{"id":31118,"date":"2013-07-31T22:16:30","date_gmt":"2013-08-01T03:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=31118"},"modified":"2013-07-31T22:16:30","modified_gmt":"2013-08-01T03:16:30","slug":"kyle-gass-of-tenacious-d-and-kyle-gass-band-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/kyle-gass-of-tenacious-d-and-kyle-gass-band-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyle Gass of Tenacious D and Kyle Gass Band"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Steve Patrick<\/span>
\n– Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s not every day that half of The Greatest Band in the World pays a visit to your hometown. That rare occurrence happened to this intrepid journalist recently when Kyle Gass of Tenacious D played a solo gig with his side project, the Kyle Gass Band, at Ace of Cups in Columbus, OH. The group recently released their eponymous debut album on June 28th and have just completed a Midwest tour.<\/p>\n

\"KyleGass spoke in detail with Hardrock Haven about the KGB, what happened to his last side project Trainwreck, Tenacious D\u2019s recent return with Rize of the Fenix, and just when exactly he lost his hair.<\/p>\n

HRH: Hi Kyle, this is Steve Patrick with HardrockHaven.net, how\u2019s it going?<\/p>\n

KG: Good.<\/p>\n

HRH: First off welcome to Columbus, OH. That\u2019s where I\u2019m from.<\/p>\n

KG: Oh cool, thanks.<\/p>\n

HRH: Welcome back I should say since Tenacious D played here not too long ago.<\/p>\n

KG: Yes. Yeah, we had a good time.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well, bring me up to speed. I\u2019m a fan of yours but obviously I missed something because last I heard you were in a different side-project called Trainwreck. What happened with Trainwreck?<\/p>\n

KG: Trainwreck uh\u2026crashed. Trainwreck imploded. So, uh yeah. We went as far down the tracks as we could and then we were derailed.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well obviously not everyone in the organization derailed because the new Kyle Gass Band has the majority of the old Trainwreck band members still in it. So how did the Kyle Gass Band rise from the wreckage?<\/p>\n

KG: We did rise from the ashes\u2026 from the Trainwreck. It was actually\u2026 what was it\u2026 Mike Campbell of Tom Petty\u2019s band and he was doing a gig and he needed somebody to open. And after Trainwreck imploded, I was like, \u201cWell, I think it\u2019s time to start up a new side project.\u201d I feel like there\u2019s always a slot in my world for a side project because, you know, Tenacious D is uh\u2026I always liken it to a slow-moving dinosaur and it sort of clomps along but there\u2019s a lot of spaces in between and I like to gig and I like playing smaller places. It\u2019s fun to play bars and clubs, and such. So yeah, the Kyle Gass Band was born. Plus it seemed like it was time to put my name on it because it was always kind of \u201cTrainwreck: Featuring KG of Tenacious D\u201d. Well we thought we\u2019d just consolidate that and let people know that it\u2019s my band and I will take a picture with you after the show. You know, just make it easier. So, yeah, we\u2019ve been going for a couple years now and we just finished our debut album and it\u2019s great. John Spiker (bass) produced it and we got a new vocalist\/guitarist named Mike Bray from the Midwest of course and I\u2019ve been friends with him for a while. We call him the young Paul Rodgers. He\u2019s a great vocalist and a really great guitar player. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well, that\u2019s quite the compliment for a vocalist.<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, well if you come see him I think you\u2019ll see. He\u2019s got some incredible pipes. <\/p>\n

HRH: Great, I\u2019m looking forward to it. So when Trainwreck imploded, was there bad blood there or was it just time for a break?<\/p>\n

KG: Oh it was spicy. It was definitely spicy. I wish I could tell you, but you know, I\u2019m trying to avoid lawsuits. (laughs)<\/p>\n

HRH: Hey, I totally understand. Maybe we can talk at the show. (laughs)<\/p>\n

KG: But you know, it\u2019s kind of a story as old as time. When a band is on the road for a long time and you get to know each other pretty well\u2026 and, yeah, there were some personality clashes. Plus, we\u2019d been at it for a while and it wasn\u2019t quite progressing. I think we took it as far as we could. <\/p>\n

HRH: When you\u2019re writing songs\u2026 say you start of writing something for Tenacious D and then you realize that\u2019s not going to work for The D, do you then kind of put it in your pocket and save it for your solo work?<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, it does work that way sometimes. The D\u2019s very specific in terms of writing because it has to be Jack and I in the room. We always write together. Very rarely will someone come in with a song for it. I think it\u2019s happened a couple times. We were under a lot of pressure for the movie, so we kind of had to just write by ourselves sometimes. But most of the time it\u2019s Jack and me in the room. And if there\u2019s a riff that doesn\u2019t quite work with The D, but I think is really good I\u2019ll definitely bring it over to Mike and John and we\u2019ll pound that out. But usually we just write specific for the group at hand.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well congrats on your recent Grammy nomination for Rize of the Fenix<\/em>. I bet that was exciting.<\/p>\n

KG: Oh thanks, yeah, that was real exciting. We\u2019ve never really been recognized that way. Kind of an official sort of thing. Yeah, I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve ever won anything\u2026 until last year and then actually we won this uh, \u201cComeback of the Year\u201d from the Revolver Golden Gods awards. <\/p>\n

HRH: Oh, well I was not aware of that.<\/p>\n

KG: No, I\u2019m not sure many people are. You know, the award show scam is you give out awards so you can get people there for free, but it was still fun. It\u2019s always fun to win a prize, so we won that and got nominated for the Grammy and it was really nice. But then of course you go and once you\u2019re nominated you want to win! \u2018Cause I want the hardware. But we didn\u2019t\u2026but it was still pretty fun.<\/p>\n

HRH: You know, I know you guys were nominated, but I don\u2019t even know who actually won.<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, that\u2019s true. Nobody cares. It was Jimmy Fallon. I\u2019m almost positive that nobody listens to them. But it\u2019s like, \u201cOh Jimmy Fallon! I watch him. He\u2019s funny. I\u2019ll vote for him. Now let\u2019s see, Best Eastern Ethnic Rock Band?\u201d Whatever categories, there\u2019s so many categories. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well that\u2019s stiff competition because didn\u2019t he have McCartney on his album?<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, he stacked the deck. He had Neil Young, and Springsteen, and like \u201cWell, okay\u2026can\u2019t have all those icons on one album.\u201d <\/p>\n

HRH: Well you mentioned that Tenacious D is kind of a slow-moving dinosaur at times, but you did make a comeback last year. Why was 2012 the right time?<\/p>\n

KG: Well, we needed some time off after the movie. It was just such a huge project and then it was kind of a huge disappointment that it really didn\u2019t fare well at the box office, even though we were really proud of it and people seem to like it and stuff. But we wanted it to do well enough to make another one. That\u2019s kind of the game in Hollywood. You want it to be successful enough so, you know, you have a little franchise going and they\u2019re fun. It\u2019s a lot of work, but they\u2019re super fun to make. But it was disappointing, so we took a pretty extended break after that to kind of lick our wounds and then ultimately we wrote a song for a movie that didn\u2019t happen. It was a remake of Heavy Metal. It was an animated movie back in the, uh, I think it was the 70s, like an anthology, animated piece. And we wrote a song for it. Movie didn\u2019t happen, but we liked the song \u201cDeth Starr\u201d and that sort of broke the ice. Then we just continued working on it, slowly but surely, and it just came out when we were done. Took, probably, a couple years. <\/p>\n

HRH: That\u2019s nice that you had the time to just get it right.<\/p>\n

KG: It really is. Yeah, I mean, we always say, \u201cWe\u2019ll serve no D wine before it\u2019s D time.\u201d And yeah, we did take our time because they\u2019re kind of a rare bird, so you wanna make sure it\u2019s just right. We\u2019re really proud of it. I\u2019m really proud of how it came out.<\/p>\n

HRH: Is there any truth to the content in the song \u201cThe Ballad of Hollywood Jack and the Rage Kage\u201d? It sounds semi-autobiographical. <\/p>\n

KG: It\u2019s all true. It\u2019s all true.<\/p>\n

HRH: (laughs) Something about your onstage dynamic has always cracked me up. Jack is always so explosively angry at you, but you also seem have this bottled-up, restrained anger in you. The \u201cRage Kage\u201d.<\/p>\n

KG: Yes, yes. But I get all the sympathy, so it\u2019s good.<\/p>\n

HRH: True, you do get the \u201cAwwww\u201d from the crowd.<\/p>\n

KG: (laughs) Yeah, \u201cpoor guy.\u201d <\/p>\n

HRH: I know you\u2019ve done the \u201cKyle quits the band\u201d gag a million times. Does that ever get tired for you?<\/p>\n

KG: You know, it\u2019s interesting you say that because Jack\u2019s a really, really good actor and sometimes he uses real-life stuff to get\u2026 you know, kind of that method kind of thing. So, there\u2019s tension in the relationship. It\u2019s very kind of competitive. We\u2019re good pals and it\u2019s kind of an ongoing marriage of sorts, but he will get so mad and I\u2019m like, \u201cDude, are you really mad at me? What was happening up there?\u201d He\u2019ll put himself totally into it and then say, \u201cOh dude, that was just part of the show.\u201d And I\u2019m like, \u201cPhew, okay.\u201d But he\u2019s a can of worms and he\u2019s kind of everything that he is on stage. Sort of very controlling and kind of steamroller, but it\u2019s sort of what you get with really talented folks, you know? That\u2019s how they are.<\/p>\n

HRH: Absolutely. Well, do you think that The D will make another movie or a television project?<\/p>\n

KG: Well, yeah, I think we\u2019re gonna try to do\u2026 you know it\u2019s all about online now, so I think we\u2019re gonna do maybe an animated series online. And then we have a comedy music festival coming up in October 19th at the Santa Monica Pier called Festival Supreme. Check out the website, we\u2019ve got a crazy lineup. We\u2019ve got Tim & Eric, and the Mr. Show Experience, and we got The Mighty Boosh, and Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Adam Sandler, and a host of others. Yeah, it\u2019s gonna be pretty epic. I think it\u2019s going to be good. <\/p>\n

HRH: Tim & Eric\u2026 those guys are just off the wall.<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, they are just insane. We\u2019re big fans.<\/p>\n

HRH: Were you guys ever on their show?<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, we did awhile back. We did just some bits on it. Pretty fun.<\/p>\n

HRH: I think you have to be on something to fully appreciate their humor. (laughs)<\/p>\n

KG: Oh yeah man, very stoney. Very stoney for sure. We loved the movie. Did you ever see the (Tim & Eric\u2019s) Billion Dollar Movie? It\u2019s just so insane, but really, really funny.<\/p>\n

HRH: Oh definitely, I mean Will Ferrell\u2026 that\u2019s one of the funniest things I\u2019ve seen him do.<\/p>\n

KG: Oh man, yeah. Yeah.<\/p>\n

\"KyleHRH: Anyway, how did you first get into playing music?<\/p>\n

KG: Well, early I started playing flute pretty young. I just played in band and then my brother actually kinda tipped me off like, \u201cUh, you know you\u2019re not going to get any dates playing the flute. You might want to switch instruments.\u201d So, there was a guitar laying around the house and I just kind of picked that up around 11 or 12 and really enjoyed it. So I just kept at it and I just thought\u2026my main focus was acting, but I just kind of kept working on the music just as kind of a plan B. I thought, \u201cWell, if I can get good enough on the guitar I could maybe make a living.\u201d I just really wanted to\u2026the biggest thing\u2026was to avoid real work. That was my career plan. I could just never imagine myself\u2026well first off, I can\u2019t do anything else, so it kind of made it easy. There wasn\u2019t any real backup plan. I just really took to the guitar and just kept studying and playing and then I met Jack\u2026a kindred spirit and we just started knocking out really silly, ridiculous songs that for some reason people liked.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well, let me just say that I was in college when The D really broke big with the first record and I remember hearing songs like \u201cWonderboy\u201d and \u201cFuck Her Gently\u201d all the time at parties. I really think that you kind of belong to my generation comedy-wise. <\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, it\u2019s pretty gratifying that it reached that level. I remember the HBO shows, that was pre-DVD and stuff, but people circulated the old VHS tapes and we ended up on every rock bus\u2026 they\u2019d have an old VHS tape of us and yeah, that was really gratifying. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well, the band was always taper-friendly as well, so I\u2019m sure that helped spread the band\u2019s music.<\/p>\n

KG: Oh yeah, well now nobody even watches the show anymore. They\u2019re recording it on their iPhones. <\/p>\n

HRH: Do you listen to any new music?<\/p>\n

KG: I uh\u2026no, I don\u2019t. I don\u2019t really keep in touch with what\u2019s happening out there. I\u2019m kind of a random dude. I sorta just flip on the radio or have other people play music for me that they think is cool. And I\u2019m like, \u201cOh, that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n

HRH: Any interesting acting gigs that you\u2019ve worked on recently?<\/p>\n

KG: Let\u2019s see, I did\u2026I shouldn\u2019t even talk about it because I\u2019m pretty sure it\u2019s going to be awful, but there\u2019s this horror movie called Book of Fire<\/em> that I did earlier in the year. And then I did a guest spot on 2 Broke Girls<\/em> which was a lot of fun. But I\u2019ve been pretty busy with the music stuff so I haven\u2019t\u2026 I like acting, but I haven\u2019t been doing too much as of late.<\/p>\n

HRH: Something I\u2019ve always found funny about your career is I\u2019ll be watching a movie and then all of the sudden out pops KG. <\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, I\u2019ll pop up when you least expect it. It\u2019s kind of been fun that way. <\/p>\n

HRH: Do you have a favorite acting project you were a part of? I know your cameo in Saving Silverman is one of my favorites.<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, Saving Silverman was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed working on Elf<\/em>. That was really\u2026 I always wanted, it was actually some crazy dream, to be in an annual kind of classic movie and I think that one has really turned into it. You never know when you\u2019re making it, you know, you\u2019re just having fun doing the best you can\u2026and then now every Christmas it\u2019s playing around fifty times. And then you\u2019re kind of trapped in celluloid forever. <\/p>\n

HRH: Plus I\u2019m sure it was a great group of guys to work with\u2026Andy Richter, Will Ferrell\u2026<\/p>\n

KG: Yeah, I really liked that one. I really enjoyed it\u2026there\u2019s a good vibe on that.<\/p>\n

HRH: I kind of liken you to Steve Martin in that you\u2019ve looked the same for decades now. When exactly did you lose your hair?<\/p>\n

KG: Oh (laughs) that happened early on. Kind of runs in the family as I guess these things do, so I was losing my hair like by 20, or 21. It was very early. In fact, I have a distinct memory of\u2026you know, you just sort of keep combing it a certain way, kind of in denial at first\u2026and then I remember looking at a security cam in a 7-Eleven. It was sort of an overhead view and I go, \u201cOh my God! The hair is gone!\u201d And it was just shocking. I mean, I sort of knew it was coming, but I didn\u2019t know it was so obvious. And then, you know, I think that maybe because it happened so early it never really bugged me. It just was\u2026I don\u2019t know, I just accepted it. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well, you definitely use it to your advantage. I know I saw a lot of \u201cDawn of the D\u201d shirts at the last Tenacious D show with the upper half of your head highlighted. And also on the album cover for the new Kyle Gass Band record.<\/p>\n

KG: (laughs) That\u2019s right! It really lends itself to a good t-shirt. And it does make it really fun to wear wigs occasionally \u2018cause it\u2019s like, \u201cOh yeah, that\u2019s great. Look at that long, flowing hair.\u201d Yeah, it just kind of becomes your moniker. That\u2019s it. Way too late for the transplant now. Cannot do it.<\/p>\n

HRH: Any recommendations on quality road food since you\u2019ve been touring for so long?<\/p>\n

KG: Well it can be dicey out there. The trick is to try to keep it kind of healthy\u2026and it\u2019s hard. Because if you start going to like Cracker Barrels then your goose is cooked. So, avoid the heavy sauces and the carbohydrates, and fruit is your friend. Really. You can\u2019t go wrong.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well Kyle, is there anything you\u2019d like to say to KGB or Tenacious D fans out there who might be reading this right now? <\/p>\n

KG: Run! Don\u2019t walk\u2026to see the Kyle Gass Band. Your mind will explode. Watch for the next D album in 2015 and make sure you plan a trip to Festival Supreme. October 19th. Santa Monica Pier. It\u2019s gonna be legendary.<\/p>\n

For more information, please visit www.tenaciousd.com<\/a> or www.thekylegassband.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Steve Patrick – Columnist — It\u2019s not every day that half of The Greatest Band in the World pays a visit to your hometown. That rare occurrence happened to this intrepid journalist recently when […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":31123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9052],"tags":[203],"class_list":{"0":"post-31118","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcint2013","8":"tag-interview"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}