Charlie Granberg of Hellsingland Underground

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Singer/songwriter Charlie Granberg of Hellsingland Underground checked in with Hardrock Haven to discuss the band’s sophomore effort Madness & Grace; upcoming tour plans; where he got the inspiration to write a song about a kid walking in the forest and finding an eyeless goat’s head on a pole; if their type of Southern Rock is popular in his native Sweden; how downloading affects the industry; and a whole lot more.

If you are a fan of Tom Petty, Todd Snider, Bob Dylan, and any artist that takes their lyrics as seriously as the music they make, you have to tune in to the interview and get to know one of the more interesting musicians in all of music today, Charlie Granberg. Then pick up Madness & Grace immediately thereafter.

Online: www.myspace.com/hellsinglandunderground

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Cory Proctor

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

Dallas,Texas may be famous for The Dallas Cowboys but the city also has a growing music scene that this football team is proud to be part of. Free Reign is the Heavy Metal band that is comprised of DALLAS COWBOYS Offensive Linemen, Marc Colombo (vocals), Cory Procter (drums) and Leonard Davis (bass) and Justin Chapman (lead guitar.) The debut EP TRAGEDY was released on January 26 via Riot Entertainment.

Drummer Cory Proctor of Free Reign has checked in with the following Track By Track of TRAGEDY and the making of the hard rock metal band FREE REIGN.

HRH :Cory how did Free Reign come to fruition? Did the band get together one day in the locker room and jam?

CORY: Yes, it started off as Marc Columbo and I jamming a bunch every once in a awhile and here and there. Leonard Davis joined up and played the bass. We started doing some Charity gigs for guys in the scene. After the season was over two years ago, we brought Justin Chapman on. He kind of puts the sparks on the music and became our fourth member and lead guitarist. All of a sudden we are doing some cool stuff.

HRH: The bands debut was just released TRAGEDY. How would you describe the sound?

CORY: We are all over the map with our sound. (Laughter) I would say we are into the hard rock and a little bit into the metal. We label our genre as metal. But two out of the three songs on there are more metal and three are more hard rock. ‘Tragedy’, Rise Up’, and ‘Last Goodbye’ are a little more melodic singing in them. ‘In Your Head’ and ‘All In Vain” are a little more hard rock more guitar riffs. We dipped into both sides. We are going out and making some music.

HRH: I read that Zakk Wylde is a fan of the band?

CORY: Yes. it is pretty cool. He was actually suppose to do the guitar solo for ‘In Your Head.’ But he had something come up, He agreed to it and everything but then something come up. He was in the hospital for a little bit. So he wasn’t able to do that. We would have liked for him to do it but our guitarist Justin put a pretty awesome one on there too.

HRH: When did you start playing drums? Did you always want to be a musician from a young age?

CORY: Shoot, I started playing really in Elementary School in the school band. I got my first drum kit in Middle School. I liked it ever since. I finally started making my bigger strides over the last couple of years when I started taking it more seriously and having my fun with it.

HRH: What is your upcoming tour schedule?

CORY: If you are in the area, everybody got to come. We got some cool shows coming up March 12 in San Antonio at the AT And T Center. March 25 with Sevendust and Drowning Pool in Lubbock, Texas. Then we will try to pick up a few more shows from there.

HRH: How is the music scene in Dallas these days?

CORY: It is pretty cool in the downtown area. They got a lot of local bands. It is pretty heavy. There is also a lot of country music around Dallas too. I am into Country too. It is good all away around. That is for sure.

Cory Proctor – Track By Track … Tragedy

“In Your Head” – Is actually a song almost completely by Marc then a little spice was added by Justin. It is a little more in your face and listen to me, listen to what I got to say sort of deal. It is like listen to what I say is good. He did a good job with that song. ”

“Tragedy” – We kind of have a on going thing from our music kind of stemming from football. it kind of goes on with the cover of the album with the Gladiator on front trying to pull him down with chains. We kind of used that to a degree. We are trying to be controlled all of the time with football and this game. When you are on top of the world everybody is patting your back. When you are down and not doing so hot everybody wants to jump on that train to get out of town. They want to be the first ones to say I told you so if we weren’t good. That is what Tragedy is about. I guess people who don’t stick with you to the end.

“Rise Up” – That is on our myspace page. We wanted to come up with a song for the stadium. ‘Rise Up’ has been one of our top sellers on itunes. This song is for the players and fans. This song is ‘Rise Up’ for the occasion. You are in my house sort of thing what are yeah going to do about it? It is about the fight and getting ready for the fight and occasion. They playe dit at every game this year. Which was real cool. They also played ‘Tragedy’ a number of times toward the end. But ‘Rise Up’ sounded really cool in the stadium with the drums. It is a real simple drum beat.

The last two songs “Last Goodbye” and “All In Vain” were written by Justin Chapman our lead guitarist. Those songs are a work in progress. It is an EP, so they are not the whole finished product. We are going to work on them a little more. “Last Goodbye” is a little more of a ballad song. You could be talking about a relationship.

“All In Vain” – Is about what are we doing here on earth. Are we wrong for what we are doing? Or could we better for what we do? It is another kind of in your face song. It is real powerful. Big time.

Web: www.myspace.com/freereign

Tour dates:
Mar 26 2010 7:00
Trees w/ Sevendust Dallas, Texas

Apr 8 2010 4:30
Revolver Magazine Golden Gods Cover Shoot Los Angeles, California

Apr 8 2010 8:00
Revolver Magazine Golden Gods Awards Show @ Club Nokia Los Angeles, California

Apr 30 2010 6:00
KISSfest at Sunken Garden w/Three Days Grace, Flyleaf, Five Finger Death Punch and more San Antonio, Texas

May 22 2010 12:00
2nd Annual Golden Gods Awards airs on VH1 Classic Los Angeles, California

Warren DeMartini

by Chris A.
Staff Writer

Hardrock Haven: For the past week I’ve been digesting Infestation and from the very first cut it put a smile on my face, I felt like I just ran into an old friend. How’s it feel to be back with a new Ratt disc after more than a decade?

Warren DeMartini: Its feels great! It’s really wonderful, and feels just like the bases are loaded again. We are very happy with how it turned out and we’ve had great encouragement from the folks at Roadrunner Records and our management.

Hardrock Haven: Did you do much recording or solo projects outside of Ratt the past 10 years?

Warren DeMartini: You know, not really. I’ve enjoyed the ride with Ratt and I’ve been very fortunate to be able to channel all my work through the band so it hasn’t been necessary.

Hardrock Haven: I would imagine with the advances in technology over the past 10 years not to mention the bands experience and maturity were positives for recording Infestation.

Warren DeMartini: It was very comfortable and very cool. We enjoyed the advances in recording technology and our production team were just the best. We really enjoyed the time savings that digital recording afforded us. I mean we were able to knock out things in a week that used to take three weeks. We went into the studio with only one rule, we wanted our stuff to sound as authentic and real as possible. We had no time limits or restrictions other than that one rule because we wanted our stuff to be alive and filled with energy. We didn’t want to put out some sterile stuff to save time. I mean, we used to record on tape and I remember cutting and pasting this reel-to-reel tape and it took forever. Today it’s much more efficient and cost effective. As for our recording process we recorded all the tracks live in the studio. Two guitars, bass and drums, all of us in the room playing together. We wanted it to be very natural a sort of “what you hear on the record is what you get live.”

Hardrock Haven: I know Ratt’s been together with your current crew for the past couple years; how’s the chemistry between you and your friends, both old and new, in the band?

Warren DeMartini: It’s firing on all pistons. Carlos Cavazo’s (formerly with Quiet Riot) has been with us for a year and his playing really allows that allows the guitar players to play double leads and that’s something I am looking forward to doing live . We’ve really become a double lead guitar and it’s gonna be a blast play live.

Hardrock Haven:: What’s the stand-out feature for your, of your soon-to-be-released disc Infestation?

Warren DeMartini: On Infestation we really merged all the sonic capabilities that a band like Ratt has. We’re very much a live band and we want to capture the elements and emotion of what a unique band we are. When I hear the disc I hear a great blend of guitars that you don’t just hear everyday.

Hardrock Haven: Do you stay in touch with your old friend Jake E. Lee?

Warren DeMartini: I do! I saw Jake bout three months ago, Ratt was doing a show in Vegas and Jake made an appearance. We had a great time and stayed out way too late telling stories. It was great to see him and he is doing great! He’s always been a solid guy. For example, when I replaced him in Ratt he let me stay at his place so we ended up darn near being room mates. I have to laugh when I think back to me sitting around playing with chords that would eventually become “Round and Round” while Jake would noodle around on the guitar playing riffs that would become “Bark At The Moon.”

Hardrock Haven: After establishing yourself with Ratt, what was it like moving onto Whitesnake for a couple albums?

Warren DeMartini: In 1991 Ratt broke up so in 1994 when Whitesnake was on tour and I got the invite to play and it was just perfect for me. I love to travel and Whitesnake would be playing a lot of locations around the world that Ratt hadn’t played. I had a great time working with Whitesnake and of course, since they are a very blues based band my guitar playing fit right in. Working with David Coverdale also opened my eyes to the fact that a rock ‘n’ roll tour could be very organized and professionally managed.

Hardrock Haven: How would you say Infestation stacks up in comparison to Ratt’s earlier work?

Warren DeMartini: Again, we went into the studio with only one rule, that being try to play it in the studio like we’d play it live. We were looking for energy. Out of the Cellar is a very different kind of album than Infestation is. On Out Of The Cellar we laid the tracks down quickly hoping that we’d get a great take and we didn’t spend a lot of time in the studio. On later albums we took a lot more time in the studio and experimented with sounds and recording but that’s an entirely different animal. Overall I think Infestation is a great record with tons of energy.

Hardrock Haven: Ratt always had a reputation as a “breeding ground” for great guitar players. Clearly nothing has changed as Infestation is rich with incredibly tone filled rock guitar fireworks. What’s your current choice for guitars?

Warren DeMartini: Guitar wise I played a couple Charvels and a couple performance guitars. On one song called “As Good As it Gets” I played a few overdubs with a Gretsch Nashville. Pretty much all of the album is recorded with Charvels plugged straight into the heads of my very reliable Soldano amps. For effects I toss it a little touch of Univibe on a few tunes. I really love my Soldano amps because they have a great sound, they are rugged and can stand up to the beating they take on the road, plus they are very consistent in sound.

Hardrock Haven: Do you collect vintage guitars or amps?

Warren DeMartini: I do have one 1958 Fender Stratocaster that I purchased back in 1986. It’s a real pleasure to play and own. But no, I’m not really a collector and don’t have a big vintage collection.

Hardrock Haven: I understand that playing the guitar comes relatively easy for you? Is that true and if so what do you chalk that up to? Do you practice playing at all?

Warren DeMartini: I do practice all the time. Once I got over the cliff of learning things playing got easier and easier. But no, it wasn’t like I was automatic. I failed on guitar a couple times over they years as I tried to take up the instrument. I remember wanting to play since as early as six or seven years old but I didn’t think I could. I tried it a few years later and it was still alien to me and I just wasn’t getting it. A few years later, I was involved in an accident and was bed ridden for a month and a friend brought over a guitar to help me while away the time. Thats when I started to figure it out. But yes, I do play all the time I think it’s fun to do and I’d be doing it as a hobby if I wasn’t doing it professionally.

Hardrock Haven: I would assume with a new album out a Ratt tour must certainly be in the works. Any news or details on any tours?

Warren DeMartini: We are indeed going on tour starting in Europe in June. We’re doing festival gigs, special appearances and headlining shows all over the continent. Now, nothing has been firmed up but I would anticipate that there will be a US tour sometime in the late summer or fall.

Hardrock Haven: Warren, hey man, thanks for your time is there anything you’d like to chat about or pass onto our readers?

Warren DeMartini: Well thanks for interviewing me, I hope everyone will go out and grab a copy of Infestation when it’s released on April 20th and as said by the late great Frank Zappa, “Music is the best!”

The Murder of My Sweet

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Angelica Rylin and Daniel Flores of The Murder of My Sweet checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their epic new release Divanity; how the band was formed; specific tracks like “Valerie” and “Death of a Movie Star;” upcoming tour plans; the debut single/video “Bleed Me Dry;” and a whole lot more. Angelica also freestyles some Depeche Mode at the end of the interview, something you have to hear …

The Murder of My Sweet is part symphonic, part gothic, but they don’t sound like any of the bands in those genres that you’ve heard before.  Basically, you have to hear them to truly understand what they are all about. Tune in now to get to know the singer (Angelica) and drummer (Daniel) and if you haven’t already picked up Divanity, what are you waiting for?

Online: On MySpace

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Borknagar

by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer

Extreme metal pioneers Borknagar have just released their long-awaited new epic, the fittingly titled Universal, via Indie Recordings overseas and The End Records in the US. Founder Øystein G. Brun was kind enough to take some time to answer some questions about Borknagar’s creative process, working with new and old members, the current music scene, and a slew of other things. Enjoy this look into one of metal’s most creative minds.

HRH: When writing music, do you write with a specific project in mind, such as Borknagar or Cronian, or do you write the song and figure out where it fits afterwards?

Brun: Writing music for CRONIAN vs. BORKNAGAR is two completely different processes. Even at the stage making the basic riffs I have a different approach in terms of writing. With BORKNGAR I usually start out writing riffs with an acoustic guitar, you might say that the writing is very much guitar-based. When it comes to CRONIAN it is almost the other way around, as I very often start out with keys and I have generally a way more digital approach in terms of programming and so forth.

HRH: How much time is spent arranging/building the songs beforehand; when entering the studio are the songs more or less complete, or is a lot of studio time spent fleshing out ideas and building tracks?

Brun: Well, we are always very well prepared before entering the studio. In the stage of writing and arranging the songs we always make a lot of pre-productions in order to circle in what we want to execute in studio. But of course, being in studio with better equipment and generally a different environment, we always keep an open mind for adjustments, additions and so forth. But in the end of the day we have pretty much staked out the course we want to go before we enter the studio.

HRH: Do you do most of your composing on guitar, or do you use various instruments for writing? Do you build home demos and then present them to the band?

Brun: As mentioned before I basically always use an acoustic guitar when I start to write music for BORKNAGAR, always done that as I regard our music to be guitar based. When things start to shape up in terms of riffs I record and arrange the riffs in my home studio. So when I have something representative going I send the material over to the other guys for their input and so forth.

HRH: Do you tend to write music first and then develop lyrics later, or are songs sometimes written around lyrics?

Brun: Both music and lyrics are something I work (or should I say think) a lot with before actually starting to record anything. Always very important for me to have some sort of mental idea how things should be in terms of a general expression. So you might say that everything evolves from being just some rough ideas on a mental stage, where I stake out the basic lines of the material. I usually write the songs first, but at that point I mostly have a quite clear idea of how the music and lyrics are supposed to interact.

HRH: How detailed are the other players’ parts worked out? Do you score everything, or do the other members have room for creating/changing their parts?

Brun: Even though I write most of the music and lyrics, I would argue that the other guys impact is equally important in order to shape the final result. We always spend a lot of time in the final pre-production stage, where everyone is heavily involved. I try to stimulate the guys to involve and use their musical potential to a full extent, at least that is my intention.

HRH: With so many instrument layers going on, how do you decide what to include on each song? Do you test various instruments playing each part, or are parts written with specific instruments in mind?

Brun: Depends a little bit from song to song. But we usually have our procedure in terms of writing and producing our songs. It’s almost like building a house. As the building raises there are always bits and pieces we want to change, add or even sometimes remove. So in a rather mundane manner we send the material back and forth, trying out different melodies, harmonies and sounds. In the end it is just basically allot of work, dialogue and experimentations till we reach the line satisfaction. The only time I really differ between instruments is when I am working on acoustic parts that usually demand a bit different mindset in terms of writing.

HRH: Though their styles are similar, Asgeir Mickelson and David Kinkade each bring their own personal flavor to Borknagar’s drum seat. How has working with David been different from working with Asgeir?

Brun: Well, one of the reasons why Asgeir quit was the fact that he didn’t really feel comfortable with the musical direction BORKNAGAR were heading for, which is fair enough. I think we both felt that enough was enough as we had the same discussions and disagreements the last couple of years. Dave, on the other hand, is more on the same wavelength and of course that makes the general cooperation much easier and creative. Both guys are brilliant musicians and execute their work in a very professional manner. But I must admit that working with Dave this time around went way smoother than the last couple of albums with Asgeir.

HRH: ICS Vortex returned to do vocals on “My Domain.” How was it working with him after all this time? Did he work with Vintersorg at all? Has there been any consideration for touring/performing with two lead vocalists?

Brun: We really had a great time in studio with Vortex, as he have always been and still is a fantastic vocalist. I am sure he will agree that we had some magic moments during the recording of “My Domain”. Actually, while Vortex did his vocals both I and Vintersorg were in studio engineering and producing the whole thing together with him. So we had a really nice cooperation going that day, the three of us.
No, we have not really considered doing live shows with two lead vocalists, as this studio session was first and foremost a one off thing. But maybe we’ll do a special gig one time, or something like that, who knows….haha..

HRH: How important is the artwork/package? Is it different now knowing how many people will download and not get the physical packaging?

Brun: Yeah, the whole business has changed a lot due to this whole downloading issue so in order to draw some attention and sell some records it is crucial to have a nice package. This time around we really wanted to make the best possible out of it. Not primarily to sell records, but to make sure the fans get a killer package for their money. We spent a lot of time working on the visuals this time around. With Century Media there were always a lot of limitations in terms of what we could do when it came to formats and such. But Indie Recordings supported us 100% and granted us the opportunity to do 4 different version of the album. Both the LP and BOX version of the album are really a nice piece of candy, but it costs us a fortune to print them, so most likely we’ll lose money doing all these versions. So this was not a commercial incitement, more a matter of general quality of the package. A wrapping the album deserves.

HRH: How do you feel about downloading vs. purchasing actual cds? Since mp3s create a compressed, lower-quality sound, do you feel like people who get the mp3s aren’t actually hearing the songs the way they were intended?

Brun: I guess I am a bit old school in terms of cd vs. downloading. From my point of view it is crucial to have the complete work in my hands, including cover, lyrics and lay-out, in order to enjoy the music in a full extent. The ipod generation tends to consume music like fast food; I am more the type of guy who likes to spend time preparing a tasty and nutritious meal. Some of the mp3 files out there with high resolution sound totally ok, I am more negative towards streaming, Spotify and stuff like that because that usually sucks big time sound wise. Due to the internet I also think a lot of people are listing to music via the PC and usually the speaker on a PC really sounds like shit. That worries me a bit, because I think people sometimes get wrong impression of the music, production and so forth.
Also one of my concerns is the fact that I think an album should be listened as a whole. I mean, who is really reading just the third chapter in a book or just watching the mid section of a movie. Seems like there is a tendency (hence: ipod generation) to shuffle songs around, out of context and not enjoy the album as a whole.

HRH: What bands past and present do you consider to influence your writing? Do you listen primarily to metal and classical, or are there other styles you enjoy?

Brun: Well, I basically like to explore all kinds of music- sometimes I even listen to music I don’t like that much just to know what I certainly don’t want to do. Obviously I listen to allot of metal and classical music, but also some folk music and even some jazz. But the last couple of years I have listened a lot to dark and/or progressive rock. Some of my big faves currently are Porcupine Three, Woven Hand and so forth.

HRH: How does Vintersorg retain such smooth clean vocals while spending so much time (both in Borknagar and side projects) screaming his brains out?

Brun: Well, I really don’t know but it is certainly amazing sometimes when he switches from screaming vocals to clean vocals in a second. I guess he is used to it as he has done it for so many years now. I am pretty sure he is fully aware of his limitations and how to treat his voice in order to keep up. But as far as I know he has no specific trick I can reveal….

HRH: Is there any chance the band will make its way to the US?

Brun: Looking into something right now, both for the US and Europe. We don’t have any specific plans, but it would be really great to do something in the US. The US tour we did with EMPEROR back in 1999 is certainly one of our highlights in out career; we had a really nice time in spite of the fact that it was damn hot all over the place….haha…

HRH: You originally worked in technical death metal in Molested. Have you ever considered/desired returning to this style of extreme music?

Brun: Yeah, I considered that many times as I have always been a huge death metal fan. I actually started out as a death metal musician, back when I was like 14-15 years old. But on the other side I have kind of closed that chapter in my life, simply because I just want to be a fan and nothing but a fan.

HRH: As the driving force behind the band, do you feel that Borknagar could exist if you decided to move on?

Brun: I don’t want to be cocky here, but I think they would have a hard time going on with BORKNAGAR without me. I founded the band, been there all the way and still make most of the music/lyrics. On the other hand, BORKNAGAR is more than just a band for me, it is part of my life in so many ways. Bottom line is the fact that BORKNAGAR will be around in one or another form or shape as long as I am able to do music, as I cannot just retire from life…haha…

HRH: Any secret bands you love? Would Øystein ever be caught driving down the road singing along to “Don’t Stop Believin’”?

Brun: Haha…..well, I love some of the work that the Norwegian pop group A-HA has done. Certainly not everything, but songs like “Hunting high and low” and “The sun always shines on TV” are truly well written compositions, some of the best coming from Norway. Apart from that I don’t think I have anything to be ashamed of….haha….
The second question- absolutely no!

HRH: Where do you see Borknagar going from here, and extreme music in general?

Brun: Well, I am right now writing material for the next album and so far it feels really good. This time around I am more familiar with “the new line-up’s” potential and of course I keep that in mind when writing. So we will definitely be around in the future and hopefully slightly visible in the scene as well.

When it comes to extreme music in general, I really don’t know. But the scene seems healthy due to the enormous amounts of bands popping up everywhere. I definitely regard that as a positive thing but the old grumpy bastard I am, I kind of miss the good old times when the only way to success was good music and bloody hard work.

–Answered by Øystein G. Brun, February 2010

Brian Vollmer of Helix

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Helix lead singer Brian Vollmer checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their brand new studio album Vagabond Bones; adding Sean Kelly (Crash Kelly) to the band and writing with him; specific tracks like “Monday Morning Meltdown” and “Hung Over But Still Hangin’ On;” illegal downloading; upcoming tour plans; and a whole lot more.

 

Vagabond Bones is a rejuvenated Helix that is no-frills, unpretentious Hard Rock … exactly what the industry needs today. Check out the interview and then pick up Vagabond Bones immediately!

Online: www.planethelix.com

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Danny Rossi of One

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Lead singer Danny Rossi, of the Canadian band One, checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their brand new release Dirty Valentine; the band’s history; the video to their new single “Rescue Me;” what the lyrics “I need a religion like I need an addiction,” mean to the band; touring the States; and a whole lot more.

 

One is a straight ahead, pared down Hard Rock band that will remind you of of a less polished and more authentic version of Modern Rock bands today. Tune in now to get to know One, and pick up Dirty Valentine immediately.

Online: www.myspace.com/onetheband

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Ward of Mama Kin

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

HRH: First off, thanks for taking the time to talk with Hardrock Haven today, we appreciate it! So, for those out there who haven’t been lucky enough to hear Mama Kin yet, can you give them a little background on the band and what your music is all about?

 Ward: Basically, we were all sick and tired of the state rock music was in. Rock had become boring and politically correct. We started out in 2001 and at the time there was a lot of emo and polished MTV stuff going on here in Sweden. MTV wasn’t even a music channel anymore, it had turned into a fake-reality-tv-channel and it’s even worse today.

Anyway, we got drunk one night and listened to some vinyls at Jon’s place. For some reason we got a little extra pissed off at the situation and decided to put our own band together. We figured since  no one else brought us the rock we wanted and our heroes couldn’t deliver anymore, we would create the band we wanted to find ourselves. We’ve stayed true to that idea ever since, writing about the basic stuff everybody likes – women and good times.

 HRH: In the City if the band’s debut, and it’s been out a few months now. In your eyes, how successful has the album been in getting the Mama Kin name out there, both in Europe and in the United States?

 Ward: Very good. We’ve got great reviews in all the big magazines, great feedback from the people, zines and radio etc. Bruce Dickinson played us on his radio show, which is awesome.  We haven’t done that much promotion work in the US though, since the album hasn’t been properly released over there yet. But we’re working on some stuff over there that we’re really excited about! 

 HRH: One of the reasons I was drawn to Mama Kin’s music is your vocal style. There are a ton of new Hard Rock/Glam/Sleaze bands out there, but most of them employ a higher-toned, sometimes screamy technique (Peep Show, Johnny Burning, etc.). You, on the other hand, sing with a lower range warmth that should remind people of Paul Stanley, or Matt Barlow if he sang in a Hard Rock band. So, is it safe to say Paul Stanley is one of your influences as a singer? And who else influenced you to man the mic, not just vocally, but as a frontman/showman as well?

Ward: Paul Stanley, both as a vocalist and a frontman/showman, is a huge inspiration. He’s God to me. I get off on people that sing with their genitals, have a certain feeling and really mean business. And it isn’t necessarily rock singers who inspire me. Take a guy like Tom Jones for example. When he sings “She’s a lady” he means it. He sounds likes he’s about to stuff his balls in your ear. And then there’s Bonnie Tyler. She’s got the whiskey vocals going on which brings a lot of feeling into it. 

 HRH: Mama Kin’s first single from the debut album is “In the City.” How much radio airplay has the band gotten from “In the City?” You also shot a video for it. We don’t get to see much (or any) new Hard Rock bands/videos over here in the States, but is the video getting play in Sweden and the rest of Europe?

Ward: It’s the second single bro! I have no idea actually. I know we’re on rotation over here in Europe and I know there’s a few stations playing us in the states, but I don’t know about the videos. Great feedback on Youtube though!

HRH: How is “Superman” doing as a single?

Ward: “Superman” was actually the first single and it peaked at #26 in the Swedish singles chart. “In The City” was released as a digital single so I don’t really know about that one. The album went to #30 on the regular chart and #5 on the hard rock/metal chart in Sweden.  

HRH: You also play guitar in the band. Are you mostly playing rhythm in the band? Also, in your opinion, are you a better singer or guitarist?

Ward: I mostly play rhythm. I only have two or three solos on the album. Elias is a much better solo guitarist than me and I find it easier to concentrate on my vocals and the crowd if I stick to the rhythm stuff. I’d say I’m a better singer.

HRH: How does the songwriting work in the band? Is it mainly driven by one person, or, do you all contribute collectively?

Ward: I usually bring my ideas to our rehearsal space we’re we put everything together. Sometimes I have a finished idea and sometimes we exchange ideas with each-other. We work differently on each song. Generally, I do most of the work but we all contribute in one way or another.

HRH: Has Mama Kin been able to tour outside of Sweden much to promote In the City? If so, where?

Ward: Not yet, but we’re currently making plans for a two month tour in the US in May which we are all really excited about! It’s gonna be a blast! Tune in to our myspace or website as dates are sure to pop up soon!

HRH: Obviously, Mama Kin has the goal of one day, hopefully soon, playing at the Sweden Rock Festival. What would it mean to the band to get up on stage, playing with your heroes and in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans?

Ward: That would be awesome of course. We’re working on it. There’s another swedish festival called Rock Weekend where we’re playing this summer together with Deep Purple, Twisted Sister and Saxon. That will be huge! Saxon was one of the first hard rock bands I ever listened to which makes it extra special for me.

 HRH: It’s getting tougher and tougher for new bands to “make it” in the music industry today, and one of the biggest villains out there is this epidemic called “illegal downloading.” So, if some fan came up to you, said you are their favorite band and then you found out they actually stole/downloaded your debut album and didn’t purchase it, what would you say/do to that person?

Ward: I wouldn’t do anything I think. I feel we’ve created something worth paying for. We’ve worked hard throughout the years with rehearsing, making songs, buying instruments and gear, traveling etc. But when you’re somebody’s  “favorite band” you can’t kick their ass because they didn’t buy the album. Hopefully those kind of people spread the word about us to ten other people who WILL buy the album. And they better buy a fucking T-shirt, hahaha

HRH: Some of my favorite bands are coming from Sweden; your country is a hotbed for some of the best Hard Rock music created on this earth today. A band like ColdSpell came out of nowhere and made my Top 10 for 2009, and if I had heard In the City before a couple weeks ago, that release may have too. Why do you think Sweden has so much musical talent right now?

Ward: The Swedish media and labels have been celebrating and supporting a lot of shit lately that doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with the common Swede. When there’s something missing people will start to create it themselves, and that’s how underground scenes are born. It’s NWOBHM all over again. Awesome!

HRH: Is there anything I left out that you’d like to leave with our Hardrock Haven faithful?

Ward: Well there’s the US tour of course! As I said earlier, drop in on our sites to get the latest news and blogs about what’s happening. Dates are on the way, as well as new video clips, photos, songs, merchandise etc. Keep in touch and stay tough! www.mamakin.se

Rich Ward of Fozzy

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Fozzy guitarist Rich Ward checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their brand new studio release Chasing the Grail; his lovely falsetto vocals on the track “New Day’s Dawn;” the fact he’s not much of an American football fan; how the band has evolved from a cover band to a full-fledged orginal unit; and a whole lot more.

Tune in now to hear the former Stuck Mojo guitarist talk about all things Fozzy, and pick up Chasing the Grail immediately thereafter.

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Chris Babbit of Taking Dawn

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Lead singer/guitarist Chris Babbit of Taking Dawn checked in from the road with Hardrock Haven to talk about their debut Roadrunner Records release Time to Burn; their new single “Time To Burn;” why they covered Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain”; expectations from the new release; if they’ve ever heard of Babylon A.D.; and a whole lot more.

Taking Dawn is a brand new band that is clearly influenced by ’80s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal and wear their influences with pride and reckless abandon. Babbit doesn’t hold back anything — the honesty, anger and quick wit is all available to hear in the interview. Tune in now to get to know their interesting frontman, and pick up Time to Burn immediately thereafter.

Online: www.myspace.com/takingdawn

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Next Page »