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Lea Michele for PETA

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Help put horse-drawn carriages out to pasture.

Lea Michele for PETA

HORSES DON’T BELONG IN TRAFFIC

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ndre

w S

outh

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r Wei

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tists

• S

tylin

g: E

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4/2/2011

FINAL ROUND

CONTENTS

MagazineVolume III/ Issue 1 March 2011

FEATURES27 alter bridgeStill Remain Fans Favorites With ABIII

8 sunny sweeneyIt’s Always Sunny In Nashville

39 flo ridaQ&A with the Pop Rap King

36 in this momentHard Rock’s Queen

57 queen of countryMiranda or Taylor? 50 music as a weapon tourTour Stop in NYC

27

50

8

36

Departments

WARM UPS 7

UNSIgNed SPoTlIgHT 46

Q & A 36

HeAdlINeRS 27

lIve RevIeWS 50

Owner, Publisher & LayoutScott Vollweiler

Editor-in-ChiefJustin Sarachik

Executive Managing Editor/Photos/WriterRay White

Staff: Kristin Tully, Gerard UcelliMarkos Papadatos, Kayla O’Neill, Luis Vazquez, Megan Messana, Arin Segal, Matt Ryan, Greg Rothberg, Laura Bo, Jennifer Leeflang, Pat Slyman, Olivia Harrington, Peter Tartaglione, Laura Desantis-Olsson, Mike Camp, Terri Caputo, Ryan Zerfas, Lisa Eadicicco, Danielle Choo, Vincent Balestriere

Intern:Mariann Guadagnino

Broken Records Magazine is published by Broken Records Publishing. Broken Records Magazine and all its subsidiary companies are governed under state law. If you’d like to intern for any of the Broken Records companies, please

email us @ [email protected] Logos are used with permission and are owned by the

respective artists.

Broken Records Magazine prints every 2 months, 6 times a year. To see more photos or to purchase other copies please

visit us at: BrokenRecordsOnline.com

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Currently on tour approaching Cleveland, OH, Miggs is no stranger to the spotlight. Together for almost a decade, the band has been through several music labels, as well has selling CDs out of the trunk of their cars, and has slowly but successfully made progress to where they are today. Originally from New York, lead singer Don Miggs originally left the city for San Francisco, to try and reinvent what the band was all about. A few years later bassist Michael Lombardo joined him in California, and they began what Don calls their “ten year overnight success.” Don says it’s been nothing but hard work for the past ten years. With each step they take, the ricks get greater and the stakes get higher, but the rewards are always sweeter. The band kept pushing themselves to do bigger and better things, and soon enough the wins started o u t w e i g h i n g the losses. They promised t h e m s e l v e s that “as long as they went

forward instead of backward, they would never quit” and so far forward is the direction the band keeps going. In regards to their new album, “Wide Awake,” Don says that the ideas behind it are that for the past few years, the band had been feeling anxious and was wondering why everything was taking so long for them. One day they just woke up and realized that they weren’t in such a bad place after all, and the album is trying to show everyone that

you’re probably not in as bad of a place in your life as you think. Don Miggs says that “it’s better to sell out then to not sell,”

but just by speaking with him for ten minutes you can see that making music is where his heart and soul are. He genuinely loves what he does and that makes it all worthwhile. Miggs plans to keep making albums for as long as possible, and personally I can’t wait to see what the band has in store for their next record.

MIGGS

By Megan MessanaPhoto by Matt Ryan



It’s Always Sunny in Nashville with Sunny Sweeney

By:

Markos Papadatos

A Texas beauty, Sunny Sweeney is drawn to the country genre since she “loves the stories it tells” as well as the “huge emotions it evokes such as happiness and sadness.” Sweeney’s greatest musical influences include country music pioneers Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings. “I would like to think that this shows in my music,” says Sweeney. Her latest single “From a Table Away,” which sits at #13 on the Billboard Country Charts, is the highest charting debut single by a female country artist in four years. Sweeney remarks that this milestone is “pretty awesome and flattering.” “This song evokes a lot of emotion. I wrote it a year and one month ago.” “From a Table Away” is told from the perspective of the paramour. “We just wanted to make it different and change the perspective of the song. I’ve always tried to be different,” says Sweeney. Sweeney’s newest EP was released in January featuring five songs. “It’s really country and the remainder of the record is similar to that. There’s love, loss, drinking, cheating, and partying. All of the things that I hold dear to my heart about country music are in that album. From the responses I’m getting from the EP, everybody loves the fact that it’s pure country,” states Sweeney. In her upcoming eponymous album, produced by Brett

Beavers, Sweeney co-wrote seven out of ten tracks. Sweeney gets songwriting inspirations from various sources. “Some songs were personal. Country music is telling a story. Whether it’s my story, or your story, or my sister’s story. There are times when I write four songs a day!” “‘Drink Myself Single’ is my favorite song from the album. It’s pretty lighthearted and fun. It’s pretty cool,” says Sweeney. Sweeney’s proudest p r o f e s s i o n a l moment was dueting with Waylon Jennings’ widow, Jessi Colter on “Good Hearted Woman” on the new Waylon Jennings tribute project.

“This past Tuesday we got to perform it live together and it was amazing. Jessi is just amazing! She is somebody I looked up to my whole life. I was so excited. Singing with Jessi pretty much put me over the edge.” Other proud moments for S w e e n e y include opening shows for veteran country stars Loretta

Lynn and Hank Williams Jr. “Loretta told me that ‘I sing good’ and I thought that was pretty cool,” notes Sweeney. “The Grand Ole Opry is amazing. To stand in the circle that every personality in country stood is pretty crazy. Sometimes it feels surreal; when I am standing there singing, and I’m in the middle of a song, and I’d go ‘oh my God I’m at the Opry.’ I’m doing it again on



February 18th. I’m so excited. It’ll be my 22nd time singing there!” The hardest aspect of Sweeney’s job is “the travelling for sure,” as well as “the early morning and late nights.” When asked if Sweeney ever feels overwhelmed, she remarks “I do not let myself get overwhelmed. I try not to. There is no reason to stress about anything. You’re just doing your job. Just drink lots of coffee to stay awake and do your thing.” In the future, Sweeney would love to collaborate with many vocalists. “Dwight Yoakam. I love him. That’ll be awesome. I’d love to sing with Jamey Johnson,Randy Houser and Trace Adkins and other true traditional country artists.” “We’re working on summer plans and getting a tour together.

Basically, we’ll keep on doing radio tours and go out there and do shows and meet fans. I am going to write songs all the time,” adds Sweeney. For Sunny Sweeney, success is when “you are happy doing what you are doing. It’s not about the money, even though that comes with it. In my life, I’m happy doing my job.”For her supportive fans, Sweeney concludes “I

hope to see and meet all of my fans out there. I hope

that they tell their friends about my shows and bring

their friends to my shows. I hope that my music says something to them. My favorite thing is when people come up and tell me what my songs mean to them. That’s always the best compliment!”

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What do you get when you mix the sex appeal of Scarlet Johansson with the rockabilly of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze?” The answer, a fun loving, hard rocking throwback band known throughout biker bars in the Midwest as Scarlet Haze. If you haven’t noticed, Scarlet Haze is lead by Minneapolis native Kat Perkins, and she’s pretty easy on the eyes. Once you cut through all the leather, fishnets and dark eye-liner therein awaits a rock obsessed, 80’s MTV era, worshiper of

Heart, Fleetwood Mac and Madonna waiting to bust out of her room and into your headphones. And while you won’t see their music on MTV (do they even play music on MTV anymore?) or listen to it on your very own Walkman, you best believe it’s going to rock you. “The songs on One Bad Bitch run the gamut…there’s arena rock that’s just fun to play with huge sing-a-long choruses that I’m so into

right now, gut-wrenching ballads that I sing the crap out of and a couple other catchy tunes to round it out,” expressed Kat in a phone interview with BRM. The album is called One Bad Bitch, however the title is not autobiographical as Kat Perkins is quite possibly one of the most pleasant people on the planet to speak with. The title is a

reference to a clothing line the band loves, Kat divulged, “after awhile I fell in love with the name…it means to me wear whatever,

feel confident.” There is a great deal to be confident about. Their single “Reach Down” is the feel good (pun intended) hit of the winter that finds the Divinyls, wherever they are, wincing in jealousy.

SCARLET HAZE

An Iowa darling, Holmes’ biggest musical influences are an “eclectic mix, including female singer-songwriters Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Norah Jones, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, as well as the Beatles.” From her debut album, Second Chances, most of the songs were co-written with her producer. “This album is reflective of my life experiences or the experiences from the people around me,” Holmes says. “If you just listen to the conversations people are having around you, you can obtain great song ideas,” she adds. Holmes’ personal favorite tune from the album is “Half As Strong As You,” in which she pays homage to her father, who passed away from cancer five years ago. Her favorite song to perform live is “If You Love Me, Just Say It.” “Time for a Change” has an island beat and a laid-back groove to it. In addition, she notes that “Love Me In Tonight” is a fan-favorite song.

Holmes’ proudest professional moments include becoming an opening act for a popular Iowa band, The Nadas, which she accomplished on her own, without the help of a publicist or a manager. In addition, “seeing my first wrapped CD with my name on it was yet another empowering moment,” Holmes states. Thus far, she has recorded the first two songs of her second studio album. In the future, Holmes would also like to embark on a Spring tour; moreover, Holmes has “two or three great songwriters to co-write with.” On collaborations and songwriting, Holmes remarks “two heads working together can be awesome!” “With technology and the Intenet, you can reach anybody with the click of a mouse,” says Holmes. For hopefuls who wish to pursue music, Holmes

recommends they “network to meet as many people as possible, as well

as work hard! Once you come to the realization

that you are your own best advocate, a lot can be accomplished that way.” For her fans, Holmes concludes “thank you for your support, coming to my shows, as well as your nice and encouraging emails, in which you have confirmed that you’ve found my music touching.”

danika HolmesBy Markos Papadatos

by Ryan Zerfas


Interview with Jon Santos of 1176 Studios and former band, Seven Wiser

By JUSTIN SARACHIK

Singer, s o n g w r i t e r , p r o d u c e r , pho tog rapher, entrepreneur- no matter what hat Jon Santos puts on, he strives for excellence. Starting out as humble musician looking to take his band to the next level, Santos was able to make his dream come true when his band Seven Wiser got noticed by Wind Up Records. Yes, the same Wind Up records housing bands like: Creed, Evanescence, Seether, and Hawthorne Heights. It was here that Santos was finally able to watch his band come to fruition touring with acts like Avril Lavigne and Shinedown. They also found success in song placement in video games and movies, especially with single “Take Me As I Am”. However, in the ever-changing music industry, success doesn’t always last. After getting dropped from Wind Up, they went independent. Disbanding shortly after, Santos tried his hand with another band, Fallzone, releasing an album entitled, Stronger. Not being able to capitalize on the previous success of Seven Wiser, Santos left the band aspect of music and set his sights on something new. Acquiring studio knowledge from the countless hours he spent recording in bands, Santos embarked on his next journey in the music industry. Opening 1176 Studios, Santos offers everything to get a band off the ground. The studio features affordable deals for: recording, mixing, mastering, photography, and music videos. With an extensive client list and new opportunities in film and web shows, 1176 Studios is sure to capture some of the magic Santos experienced in the mid 2000’s playing music. For the complete interview go to http://thesibandguy.blogspot.com/2010/11/jon-santos-studio-1176-owner-and-former.html

The West Virginia based band, Bobaflex was formed by two brothers, Shaun and Marty Mccoy. In 1998, they dropped out of college to follow their dreams in music. After years of writing music, the band finally started to get serious in 2003. Shaun loves being in a band with his little brother Marty as it has brought them closer together. They can finish each others sentences and always have each others backs. If you haven’t heard of Bobaflex before, then you will be sure to hear their name as they will be touring nonstop. Even though they love playing live in front of 900 fans back at home, they still give all they have when they are on the road in front of the 25 people in a town that they’ve never played before. Shaun says that no matter how tired or worn out they are as a band, Bobaflex would never short those 25 fans of a great show as this is the first time they saw them and the first time they have played in that town. So when they come to your town be ready to have a good time. Shaun explains their live show as a place where you can bring a girl and have a good time. “You can really hear the three part harmonies and see how Bobaflex has stage performance and stage presence.” They are ready to release their 15 track album entitled Hell In My Heart. Shaun says that Bobaflex is ready to be a warrior in the new age of music. You can interact with each member of the band personally through their Twitter pages and be sure to check out their website and Facebook pages where you keep up to date when they are playing in your town. It will be worth the $10.

BOBAFLEXby Greg Rothberg



Country duo 10th & Carlisle consists of Broadway belter, Jessica Phillips and tenor, Tad Wilson. Wilson’s biggest musical influences include “Luther Vandross and Tony Bennett,” while Jessica favors “female songwriters who address socially relevant and political issues,” such as Maria McKee and Natalie Merchant. Wilson originally from the South, moved to Nashville; inevitably, he was immersed in the country world. “I tend to always want to sing and perform country. My first job was in Opryland USA. It was a natural decision for me.” A Nashville native, Phillips “never really loved anything as much as country, especially the storytelling elements and the feelings it evokes.” On collaborating as a duo, “we infuse our musical work with our life experiences from theater and our personal lives. We are comfortable being in front of a stage, and are comfortable in front of an audience,” says Phillips. “You get to feel the energy of the person next to you. It’s the excitement of knowing that we create a sound together and we feed off that energy,” says Wilson. People enjoy watching our chemistry up there on the stage,” adds Phillips. “Musical theater is storytelling and country music is very much storytelling too. It feels like home,” says Wilson. Wilson is proud of “each time I am able to perform, since it was a career change for me; I used to work in Youth Ministry with the churches in the South.”For Phillips, her proudest moment was singing the National Anthem for the New York Mets. “I was able to bring my kids with me. My kids were on the field and they were so excited. I felt proud that I could do that for them, and I was proud that my work could affect them so directly. That ranks at the top for me.” In the future, both Wilson and Phillips would like to “write a song and record with Vince Gill.” Presently, 10th & Carlisle are working on their new album, which is expected to be released in the next few months. Their eclectic studio album will have “original recordings such as up-tempo and country-rock songs and some sweet country storytelling.” They also intend to record a live album. Their upcoming new musical Priscilla, Queen of the

10th & CarlisleDesert is “a fantastic and colorful show. It’s got a great message. It’s been wonderful to work on this piece. We open officially on March 20th.” According to Phillips, “it’s a show for all audiences, in that it has something that everybody will like. It’s huge in terms of production value and the costumes are spectacular. It’s a big, fun, dance party. You fall in love with these characters and you want to root for them. You watch them journey through the challenges of being excluded. It’s a real, heart-tugging show!” For hopefuls who wish to make it in music and theater, Wilson remarks “you need to have a pretty thick skin to be in the entertainment business. You audition all the time but you don’t get everything. You get told ‘no’ a lot. You cannot live in that negativity. You have to push through and persevere. If you believe in yourself and the talent that you have, eventually someone will give you an opportunity.” “Make your own work! Continue to write and create your own projects, because if you wait around for someone to give you something to do, you might end up waiting a long time” adds Phillips. 10th & Carlisle conclude “we have the best fans in the world! We love each and every one of you. Come by the States to see us in Priscilla, since we are doing eight shows a week and we’d love to say hello.”

By: Markos Papadatos


ALTER THE ENDING

Thirteen-Year-Old Rock Band Takes Over New Jersey’s Music Scene

By TERRI CAPUTO

If you think sixteen-year-old Justin Beiber has a lot of talent for his young age, maybe you should brush up on your music history. Björk began studying classical music at age five and released an album at eleven. Nathan Young, drummer of well-known rock group, Anberlin, and Zac Farro, ex-drummer of Paramore, both joined their bands at age twelve. And who could forget Michael Jackson at the tender age of five? He was already in the big leagues with his older brothers in The Jackson Five. He had his first song reach number one as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 at age eleven and another song as a solo artist at age thirteen. Just like the other young prodigies, thirteen-year-old pop punk group, Alter The Ending, are working their way into the industry, and kicking ass while doing it. The four piece members consist of: Andrew Pacheco (Vocals, Guitar), Billy Manning (Guitar), Dylan Quesada (Bass), and Luke Blecker (Drums). The Berkeley Heights, NJ, natives have only been playing together for a year and have already established more than a lot of people their age. They’ve played at well-known venues such as Starland Ballroom, The Stony Pony, and plenty of music festivals in the local New Jersey area. “I think it’s awesome how we’ve been able to do that after just a year of being a band,” says guitarist Billy Manning on playing at venues where his favorite bands have performed. They’ve also recorded with Jon Santos, former singer/guitarist of Seven Wiser and owner of 1176 Studios in Whitestone Queens. “Jon is an amazing guy to work with,” says Andrew Pacheco, lead vocalist and guitarist. “He really brought the best out of our music.” The band recorded two tracks with Santos, and will be recording a few more to complete the Gone Again EP, which will be released in mid-2011.

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Bring On The

Kenzie Frenzy

Exclusive Interview with former American Idol Contestant

Kenzie Palmer



January 19th brought us the latest season of FOX’s American Idol. While the first episode was supposed to bring us to “meet” our new judges, the great Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, the only things I remember about that episode were the location (NJ), that there was a Staten Island, NY contestant (Broken Records Magazine’s home-base) and 15 year old, Kenzie Palmer. Idol didn’t need to run a whole back-story on this contestant because she could really sing. The Pennsylvania resident belted out a better version of Carrie Underwood’s “We’re Young and Beautiful.” She would eventually move on to the Hollywood episodes but not to be televised again. Unfortunately, Kenzie didn’t make it past Hollywood but I’m not so sure it’s an unfortunate thing. Now that she isn’t under the Idol umbrella any longer, she’s able to talk freely about her time on the show and her future. Luck for us! At the end of February, I spoke with Kenzie over the phone during her ride home from school. It’s a wild thing to hear about the inner workings of the audition process for Idol. Kenzie told me she was at the Izod Center in Rutherford, NJ with about 17,000 people for a total of 2 days. “The first day we went to the arena was to get bracelets and tickets because if you get a bracelet and a ticket you are guaranteed to audition the next day,” Kenzie remembers. “We left our hotel at like 4:30 in the morning and we waited outside for about 2 or 3 hours. The next day we got there around 4:30 and got out around 3. I was in the bottom tier of the arena. I sang around 1 or 2, answered some questions, had pictures taken…that was my first audition.” I know if I had to sing in front of a huge rock star

like Steven Tyler I would be nervous but was Kenzie? “Before I got in the room was so nervous but as soon as I got in the room, they made me feel so welcome. They were so nice. I was still nervous but not as nervous.”

I boldly went to twitter immediately after her better than Carrie (her favorite Country singer) “We’re Young and Beautiful” and announced she was my pick to win it all! It wasn’t until group round in Hollywood, Kenzie tells us, that she didn’t make it through. She said the judges really liked her group’s performance of “Get Ready” by the Temptations but they didn’t give any feedback. “We left with a smile on our faces,” Kenzie said. Leaving American Idol could very well be a blessing in disguise for Kenzie. Now that she is solo, she can look forward and pursue anything within her reach. “American Idol was a great

experience but obviously it wasn’t what I was supposed to do-It wasn’t my destiny.” She is also looking to move into the Country Music world rather than the cut and dry world of Pop.

Most recently, Kenzie has been asked to perform at not one- but two Pittsburgh Penguin hockey games. So how’d it feel to sing at a game for their biggest sports team-now that the Steelers lost? “Well, to be honest, I had never watched a hockey game before but to walk on the ice and to see all those people around you-it was crazy. And of course I was nervous the first time but then I went back again because they asked me to sing again. I’m glad they asked me again because this time I had could enjoy it, I wasn’t nervous at all. It was so amazing. They put me on the schedule there so I guess I’ll be singing there more often!”

Kenzie’s future is one that cannot be mapped out so easily. She’s been getting offers from producers and musicians, including myself, but one route she will not be heading in is the television competition shows again. “I would tell people to audition for the learning experience but I just don’t think it’s for me.” In the future, look for music that is Country-of course- but you may find Kenzie doing an Oldies album like one of her favorites, Michael Buble, Oldies with a Kenzie twist.

By Scott Vollweiler

Above: Kenzie Auditioning for American Idol in NJ

Below: Our Twitter Prediction for Idol



Another Exclusive Interview with:

Gary Cherone of Hurtsmile and Extreme



In today’s music scene, there are tons of bands who can rock pretty damn hard. So how can a band stand out from the crowd? They need to be remarkable in some way, to have some sort of idiosyncrasies that willl raise your eyebrow one moment and your metal horns the next. Hurtsmile is all about “smiling through the pain whether it’s physical or emotional,” and the album’s mix of rebellious, ass-kicking anthems “Just War Theory” coincides well with the lighter, quirkier side of the token “Jesus Would You Meet Me”. The record feels like an old vinyl (or cassette tape if you’re from my generation) – two sides to the same album, each with a potentially different them and feel. What the Cherones and Hurtsmile have managed to do with their first album is successfully bring both the A and B side of the record together with the fusion of musical styles throughout the track listing – a bit of hard rock, some roots country, folk rock, and even a bit of reggae. “For me, I grew up on records, so I loved Side One and Side Two,” Gary reflected. “I wanted people to listen to this album as a whole piece, not just the songs. I wanted to take them for a little ride.” Hurtsmile’s self-titled debut album does just that. Mark Cherone’s hooks just ooze cool, pulling you in and keep your head banging. They’re not the most technically complex riffs out there, but that isn’t a bad thing. In this age of overexposure to speed and power metal bands like Dragonforce, Hurtsmile’s straight up rock’n roll still impresses. Mark’s solos will still drop your jaw just as far as Herman Li’s, but they’re more accessible, more “believable.” As a musician I can “believe” what’s going on, and the tracks’ characters can shine

through without anally precise technique muddling the music. “Just War Theory” kicks off the album, and gets straight to the point– “No justice, no peace.” Gary’s inquisitive lyrics highlight the ludicrousness of war and are backed by a progression that is reminiscent of Rust in Peace/Youthanasia-era Megadeth, but with far less gain and distortion attached. The message still rings clear as a bell, due in no small part to Gary’s rhetoric: “A war is just a/just a war/what the f**k are we fighting for?” By song’s end, the Boston foursome has a solid grip on your ears, and you want more. And you get it. “Stillborn” comes out of the gate like a prized Filly at the Kentucky Derby. Gary digs deep again in this track, his work belying a possible James LaBrie (Dream Theater) influence. The song is both haunting and mesmerizing, a vocal exposition on the futility of life – “I’m already dead/I’m dead so bury me alive.” “Love Thy Neighbor” is a showcase of Mark’s guitar chops and Gary’s vocal range. The track evokes thoughts of a fusion of Audioslave’s Cochise hooks and David Lee Roth’s cries on Runnin’ with the Devil. What helps the track stand out further is one of Gary’s curveballs: a doo-wop intro. When asked about the outlandish introduction though, Gary was unsure of its origins, citing the possibility of an oldies station in the background during recording. It’s something different; it’s something fun. But this review would be remiss if I implied that the third track on Hurtsmile’s album was the last of its surprises. Another gem of the record is “Jesus Would You Meet Me,” a folk-rock/grassroots/gospel amalgamation that comes from left field. It has a soulful Southern ring

to it, thanks to the mandolin and rhythmic clapping on the mix. Add to that Gary’s upbeat tone and the end result is a damn good track that will construct a smile on your face to replace what was melted off by the first half of the album. If you’re looking for a new hard rock album to sink your teeth into, Hurtsmile is a good place to start. If your musical library is already cohesive, you’ll pick out the references and allusions to other artists and styles. You’ll finish the record with a sheepish grin on your face, because you know what you just listened to is the way rock ‘n roll is supposed to be: simple, honest, and rockin’. What’s most important to note about this album is that it never feels forced or unnatural – these guys don’t have anything to prove, and the music they put out there is there regardless of any image a hard rock band is expected to maintain. “At the end of the day, when the smoke clears, it’s the music that lasts.” Hurtsmile has that potential. “People sometimes would say Iommi or even Jimmy Page were a little sloppy…I listen to a Zeppelin record, and it’s perfect. Yeah there are mistakes on it, and even Robert Plant reached for notes that he could barely hit and…that’s it. For me, that’s rock ‘n roll. Taking a chance and not being afraid to put it on a record. Those Zeppelin records are just as alive now as they were when they were made.” “There’s plans of another record and actually touring. There’s going to be writing and recording music this year for the next Extreme record, but right now Hurtsmile is rehearsing for some shows, and we’re talking about Europe and Japan right now and we’re definitely going to be doing an America leg of the tour.”



Rev Theory’s third album Justice brings it all together. Working with producer Terry Date combined with their talent and experiences, this album shows how much talent they truly have. Producer Terry Date in the studio with them seemed to open their eyes just a little bit. Terry doesn’t use any tricks or mess with the music too much; he just lets it roll. He taught them to not fool around with a song, just let it come to you and let it happen. He also taught them some new techniques of using the same things to do many other things to create a new different sound. Not only did Date have a great influence on this record, but the band themselves have grown together more than ever. This band has evolved and the

members have learned their roles. Matt and Julien have always been the forefront of the band’s writing, but now it goes a little behind that. Everyone has to agree and everyone has an opinion and a voice. If someone doesn’t like a song, they don’t use it. The bond helps the record sound even better. An example of this growth is Rich doesn’t sing on a track for “Hollow Man.” They always wanted to get Matt lead vocals for a song, and they have finally done it with this song. This shows the growth and openness to this band and will not only show up on the record, but on their live shows as well. The tour in support of this record is the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour with Rev Theory headlining. Serving as support are: Pop Evil

and Hail The Villain. The tour was Rev Theory’s idea of taking up and coming bands out on tour to show the world what is next. With this idea and their relationship with Monster it became a reality. Also, they wanted a show people could afford, thus the very cheap prices on this tour for such an awesome lineup. The song will feature five bands, the three mentioned, plus two opening rotating slots. Look for them to come to your area and check it out. Rev Theory would like to thank all their fans and hopes everyone goes out and buys the record. They want to see everyone out on a tour singing their songs loud and proud.

By Mike Camp



Over the past ten years, Mercury Nashville recording artist Billy Currington has swept the hearts of his country

music audiences. A Georgia native, Currington’s greatest musical influences include Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers. “I love the fact that country music seems like a family. Everybody

knows everybody in this business and we are very tight. I love the closeness of everybody,” says Currington. “‘Must Be Doin’ Something Right,’ is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever recorded since it captures a good vocal and it was my first real love song out there. It did well and the fans really liked it and it brought a lot of people to our shows,” he adds.

His latest album Enjoy Yourself peaked at #2 on the Billboard Country Charts, which was a “pretty cool”

feeling for Currington. The album consists of ten songs, most of which were written by Currington’s songwriting friends. “My latest single, ‘Let Me Down Easy,’ was written by Mark Nesser. I felt the connection to the melody and its lyrics and it felt like a hit to me.” Presently, the song

sits at #5 on the Country Charts, with the potential of become yet another chart-topping single.

On achieving another Top 5 hit, Currington states “it’s another blessing. It’s something

to be thankful about. It never feels old.” “My proudest professional

accomplishment is the fact that I’ve been able to stay in this business for ten years now. I’m just thankful to still be here making music and to be played on the radio and to open up for people like Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

Just the fact that we’re still going strong,” says Currington. Currington is

also proud of the Grammy nods he has received in his career. “The Grammy nominations were really cool. Whether I won or not, didn’t really matter. I just remember being a part of it, and thought it was cool to see all those musicians from the different genres of music there. It was an honor

to be a part of all that,” he says. On whether Currington ever

feels overwhelmed, he remarks “I’ve been fortunate to be in this business for quite a few years now and I’ve

adjusted pretty well. When it does get a little out of hand, I take my downtime.”



“I am weak. I am sick. I am nauseated. I am lonely. And on this wall it said ‘I am strong’” recounts The Grascals’ fiddle player, Jeremy Abshire, about the experience his singer, Jamie Johnson, had during a visit to a local St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee which led to the inspiration behind the poignant “I Am Strong.” Abshire tells us, “I just recently toured the facility at St Jude’s and it’s absolutely amazing. It’s kind of a bittersweet experience because the kids are so upbeat and positive because St Jude’s makes it that way for them.” As for the song, “people seem to be really receptive to it. Every time we perform it, I think we are all thinking about walking the hallways and meeting the kids.”

The GrascalsAre Strong

Jeremy Abshire, fiddle player extraordinaire, takes time out to talk about his “friends!”

Billy Currington continued

The hardest aspect of Currington’s job is “being gone from his home for several weeks.” Currington notes a difference between singing in the studio and performing live. “In the studio you are only working with the musicians and engineers. Live, you are performing in front of several people and there is nothing being recorded. They are two different animals. I love them the same. I love being in the studio. It’s a lot of fun. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for playing live. I got into this business by watching a lot of concerts as a kid.” Currington is scheduled to open in Kenny Chesney’s tour next month. “It’s another blessing in my career to be in front of that many people. It’s something we’ve never done before. Hopefully, we’ll be out there making more fans, and creating a path for ourselves to do the same thing someday soon.” “My plans for the future are to just keep on making music, as well as a lot more surfing and downtime,” Currington laughs. In 2004, Currington collaborated with country mega-star Shania Twain on “Party for Two,” which was a Top 10 hit for both vocalists. In the future he would also like to collaborate with Colbie Caillat. “I think Colbie has a really sweet and soulful voice. She seems like a nice lady and she is in a different genre of music. I’ve always wanted to duet with someone that wasn’t actually in country music. I wanted to step outside a little bit. She seems like a good one! We’ll see how it goes,” says Currington. On alternate career choices, Currington remarks “I’d be living in Hawaii and I’d be a guide over there. I would take tourists around and show them how to surf and how to climb up to the waterfalls. I’d just be a big part of the Hawaiian island.” In his spare time, Currington enjoys fishing, surfing or doing anything water-related, as well as writing songs. For hopefuls who wish to pursue a career in country music, Currington recommends “Nashville, Tennessee seems to be where it’s at! It’s a place where you get really connected to the town, the songwriters and the producers. You need to move down there to do all that.” For Currington, success means “being satisfied at the place you are at in your life, whether you make two dollars or two million. As long as you are happy being where you are at, that’s success.” For his fans, Currington concludes “thank you to the fans that have been coming since the very beginning, and to all the new fans. I am glad you enjoy our music, and pay your hard-earned money to come see our shows and buy the albums. We have a lot of fun. The only way we can do all that is with your support. Thank you!”



The GrascalsAre Strong

By Scott VollweilerJeremy Abshire, fiddle player extraordinaire, takes time out

to talk about his “friends!” Abshire, an established fiddle player in the music world, joined the band “about 3 years ago.” He had been playing with Dale Ann Bradley for a few years and Jimmy Mattingly was still playing fiddle for The Grascals, as well as Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. “The way the schedule worked out was that Jimmy was able to play the dates with both Dolly and The Grascals. It came to the point where Dolly’s schedule was a bit more demanding and Jimmy was missing gigs. So I get a call from the band asking if I could fill in but I already had a gig with Dale Ann, so I had to pass. A few weeks later they needed someone again. So I played the gig and then they asked again and I believe on

my second trip out, they asked me to join the band. So I did the right thing and gave my two weeks to Dale Ann. It worked out really well because for the next two weeks The Grascals and Dale Ann were playing shows together. I was playing double duty until Dale Ann could get a new player,” Abshire explains. The Grascals latest release, The Grascals and Friends, was released exclusively to Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores nationwide and debuted at #1 on the Bluegrass chart. The album is a “duets” style cover album featuring many of the band’s closest friends including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, Joe Nichols and Tom T. Hall. “We all got together and discussed the idea, we all wanted to do what the band does by combin ing Country and Bluegrass and we were discussing who we’d want on the album. And names like Tom T. Hall came up and he came out of retirement to record “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” and he did an amazing job on it. It came out to what songs we wanted and just getting our friends on it. Even our friends Steven Seagal sang on ‘I Am Strong’. We’ve play his birthday party for the last couple of years.”

Besides the lead single, “I Am Strong,” the whole album is chock full of amazing songs. But one song stands out more than others, Charlie Daniels Band’s “Devil Went Down To Georgia.” I know what you’re saying, every band with a fiddle has covered this song but how many have covered it and featured Charlie Daniels on the track? What’s one step better? How about Charlie not even laying down his own fiddle part! Abshire recalls, “We laid down a demo track with scratch vocals and I played the fiddle part. The original plan was he would come in a sing on it and play fiddle. What ended up happening was he came in and didn’t even want to lay down fiddle on it-he loved what I had recorded. So that’s me playing on the track and Charlie singing it. That was a great honor.” Charlie Daniels recently told Country Weekly “The Fiddle player on it is a whole lot better



than the one who is one mine.” Funny enough, he’s talking about himself. Charlie added, “They asked me to play fiddle and I said, ‘No, I’m not touching the fiddle you have on there,’ I just did vocals.” Abshire adds about the experience with Charlie Daniels, “Although the tune has been covered a lot, none are like this one. Charlie’s vocals are delivered like they’ve never been sung before.” I interjected, “Almost nonchalant and spoken.” He agreed and said, “There were times where I’d hit these licks on the fiddle he’d giggle and it would come out on the recording. He’s never done that before so it was a cool thing to experience.” The days of cover tunes being butchered by your local bar bands has been around forever. When recording an album where you have a bunch of covers, there has to be tons of pressure not to ruin the song, right? For Jeremy Abshire and

The Grascals, maybe not so much. Abshire tells us that “I don’t think anyone can live up to an original. Anyone can do a George Jones song or a Dolly

Parton song, but the original is the original and it’s something to inspire you-something to lead you down the right path.

There were times where I’d hit these licks on

the fiddle and Charlie Daniels would giggle and it would come out

on the recording. He’s never done that before so it was a cool thing

to experience.”

-Jeremy Abshire


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Little Big Town, one of the most unique and talented Country bands around today, remains the same quartet it has been since they entered the country music scene in 1998. Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook make up this powerful group, who are known for their melodic four part harmonies. Despite the stability in the line-up, this foursome is no stranger to change and struggle. The band has gone through four record labels, divorce, death of a spouse, three children and marriages. Yet, they have managed to still come out on top. The band boasts an impressive four Grammy nominations, eight CMA awards, and seven ACM awards, including Top New Vocal Group, while selling over 1.7 million records to date. The band recently released their fourth studio album, The Reason Why in August of 2010 on Capitol Records. The record entered the Country Billboard Album charts at #1, making it their most successful album to date and critics have hailed it as “ the best country album of the year for 2010.” Their single from the album “Little White Church,” has also been the band’s highest charting single to date. Their most recent Grammy nomination is for “Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group” for their hit single. The Grammy’s will air on February 13, 2011. I had the chance to speak with Philip Sweet, who shared his excitement about the success of the album and spoke to me about the band’s history:

By Jennifer Leeflang



What was the creative process like during the creation of this album? Is it more difficult with the four of you? This album has been more fun as there is a great trust between us; we are all contributing partners. It really has been a fun process and we are all in a great place in our lives now. We were just open to whatever direction it took us in. With the four of us you get different opinions, but we work really well together and this is a great album. Overall, that is what I am most proud of. Clearly, the music on the album still has the beautiful harmonies you are known for, but what makes this album different from the rest? We are consistent with the harmonies but we definitely tried to stretch ourselves with this album. We approached it a bit differently and had some different people contributing in the studio. We’ve seen growth with this album which is something you want to have. Are there any songs on this album that have any special meaning to you? All different ones, it seems to change every day. If I had to pick one I would have to say “Lean Into It.” It is a song about persevering over adversity. It is about going through tough times together. It’s about being there for each other, in the joy and the sorrow. I think there is so much to relate to on this album that we can all identify with, from beginning to end. “Kiss Goodbye” deals with loss, “Why oh Why” does the same thing over and over despite self destruction, and of course “Lean Into It.” Have any fans shared with you how this album may have affected them? Definitely! We have heard a lot of beautiful stories. We have received emails from fans who keep the CD in their player, and it has helped them through tough problems, just by leaving it in the player and listening to it. A radio DJ told

us one of her listeners thanked her for playing LBT’s music because it got them through a tough time. That inspires us and is part of the reason we love to make music. It’s a way that our music has a life of its own. People listen to our songs, and relate them to their experiences and it becomes their song. It is impressive that the band still contains all original members. That is very uncommon in today’s music scene. What is your secret? It is about not giving up and having hope that everything will be okay. Just like our song, “Lean into It” you can pull through it and see the hope on the other side. It has been quite a long journey. We love what we do. We have been through a lot and have been able to persevere. We live life together, through the ups and downs, in our personal lives and in business. We don’t get caught up in the petty stuff and we let things go. We have had so many happy moments too-children and

marriages in recent years. We always try to do our best and we make each other better. It is about unity focused on the same goal. There is nothing we can’t do. We have a special bond and I am proud to be a part of it. I read a lot about your history and the band has had a lot of ups and downs in your personal lives. How has that influenced your music? We let ourselves be vulnerable when we write together. We are very inspired by our experiences, so that they are not just ours, but everybody’s. We have had the ups and downs in many ways, and we have channeled that frustration into songs. In other ways there has been joy and that has been channeled into some great love songs about life and happiness. It’s nice to be able to take our experiences and together be able to write about them and share them with others. You have all had families in the last few years. How has that changed the touring dynamic and what’s it like on the road now? It has been great to be able to have our families come out. It isn’t always easy. The bus isn’t that big, so we try to help each other out when we can, and stay out of each others way when we need to. You need to be able to find a balance. We try to bring them with us as much as possible. You make the best out of both worlds. In this business, you are typically away, so having them with us makes it better. We still have work to do but you can give your baby a kiss and keep going. We overcome any challenges, nothing’s perfect but we make it work. I read somewhere that two of your fans got married at one of your shows, clearly inspired by “Little White Church.” Can you tell me about that? Whose idea was that? It was a promotion that we came up with based on our song. We wanted to set up a tent, like a little white church at the shows. The radio stations helped us out a lot. We brought in a pastor and couples got hitched. We were the witnesses. Then there was a concert in the parking lot. It was a big party, a lot of fun. It was fun to see all the people and we heard a lot of great stories. There was one couple, a soldier serving in Iraq, and his wife, who never had a ceremony because every time they planned he went off to serve. It really was a cool thing. With all your success, and hard work paying off, you have become one of country’s most distinctive acts. And with all that you have still found time to raise over 58,000 for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Ride for a Cure. That says a lot. Why was that important and what was that like? We love to do that; it’s something near and dear to our hearts. We have all been affected by cancer in our families or lives. This foundation works toward finding a cure and we all share a great deal of respect for what they do and for their philosophy to help their fellow man. While this is a big chunk of money, we still need more. It is important not to give up. You give some and you get some in return. It really means a lot to us to be able to help.



New album features “Windows Are Rolled Down," “Flower,” & “El Camino”

with special guests Sam Beam, Lucinda Williams, and Willie Nelson.

Produced by Joey Burns of Calexico

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Alter Bridge “Still Remains” a Fan-Favorite and They

“Make it Right” with AB III Release

By Markos Papadatos



On January 7, 2011, Broken Records Magazine was afforded the opportunity to speak with the multi-talented rock musicians of Alter Bridge, Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti. Alter Bridge consists of four musicians: Myles Kennedy on lead vocals and guitars, Mark Tremonti on guitars and vocals, Brian Marshall on bass, and Scott Phillips on percussion and drums. Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti describe the song selection process for Alter Bridge’s critically-acclaimed studio album, AB III, and talk about their inspirations for songwriting, and their future plans and collaborations. They wrap up by defining the word “success” and by offering advice for hopefuls who wish to make it in the music i n d u s t r y . Alter Bridge’s third studio album, AB III, was released on November 9, 2010, via EMI Label Services, debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200 all-genre charts and has received positive reviews from music critics. Their two previous records were also successful commercially, and their debut album One Day Remains, has been certified gold. On coming up with the band’s name “Alter Bridge,” Mark Tremonti states “where I grew up in Grosse Point Park, Michigan, there was a road right on the border of Detroit. There was Alter Road, which was the border between Grosse Point and

Exclusive Interview: Alter Bridge Frontman Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti Open Up

Detroit, and there was a bridge that went over it called Alter Bridge. It went into a real sketchy, drug-infested neighborhood, and all parents would not let their kids cross it. It was kind of like the end of the world for us as kids.” According to Myles Kennedy, his biggest musical influences include “Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, and Q u e e n . ” Tremonti remarks “when I was younger I grew up listening to Metallica, which was my favorite band, and Celtic Frost. Those were probably my two favorites. I also went through a punk phase and listened to Black Flag and a bunch of different punk bands. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten more into the blues and jazz side of things. My influences are scattered all between heavy metal, the blues and jazz.” Regarding Alter Bridge’s latest album, Kennedy remarks “it was a big surprise. I was shocked to say the least. We’ve been gone for such a long time and weren’t sure people still remembered us. So when the record was released and debuted in the Top 20 like that,

we were like, ‘wow, that’s fantastic,’ so it’s been a good feeling.” Tremonti adds “it’s great to see that your hard work is paying off and the fans are appreciating it. We put a lot in every record that we do.” About the song selection process for the album, Kennedy states “basically, we just went in, and Mark [Tremonti] and I had been writing for a few years and setting up ideas. When we got together with Scott [Phillips] and Brian [Marshall] and did the

Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti Live at Starland Ballroom, NJ January 2011



arrangements, we tried to put together over twenty songs, and decided which ones we felt would make the best statements from where we were at as a band. That was kind of a challenge, because you never know what the fans are going to like necessarily. The songs ended up being released on the Internet and people definitely gravitated towards that, and seemed to like it a lot. So, that’s good.” According to Tremonti, the song selection process for AB III involved “me and Myles getting together, and then picking about twenty-two songs for this record. Then we went into pre-production,

and played them all for our producer. All five of us put our heads together and voted on which ones we were going to record. On this album, we recorded seventeen of the twenty-two songs. We all pretty much agreed that those are the seventeen strongest songs. From there, we had to choose which ones would make each release for each country.” Kennedy further notes that it was a difficult process to narrow the songs down to the final cut, while still keeping the band members happy as well as the fans happy. All of the songs on the record were

written by Kennedy and his band members. Kennedy’s inspirations for songwriting were primarily based on life experiences. “You take it all in, whether it’s music that you hear or events that you live through. You kind of regurgitate that in a sense. I think that there is something to be said. You try to tap into that source that’s out there. As a songwriter, your job really is to try and become a filter. That’s something Mark and I both work hard at, and do our best to prove as the years go on,” Kennedy says. Similar to Kennedy, Tremonti’s inspirations for writing songs on this album were also

based on life

experience. “Every song has a different mood,” says Tremonti. “There was a lot of anger with our past record label, and there were a lot of frustrations with the business side of things, which influenced some of this record and some of the last record. Also, Myles, lyrically, has a struggle with losing any kind of belief in anything spiritual,” Tremonti adds. “‘Blackbird’ is probably my favorite of all the songs we’ve done as a band. There’s something special about that one lyrically and musically. We play it every night in our set. It reaffirms the fact that personally, I feel very close to that song, and I think that the other guys feel the same way. We are very proud of that song in particular,” says Kennedy. “Black Bird” is also the title track tune of Alter Bridge’s sophomore studio a l b u m . Tremonti concurs with Kennedy in that “Blackbird” is his favorite tune, as well as “Brand New Start” from the Blackbird record. “From this new record, ‘Show Me a Sign’ and ‘All Hope is Gone’ are probably my favorites, as well as ‘Ghosts of Days Gone By,’” says Tremonti. He also notes that their lead-off single “Isolation” is a “fun and high-energy song.” According to Kennedy, their song “Wonderful Life” from their AB III album “took a long time to put together. It actually took a few years, and it started back when we were in the studio making the Blackbird record. That’s when the genesis of that song happened. It took a while to get it right. I am very happy to hear that people enjoy it. That means a lot.” Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti Live at Starland Ballroom, NJ January 2011

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Myles Kennedy in NYC during his tenure with Slash



On the importance of a melody component in Alter Bridge’s music, Kennedy states “Mark and I are both definitely on the same page about melody being such a crucial component of a song. It’s something that for me personally, goes all the way back to when I was a kid, when I heard my first Beatles songs. I never really paid much attention to the lyrics since I did not know what they were saying, but there was something about those melodies that was so good. Even as a five year old child, I knew that there was something very special about them. I think that it’s something that’s bred into humans: the need to hear a good melody! Mark and I both spend a lot of time, trying to compose melodies that will resonate with p e o p l e . ” Tremonti adds that “melody is the most important part of any song of ours. It’s the core of every song. We won’t vote for any new songs, unless they have strong melodies. Everything is worked out around that. Melodies will come before the lyrics, before the music is finalized, and before the arrangements are d o n e . ” On working with his producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, Kennedy states, “It’s great. That relationship has been going on for quite a while now. The first record I did with “Elvis” was back in 2000. He was an engineer on a record that I did and he was very young at the time, as well as very talented and very gifted. Then, we wanted to work with him on the Blackbird record. That’s when we discovered what a great song sense he has, in conjunction with his ability to get good sounds. It’s not just Michael. It’s his whole

“As a songwriter,

your job really is to

try and become a filter. That’s something Mark and I both work

hard at, and do our best to prove as the years go on.”

-Myles Kennedy

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team: Jeff and Dave. He’s got a great team he works with that we trust, and we really feel we can make good records with. Also, Brian Sperber, the engineer who mixed it. We feel that he assembled a great Alter Bridge recording piece.” Tremonti goes a step further and states that “when it comes down to pre-production and final arrangements, Michael Baskette becomes the ‘fifth member’ of the band. We respect his opinion and he’s a great talent. We’ve worked with him for two albums, and we think they’re our two best r e c o r d s . ” In addition to singing, Myles Kennedy made his acting debut in the 2001 motion picture Rock Star, in which he played the character of “Thor” opposite Jennifer Aniston and Mark Wahlberg. On his acting debut, Kennedy remarks, “It was cool. It was a great experience for me. To get behind the scenes of the movie industry, and see how they do things. The magnitude of things compared to the music industry, it’s an entirely different animal. I don’t know if it’s still the same way now, but back then, they had much larger budgets. It was fascinating to see how it all worked, and I definitely discovered that as much as I enjoyed doing it, I am grateful that I am a musician,” Kennedy says. “Actors have to get up way too early in the morning,” Kennedy laughs.

On veteran guitarist Slash’s eponymous solo album, which features many well-known guest vocalists, Myles Kennedy is the only guest vocalist to be featured on more than one song on the record. Kennedy sings two songs “Starlight” and “Back from Cali,” both of which he co-wrote with Slash. Collaborating with Slash on his solo record was an “amazing” experience according to Kennedy. “He’s such an amazing guitar player, and a great guy, so I’ve been very honored to be part of that whole thing, and I am looking forward to doing more with him in the future. Slash called me last year and asked if I was interested in doing something for his record. I was totally flattered and it’s all worked out really w e l l . ” Kennedy notes a difference between singing in the studio and performing live. “In the studio, it’s a little different, because live, I have to be cognitive of the fact that I have to conserve my voice to a point for the tour. If I give 110% and push really super hard every single night, I will blow my voice out. That’s true with any singer. It’s really a matter of being aware of what you are doing, and doing it in such a way where you are not going to hurt yourself; whereas when you are in the studio, you are trying to capture a certain emotion and sing a song



the best way you can.” Kennedy continues, “there’s a little bit of a difference there, but I found that over the years, after doing it over and over, that the bridge isn’t as far as it used to be between the studio and the live setting. It used to be that I would blow my voice out completely in the studio when I was making records, but now I learned how to harness it a little better and control it better, so it’s not as damaging.” On whether he prefers to sing in the studio or to sing live, Kennedy responds “that’s a really good question. The beauty of being in the studio is that you get to hear this creation come to life and you get to document it for good. That’s an amazing feeling, especially when you are done, and when you are sitting at the mixing console, listening to the final mix. As a songwriter, that’s what you strive for. As a live performer, there is definitely a relationship that you establish between you and the people that come to your show, and hearing them sing the songs back to you is second to none. You totally feed off that

live energy.” When Alter Bridge is performing in front of a live audience Tremonti says “a lot of times we will speed things up just because we’re excited. We’ll play things a little faster. We try and get it as close as we can to the album. It’s a lot louder live,” Tremonti chuckles. Myles Kennedy reveals several of his pre-show rituals. “I never veer away from my ritual, which is basically to start warming up anywhere from seventy-five to ninety minutes prior to the show. I definitely have a full routine that I follow. The warm-up is a very important part of the night for me!” Kennedy further reveals that his dynamic vocal range spans “anywhere from 3.5 to 4 octaves.” On future collaboration choices, Kennedy remarks “I have really been fortunate to work with everybody that I can imagine. I love Stevie Wonder, I think he’s brilliant. I’ve gotten to play with

Mark Tremonti in NJ with Creed

“When Playing Live a lot of times we will speed things up just because we’re excited. We’ll play things a

little faster. We try and get it as close as we can to the album. It’s

a lot louder live,”-Mark Tremonti

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Warren Haynes on a few occasions [the guitarist from Gov’t Mule and the long-time member of the Allman Brothers Band], which has been amazing. Haynes is an amazing guitar player, singer and songwriter. There are so many talented artists out t h e r e . ” Mark Tremonti has been fortunate to have many proud moments in his professional career. Several of these moments include “getting a signature Paul Reed Smith guitar which was definitely a big moment early on.” “That’s the greatest guitar company in the world and I’m honored to have my own model of Paul Reed Smith,” Tremonti says. Yet another proud moment for Tremonti is “being able to play and open up for bands that I would look up to when I was a kid like Metallica or Van Halen, or getting to play with Slayer, and all the other bands I grew up listening to has been g r e a t . ” W h e n T r e m o n t i was asked about his 2 0 0 0 Grammy win for “Best Rock Song,” he states that “winning a Grammy was great too, but I get more excited about living t h a t c h i l d h o o d d r e a m . When you’re a kid you don’t dream a b o u t

winning a Grammy, you dream about sharing the same stage as Metallica or other bands that you love. Those are some of your most memorable m o m e n t s . ” Kennedy’s plans for the future include “touring this entire year. I start rehearsing next week with Slash and then we will head out with Ozzy [Osbourne], and go on a world tour until April. Then, I will pick up again with Alter Bridge. We’ll tour the United States and Europe, and I will pick up some more with Slash again this year. It’s non-stop touring this year. I will continue to write out on the road as well.” When asked whether Kennedy will tour New York, he states “I hope so. New York is my favorite city in

the entire universe, so I would love to come back to New York.” Tremonti’s plans for the rest of the year include “touring, as well as working on a solo project during our time off, and I’ll be keeping b u s y . ” On his prospective solo album, Tremonti states “we’ve recorded five demos before the tour started. Before I get home we’re going to knock out as much as we can before we go back on tour. I don’t know when I’m going to get done with it. I don’t really know what the overall sound of it is going to be. We’re just going to see how it all turns o u t ! ” For hopefuls who wish to pursue a career in the music industry, Kennedy recommends they “be very tenacious. It’s about not giving up. Somebody told me that a long, long time ago. That was the best advice someone could



have given me. If you really believe in what you do, and you really love what you do and it makes you happy, then go with it! One thing that a teacher told me a long time ago is: ‘don’t become a musician because you want to, become a musician because you have to!’ For me, that was definitely what it was. It’s the only thing I can do. It’s in my blood and it’s oxygen for me to be able to play music and be a part of all this. Work hard and know that there are going to be many bumps in the road. It’s a very rewarding and amazing thing to get to do, once you get to the point and place where you strive to be.” Tremonti states “with the Internet being so powerful, things change so much in this industry. It’s such a different world out there. Touring in your local market and getting some local radio support is still very important. Then, making sure that all of your Internet sites are up-to-date, and writing a damn good song that people can’t stop listening to!” For Myles Kennedy, the word success means “being happy with where you are in your life, whether it’s with your career, or with your family, or with yourself. To be comfortable in your own skin. That’s my definition of a successful person: somebody who can look in the mirror and live with themselves.” For Mark Tremonti, success means “happiness and satisfaction” in life. And speaking of success, Alter Bridge’s latest single “Isolation” went on to peak at the top of the Mainstream Rock Charts, becoming the band’s first radio single to achieve this milestone; previously, their songs “Open Your Eyes,” and “Rise Today” from their One Day Remains and Blackbird albums respectively reached #2 on these aforementioned Rock charts.

Following the success of their single “Isolation,” Alter Bridge released their DVD and live CD entitled Alter Bridge- Live From Amsterdam on January 11, 2011. This two-disc collection, produced by Grammy nominated directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, features

some of Alter Bridge’s biggest hits such as “Rise Today,” “Open Your Eyes” and “Broken Wings.”

Myles Kennedy concludes by expressing his deep gratitude and appreciation towards all his supportive and loyal fans. “Thank you. I cannot thank all of you enough for sticking with us, even though we’ve been gone for quite a few years. It has really been a pleasant surprise for the entire band to see that so many of you have stuck around and are still standing by us. That means a lot!”

Mark Tremonti further adds “thank you all for sticking around all these years and for being so die-hard. Whenever we see you live we are blown away every time.” M

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Q & A



We last spoke with Blake over the summer at the Mayhem Fest in NJ. What has In This Moment been up to since Mayhem? We had a little time off, so that was good. Then we did another tour and now we’re on this! How is the “Music As a Weapon Tour” so far? It’s so rad, it’s just so awesome, you know. We are only one of four bands. Mayhem is so awesome as well. There are so many more bands there and I think you are more focused here because you are the only band playing in a big huge place. We are super grateful to be here and playing with the big leagues. How is it being the only girl on the tour? I’m so used to it now because I’ve been touring for six years and 9 out of 10 times I’m the only girl on the tour. I’ve just grown accustomed to that. How did it feel for you guys to have “Star Crossed Wasteland” debut at 40 on the billboard 200 and number 1 on the independent? We were so excited. All you can do is give it your best and keep striving and working hard. Every time something new happens like that, when you feel like you’re actually growing and your hard work is paying off, you’re grateful and excited. It makes you feel good that everything is paying off. I think that all you can do is strive for the next step. Keep working hard and hope that things grow. Like,

every time you go back to a club, there are more people there the next time. Or the debut 40, or getting big tours. And when you know you’re still kind of fuzzy and people still care about you. Those are things you can keep hoping for and keep growing. How essential is todays social media to the success that you’ve had? In the beginning, Myspace was how we set up tours and we’ve always used that as a tool. Even now, we always stay in contact with our fans. It is really important that they feel they are growing with you. Like one big army. I think its really important. How did you guys hook up with Adrian Patrick from Otherwise for the song “The Promise”? We wrote that song for Ivan Moody from Five Finger Death Punch because I’m friends with him and wanted to do that song for him on the album.

So we did that song and Ivan loved it. At the last moment, our labels in the business side of the world decided that we couldn’t do it together. Adrian was the fill in guy for Ivan, who kind of sung on the song to give Ivan the map, so it was really last minute and instead of searching for someone at the last second, we really liked Adrian’s tone of his voice and he sounded really good. We decided that we would keep him on it.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MARIA BRINKBy Ray White

Photos by Ray White, Matt Ryan & Scott Vollweiler

Q & A



What was the ordeal with the record companies? Unfortunately it isn’t just about two artists that want to write a song together, there is like this whole other part of the empire that is a factor. I watched the video for “The Promise” and it looks like you and Adrian had good chemistry for the shoot. How was the chemistry overall for the shoot? It was cool. I didn’t really know him so it was a little weird. I am just super emotional and can be dramatic if I really want to if I’m feeling the music in the moment. He is like that too. He is a really passionate guy when it comes to singing and the music. I think that when we both came together there was definitely an intensity there. There wasn’t a romantic connection between us whatsoever (laughs). There definitely was a connection between us of us feeling the emotion behind the song. You can definitely see it, but I bet that was weird being that close and not really knowing each other. Yeah, all intimate and face to face. But again, it was cool. It was exciting and it added to the realism of it, I guess. Are you guys still using Myspace as your official website right now? Not really, actually we are but its more inward to Facebook now. A lot of people aren’t going on Mypace anymore. Does the band have any plans of a stand alone site? I was actually thinking about that recently. I mean

nowadays you don’t really need one when it comes to this stuff. With Myspace dwindling away and Facebook being the main one, I’m thinking we may have one but I’m not sure, we’ll see. How does it feel for you personally, being one of the top women in metal nowadays? You know, you never feel like that, you just feel like your own dorky self doing your own thing. It’s funny when people ask me that question. I feel super happy, I feel inspired, I feel grateful and I think of all of the things I want to do. I want to be on the cover

of magazines and I want to play in big arenas. All of these things I ever dreamed of are coming to be and unfolding in my life. It’s always something new and exciting. I don’t look at myself as one of the top girls and if people do look at me like that, then its crazy. I feel happy and grateful and I get a lot of young girls who say I inspire them and they want to do the same thing. So that is really cool, too. Who are some of your big influences growing up? I grew up with this really cool rocker mom who listened to ACDC, Sabbath, Queen. So I grew up listening to all of that and going to concerts when I was five years old up until I was twelve. It was definitely my mom that put the underlining rocker world into me. It was already kind of there. As far as heavy music wise, I loved Ozzy, and Pantera, Deftones, and Alice in Chains. I think that is for the heavier side and I’m definitely inspired by all types of music. My favorite singer is Lisa Gerrard. Guy wise, it is Chino from Deftones who has inspired me for the heavier world. What else can we expect from you guys for 2011? We are going to be doing this tour until April 3. Then I think around May we are going to be on a co-headlining thing. Then for the summer, we are going to be doing something a little bit off our beaten path and it is something to try and expand our horizons and stuff. I think fall and December we are going to be writing for our new album.

Q & A



What was your thinking behind doing a double album? For the most part, it came from the cleverness of me being from Florida and breaking it in half, only one Flo for the first part and only one Rider for the second part. I just wanted to give the fans two for the price of one. It’s very rare that a rapper writes his own songs these days. Do you find it important to actually have a hand in the creation of the songs? Most definitely, you know, more money more money more money! At the same time, two heads is better than one sometimes. I’ve been fortunate enough to make big huge records... I think it’s important that an artist writes his own music as well.

Club Can’t Handle Flo Rida

Q & A

Q & AFlo Rida’s hits just keep on coming. As a special guest at this year’s Z100 Jingle Ball in NYC, Flo Rida had the night off from performing but that didn’t stop him from getting exciting about his latest albums and singles.

“Club Can’t Handle Me” is another one of your catchy hard hitting songs. How was it working with David Guetta and how did you guys hook up? Actually I met him in the UK through an artist that I worked with, she definitely initiated me. From right there we talked and got a chance to go to the Bahamas for the Miss Universe Pageant. Backstage we were talking about, “Yo man we gotta do this.” He went back home and sent some tracks back and fourth. We traded records, and that one stood out. Did the name Flo Rida come from the state or was it a coincidence? It definitely came from the state.



Q & A

By Ray White



What’s it like in the studio with Mushroomhead? We have our own studio in Ohio- Filthy Hands Studio. It is where we did Savior Sorrow as well. The studio experience is different when you own it yourself because you can do whatever you want. You can smoke if you want. People can drink if they want. You’re not on the clock and there’s no rushing involved. It’s ultra comfortable because we are in our own home where we are working anyway. Even before we schedule the time of when we are going to write a record, we are already working on music all the time. Stuff is just always getting written in the process and Skinny will have other bands come in to record. It’s always up and running as that and its definitely cool because its where we work everyday and where we make our albums at. What is the song writing process for you guys having eight members? It would obviously be really chaotic if we actually jammed and wrote songs as a full unit. It would probably sound like a bag of cats being thrown down the stairs. It usually starts with guitars and drums or a lot of times Shmotz will have keyboard songs that sound very organic. Then Skinny will play a drum beat over top of it and start building it up. A lot of songs usually start with just a guitar riff or Jeff will have a vocal melody. Every song has a different approach and sometimes, a song will sit there for months and be these pieces with no guitar or no bass and then toward the end when everyone puts their own spin on it, that�s when they come to life and begin to sound like Mushroomhead. So everybody has their hands in every song? Everyone has got their hands in it but not at the same time and that’s how it works.

Everyone just does their thing and puts their spin on it and it always comes out for the better. How would you compare Beautiful Stories to the other albums? This was more comfortable and honest. With Savior Sorrow there was a lot of stress for everybody because we lost our front man. And for bands, when you lose your front man, it’s never good. We were really nervous about that and bringing Waylon in wasn’t as comfortable because he was a brand new vocalist to our band. It is serious when it’s a front man because that’s who the crowd always identifies with. That was hugely stressful. There has to be that level of getting comfortable with people too. But on this record, we have been with Waylon for five years now and we are aware that the fans that are coming to the shows now are ninety percent of fans from when Savior Sorrow came out. I guarantee that the crowd tonight in Cleveland are going to have three people in that crowd that will be from back in the day. Most of those people are in their thirties and have kids. Now it’s a whole new wave of kids looking for that outlet or something to do. I think it’s cool that we got to advance and grab a singer that could compliment the music as well and not do exactly what JMann would do. He does his own thing and we’re making new Mushroomhead. It works because you gotta be able to evolve as a band. That video for “Come On” is brutal. Who put that together? Dave Greyhouse and Robert Kurtsman. They did the “1200” video, the “Solitaire” video, and “Your Soul is Mine.” House’s idea was to do a fight video and we thought it’d be fun to do. So all of those fighters were our

friends, people we knew, and some of those guys weren’t afraid to flip and drop each other on the concrete. If we didn’t keep supplying the beer, they would not have made it. I think we went through forty cases of beer that day. What has been your personal highlight with Mushroomhead? The first three years I was in the band doing OzzFest in Europe and in America. The Europe thing was incredible. It was the first time that I felt like I was doing all of the things I wanted to be a part of and got to be doing it. It was pretty damn cool eating lunch and seeing Kerry King, as well as Ozzy, and Sharon, and his kids. We did it with American Head Charge, Tool, Soulfly, Slayer, Ozzy obviously, and then we did the American one the same year. It was half as cool because Tool and Slayer and Charger were off of it. It was us, Glassjaw, Down and Meshuggah. Those were the coolest moments that I’ve ever had. This is what you picture it to be and then you go back to the clubs and you want catering and millions of fans. We get brought in for shows like Mayhem and stuff like that, but we’re awesome when we do festival shows because we really throw down. I really wish we’d get picked up for a full blown festival tour again. Are there any other venues that you’ve played that come close to playing at home in Cleveland? Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan, El Rosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, and oddly enough, Jackson, Mississippi. You would not expect it. There were more kids there than we would draw in Orlando, Florida. And they have amazing sweet tea there! Hopefully someone from that venue hears this interview and hears my kind words. There are crazy fans that go and shake your hand and end up trying to rip your arm off. Some of those small towns that don’t get shows a lot get really crazy for our shows. Then you

Q & A



play major cities and there is so many things to do that it’s hard to get a good crowd. Is there going to be any JMann tonight? We didn’t plan anything. We did it at the Halloween show this year and a few shows around then to honor JJ’s death- our original guitar player just passed away a few weeks ago and Jay wanted to do some songs in the spirit of him. There was nothing planned for tonight. We try not to do it all the time so that it doesn’t become cliché. We are more about pushing the future and it’s gotta be one of those things that are only once in a while. I get to answer all of those questions at the end of the night and people ask me if J is back in the band and it’s better to just have it once in a while. What are you guys working on for the 2011? We are working on a Co-tour for the Spring, but I can’t say who the band is who we are going out with yet. They’re a big band on the same level as us, but a different genre. Then there’s another possibility for the Fall that we tour with another big band. We are trying to make 2011 the year we tour with bands that are known. We are just trying to find bands that want to do co-tours that are just as big as us and want to rotate and double their numbers. We are hoping to pull our fans and then we are hoping they pull their fans so that the shows are packed everywhere, as opposed to having half the capacity. They are a bit more industrial then us and they draw numbers. They are the direct support for an even bigger band! So I gotta make this sh*t happen. Anything else you want to add? Buy our album, don’t download it. Daddy needs a new pair of Vans (laughs). Buy the record on Mushroomhead.com. We have a mask site too that will be up and running soon. It was down because we couldn’t keep up with your orders. We will be touring pretty heavily in the Spring and in the Fall like usual. In our down time, I’m going to be pushing my other band, Ventana. We are actually playing a surprise set tonight- unannounced. It should be sick. We are headlining here February 9 and I want to do a follow up and keep the height up for us. Go to Ventanaband.com. You know, life was so much better before Myspace and Facebook. People went outside more. People went to shows and called. I’ll go weeks just texting someone and then when the arguments start over text, it’s so stupid. When I was a teenager and I was out, I was out. You actually got to enjoy your time and enjoy what you pay for. Now you go to the shows and kids are busy texting. It’s getting really gay, but it’s not gonna go anywhere.

Q & A



How did you get hooked up on this current tour with Hinder and how is the tour going? Basically, when we finished the album we were deciding which territory to release it in first and it was decided it would be America. It was about finding the right tour for us to get on and amazingly enough we got on to this tour. For a first tour of the states, to be touring with these guys is an honor. We are blown away. The crowds are huge every night and everyone is digging it. The guys are like brothers to us: Hinder, Saving Abel and My Darkest Days. Everyone is getting along great and it couldn’t be better. Do you have any memorable tour moments that you would like to share? Yeah, Saving Abels’ tour bus went

on fire six shows back. That was pretty crazy. I don’t think you can top a bus burning down. What was the writing process like for White Collar Lies? There were old songs or ideas we had throughout time that were reworked and added to the album but the majority was

new material. We had riffs or lyrical ideas from past songs. Back in 2002 we used to write songs individually, but since then we decided to work on it like a song writing workshop. We write songs that not one song writer can create and we are getting that feeling off the record. We believe a lot of radio songs are stale. There are a lot of things to be saying and nobody is saying them. It’s good to write what a song should sound like. We try our best to write anthems instead of just sitting around writing songs. Not to say we get there, but if you target it that high, you end up with a really good song.

If you haven’t heard of the band Kopek, it’s time you started listening. The Irish trio, who has been together for almost a decade, has recently embarked on “The All American Nightmare Tour” with Hinder. No strangers to touring, Kopek has played throughout Europe, and along the way they gained a perspective of the world around them which has heavily influenced the material on their debut album, White Collar Lies which will be released March 1st in the United States.

Drummer Shane Cooney took the time during their busy touring schedule to talk to me about the current tour and their upcoming album.

If you didn’t have the chance to catch Kopek in the “All American Nightmare Tour”, it’s not too late to see them live. Immediately following this tour, they will hit the road with Cold and Egypt Central, for “A Tour of the American Dream”, kicking off in Atlanta.

By Jennifer LeeflangQ & A



How has the Music As A Weapon Tour been so far? It’s going really good. It’s cool because people are showing up. We’re unwinding after the holidays and I think this is a good release. We have a good line up, for sure. We’ve been good buddies with Disturbed for quite some time. In This Moment came out with us on Mayhem this Summer. It’s been good, man because we’ve been flip flopping with Disturbed. One night we close and the next night they close. Do you have a preference playing indoor or outdoor? Well yeah, obviously because of the weather, its’ appropriate for indoor. I’m all about the intimacy. I like playing stuff a little bigger than theHouse of Blues. There is something about it when the crowd is right there and they can’t get away from you. You get lost in the sound and it’s pretty powerful. What did you guys do for Jonathan’s birthday? We had something in Bakersfield; his wife threw him a surprise party. We pretty much said happy birthday on stage and threw him a party in Hershey, PA. It was cool and my parents came from Pittsburgh so it was really nice. How important was it for you guys to do well on this album, considering how much was put into it emotionally? It was cool because for them (the other guys) it was like a family reunion to go back to the garage with Ross. Korn has a very luxurious studio. The drum room is a gymnasium, it’s a paradise for any drummer. Ross is like, “you guys are way too comfortable”. We went into the guitar booth and when you listen to the headphones you can hear them yelling and screaming. It wasn’t a pleasant thing, but I’m very proud of the record. He wanted us to find the passion inside of us. That had a lot of success, obviously. He wanted us to go back to the roots, no click tracks. For a drummer, that’s a nightmare. To be honest, there are so many perfect sounding records these days. It kind of bums me out. Anyone can sing a song and throw it into the machine and correct it. To me, to not alter the album sound, really shows us who we are. At first, it was very exhausting and mentally draining. I’d leave there some days and think that I was the worst drummer on the planet and now I can listen back and feel the energy and feel the vibe.

How cool was it for you to be coming into the band and becoming a part of Korn? It was awesome, actually. I had a crazy career because I wasn’t the kind that just got into a successful band. I was very up and down, touring with people from Ozzy’s tour and I was in David Lee Roth’s band for eight years. I was in a band called Army for Anyone. In between that, I was teaching guitar lessons, playing at weddings, and then playing arenas. Talk about paying your dues. I wouldn’t trade it for the world and to be in a band that has made all of these records, its definitely worth everything. What metal band stays together 18 years, unless you’re Metallica or Megadeth? How do you keep your heart in the music after so long? We all live for it. I always tell people that if you’re in it for the money and the chicks, then get out and do something else. It’s literally in my blood. There is nothing else we can do. We didn’t choose music, music chose us. We are always doing something. It’s always about the music. I think that’s why Korn fans are so die hard. This chick had tattoos down her legs of all of the albums and John’s face on her back. They’re crazy man! Other than Korn III, do you have a personal favorite album? I’m kinda biased because I’m a huge Terry Bozzio fan. I love when bands get experimental because I like when people grow and venture out. I read this theory from an interview with Angus Young and they said “people have been blaming you for making the same record for 22 years” and he said “that is absolutely wrong, we’ve been

Q & A

Q & A



making the same record for the last 25 years.” I like when bands venture out, but one great thing I like about Korn is that with one note or one pluck of a string, you can tell what song it is. Its so identifiable. That’s what I love about it. With the fire off the first album, you can’t deny the “here we are” feeling so that album always sticks out. And of course, Follow the Leader broke everything. Are there any plans for a new video after this tour is over? We did this huge video in the middle of a field and had crop circles cut out. It’s wicked, it’s really weird and it’s different. It’s reminiscent ofPink Floyd. We did these hippy jams and we didn’t rehearse, just went for it. I can’t wait for that to come out, it’s going to be cool. Are you guys closing tonight? Yeah, this is fun. I love this New York crowd. This city has energy as it is, so we’re bringing a

heavy concert like this. I love the set list this time because they have so many hits and we’re doing a medley tonight and everything in between. What’s the agenda for the rest of 2011? We already have shows booked in Europe in June. There is a whole other leg of this tour in March in Canada and the rest of the west coast. We’re probably going to start doing another record in the Fall. Keep going on Korn.com because there is always something coming up. There’s a thing on there where one fan can check out what it is like behind the scenes. We do that everyday and get a lot of good response. Anything else you want to add? I appreciate the support from everyone and keep coming to the shows. Appreciate it!

Ray White sits down with

Ray Luzier, Korn’s drummer backstage at Music Is A Weapon Tour

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As the music industry continues to change shape and sound, Kirsten Price will not let anyone shove their ideas down her throat. As a strong and talented woman, Price wrote, produced and engineered her latest album Brixton to Brooklyn, which she says “is the end result of a reckless personal experiment and the positive results surprised everyone; no one more so than I.” The album, which she recorded in “A stinky sound proofbasement in Soho, New York with no windows,” has a mix of different vibes and she says the sound is something she has created based on instinct and trial and error. Price’s name is unknown but her songs have been featured in commercials for Coke, Campbell’s, and Clinique just to name a few. Price has also opened for Sly Stone, Natasha Bedingfield and Wyclef Jean and on her own has toured to 21 states, the UK, Canada and Italy. Although Price tends to make music different from what she likes to listen to, she says when she does listen to music it tends “to gravitate towards women with unique and powerful voices.” Her slightly more R&B sound is radio ready and filled with personality. Although she does not spend to much time social networking personally, Price says, “I do love people though, so after my shows sometimes I get a chance to check in with the fans backstage. For those who like to stay connected to their machines, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc and kirstenprice.com -they are always being updated.

Kirsten Price By Arin Segal

Breaking into the NYC music scene may be hard to do, but in just a few months, the electro-pop project

Future Relative (created by New Yorker Armand Aviram) has managed to do so. I recently chatted with him about the recent success he has been experiencing.

Be sure to also visit www.futurerelative.com to pick up the EP for free!

How did you come up with the name Future Relative and what does it represent? It took a really long time to find a name…I was almost ready to give up. One morning I was listening to the song “Futures” by Zero 7, one of my favorite groups and somehow the name just popped into my head. I liked the way it sounded and I felt like it could have some imagery behind it. For me it represents the idea of music bringing people together as a family. Maybe on a different planet, or in a dream state of some kind.

A lot of pop music these days features uninspiring words hidden by catchy melodies, but Future Relative flaunts impressive and quality lyrics. What inspires your songwriting process? Sometimes it’s a life experience, a phrase I’ll overhear, a movie, a scene in a book I’m reading, it can be anything really. I try to wait for some kind of spark to hit me and I find the best lyrics are usually the ones that come out quickly.

FUTURE RELATIVEBy Danielle Choo

Read The Full Interview atBrokenRecordsOnline.com

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In several songs on the Fantasies EP, the lyrics depict a sense of self-discovery, both as an individual and as an artist. (I.e. “Everything’s been adding up to equal this moment”). Can you tell me about the [personal and/or musical] revelations you have had since the creation of Future Relative? Starting the project in general was a bit of a revelation. My best friend and roommate at the time was a big fan of the group Thievery Corporation and was begging me to come see them perform at Terminal 5 for months. I had heard them before, but didn’t really know their music that well. We went to the show with some friends and I was just completely blown away. It was just one of those nights where you get completely lost in the music, the environment, the people, everything. I think I actually broke off from the group early on and literally danced by myself for the entire show, in a trance. I realized then and there I wanted to be a part of this atmosphere. I woke up the next morning, washed my face and decided to start fresh. Nowadays, revelations hit me in the studio and after a show. Part of the learning process is making mistakes. I love self-discovery; it’s one of the best parts of life.

The New York music scene is tough to break through. How do you try and stand out amongst the others and appeal to a wide fan base? I just wanna put on the best possible show and put out the best music I can. There’s an incredible amount of bands in NY and I just wanna make sure when people come to a show, they go home excited about what they saw and heard.

Anyone who has seen your live show can vouch for the high amounts of passion and energy throughout your performance. What do you hope to accomplish through each show you play? Each show and each venue is different, but the energy and passion will always remain constant. It’s music that makes you want to move. I’m not sure if I’m really thinking too much on stage, it’s more of a reaction to the music. The biggest goal is stimulation, on more than one level.

Cindy Scott, a refreshingly soulful addition to the jazz music industry, has been in the spotlight recently. Her latest release, “Let the Devil Take Tomorrow,” was just honored as New Orleans’ Best Contemporary Jazz Album of 2010. Scott brings a variety of influences into her sound, from her

southern-country Texan roots to her classically trained musical education. But there’s more than eclectic music styles that make Scott’s music what it is. After leaving a successful corporate career and persevering through the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina, an artistic, honest, and

sincere piece of music has been born. Scott told us about all of it. Your latest album, “Let the Devil Take Tomorrow” just won New Orleans’ Best Contemporary Jazz Album of 2010. How did this make you feel and did you expect this? It was a big honor to get nominated, because New Orleans is a town chock full of bright musicians. The nomination was a big deal and winning was just like we say out here, icing on the cake. It’s huge because I’m up against these fantastic artists. But I also feel like it’s a great record and I’m glad that people recognize that. Allaboutjazz.com referred to you as a “rare breed of artist.” How do you feel you’re different from other jazz musicians out there? Well I think each individual is different from the next. And as you kind of develop your own art and find your own voice you’re going to be unique. What makes me unique in the jazz world I suppose is, even if I try to repress it, there’s definitely country and R&B in my singing and my music. The combination of jazz, country, and R&B is kind of an interesting one.

Cindy Scott By Lisa Eaddiccio

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Renee, Fit For Rivals. Where did you all get your name? What exactly does Fit For Rivals mean? The band name actually came from Ronnie Winter, lead signer of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. His wife, Stacy came up with it when we were out in California recording. Thomas and I were out there.” “It has a bunch of different meanings. I mean, the most obvious one is that we’re, you know, fit to be put up against anyone or anything. Like we’re ready to take on any types of challenges and pursue them.”

Passion, drive, hard work, and talent: these are the things that take bands from basements and backrooms to absolute infamy. Fit For Rivals is a fearsome fivesome of twenty-something rockers doing it their way and getting right. The eclectic musical backgrounds and varied life experiences of lead-singer Renee Phoenix, guitarists Thomas Amason and Jesse Carroll, bassist Eli Clark, and drummer John Hartman flawlessly fold into notes and lyrics that are nothing short of personal and phenomenal. It doesn’t matter whether you’re listening to FFR’s current album Steady Damage, or watching them live before your very eyes. The music is all out, all the time. It’s an energetic no holds barred rock that sucks you in, then kicks you upside the head just for good measure. It’s all about pure rock, a fact made even more evident when Broken Records Magazine got the chance to talk to FFR’s front woman with the powerful pipes Renee Phoenix.

Cool. So how did you all end up getting together? Let’s see. I was in an old band called The Explicits, and I was looking for a guitar player. And that’s when Thomas found me. Then from there we just kind of like started to write a whole bunch of music, and were like, you know what, this is completely different from what I was doing before. So we decided to form a whole new band from it. And then, Thomas was good friends with Jesse, so we got him on it. Then with John, Thomas met John at a bar during a show that his brother’s band

Foals, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Phoenix, Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse. If you don’t know any of these bands, you haven’t been paying attention to the rise of indie rock in the music industry. As of late, more and more indie bands are making their way into mainstream music. After many years of being on an independent record label, Death Cab for Cutie signed to major label, Atlantic records, in 2004. The band’s 2005 album Plans was nominated a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album of that year and attained Platinum sales. Just a week ago, Arcade Fire won a Grammy for Album of the Year and two other prestigious awards. Other bands such as The Walkmen, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, Spoon, MGMT, and The National have also created a buzz recently. What used to be a sub-genre of alternative rock in the 1980s has turned into a worldwide phenomenon. One of the bands trying to break this same mold is Edelweiss, an indie rock band from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Don’t be discouraged by the name, there aren’t any Sound of Music references in their songs. The band has only been together for a year and they’re already taking Northeastern Pennsylvania by storm. Ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old, justtake a listen to two of the tracks on their Bandcamp or Facebook page, and what you’ll hear is tight, mature music. “We play music that you don’t hear every day,” the band said collectively. “It’s unlike anything you hear on mainstream radio, and it’s a lot of fun.” The four-piece recently recorded two songs, “(No)” and “Fiasco,” with Jeremy Sklarsky at Threshold Records in New York City (their client list includes Collective Soul, Jónsi (Sigur Rós), and The Morning Benders). If you know what’s good for you, go see these guys headline the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on February 26th before they start selling out stadiums. According to Edelweiss ,“[they are] the next generation.”

Edelweiss is the Next Generation

By Terri Caputo

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was playing. And Eli we actually found off of Facebook, just from references from other people and trying to find a good bassist to join our band. He’s the newest addition.” You mentioned the raspiness, so I gotta ask. You all have a joke about reminding everybody, “Yes, that’s a f e m a l e lead singer!” What’s the story behind that? (Laughs) “Well, I noticed it a lot of time at shows. We begin the set, and I begin singing, and I look out to the crowd and see people looking over at Thomas. They look over at Jesse. They look back at John. Everyone’s like, wait, who’s singing? And they see I’m singing, and they’re like…oh whoa (laughs). I love seeing people’s reaction. It’s amazing, it’s awesome to see that. But, it kinda came from that, a few other things. Like people being confused, like, wait, that’s her singing? Cause I’m pretty tiny (laughs). The big voice coming out of me, people don’t really expect that.” going on, and hopefully, you know, things progressively get better and better for us. But yeah, I’m 100% happy in Fit For Rivals. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, I can speak for the rest of the band, they’re a lot happier than they’ve been in any band they’ve previously been in. So, we’ve all kind of found each other, and we found our niche. This is what we want to do, where we wanna go musically.

Interview and Photo By Matt Ryan

David Vaughn, James Austin, and Michael Behymer make up the glam/pop-rock group from San Diego California. In three short years they have already opened for the Plain White T’s, Sum 41, and Say Anything. David brings his glam rock style to the group, and his soothing vocals. In an age of auto tune, and synthesizers, these boys have taken it back to the roots of pop rock with authentic guitar riffs and energetic drum beats. They have been dubbed as an MTV Buzzworthy Band, and there have been several rumors of indie deals. They are becoming quite a big deal on the west coast in California, and have plans to do a lot of touring in 2011 which is great news for fans on the east coast! Their second EP, The Fashion, was released in March 2010, with four tracks that will make you dance. Catchy choruses and relatable lyrics, make this EP fire.Look forward to more shows, and more music videos in the near future. If you haven’t seen their music video for “Love Hurts”, then you definitely should, it is a little dark, but well done. Pick up their second EP The Fashion, for some glam rockin’ good times.

By Laura Bo

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After a long and grueling holiday season, long drives, hours of shopping, too much time with family members, who doesn’t need to cut loose and get some ag-gression out? And that outlet was delivered in the form of the first big metal tour of 2011 with the Monster Energy Music As A Weapon 5 Tour, fea-turing Korn, Disturbed, Sev-endust and In This Moment. The show rolled into NYC’s world famous Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, and there was definitely a buzz in the air you only find in New York. The theater was packed with about as many metal heads as you could fit, all ready to yell, scream and mosh to 4 of the best metal bands you could ask for on a single bill. And a really sur-prising feat this night is how effi-cient all the set changes were. Ku-dos to all the roadies on this tour. Opening up the show was In This Moment, setting the bar pret-ty high with “Just Drive”. And they kept it there for their entire set. Though a short set, In This Moment filled every min-ute with their killer riffs and Maria Brink’s great voice that was made for metal, leaving everyone wanting more. And more they got with Atlanta metal vets Sevendust, who took the bar and simply destroyed it with the energy and inten-sity that made it feel like the building was going to come down. With Lajon’s menacing vocals, complimented by the monster guitar play and thumping drums, Sevendust rocked the crowd

with songs like “Splinter”, “Driven”, “Pieces” and of course closing the set with “Face To Face”.

From start to finish Sev-endust kept the dial turned all the way up. If your adrenaline wasn’t pump-ing by the time they were done playing, you did not have a pulse to begin with. Disturbed without a doubt rocked the hell out of the place. Creating a mob mentality among the crowd that I have not seen very of-ten at concerts. Everyone was jumping, singing and clapping along the entire time Disturbed was on stage. With a monster screen behind and around the stage running awe-some video and graphics ac-

companying songs like “Stupify”, “The Game” and “Voices”, there was as much visual stimula-tion as audio. An awesome set from start to finish. Korn. Does anymore really need to be said? One of the few high profile bands out there that doesn’t use gimmicks or gags onstage. Just raw, punch you in the face metal that we’ve all grown to love over the last 16 years. Korn did what they do best, and that is put on an amazing show. From the opening cymbal tapping of “Blind”, which is the first introduction many of us had to Korn years ago, to the show closing “Ya’ll Want A Single”, the boys from Bakersfield handled their business like the metal champs they are. Not many bands bring

the intensity and emotion that Korn does to the stage. And that raw grit is even more prominent now than in recent years. It really appears as though Korn has remembered who they were in returning to the emotion that captivated metal heads all over back in the 90’s.

Review and Photo By Ray WhiteAdditional Photos by Matt Ryan

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Ryan Star/Hot Chelle Rae/Hesta Prynn/Gambit Webster Hall January 18, 2011 By Danielle Choo

It was a neighborly affair at Webster Hall for Ryan Star’s first NYC show in months. Kicking off the night with their catchy lyrics and infectious energy were fellow Long Island natives Gambit. Lead singer Lyle Kamesaki rocked the stage and was even accompanied by Ido Zmishlany (Lion of Ido) during “This Town.” Taking the stage next was longtime friend of Ryan Star, Hesta Prynn with her fun, hipster-pop sound. The only opener without a LI background was Hot Chelle Rae, who turned the room from a concert into a party. Each opener successfully electrified the venue, though I would have personally switched out HCR for Lion of Ido solely to bind all the hometown ties. Ryan Star kicked off his 75-minute set with songs off his hit record 11:59 such as “Brand New Day” and “Last Train Home.” Flaunting his versatility, the edgy rocker led into the mellower favorite “Breathe” that included a unifying audience sing-a-long. I’ve seen Ryan play live many times, and each is an experience of its own. My favorite performance of the night was the amazing rendition of “Waiting For Love” [with keyboardist Dallin Applebaum], just beating out the surprise cover of “The Bed Intruder Song.” His tremendous talent and gratitude don’t go unnoticed, and neither does his supreme amount of passion. As I continued to be blown away, I constantly found myself scrambling for my camera in an attempt to capture every moment. Similarly, this idea of “carpe diem” is embedded in his songs, sending a beautiful message to anyone who’s listening. Once again, Ryan Star has shown that he is a strong contender in the music industry whose time to shine is anything but fleeting.

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Music is said to bring people together. This past Monday, it once again did just that at the Highline Ballroom in New York for the Plain White T’s“Wonders Of The Younger” Tour. It was an interesting mix of young and old, emo and conservative on the floor, all watching on eagerly as each song was played. Opening the show was long-time road veterans of pop-rock, MIGGS. Popular with the crowd, the band fronted by lead signer and guitarist Don Miggs offered up a menu of songs about relationships, youth, and more. Among them was the song “Boys & Girls” about the ups and downs of teenage love and sex. While the band was lyrically and instrumentally strong, and suffered numerous technical issues, their sound blended into the plethora of other pop-rock bands, sounding almost no different than bands like Kings of Leon-which may not be a bad thing.

Direct support was provided by Parachute. The band has the unique ability to make every song something different. From the upbeat, smooth sound of “Something To Believe In” to the slow and emotional “The Mess I Made” and “She Is Love“. What makes it even better is that the voice of lead singer Will Anderson. Anderson’s vocals are a unmistakable mix of a flawless R&B sound, full of soul, bent to fit the pop music the band turns out. Combine all these factors with the brass talents of Alex Hargrave, and you have hits, among which is undoubtedly soon to be the upcoming album “The Way It Was”. The way it was however was that the main attraction was about to go on. Plain White T’s took the stage to roar of teenaged girls and grown businessmen. As Tom Higgenson and Tim Lopez sang their way through the setlist, not once did fans let their eyes wander

off them. The music was simple and true. With lyrics mostly based on personal experience, it’s easy to find tracks like “1234” and “Natural Disaster” attractive and adaptive to one’s own history. PWT also shares the ability to make every song sound individual. An example is “Our Time Now” is pop-punk-like, while “Hey There Delilah” performed from the crowd was a simple acoustic emotional expression, versus the newest single “The Rhythm Of Love” has a very tropical feel with it’s mandolin sounds up front. Like all things though, this show had to come to an end. The band finished strong with the proverbial break-up song with the strong rock beat, “Hate”. Overall the show was notable. The fans left satisfied, and the bands happy with their performances. Undoubtedly the crowd will be just as strong when the tour returns to New York again later this year.

Live at Highline Ballroom NYC

with Special Guests MIGGS

Review & Photo By Matt Ryan

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See The Full Set Of Photos atBrokenRecordsOnline.com

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Twas was a cold and rainy night in the darkened woods outside the Starland Ballroom. It was weather ever so appropriate for the one night only bill of The Dead M a s q u e r a d e Tour. Yet, despite the drab and melancholy c o n d i t i o n s beyond the walls, the world inside the legendary Sayreville, New Jersey club was electric and the room filled to the brim. Nothing could stop the mass of teenage fans, or even a couple celebrities, from showing up to rock out. As the anticipation built and the minute hand ticked away, the first note finally sounded from the amps. Unsigned Los Angeles natives, Drive A lit the night’s fire and proceeded to pile on the kindling. The quartet of California kids delivered an onslaught of pure, unadulterated rock with songs like “Revolt!” and “Can’t Sleep It Off”. It was a gimmick free set that did its job; the room was effectively warmed up and the band stood out. Like any other pile of flames however, a fire must be fanned so it can grow. Without missing a beat, emo-rockers Get Scared set toward doing just that and succeeding at it. The showman in lead singer Nicholas Matthews was highly evident during tracks such as the momentum building “Sarcasm”. However, the rest of the

band was equally as impressive. Solid musicianship combined with stage presence multiplied the energy of the crowd and raised the bar for the bands to come. Yet that did not mean the bar was unreachable. As the fire that was this night�s onslaught began

to really rise, Motionless In White stormed onto the stage with loads of makeup and fuel in the form of guitars and aggressive v o c a l s . It was an impressive d i s p l a y s e e m i n g less emo or goth than h a r d c o r e metal. MIW managed not only to keep the legions of teenage fans at

full scream, but also quickly grabbed the attention of quite a few adult rockers and metal heads who had driven them there. Four fifths of the way through the bill however, the bar was simply blown from its rack. A devastating explosion of sound from both Alesana and the countless dedicated fans engulfed every last corner of the venue. Every girl in the room reacted to the suggestive movements and smooth vocals of lead singer and guitarist Sean Milke during songs like “Seduction.” It was like a scene from the glory days of Elvis, minus the sucker punch of grunt vox from Dennis Lee. The only words that can quickly describe it all are three guitars, two singers, and one hell of a performance. The night, however, would belong to headliners Escape The Fate. With an incinerating nuclear blast, the foursome stepped

out high octane from the very beginning. Crowd surfing, moshing, and groupie admirers all hit their peak within seconds of “Choose Your Faith” reaching their ears to start the set. The audible assault continued through ETF hits “Ten Miles”, “The Flood”, and “Bad Blood” as well as new music like “Day of Reckening”. The band was magnetic. Their tunes and growing reputation even drew Jersey legend Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and his daughter Cheyenne. The likely future success of this band and their new self titled album were evident as each song was checked off the set list. If any question of the abilities and dedication of the band still existed they were erased during the last song, “The Aftermath (G3)”. With just seconds left and the build-up to the big finish in effect, bassist Max Green collapsed from dehydration and exhaustion. Green had been battling a cold and not feeling well from the beginning of the night. In true rock ‘n roll style however, his dedication to the music overruled all else. Green went on stage as planned and played until he dropped, even arguing with staff to let him finish when he came to. Some would call the incident embarrassing, but in reality it’s admirable. With work ethic as strong as Green’s and the rest of the band’s, Escape The Fate will go far beyond the horizon into infinite

success for years to come.

Escape The Fate (w/ Drive A, Get Scared, Motionless In White, & Alesana) Sat, Dec 05, 2010 By Matt Ryan

55

DAUGHTRYMusicians On Call

February 2011

It was a night of food, wine and Daughtry…who needs a more perfect combination?

February 16th, the amazing organization called Musicians On Call had it’s occasional benefit auction/performance at the Hard Rock Café in NYC. On this night, multi-platinum rockers, Daughtry, performed for the VIP audience. After an hour-plus open bar and food service, the MC’s of the event announced the start of the auction. First on the block was a Bruce Springsteen guitar. Next up was vacations to Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Finally, at 9pm, the band came out to perform a special acoustic set consisting of 9 songs, including “Life After You,” “Feels Like Tonight,” “Home,” “Ghosts Of You,” and closed the set with “It’s Not Over.” Chris Daughtry, singer of the band, seemed to quite pleased to be performing at the event but was quite annoyed at the monitor system on the stage. In between 2 of the songs that night, his guitar kept coming back to him out of tune…Daughtry quipped, “It’s like band practice.”

The event ended shortly after the “first performance in 3 months” by Daughtry. The MC’s came out and auctioned up a signed guitar by the band. What an organization. What a great night of music.

Review and Photos by Scott Vollweiler

56

On December 6, 2010, the inaugural ceremony of the American Country Awards, a fan-voted country music awards show, took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. American Idol Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood was the night’s biggest winner garnering six awards, which included wins in the coveted “Artist of the Year” and “Female Artist of the Year” categories. Underwood’s wins in the aforementioned top categories were quite surprising, especially since country vocalist Miranda Lambert had a much greater year than Ms. Underwood this year, since she was crowned “Female Vocalist of the Year” by both the Academy of Country Music (ACM)

and the Country Music Association (CMA); moreover, Lambert received a nomination for “Entertainer of the Year” in last month’s CMA awards, meanwhile Underwood has yet to be nominated in that prestigious “Entertainer of the Year” category. Country singer Brad Paisley, who was recently crowned CMA “Entertainer of the Year” was honored as the “Male Artist of the Year.” In addition to Ms. Underwood,

country band Lady Antebellum reigned triumphant winning four of the seven categories they were nominated for. Their wins included “Group of the Year,” as well as their hit single “Need You Now” was named “Group Single of the Year” and “Single of the Year” respectively. In the “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” ceremony, newcomer Easton Corbin bested out fellow nominees The Band Perry, Jerrod Niemann, American Idol alum Danny Gokey and Jaron and the Long Road to Love for the win. Corbin’s hit single “A Little More Country Than That” topped the Billboard

A C A ‘s

Country Charts this past year, and his video was honored as “Breakthrough Artist Music Video of the Year.” Trace Adkins’ collaborative video for “Hillbilly Bone” with Miranda Lambert’s fiancée Blake Shelton swept two awards including “Music Video of the Year,” as well as “Male Music Video.” Similar to the American Music Awards, which are tabulated by the votes of music fans, the American Country Awards prove that fans have the sole power in determining the winners, which is what makes award shows of this nature very interesting and suspenseful.

by Markos Papdatos

The Inaugural

57

If Family Feud came to your town and surveyed 100 people with the question: Name a delectably sassy blond-haired female artist who pens autobiographical songs about heartbreak, love and fond childhood memo r i es…who would you say? For the later half of the 00’s there is no doubt that Taylor Swift would be the #1 answer. As we begin a new decade that market share is quickly dwindling. Welcome to the scene: an older, wiser, star-hungry, ripped Willie Nelson t-shirt sportin’ Miranda Lambert. This scene unfolds much like Taylor Swifts “You Belong to Me” video only this time Taylor Swift is the pretty pop star villain riding the coattails of album sales, star power and fame—much like the “pretty girl” in the video who was riding in a convertible with Taylor’s boy crush. The tables turn on everyone at some point in time. Could 2011 be Miranda’s moment to be queen of the mountain? Miranda Lambert has been gaining strength in album sales, CMA awards and genuine likability

with her own brand of blond haired country bumpkin. However, instead of wearing big wire-rimmed glasses and being the girl next door band geek, Lambert thrives on a more adult country

dive bar sex appeal. She will drink you under the table, passionately croon your favorite Johnny Cash songs, and hold her own hanging with the boys, but if you wrong her she will kick your candy ass. Just watch any of her rockin’ performances of “Gunpowder & Lead.” That’s hot. Taylor Swift will not bow quietly into the sunset as her last album Speak Now sold over a million copies in its first week which is as rare as Eminem doing a commercial

for Chrysler. Yes, it happened, but either flailing industry certainly can’t count on that continuing. With nine CMA n o m i n a t i o n s and a multitude of victories including Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year, one cannot ignore Lambert’s c o n q u e s t . There’s nothing like a couple of gorgeous blond’s

battling for supremacy. Taylor Swift’s brand of pop is delicious like pretty pink cotton candy, but I love it when a woman also enjoys her steak medium rare.

Country Music’s

Reigning Queens:Miranda

Lambert and Taylor Swift

LAST WORD



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