Post by rob on Aug 7, 2011 9:07:35 GMT -5
August 3, 2011 - I was fortunate enough to be able to snag a phone interview with Sebastian Bach the day after he read my review (which just so happened to be the albums very first published review) of his new album ‘Kicking and Screaming’. So he actually knew who I was which was a first for me.
So I call the number given to me thinking it was his management office and they would just connect me through to Sebastian. Nope, he answers himself. Here is what follows.
Sebastian Bach (SB) – Hello
Sonic Shocks (DB) – Hi this is Denise Britt with Sonic Shocks, may I speak with Sebastian please?
SB - *laughs* Are YOU the one who wrote my new review?
DB – Yep, do you like it?
SB - It is awesome! I love it.
DB – Well, that album kicked some serious ass!
SB - *laughing* well, what did you expect?
DB – I wasn’t expecting all of that!
SB – That’s great. Your review was the first I had read on the album and I actually got a tear in my eye when I read “Two words for Sebastian. Thank you.” It was like wow, it just knocked me out when I read that.
DB – Aw, that is so sweet. My first question to you was actually going to be…’How did you like my review of your album, but obviously you liked it so….
SB – I loved it. It was very, very nice.
DB – What does this new record mean to you?
SB – Well you know all I want to do is put more songs in your IPOD to go with the songs you already have in there like ‘Youth Gone Wild’, ‘Monkey Business’ and‘ 18 and Life’. I really feel like’ Kicking and Screaming’, the whole album is….if you liked ‘Slave to the Grind’ and ‘Angel Down’ and the Skid Row albums, you’re going to like this album. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything; I’m just trying to make another kick ass rock and roll record. I’m very, very happy with it.
DB – I’m very happy with it too. I can’t wait for your fans to get their hands on this album; they are going to be blown away!
DB –The cover art kicks ass. What does it represent? What’s it all about?
SB – Well I just got divorced after 18 years and a lot of the songs on the album are about breaking up and relationships and/or finding a new relationship. The Goddess Kali (note by DB, I researched her and she is the goddess of death and destruction, also of time and change). She’s got 8 arms and she is dragging me into hell and cutting me with knives, and that’s kind of what the divorce feels like. *laughing*
DB – Dang, that’s just a big ole bitch isn’t it? *laughing*
SB – You know a lot of the songs in rock and roll were written about girls and relationships and a lot of the songs on this record have to do with breaking up or finding love and that is pretty much what the album cover is.
DB – I have several favorites on the album. What is your favorite song on the album?
SB – They are all so different, you know the thing about the Skid Row albums, you guys have been listening to those CD’s for 20 years, so when I make a new CD I’m going to try to make one that stands up 2o years from now. I’ve been working on this album for 2 years and I’ve heard it a million times. Every song is so different. I really love the song ‘My Own Worst Enemy’, it’s very fast and my voice is very clean and pure sounding and I really like that song. I love the ballad “I’m Alive”. I really like all of them or I wouldn’t have put them on the album.
DB - So many of the songs I can relate to personally. Like I wrote in my review, I feel like I could have written ‘Dream Forever’ myself. What does that song mean to you personally? Were you writing it about a relationship or what?
SB – Just thinking of the things I could have been before I close my eyes. Like when you get divorced and you have kids, the last thing you want to do is hurt you kids and put them through hard times and divorce is hard times you know. There are a lot of feelings I have. My parents got divorced when I was 10 years old and I swore to God that it would never happen to me and now it’s happening and that’s just life. You know my buddy, John Rich, the country artist told me…”Sebastian, never be afraid to write what you feel because there is always somebody that is going through the same thing with the same feelings as you”. And it’s true. As you get older you find out that love is the most important thing. At least to me it is and that is what I was writing about on this record.
DB – That is so true.
SB – I’m looking for a girl that wants to travel with me on the road. It s a lonely life on the road. I’m sure there is one somewhere; I can’t believe it’s so hard to find one.
DB – Well I can be at the Austin airport in about 45 minutes. *laughing*
DB – So I saw you at Rocklahoma this year and was totally impressed by your guitarist, Nick Sterling. Where in the world did you find this kid?
SB – This guy is a rock star and a totally talented musician. I saw him in a Guitar World magazine and then I went to his website and heard some riffs and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing so I went to his MySpace page and emailed him and asked him “Dude do you want to join my band and go on tour with Guns N Roses and travel all over the world? He was like….uh yeah.
DB – Another thing I noticed at Rockalahoma is that you look amazing. You are not aging. What are you doing? Have you found the fountain of youth? What’s going on?
SB – Ah, that is so nice. I go running everyday if I can. I eat a lot of salmon which I find keeps me really skinny. I drink red wine; I don’t drink beer or hard liquor anymore. Red wine only, I do drink a lot of it. *laughing*
DB – That shit gives me a headache.
SB – Does it? The good red wine doesn’t give you a headache.
DB – That must be it.
DB – Your voice to me is stronger now that when you were fronting Skid Row. How does that happen? What are you doing that is making you better now than you were when you were 20?
SB – I do scales, Italian opera scales. It is a style of singing that goes back to the 1700’s. It keeps my voice ripping. It really makes it strong.
DB – So, you have to work at the voice, it just doesn’t come out?
SB – Yeah, yeah, people don’t understand that. When I have a gig I start 2 weeks before getting my voice ready. And the more you sing properly the stronger you voice gets.
DB – Hmmm, maybe that is what’s wrong with my voice, I’ve been singing improperly.
SB and DB *laughing, laughing*
DB – I have one Skid Row question for you.
SB – OK
DB – To be honest, you WERE Skid Row, no one else in the band existed for me. Now I see that ‘Skid Row’ is out and about again with a new singer. Does that bother you? It bothers me as a fan and a music lover because to me, YOU were Skid Row.
SB – It bothers me because they are wrecking the name. If they called themselves something different then we could save the name of Skid Row as something cool. But whatever, I can’t control it.
DB – Ok I have got to ask this question for myself. Gilmore Girls. The band you were in on the TV show. Where in the hell did they come up with the band name Hep Alien? Did you have anything to do with that?
SB – That was the producers. That is actually an anagram of the producer, Helen Pai’s name. Hep Alien.
DB – Now that is funny.
DB – What was reality TV like? Did you enjoy it?
SB – I have been on so many of them I can’t remember them all. No I don’t like them….they sucked. Some of them were better than others though.
DB – Alright then, just don’t do “Bach of Love” or anything like that. *laughing*
SB – Ha! You never know, you never know.
DB – Did you enjoy doing Broadway?
SB – I loved doing Jekyll and Hyde. That was my favorite one. Jesus Christ Superstar was harder, was not as fun. Who knows, maybe I will do another one in the future.
DB – Well you are a very diverse and talented person.
DB – You know I could go on for hour’s bullshitting with you and asking questions but what would YOU like to say to your fans and/or critics out there?
SB – I’d like to say if you are into my music get ready for September 27th because the CD comes out that day. We are also putting out a LP record, a vinyl record. Also in the deluxe package we are putting out an hour long DVD along with the CD called “As Long As I’ve Got the Music”. Which has live, professionally shot live concert footage from all over the world.
DB –I’ve been watching all of this go crazy on the internet. I’m very excited for you. I think all of this is going viral!
SB – Cool baby, thank you for the support and I will never forget that review. That was so very nice.
DB – Thank you for your time Sebastian.
SB – Great talking to you.
DB – You too…bye bye!
sonicshocks.com/SEBASTIAN-BACH-interview.php
So I call the number given to me thinking it was his management office and they would just connect me through to Sebastian. Nope, he answers himself. Here is what follows.
Sebastian Bach (SB) – Hello
Sonic Shocks (DB) – Hi this is Denise Britt with Sonic Shocks, may I speak with Sebastian please?
SB - *laughs* Are YOU the one who wrote my new review?
DB – Yep, do you like it?
SB - It is awesome! I love it.
DB – Well, that album kicked some serious ass!
SB - *laughing* well, what did you expect?
DB – I wasn’t expecting all of that!
SB – That’s great. Your review was the first I had read on the album and I actually got a tear in my eye when I read “Two words for Sebastian. Thank you.” It was like wow, it just knocked me out when I read that.
DB – Aw, that is so sweet. My first question to you was actually going to be…’How did you like my review of your album, but obviously you liked it so….
SB – I loved it. It was very, very nice.
DB – What does this new record mean to you?
SB – Well you know all I want to do is put more songs in your IPOD to go with the songs you already have in there like ‘Youth Gone Wild’, ‘Monkey Business’ and‘ 18 and Life’. I really feel like’ Kicking and Screaming’, the whole album is….if you liked ‘Slave to the Grind’ and ‘Angel Down’ and the Skid Row albums, you’re going to like this album. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel or anything; I’m just trying to make another kick ass rock and roll record. I’m very, very happy with it.
DB – I’m very happy with it too. I can’t wait for your fans to get their hands on this album; they are going to be blown away!
DB –The cover art kicks ass. What does it represent? What’s it all about?
SB – Well I just got divorced after 18 years and a lot of the songs on the album are about breaking up and relationships and/or finding a new relationship. The Goddess Kali (note by DB, I researched her and she is the goddess of death and destruction, also of time and change). She’s got 8 arms and she is dragging me into hell and cutting me with knives, and that’s kind of what the divorce feels like. *laughing*
DB – Dang, that’s just a big ole bitch isn’t it? *laughing*
SB – You know a lot of the songs in rock and roll were written about girls and relationships and a lot of the songs on this record have to do with breaking up or finding love and that is pretty much what the album cover is.
DB – I have several favorites on the album. What is your favorite song on the album?
SB – They are all so different, you know the thing about the Skid Row albums, you guys have been listening to those CD’s for 20 years, so when I make a new CD I’m going to try to make one that stands up 2o years from now. I’ve been working on this album for 2 years and I’ve heard it a million times. Every song is so different. I really love the song ‘My Own Worst Enemy’, it’s very fast and my voice is very clean and pure sounding and I really like that song. I love the ballad “I’m Alive”. I really like all of them or I wouldn’t have put them on the album.
DB - So many of the songs I can relate to personally. Like I wrote in my review, I feel like I could have written ‘Dream Forever’ myself. What does that song mean to you personally? Were you writing it about a relationship or what?
SB – Just thinking of the things I could have been before I close my eyes. Like when you get divorced and you have kids, the last thing you want to do is hurt you kids and put them through hard times and divorce is hard times you know. There are a lot of feelings I have. My parents got divorced when I was 10 years old and I swore to God that it would never happen to me and now it’s happening and that’s just life. You know my buddy, John Rich, the country artist told me…”Sebastian, never be afraid to write what you feel because there is always somebody that is going through the same thing with the same feelings as you”. And it’s true. As you get older you find out that love is the most important thing. At least to me it is and that is what I was writing about on this record.
DB – That is so true.
SB – I’m looking for a girl that wants to travel with me on the road. It s a lonely life on the road. I’m sure there is one somewhere; I can’t believe it’s so hard to find one.
DB – Well I can be at the Austin airport in about 45 minutes. *laughing*
DB – So I saw you at Rocklahoma this year and was totally impressed by your guitarist, Nick Sterling. Where in the world did you find this kid?
SB – This guy is a rock star and a totally talented musician. I saw him in a Guitar World magazine and then I went to his website and heard some riffs and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing so I went to his MySpace page and emailed him and asked him “Dude do you want to join my band and go on tour with Guns N Roses and travel all over the world? He was like….uh yeah.
DB – Another thing I noticed at Rockalahoma is that you look amazing. You are not aging. What are you doing? Have you found the fountain of youth? What’s going on?
SB – Ah, that is so nice. I go running everyday if I can. I eat a lot of salmon which I find keeps me really skinny. I drink red wine; I don’t drink beer or hard liquor anymore. Red wine only, I do drink a lot of it. *laughing*
DB – That shit gives me a headache.
SB – Does it? The good red wine doesn’t give you a headache.
DB – That must be it.
DB – Your voice to me is stronger now that when you were fronting Skid Row. How does that happen? What are you doing that is making you better now than you were when you were 20?
SB – I do scales, Italian opera scales. It is a style of singing that goes back to the 1700’s. It keeps my voice ripping. It really makes it strong.
DB – So, you have to work at the voice, it just doesn’t come out?
SB – Yeah, yeah, people don’t understand that. When I have a gig I start 2 weeks before getting my voice ready. And the more you sing properly the stronger you voice gets.
DB – Hmmm, maybe that is what’s wrong with my voice, I’ve been singing improperly.
SB and DB *laughing, laughing*
DB – I have one Skid Row question for you.
SB – OK
DB – To be honest, you WERE Skid Row, no one else in the band existed for me. Now I see that ‘Skid Row’ is out and about again with a new singer. Does that bother you? It bothers me as a fan and a music lover because to me, YOU were Skid Row.
SB – It bothers me because they are wrecking the name. If they called themselves something different then we could save the name of Skid Row as something cool. But whatever, I can’t control it.
DB – Ok I have got to ask this question for myself. Gilmore Girls. The band you were in on the TV show. Where in the hell did they come up with the band name Hep Alien? Did you have anything to do with that?
SB – That was the producers. That is actually an anagram of the producer, Helen Pai’s name. Hep Alien.
DB – Now that is funny.
DB – What was reality TV like? Did you enjoy it?
SB – I have been on so many of them I can’t remember them all. No I don’t like them….they sucked. Some of them were better than others though.
DB – Alright then, just don’t do “Bach of Love” or anything like that. *laughing*
SB – Ha! You never know, you never know.
DB – Did you enjoy doing Broadway?
SB – I loved doing Jekyll and Hyde. That was my favorite one. Jesus Christ Superstar was harder, was not as fun. Who knows, maybe I will do another one in the future.
DB – Well you are a very diverse and talented person.
DB – You know I could go on for hour’s bullshitting with you and asking questions but what would YOU like to say to your fans and/or critics out there?
SB – I’d like to say if you are into my music get ready for September 27th because the CD comes out that day. We are also putting out a LP record, a vinyl record. Also in the deluxe package we are putting out an hour long DVD along with the CD called “As Long As I’ve Got the Music”. Which has live, professionally shot live concert footage from all over the world.
DB –I’ve been watching all of this go crazy on the internet. I’m very excited for you. I think all of this is going viral!
SB – Cool baby, thank you for the support and I will never forget that review. That was so very nice.
DB – Thank you for your time Sebastian.
SB – Great talking to you.
DB – You too…bye bye!
sonicshocks.com/SEBASTIAN-BACH-interview.php
