do a Christmas album and hope that this music can add to people’s holiday memories and traditions the same way certain songs tie me to mine.

AXS: Was there a certain criteria or theme you had in mind when choosing which songs you wanted to cover?

LS: I don’t think I’ve ever done so much homework for an album [laughs]. I spent hours listening to Christmas music and making playlists. Deciding not only what songs to do but also what style to do each song in. It includes some of my favorites but other songs I chose because they really sang on the violin or brought out the symphonic element. There are so many different sides of Christmas. There’s the big band, classic sound and then there’s the magical, symphony sound. Half of the album is with the live band and horns and the other half is with symphonic strings playing live. It was a first for me to be able to do an album in this way and to work with arrangers and composing. It was a lot of fun.

AXS: Let’s discuss a few tracks from the album, starting with “Angels We Have Heard On High.”

LS: That’s always been one of my favorite Christmas songs. I remember when I was a kid my family would make cookies and then we’d all go deliver them to neighbors by caroling. “Angels We Have Heard on High” was a song we sang so well together. On a personal note, I lost several people who were really close to me over the last few years, and the thought of angels has taken on a whole new meaning. I’ve felt the influence of angels in my life so strongly in the last few years. Not only the idea of angels but people I know and love who are looking out for me. That’s why I spent quite a bit of time making that song so special. Because it’s special to me.

You can read the rest of my
Interview with Lindsey Stirling by
Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Moody Blues’ Justin Hayward Talks Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction, Revisiting ‘Days of Future Passed’

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently announced its class of 2018. The list of inductees included—along with Bon Jovi, the Cars, Dire Straits and Nina Simone—the Moody Blues.

For the Moody Blues, who spent the year celebrating the 50th anniversary of their landmark album, Days of Future Passed, the induction is long overdue. The band, which features Justin Hayward (lead guitar, vocals), John Lodge (bass guitar, vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums), will receive the honor alongside former members Ray Thomas (flute/vocals) and Mike Pinder (keyboard/mellotron/vocals).

Guitar World recently spoke with Hayward about the Moody Blues’ upcoming induction and more.

An artist becomes eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. The Moody Blues have more than doubled that. So, I guess the first logical question to ask would be, did you think this day would ever come?

To be honest, I kind of doubted it because it had been so long. But when it finally happened I was absolutely thrilled. For Moody Blues fans, it’s galvanized the music they love. I’m very pleased for them and for us. It’s a privilege to be in the same street as Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers, and then to have Nina Simone inducted posthumously at the same time makes the whole thing complete. She was such a huge influence on me in my late teens and early twenties.

How did her music inspire you?

I think she was a musician’s musician, and those albums she made in the early to mid-Fifties were an exercise in how to put emotion across in a song and to feel it. There was a beautiful tragedy in her singing and playing that I haven’t heard since.

The band’s induction will include former members Mike Pinder and Ray Thomas. Are there any plans for a musical reunion with them at the ceremony?

I think the spirit is willing. Let’s put it that way.

The band has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of Days of Future Passed, a celebration that will continue into the new year. Can you tell me about your January tour plans that end in Vegas?

It starts with the Moody Blues Cruise, which is always great fun. It’s wonderful for the fans who get to see and hear us up close and intimate. Vegas is another place where Moodies fans like to gather. I remember the first time we ever played there I wasn’t sure if we even belonged. I thought, ‘What are we doing here?’ But then as we rolled into town I saw there was a big poster for Neil Young, who’s the king of credibility. That’s when I said, ‘Oh, this is OK, then.’ [laughs].

You can read the rest of my
Interview with Justin Hayward by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Guitarist Hannah Wicklund Discusses Her New Album, Writing Process

Formed when their frontwoman was just nine years old and with a voice and guitar-driven swagger that instantly conjures up images of Janis Joplin and Susan Tedeschi, Hannah Wicklund and The Steppin Stones have consistently stood out as a young band on the rise.

The band’s self-titled, fifth album [produced by Sadler Valden and set for a January 26 release] draws from the guitarist’s classic rock influences, which range from Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck to Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. The result is a fiery combination of blues-rock passion that pays homage to her musical roots while giving them modern, 21-century feel.

With her tasty fret work and tireless work ethic, Wicklund is a guitarist to watch for 2018.

Guitar World recently spoke with Wicklund about her new album, songwriting, gear and more.

How would you describe your style of music?

It’s raw but very authentic and genuine. It’s also a good representation of what the last year and a half of my life has been like. This new album is my most mature piece of work as far as sound goes, and an ode to my classic rock roots.

What’s your writing process like?

Honestly? It’s different every song. There have been songs that begin with a musical idea approach, where the riff comes first and is followed by forming a melody. Other songs could start from just a lyrical idea.

Something else I’ve been doing lately is taking a strong title and writing the song from there. “Shadow Boxes” is an example of a song I had originally written and then scrapped everything except for the title. Then there are songs like “Crushin”, which is more of a riff-based, bluesy song. I’d been playing that riff for a long time and developed it into a song.

Let’s discuss a few other tracks from the new album, beginning with “Bomb Through The Breeze.”

That’s a song that Sadler [Valden] and I co-wrote in one sitting. It started out with the riff and then we took cues from each other and built it from there. It’s a song about standing up for yourself.

You can read the rest of my
Interview with Hannah Wicklund Here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Collective Soul’s Ed Roland And Jesse Triplett Discuss New Live Album, the Origin of “Shine”
Photo by: Joseph Guay

Following the release of their ninth full-length album, 2015’s See What You Started by Counting, Collective Soul made the conscious decision to record more than 160 of their shows over the course of the next two years. The result is the band’s new album, the aptly titled, Collective Soul: Live.

Collective Soul rose to fame in 1993 with Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, a collection of frontman Ed Roland’s demos bolstered by the monster hit, “Shine.” Since then, the multi-platinum band have amassed an arsenal of #1 hits and album sales, while simultaneously helping to define rock with their guitar-driven attitude.

Guitar World recently spoke with Roland and the band’s guitarist, Jesse Triplett, about Collective Soul’s new live album, music, gear and more in this exclusive new interview.

What made the band decide to record a live album?

Ed Roland: Jesse joined the band about five years ago and our drummer, Johnny Rabb, joined right before that. After 24 years, I feel this is without a doubt the best line-up we’ve ever had and I’ve always said that once we caught the groove, we needed to get it down. So when we started to tour after our last album, [See What You Started by Continuing], we recorded every show.

How did you determine which live versions to include?

Roland: Of course, every night you want to do the best that you can, but some nights were better than others. Afterwards, we all came back and whittled it down to our producer/engineer/mixer, Shawn Grove. We gave him the weeks we thought were good and let him pick and choose. The only thing we made clear was that we wanted no overdubs. We just wanted what it was that night.

Jesse Triplett: Shawn came out and saw us at a few different spots during the tour. I remember during the first part he’d say to us, “You guys sound good” and by the end was like, “You guys are on fire!” There were so many shows that I sometimes forgot we were recording for a live album.

Is there any set of extra nerves knowing that you’re recording a live show and there’s no going back?

Roland: Jesse and I both like to move around on stage, so when we first started talking about recording we were concerned about how far we should take the showmanship and how much we should reel it back and make sure we we’re playing correctly. Jesse mentioned about forgetting that we were being recorded and I think that really helped with the mindset of doing the show without thinking.

Triplett: If you start thinking about it, it gets weird. It’s better to just get out there and play instead of trying to be technically sound.

Roland: Being a front man, you also have to play with a crowd and know how to entertain and bring them in and take them out. I never wanted to be withdrawn from that by having to think about singing something perfectly. It was more about letting it flow, catching the groove and forgetting about it.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Collective Soul by Clicking Here.

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Michael Sweet Discusses New Sweet & Lynch Album, Gives Stryper Update
Michael Sweet & George Lynch

Unified is the sophomore release from Sweet & Lynch, the collaborative partnership centered around the talents of Michael Sweet (Stryper) and George Lynch (Lynch Mob).

The powerful combination of Sweet’s high-octane vocals and Lynch’s instantly recognizable guitar work, along with the propulsive rhythm section of James Lomenzo (bass) and Brian Tichy (drums), gives Sweet and Lynch a unique musical palette. The result is an album of traditional heavy metal grooves, hook-laden melodies, tasty guitar wizardry and positive messages.

I recently spoke to Michael Sweet about Unified and working with George Lynch. He also gave me an update on the new Stryper album and their new bassist, Perry Richardson.

Before we begin, I’d like to get your thoughts on the recent passing of AC/DC guitarist, Malcolm Young. How much of an influence did he have on you?

Like any other teenager and aspiring musician at the time, AC/DC was the pinnacle. Not so much from the sense of me trying to sound like Malcolm or Angus, but I played those songs in cover bands and to this day we still break into AC/DC songs at sound check.

There’s just something amazing about their power and simplicity, and Malcom was the driving force behind it. He was such an incredibly tight and responsive guitar player. He didn’t make a lot of noise in terms of his persona or stage presence, but if you closed your eyes and listened you would hear Malcolm above all.

Let’s discuss the new Sweet & Lynch album, Unified. How does it compare to your first release, Only To Rise?

For this album, George and I branched out a little and tried a few different things. It’s got some songs on it that are stretched a bit more in terms of creativity, particularly with songs like “Walk” and “Afterlife”. There’s nothing like that on the first album. The first album was comprised more of three and a half to four-minute songs geared toward hard rock/metal heads and radio. For this one, we had less of that in mind and made the album we wanted to make.

Was the writing process similar to Only To Rise, where George would send you musical ideas to work from?

Yes. Once we got down to it, George would send me ideas that were music only. The first time around they were less complete, but this time it was a complete song from start to finish. George is a guy who writes with a melody in mind, so it makes it easy for me to find them. George wrote all the music on this one and I wrote all the lyrics and melodies. It was a compete co-write.

Let’s discuss a few tracks from Unified, beginning with the title track.

That song is based on our world today and what we watch on the news. Whatever side you’re on. And that’s the sad part when I say that we have “sides”, especially in America where we’ve become so divided. It makes no sense to me, so I wrote a song about it. Keeping in mind the hope that it might bring people a little closer together. That’s the whole point of “Unified.”

Read the rest of my
Interview with Michael Sweet by clicking here.

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Vixen Guitarist Brittany Denaro Talks Songwriting, Gear and New Music
Photo by; Tammy Vega

After being discovered performing in an all-female Guns ‘N Roses tribute band, guitarist Brittany Denaro—or Britt Lightning—was invited to join the ranks of hard rockers Vixen.

Denaro’s impressive musical resume also includes performing alongside such artists as Alejandro Sanz, Rachel Platten and Jason Derulo as well as on television shows like Good Morning America and the finale of America’s Got Talent.

Vixen—which also consists of Janet Gardner (vocals/guitar), Share Ross (bass) and Roxy Petrucci (drums)—and whose hits include “Edge of A Broken Heart,” “Cryin’” and “Wrecking Ball,” is the only all-female hard rock band from the 80’s to sell more than a million albums. The band is currently in the studio working on a live project along with their first new music together in years.

Guitar World recently spoke to Denaro about her role in Vixen, gear, songwriting and more.

Above video by Rokken Randy

How did the gig with Vixen come about?

I was playing with an all-female Guns ‘N Roses tribute band at a pre-party for The Monsters of Rock Cruise. Coincidentally, the person who put it on also happened to be Vixen’s manager. He had known that there was some tension in the band and that they were looking for another guitar player.

After the show, he spoke to the girls and told them he thought I’d be a perfect fit. Ironically, around the same time Janet, Share and Roxy had been asking around and my name kept popping up, so they followed up. It was that simple.

What was it like for you getting together with them for the first time?

I was a bit nervous. Growing up, I had been in all-girl bands but there weren’t many of them to really look up to. I remember the first time I got together with them was without Janet. It was just the music and that took a little bit of the pressure off. Because everyone lived all over the country, the first time I actually met Janet was the night before we did a show together!

Read the rest of my
With Brittany Denaro Here

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Portugal. The Man Guitarist Eric Howk Discusses The Band’s New Album, ‘Woodstock’
Photo by Maclay Heroit

It’s been quite a year for Portland rockers Portugal. The Man.

Having spent the better part of three years working feverishly on a new album, the band abruptly decided to change direction and scrap everything after front man John Gourley paid a visit to his father in Alaska. The encounter led to the discovery of an original Woodstock music festival ticket and the realization that a pattern of events from that era was eerily similar to what’s going in the world today.

Led by the hugely successful “Feel It Still,” the band’s latest album—Woodstock—addresses those concerns and more. It’s also opened the door to cross-over appeal and a monster touring schedule, which will see them in places like Europe, the Dominican Republic and beyond.

I recently spoke with guitarist Eric Howk about the success of the Woodstockalbum, songwriting, gear and more in this new interview.

The band had been working on a new album for quite a while when they decided to scrap everything and start over. Having said that, how has the reaction been to Woodstock?

That happened right around the time I started touring with the band full time. When I came in, it was around the same time all of those other songs the band had written were going out. Ultimately, it was the right call. It’s a record with meaning and gravity and the songs are the best of the bunch. It was a good decision.

What prompted the sudden change in direction?

John Gourley’s father is a gruff, unsentimental Alaskan dude and one night when they were hanging out, John’s dad showed him an original ticket from Woodstock he thought he’d lost for forty years. That coalesced with the current American political climate that none of the previous songs addressed.

In a lot of ways, Woodstock was a reactionary event that came out of fear-based, xenophobic, Richard Nixon/McCarthyism, politically-driven America. It’s eerily similar to where we’re at now. It all panned out, so Woodstock it was.

What’s the band’s writing process?

The majority of the time it starts with a groove, but it’s really all about the feel and finding something in the pocket. Other times, there might be a lyric kicking around and you’ll try to find a way to shove that in. If we knew how the process works that would be great. “Feel it Still” came together in less than an hour while some of the other songs took seven or eight months.

You mentioned “Feel It Still”. Can you tell us how it came about?

We had been working on a completely different song when we took a break and John went in and started messing around with that bass line. It had a real Sixties, spy movie feel to it. Everyone thought it sounded cool so we threw a mic on the bass amp and recorded it. Pretty much an hour later all of the lyrics and everything else that you hear came together.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Eric Howk Here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

‘Peach’: Larkin Poe’s Megan and Rebecca Lovell Discuss New Album, Songwriting

What originally began as an album of all-original material from Larkin Poe (which consists of sisters Megan and Rebecca Lovell) quickly took a turn when they began recording and posting traditional blues covers on various social media outlets.

The result was millions of views and an overwhelming demand for an album of traditional American roots music. This prompted Larkin Poe to return to the studio for Peach, a compilation of blues covers and original material that harkens towards their Southern musical heritage.

Tasty covers of songs like “Preachin’ Blues” (Son House) and “Black Betty” demonstrate reverence for the original versions but are fused with the ladies’ own unique style. The songs stand up equally against originals such as “Freedom”, “Wanted Woman” and “Pink & Red.”

The Lovell sisters are no strangers to musical attention having performed as part of the house band for the MusiCares 2017 “Person of The Year” event honoring Tom Petty and opening for the likes of Elvis Costello and Bob Seger. In short, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

I recently spoke with the duo about Peach, their songwriting process and their current setup.

Where did you draw inspiration for Peach?

Megan Lovell: We wanted to pay homage to music of the South and the Delta and make it into a very American roots rock record. It’s a culmination of all the Southern influences we’ve received over our lifetime.

Was there a certain theme you were going for when choosing covers for this album?

Megan Lovell: We’ve been making videos of covers for social media as a way to keep pushing ourselves and people have really responded to it. When the time came to make this record, there was a great demand for them, so we decided to choose our favorites from the videos. That’s what you get on the album.

Rebecca Lovell: We cover Sam House on the record [“Preachin’ Blues]. If you read the lyrics to the song written almost a century ago, they’re fantastic. It’s music that plays to a timeless human emotion. A raw questioning of soul and spirit.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Larkin Poe by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Fozzy’s Rich “The Duke” Ward Discusses the Band’s New Album, ‘Judas’

Fozzy has always been a band focused on two things: a heavy groove and a good time. And when you have two high-energy performers like Rich “The Duke of Metal” Ward and Chris Jericho in the band, those grooves and good times come easy.

Ward is known for being one of the most prolific and underrated guitarists in rock and metal today. He’s created his own signature style of heavy riffs, melodic choruses and what’s become known as The Duke groove.

Fozzy’s new album, Judas—set for an October 13 release—is the follow-up to 2014’s Do You Wanna Start a War and reinforces the idea that the band is hitting its stride. Songs like the title track showcase Jericho’s enaging vocal delivery along with the infectiously familiar, in the pocket groove of Ward and drummer, Frank Fontsere.

Tracks like “Weight of My World” and the groovy “Drinkin With Jesus” follow a similar pattern, highlighted by the band’s inspiration and self-reflection.

I recently spoke with Rich Ward about the new Fozzy album, songwriting, gear and more.

How would you describe Judas in terms of its sound and how it relates to some of the band’s previous work?

I think the majority of people who hear it will see this as a big rock record with big guitar riffs and catchy melodies. The one strength about Fozzy is that we’re always able to stay relevant. We have an eclectic set of influences that make this band unique.

What was the writing process like?

We usually start with a blank sheet of paper and then Jericho starts sending us song title ideas followed by sheets of lyrics. I practice every day for a few hours and if I find something that seems interesting, I’ll record and catalog it based on something that would be influentially relevant to the sound I’m coming up with.

So, if Jericho sends me lyrics that have a dark, moody vibe I’ll go into my catalog to see if I can in a nice companion for it. Other times, it will be just us all in a room coming up with ideas collectively. A lot of stuff on this record was a real collaboration with our producer, Johnny Andrews.

We worked with him on a few songs on our last album. One of our goals going in was to have someone who was more involved in the process. Not just in creating sounds but also having a creative seat at the table. Johnny was the MVP of the studio.

Let’s discuss a few songs from the new album, starting with the title-track, “Judas”

That song has a great riff. As soon as I recorded it we all looked at ourselves and said if this comes off as good as it is right now, it will be the single of the record. It has such a classic, head banging groove and for us, that’s where we’re at our strongest. Our drummer, Frank Fontsere and I are at our best when we’re laying down pocket and that song plays right into the sweet spot.

Jericho really connected with the lyric in telling the story. The songs that stand the test of time are the ones where you hear an emotional connection in the delivery of a lyric. “Judas” is that song.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Rich Ward by Clicking Here!