by Alexandra Mrozowska
— Senior Columnist —
“A family in harmony will prosper in everything”, goes the old Chinese proverb, and in the world of rock ’n’ roll no one’s even going to argue. Obviously, one could say that every band is a bit like a family – although many of them dysfunctional – but from the Young brothers to the Wilson sisters to multigenerational incarnation of Van Halen, it seems that there’s no business like family business. It also works in the case of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, a band founded by the longtime Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell after Lemmy Kilmister’s death and comprised in three fifths of his own sons (and Neil Starr on vocals). But obviously, the Campbell brothers also hone their musical craft elsewhere. Todd and Dane play together in Straight Lines, whereas the youngest of the three, Tyla, is a guitarist for the Alt Rock band The People The Poet for quite a few years now. And as 2020 brings not only a new full-length album by Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, “We’re The Bastards”, but also a collection of demos and b-sides by The People The Poet entitled “The Light Of Day”, we chatted with Tyla about both – as well as his rock ’n’ roll upbringing in the Spice Girls era…
Hardrock Haven: Being Phil Campbell’s son and playing in a band with him and your brothers, are you sick and tired of the press asking about this aspect of your musical career?
Tyla Campbell: (laughs) I don’t think so. I think we’re always gonna be asked that question. It’s such a strange combination – you don’t see many Rock bands with the father and the three of his sons, so it’s a very strange dynamic, but I think we work well together. I’d say that being in a band with anyone is always gonna be like being in a family anyway, so actually it isn’t that much different.
Hardrock Haven: But let’s start from a different angle anyway – your father obviously taught you a lot, but what do you think you taught him or how did you influence him – and the same with your brothers?
Tyla Campbell: I think it works well in a band because we’re all cover different generations and we’re all different ages, so when it comes to songwriting, we have different influences. So, it’s kind of a nice melting pot. My dad has his more Classic Rock influences from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, whereas my older brother Todd and the singer Neil Starr were brought up in the Grunge era, so they have more ‘90s influence. It’s a bit of everything. But what could I have taught my dad…? Maybe it shows in how different he is these days than he was when he was in Motörhead – he’s a lot more low-key and I think he’s got used to that. But I think he prefers playing live more now, ‘cause he’s up close and personal with the crowd and he gets to see reactions on the [people’s] faces… It’s good to be a part of a nice, old-fashioned, sweaty gig (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely! There’s certain premise about the Bastard Sons to kind of carry the torch left behind by Motörhead. What’s your approach to that?
Tyla Campbell: We wouldn’t start if Motörhead was still going. So I think it’s natural thing for people to think we’re carrying on the torch. And also, a lot of Motörhead fans are going to naturally progress into our fans. When we’re writing songs, we don’t actually try to sound like Motörhead, but as my dad played the guitar there for over thirty years, naturally some songs may sound a bit like Motörhead. I guess a lot of people are expecting a Lemmy soundalike, but actually there’s only one Lemmy… Even if people hear a slightly Motörhead vibe in a song, it’s still not like Lemmy, it’s Neil who’s a completely different singer and frontman – and I think it’s hard for them to accept it. But a lot of old fans have come and joined us and we’re really grateful for that. We’ve also gained a lot of fans that are not necessarily Motörhead fans. When we got played in Planet Rock radio which is the main radio station for Rock music in the UK, we gained a lot of fans from people hearing us for the first time and not realizing the Motörhead connection. So it kinda works both ways.
Hardrock Haven: So, now let’s focus on the Bastard Sons’ new album. Just recently you’ve released a very special video for “We’re The Bastards” with footage sent by your friends and fans put together. What kind of message does it convey in terms of Rock/Metal community?
Tyla Campbell: Well, the song “We’re The Bastards” is basically all about our fans anyway. First, we wrote the riff and then, as we were in the studio, somebody tweeted us and they wrote something like, “We can’t wait to watch you again! #WereTheBastards”. Todd saw it and he was like, “That’s a pretty cool name for an album.” So we decided on the name of the album before the song was written. And then as the lyrics were written, we just felt it made a perfect sense. Especially in this day and age when everyone’s quarantined and we’re all in lockdown, we thought we’re gonna do a fan video and this has to be to this song. So it just made perfect sense. I think we put a sample of the chorus on our Soundcloud and then had our fans sending their footage in – and for our super fans and friends, we sent them an entire song so they could “sing” on the verses as well. I think it’s a great video. It’s like we’re all in this together and we’re happy to contribute and have fun – this is a good party tune at the end of the day. We’d like to thank our fans for their contribution to the video and making it worthwhile.
Hardrock Haven: So with this strong statement in the title and also the cover artwork following this concept of community, is the album itself a band manifesto in any way?
Tyla Campbell: I think with the album artwork, the artist just came up with the Medieval theme. It’s the same artwork guy – Matt Riste – who did the album artwork to our first album The Age Of Absurdity, so it made perfect sense to get him on the board again. And he sent a project of the shield, which we thought was cool, then a portrait of us all gathered at the table in a bar in a Medieval theme… I think we kind of like the idea ‘cause it reminded us of the film The Monty Python And The Holy Grail, ‘cause we’re all big fans of that and that’s obviously set in Medieval times. So once we saw that, we decided to crack on with the theme as I think it’s good to have one for the album. It gives ideas for lyrics and songs – like for our first album, when it was all based in an old-school circus and that was a really cool theme to have. And this theme is a Medieval one, so who knows what theme we’re gonna go with for an album number three…?
Hardrock Haven: Only time will tell, I guess! You’ve just mentioned the previous Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons’ album The Age Of Absurdity. Do you think we live in the “age of absurdity” indeed?
Tyla Campbell: I think so, especially now more than ever unfortunately… I think the idea for that album title was Todd’s as he read it in Frank Zappa’s book or an interview him and again, we saw this as a cool title for an album and also a theme, so that Neil could come up with lyric ideas… Unfortunately, at the moment, with no live concerts going on in a foreseeable future – or very limited live concerts – I think we’re really living at the age of absurdity. Before we came up with the …Bastards, I actually thought why don’t we just call it The Age Of Absurdity II…? It’s more than appropriate than ever, but I’m glad we’ve settled for the …Bastards.
Hardrock Haven: Was there any difference in the songwriting and recording process of both albums?
Tyla Campbell: When it comes to songwriting, I wouldn’t say there was much difference. I think we all just get together in our rehearsal space and then just bash out our ideas. Sometimes Todd has like a half of a song and one of us would finish it off… We all play guitars, even Neil and Dane, so it’s all like five people swapping ideas. Regarding recording, it was slightly different because Todd produced it this time, and we were about to record it when the serious lockdown happened in the UK so social distancing was very serious. So instead of all going into the studio at the same time, it was just Todd recording it in one room and then somebody in the live room recording their part. So there was no more than two people in the studio at the same time, just to make sure of all the safety protocols. But I don’t think it affected us too much. I think we were all very happy with the final product, with how the album turned out, so it was slightly different process, but I think it was also good fun.
Hardrock Haven: We’ve already discussed how the album artwork was conceptualized, and in general, the Bastards’ visual side, like merch items for example, are all quite vivid aesthetically. How important do you think it is for the fans to identify with certain symbols for example?
Tyla Campbell: I think it’s always been there – like a mascot, you could say, the guy with the beard (laughs). It’s actually based on my beard apparently. Having to come up with the band logo, the artist who designs a lot of our stuff for t-shirts etc. just saw my beard and based it on it, so that’s pretty fun actually. But I think it’s always good, especially for us as a lot of our fans are Motörhead fans and all that generation… I think when you buy CDs or vinyls it’s good to have really nice artwork to go with it, to make it worthwhile… ‘Cause a lot of people are just streaming the album now or download it, but I know a lot of our fans still buy a physical copy. It’s especially different with older and younger generation – I used to buy albums for years and years, but for the last year or two, unfortunately I became a Spotify listener (laughs) and I listen to most bands on Spotify. With less and less time it gets easy to just press “play” and go. But if I can tell there’s a lot of effort put into the artwork and the physical side of the product, I’d buy that album and support them. So it’s always worth to come up with the new merch ideas just to make things more interesting, and we really do try to think hard about merch ideas.
Hardrock Haven: You showed acute political and social consciousness in the first single of the new album “Son Of A Gun”. What was the inspiration behind it?
Tyla Campbell: This question would be best answered by Neil. I think a lot of his songs are kind of going towards the topics of hatred or things he doesn’t like in people… and he writes about them. I honestly can’t help you much on that question ‘cause when it comes to writing songs, Neil is one hundred percent in charge of the lyrics and the content of them. We write the music and he writes the lyrics. I should probably ask him the next time I see him and I’ll let you know (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Deal! You worked with Soren Anderson in terms of mixing and mastering the new album. What’s prompted this collaboration and what kind of influence did he have on We’re The Bastards?
Tyla Campbell: We’ve known Soren for a while since me and my dad did Marshall Amps 50th Anniversary in 2012, I think – Soren was there and I guess my dad’s met him a few times previously. We stayed in touch and stayed friends. He’s a great guitar player – he plays for Glenn Hughes… Then Phil released a solo album last year [Old Lions Still Roar via Nuclear Blast] which Todd also recorded, but Todd wanted someone to mix the album, like a fresh new set of ears on it… He [Soren] has got a studio in Copenhagen and he’s worked with some great bands, like The Dead Daisies and The Answer, and also does Glenn Hughes’ stuff as well… So they did Phil’s first solo album and the outcome is great. When it came to this album, it made sense again to just go with this similar formula with Todd recording it and then giving it to Soren to mix. I think after we got the first mixes back, we were all blown away by how we sounded – amazing and so big… Obviously, there’s always a couple of changes, like you always want something slightly louder… But it’s really great. We were lucky enough to play with Glenn Hughes last year in Belgium, so we got to hang out a bit with Soren as well. It’s a shame this year’s festivals have been postponed to next one, but fingers crossed we can hang out with Glenn and Soren again.
Hardrock Haven: Definitely. You’re also a guitarist in The People The Poet. Does it allow you to explore a different and maybe sensitive side of your artistry?
Tyla Campbell: Yes. I’ve been a founder of this band since 2008-2009… We changed our band name to The People The Poet in 2012 [previously, the band was named Tiger Please]. It’s definitely a different style of music, it’s more like a Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty kind of Rock. Also, I play guitar in that band whereas I play bass in this one [Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons], so it’s funny how I keep changing… I gotta rock out with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons and then… well, with The People The Poet I rock out as well, but unfortunately we haven’t played that much lately… even though Phil Campbell and the Bastard Songs didn’t play any shows this year as well. Anyway, it is fun to go between two different bands as I like all types and sorts of music and I like to broaden my horizons and just get into new bands and new sounds… so it’s nice to experiment with both bands.
Hardrock Haven: With The People The Poet, you released The Light Of Day which is a collection of b-sides and demos this year. Where did the idea of searching your vaults for unreleased songs and releasing them actually come from?
Tyla Campbell: It’s a collection of songs we recorded over the last five or seven years – really rough demos. I think it was at the start of lockdown when our singer, Leon Stanford, who also sings the opening song’s on Phil’s solo album “Rocking Chair”, came up with the idea of calling the album The Light Of Day. It was a kind of a play on an unfortunate idea that we’re kind of stuck inside and we can’t wait to see the light of day. We never thought these demos were going to see the light of day – they were just demos in our eyes – but as it was months of no music and nothing to release, we just thought it was good time to release some. We’re only a small band really, but there was great response we got from that collection of songs – like some people saying it was our best work to date… We’ve got three new songs we recorded before lockdown, so I hope that before the end of the year – around Christmas time – we’ll get to release some of those songs.
Hardrock Haven: Will it be a follow-up to 2018’s A Short Obsession With Time, like a full-length album, or just a couple of singles?
Tyla Campbell: I think it might just be singles for now. There are three songs, so I don’t know whether we’re gonna release a mini-EP or we’d release a single every month or two months to keep things going. But our singer, Leon Stanford, actually released his first solo single [“By Your Side”] on October the 16th so make sure to check it out. I also play the bass and the guitar in that song; it’s more like Bill Withers, Soul, ‘60s Motown style. So again, I enjoy getting my hands on these different types of music and it’s a lot of fun. So it’s keeping me busy in this lockdown.
Hardrock Haven: So these three potential singles that you’ve mentioned – the new songs – are they more like the continuation of the previous album, or something very different sound-wise?
Tyla Campbell: I think the last two singles were already different – “Come To Meet Me In The Rain” is probably the heaviest Hard Rock song we’ve released, so the next collection [of songs] will be a bit more… relaxed, I’d say. It’s hard to describe, but I think it’s like an embrace of everything that band is… with a Snow Patrol kind of vibe. One of the songs we wrote eight years ago and it would’ve been a demo on the b-side album, but we re-recorded it at the start of the year – it’d be nice to finally release that song since it’s laying around for eight years. So, I’m gonna release the Bastards’ album on November 13th, and hopefully The People The Poet’s new songs in December, and I just can’t wait for the people’s ears to listen to them (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Is it difficult to juggle both bands in organizational terms?
Tyla Campbell: With The People The Poet, I think we were busier before the Bastard Sons started – between 2012 and 2014, we were doing four tours with bands like Charlie Simpson and Deaf Havana and we were pretty busy. But since then, we slowed down. Children came into the picture for some of us and everyone’s got full-time jobs, so it’s just fun to play a few shows every year and maybe do one tour and release some new songs. But I don’t think there’s any problem with that.
Hardrock Haven: You’ve mentioned different gigs being postponed due to obvious reasons, so what’s the current situation of both bands as far as rescheduling gigs is concerned?
Tyla Campbell: 2020 changed into 2021, mostly. We can’t really tell when we’re gonna play next. We’ve got a German tour in April, but whether that can happen I don’t know. And we were supposed to play some festivals this year, but they rescheduled it to the next year ‘cause they lost so much money… It’s a shame really. It’s just fingers crossed and hope we can find a vaccine or that virus just dies out by the middle of the next year and then we’re just gonna play by ear. We won’t be back on the road until it’s really safe to do so, so just fingers crossed.
Hardrock Haven: How do you plan to promote the Bastards’ album in current circumstances and no tour at least in the next few months?
Tyla Campbell: We’re just gonna do lots of interviews like this and release a few music videos… another one’s coming on the release day… on that day we might also do something like a live Q&A on our Facebook page with the whole band… I don’t think we’ve got the facilities to do something like a livestream, especially that we’re in local lockdown at the moment and we can’t travel anyway. We’d love to play a gig or at least a livestream, but unfortunately it’s just we do lots of interviews and I’m sure that the album will get out there and just can’t wait for November the 13th now.
Hardrock Haven: You’ve mentioned a possible live Q&A session with the band in the pipeline. Do you think this kind of direct exchange between fans and artists will eventually replace the traditional interviews like the one we are doing at the moment?
Tyla Campbell: I don’t think so. I think there’s always be a need for online press, printed prass, radio… Over the years everyone’s adapting and changing their ways, but I know there’s always be a need for that type of media. Instagram and Facebook lives etc. are getting more popular now, I think mainly just ‘cause there’s a lot of bands that are doing nothing and they do Instagram or Facebook lives to keep things interesting and keep their fans on board – like reminding them, “We’re still here!” ‘Cause obviously there’s so much demand for bands and you’ve only got so much you can grab your fans’ attention with. So I think every type of media has its pros and cons.
Hardrock Haven: So for the interview to come full circle, let’s go back to what we’ve started from. Obviously, your childhood and your upbringing was quite special comparing to others, so what’s the most distinctive music memory or important aspect related to it?
Tyla Campbell: My first concert was probably Motörhead when I was four or five years old. I always say I found it really weird when I was in primary school and I was eight or even years old and we’d have a school disco and everyone’s listening to Spice Girls or the Backstreet Boys and I was listening to Metallica or Joe Satriani… And I always asked my friends if they heard this or that band and they didn’t have a clue who these bands were – it always kind of blew my mind (laughs). But I think there was one good thing about it – when Nu-Metal bands came, like Limp Bizkit and Korn, that was kind of my era… I was about ten or eleven then and the kids my age started to turn to this new type of Rock music. That’s the thing I could be thankful to my dad for – he put me into a right direction of Rock music. Otherwise, I could be a Spice Girls super fan right now (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: In our generation, it’s actually possible (laughs). Anything you’d like to add in the end?
Tyla Campbell: Thanks very much! Thank all of you for reading, and check out our new music videos. We hope you’ll enjoy We’re The Bastards coming out on November 13th. I can’t wait for the people to hear it!
Interview with Tyla Campbell of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons & The People The Poet
by Alexandra Mrozowska
“A family in harmony will prosper in everything”, goes the old Chinese proverb, and in the world of rock’n’roll no one’s even going to argue. Obviously, one could say that every band is a bit like a family – although many of them dysfunctional – but from the Young brothers to the Wilson sisters to multigenerational incarnation of Van Halen, it seems that there’s no business like family business. It also works in the case of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, a band founded by the longtime Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell after Lemmy Kilmister’s death and comprised in three fifths of his own sons (and Neil Starr on vocals). But obviously, the Campbell brothers also hone their musical craft elsewhere. Todd and Dane play together in Straight Lines, whereas the youngest of the three, Tyla, is a guitarist for the Alt Rock band The People The Poet for quite a few years now. And as 2020 brings not only a new full-length album by Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, “We’re The Bastards”, but also a collection of demos and b-sides by The People The Poet entitled “The Light Of Day”, we chatted with Tyla about both – as well as his rock’n’roll upbringing in the Spice Girls era…
Hardrock Haven: Being Phil Campbell’s son and playing in a band with him and your brothers, are you sick and tired of the press asking about this aspect of your musical career?
Tyla Campbell: (laughs) I don’t think so. I think we’re always gonna be asked that question. It’s such a strange combination – you don’t see many Rock bands with the father and the three of his sons, so it’s a very strange dynamic, but I think we work well together. I’d say that being in a band with anyone is always gonna be like being in a family anyway, so actually it isn’t that much different.
Hardrock Haven: But let’s start from a different angle anyway – your father obviously taught you a lot, but what do you think you taught him or how did you influence him – and the same with your brothers?
Tyla Campbell: I think it works well in a band because we’re all cover different generations and we’re all different ages, so when it comes to songwriting, we have different influences. So, it’s kind of a nice melting pot. My dad has his more Classic Rock influences from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, whereas my older brother Todd and the singer Neil Starr were brought up in the Grunge era, so they have more ‘90s influence. It’s a bit of everything. But what could I have taught my dad…? Maybe it shows in how different he is these days than he was when he was in Motörhead – he’s a lot more low-key and I think he’s got used to that. But I think he prefers playing live more now, ‘cause he’s up close and personal with the crowd and he gets to see reactions on the [people’s] faces… It’s good to be a part of a nice, old-fashioned, sweaty gig (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Absolutely! There’s certain premise about the Bastard Sons to kind of carry the torch left behind by Motörhead. What’s your approach to that?
Tyla Campbell: We wouldn’t start if Motörhead was still going. So I think it’s natural thing for people to think we’re carrying on the torch. And also, a lot of Motörhead fans are going to naturally progress into our fans. When we’re writing songs, we don’t actually try to sound like Motörhead, but as my dad played the guitar there for over thirty years, naturally some songs may sound a bit like Motörhead. I guess a lot of people are expecting a Lemmy soundalike, but actually there’s only one Lemmy… Even if people hear a slightly Motörhead vibe in a song, it’s still not like Lemmy, it’s Neil who’s a completely different singer and frontman – and I think it’s hard for them to accept it. But a lot of old fans have come and joined us and we’re really grateful for that. We’ve also gained a lot of fans that are not necessarily Motörhead fans. When we got played in Planet Rock radio which is the main radio station for Rock music in the UK, we gained a lot of fans from people hearing us for the first time and not realizing the Motörhead connection. So it kinda works both ways.
Hardrock Haven: So, now let’s focus on the Bastard Sons’ new album. Just recently you’ve released a very special video for “We’re The Bastards” with footage sent by your friends and fans put together. What kind of message does it convey in terms of Rock/Metal community?
Tyla Campbell: Well, the song “We’re The Bastards” is basically all about our fans anyway. First, we wrote the riff and then, as we were in the studio, somebody tweeted us and they wrote something like, “We can’t wait to watch you again! #WereTheBastards”. Todd saw it and he was like, “That’s a pretty cool name for an album.” So we decided on the name of the album before the song was written. And then as the lyrics were written, we just felt it made a perfect sense. Especially in this day and age when everyone’s quarantined and we’re all in lockdown, we thought we’re gonna do a fan video and this has to be to this song. So it just made perfect sense. I think we put a sample of the chorus on our Soundcloud and then had our fans sending their footage in – and for our super fans and friends, we sent them an entire song so they could “sing” on the verses as well. I think it’s a great video. It’s like we’re all in this together and we’re happy to contribute and have fun – this is a good party tune at the end of the day. We’d like to thank our fans for their contribution to the video and making it worthwhile.
Hardrock Haven: So with this strong statement in the title and also the cover artwork following this concept of community, is the album itself a band manifesto in any way?
Tyla Campbell: I think with the album artwork, the artist just came up with the Medieval theme. It’s the same artwork guy – Matt Riste – who did the album artwork to our first album The Age Of Absurdity, so it made perfect sense to get him on the board again. And he sent a project of the shield, which we thought was cool, then a portrait of us all gathered at the table in a bar in a Medieval theme… I think we kind of like the idea ‘cause it reminded us of the film The Monty Python And The Holy Grail, ‘cause we’re all big fans of that and that’s obviously set in Medieval times. So once we saw that, we decided to crack on with the theme as I think it’s good to have one for the album. It gives ideas for lyrics and songs – like for our first album, when it was all based in an old-school circus and that was a really cool theme to have. And this theme is a Medieval one, so who knows what theme we’re gonna go with for an album number three…?
Hardrock Haven: Only time will tell, I guess! You’ve just mentioned the previous Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons’ album The Age Of Absurdity. Do you think we live in the “age of absurdity” indeed?
Tyla Campbell: I think so, especially now more than ever unfortunately… I think the idea for that album title was Todd’s as he read it in Frank Zappa’s book or an interview him and again, we saw this as a cool title for an album and also a theme, so that Neil could come up with lyric ideas… Unfortunately, at the moment, with no live concerts going on in a foreseeable future – or very limited live concerts – I think we’re really living at the age of absurdity. Before we came up with the …Bastards, I actually thought why don’t we just call it The Age Of Absurdity II…? It’s more than appropriate than ever, but I’m glad we’ve settled for the …Bastards.
Hardrock Haven: Was there any difference in the songwriting and recording process of both albums?
Tyla Campbell: When it comes to songwriting, I wouldn’t say there was much difference. I think we all just get together in our rehearsal space and then just bash out our ideas. Sometimes Todd has like a half of a song and one of us would finish it off… We all play guitars, even Neil and Dane, so it’s all like five people swapping ideas. Regarding recording, it was slightly different because Todd produced it this time, and we were about to record it when the serious lockdown happened in the UK so social distancing was very serious. So instead of all going into the studio at the same time, it was just Todd recording it in one room and then somebody in the live room recording their part. So there was no more than two people in the studio at the same time, just to make sure of all the safety protocols. But I don’t think it affected us too much. I think we were all very happy with the final product, with how the album turned out, so it was slightly different process, but I think it was also good fun.
Hardrock Haven: We’ve already discussed how the album artwork was conceptualized, and in general, the Bastards’ visual side, like merch items for example, are all quite vivid aesthetically. How important do you think it is for the fans to identify with certain symbols for example?
Tyla Campbell: I think it’s always been there – like a mascot, you could say, the guy with the beard (laughs). It’s actually based on my beard apparently. Having to come up with the band logo, the artist who designs a lot of our stuff for t-shirts etc. just saw my beard and based it on it, so that’s pretty fun actually. But I think it’s always good, especially for us as a lot of our fans are Motörhead fans and all that generation… I think when you buy CDs or vinyls it’s good to have really nice artwork to go with it, to make it worthwhile… ‘Cause a lot of people are just streaming the album now or download it, but I know a lot of our fans still buy a physical copy. It’s especially different with older and younger generation – I used to buy albums for years and years, but for the last year or two, unfortunately I became a Spotify listener (laughs) and I listen to most bands on Spotify. With less and less time it gets easy to just press “play” and go. But if I can tell there’s a lot of effort put into the artwork and the physical side of the product, I’d buy that album and support them. So it’s always worth to come up with the new merch ideas just to make things more interesting, and we really do try to think hard about merch ideas.
Hardrock Haven: You showed acute political and social consciousness in the first single of the new album “Son Of A Gun”. What was the inspiration behind it?
Tyla Campbell: This question would be best answered by Neil. I think a lot of his songs are kind of going towards the topics of hatred or things he doesn’t like in people… and he writes about them. I honestly can’t help you much on that question ‘cause when it comes to writing songs, Neil is one hundred percent in charge of the lyrics and the content of them. We write the music and he writes the lyrics. I should probably ask him the next time I see him and I’ll let you know (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Deal! You worked with Soren Anderson in terms of mixing and mastering the new album. What’s prompted this collaboration and what kind of influence did he have on We’re The Bastards?
Tyla Campbell: We’ve known Soren for a while since me and my dad did Marshall Amps 50th Anniversary in 2012, I think – Soren was there and I guess my dad’s met him a few times previously. We stayed in touch and stayed friends. He’s a great guitar player – he plays for Glenn Hughes… Then Phil released a solo album last year [Old Lions Still Roar via Nuclear Blast] which Todd also recorded, but Todd wanted someone to mix the album, like a fresh new set of ears on it… He [Soren] has got a studio in Copenhagen and he’s worked with some great bands, like The Dead Daisies and The Answer, and also does Glenn Hughes’ stuff as well… So they did Phil’s first solo album and the outcome is great. When it came to this album, it made sense again to just go with this similar formula with Todd recording it and then giving it to Soren to mix. I think after we got the first mixes back, we were all blown away by how we sounded – amazing and so big… Obviously, there’s always a couple of changes, like you always want something slightly louder… But it’s really great. We were lucky enough to play with Glenn Hughes last year in Belgium, so we got to hang out a bit with Soren as well. It’s a shame this year’s festivals have been postponed to next one, but fingers crossed we can hang out with Glenn and Soren again.
Hardrock Haven: Definitely. You’re also a guitarist in The People The Poet. Does it allow you to explore a different and maybe sensitive side of your artistry?
Tyla Campbell: Yes. I’ve been a founder of this band since 2008-2009… We changed our band name to The People The Poet in 2012 [previously, the band was named Tiger Please]. It’s definitely a different style of music, it’s more like a Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty kind of Rock. Also, I play guitar in that band whereas I play bass in this one [Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons], so it’s funny how I keep changing… I gotta rock out with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons and then… well, with The People The Poet I rock out as well, but unfortunately we haven’t played that much lately… even though Phil Campbell and the Bastard Songs didn’t play any shows this year as well. Anyway, it is fun to go between two different bands as I like all types and sorts of music and I like to broaden my horizons and just get into new bands and new sounds… so it’s nice to experiment with both bands.
Hardrock Haven: With The People The Poet, you released The Light Of Day which is a collection of b-sides and demos this year. Where did the idea of searching your vaults for unreleased songs and releasing them actually come from?
Tyla Campbell: It’s a collection of songs we recorded over the last five or seven years – really rough demos. I think it was at the start of lockdown when our singer, Leon Stanford, who also sings the opening song’s on Phil’s solo album “Rocking Chair”, came up with the idea of calling the album The Light Of Day. It was a kind of a play on an unfortunate idea that we’re kind of stuck inside and we can’t wait to see the light of day. We never thought these demos were going to see the light of day – they were just demos in our eyes – but as it was months of no music and nothing to release, we just thought it was good time to release some. We’re only a small band really, but there was great response we got from that collection of songs – like some people saying it was our best work to date… We’ve got three new songs we recorded before lockdown, so I hope that before the end of the year – around Christmas time – we’ll get to release some of those songs.
Hardrock Haven: Will it be a follow-up to 2018’s A Short Obsession With Time, like a full-length album, or just a couple of singles?
Tyla Campbell: I think it might just be singles for now. There are three songs, so I don’t know whether we’re gonna release a mini-EP or we’d release a single every month or two months to keep things going. But our singer, Leon Stanford, actually released his first solo single [“By Your Side”] on October the 16th so make sure to check it out. I also play the bass and the guitar in that song; it’s more like Bill Withers, Soul, ‘60s Motown style. So again, I enjoy getting my hands on these different types of music and it’s a lot of fun. So it’s keeping me busy in this lockdown.
Hardrock Haven: So these three potential singles that you’ve mentioned – the new songs – are they more like the continuation of the previous album, or something very different sound-wise?
Tyla Campbell: I think the last two singles were already different – “Come To Meet Me In The Rain” is probably the heaviest Hard Rock song we’ve released, so the next collection [of songs] will be a bit more… relaxed, I’d say. It’s hard to describe, but I think it’s like an embrace of everything that band is… with a Snow Patrol kind of vibe. One of the songs we wrote eight years ago and it would’ve been a demo on the b-side album, but we re-recorded it at the start of the year – it’d be nice to finally release that song since it’s laying around for eight years. So, I’m gonna release the Bastards’ album on November 13th, and hopefully The People The Poet’s new songs in December, and I just can’t wait for the people’s ears to listen to them (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: Is it difficult to juggle both bands in organizational terms?
Tyla Campbell: With The People The Poet, I think we were busier before the Bastard Sons started – between 2012 and 2014, we were doing four tours with bands like Charlie Simpson and Deaf Havana and we were pretty busy. But since then, we slowed down. Children came into the picture for some of us and everyone’s got full-time jobs, so it’s just fun to play a few shows every year and maybe do one tour and release some new songs. But I don’t think there’s any problem with that.
Hardrock Haven: You’ve mentioned different gigs being postponed due to obvious reasons, so what’s the current situation of both bands as far as rescheduling gigs is concerned?
Tyla Campbell: 2020 changed into 2021, mostly. We can’t really tell when we’re gonna play next. We’ve got a German tour in April, but whether that can happen I don’t know. And we were supposed to play some festivals this year, but they rescheduled it to the next year ‘cause they lost so much money… It’s a shame really. It’s just fingers crossed and hope we can find a vaccine or that virus just dies out by the middle of the next year and then we’re just gonna play by ear. We won’t be back on the road until it’s really safe to do so, so just fingers crossed.
Hardrock Haven: How do you plan to promote the Bastards’ album in current circumstances and no tour at least in the next few months?
Tyla Campbell: We’re just gonna do lots of interviews like this and release a few music videos… another one’s coming on the release day… on that day we might also do something like a live Q&A on our Facebook page with the whole band… I don’t think we’ve got the facilities to do something like a livestream, especially that we’re in local lockdown at the moment and we can’t travel anyway. We’d love to play a gig or at least a livestream, but unfortunately it’s just we do lots of interviews and I’m sure that the album will get out there and just can’t wait for November the 13th now.
Hardrock Haven: You’ve mentioned a possible live Q&A session with the band in the pipeline. Do you think this kind of direct exchange between fans and artists will eventually replace the traditional interviews like the one we are doing at the moment?
Tyla Campbell: I don’t think so. I think there’s always be a need for online press, printed prass, radio… Over the years everyone’s adapting and changing their ways, but I know there’s always be a need for that type of media. Instagram and Facebook lives etc. are getting more popular now, I think mainly just ‘cause there’s a lot of bands that are doing nothing and they do Instagram or Facebook lives to keep things interesting and keep their fans on board – like reminding them, “We’re still here!” ‘Cause obviously there’s so much demand for bands and you’ve only got so much you can grab your fans’ attention with. So I think every type of media has its pros and cons.
Hardrock Haven: So for the interview to come full circle, let’s go back to what we’ve started from. Obviously, your childhood and your upbringing was quite special comparing to others, so what’s the most distinctive music memory or important aspect related to it?
Tyla Campbell: My first concert was probably Motörhead when I was four or five years old. I always say I found it really weird when I was in primary school and I was eight or even years old and we’d have a school disco and everyone’s listening to Spice Girls or the Backstreet Boys and I was listening to Metallica or Joe Satriani… And I always asked my friends if they heard this or that band and they didn’t have a clue who these bands were – it always kind of blew my mind (laughs). But I think there was one good thing about it – when Nu-Metal bands came, like Limp Bizkit and Korn, that was kind of my era… I was about ten or eleven then and the kids my age started to turn to this new type of Rock music. That’s the thing I could be thankful to my dad for – he put me into a right direction of Rock music. Otherwise, I could be a Spice Girls super fan right now (laughs).
Hardrock Haven: In our generation, it’s actually possible (laughs). Anything you’d like to add in the end?
Tyla Campbell: Thanks very much! Thank all of you for reading, and check out our new music videos. We hope you’ll enjoy We’re The Bastards coming out on November 13th. I can’t wait for the people to hear it!
Visit Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons & The People The Poet online: http://www.philcampbell.net/
