Hey Hey, It’s Saturday… Your Rock News for 122918

Shinedown’s Brent Smith on ATTENTION ATTENTION, the Motivational Song “Get Up”, and 2019 Tour Plans  (STORY FROM CONSEQUENCEOFSOUND.COM)

ON DECEMBER 26, 2018, 1:36PM
Shinedown have a knack for crafting rock anthems that make their way to the top of the charts. That said, it’s not surprising the hard-rock band recently broke a Billboard record for the most Top 10s on the mainstream rock chart, thanks to their latest single, “Get Up”.

“I think the public understands that our music is coming from a very real place, and they respond,” Shinedown frontman Brent Smith tells Heavy Consequence.

Shinedown have been touring the world in support of 2018’s ATTENTION ATTENTION, and the guys will be on the road again next year as they continue to promote the album. In addition to headlining a 2019 arena trek featuring support from Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria, the band will also play intimate theater shows dubbed “An Evening With Shinedown”.

Brent Smith recently checked in with Heavy Consequence to speak about the deeply personal meaning behind “Get Up”, discuss the band’s 2019 touring, look back on Shinedown’s career, and more.

On looking back at 2018

It’s really weird to look back on this past year. As I’m sitting here in New York City, looking out my window, I’m thinking about how many miles we’ve traveled this year. I never really stop. For me, it never really ends. I’m always picking up somewhere we left off. I always want to make sure the idea and what we set out to do with this band and where we’re going next. I’m always making sure the architecture of the band is in good form.

On Shinedown’s tour with Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria scheduled for early 2019

The interesting thing is that the second leg of the Godsmack run this [past fall], Asking Alexandria [joined the bill]. Also, when we were in Europe in June and July, we were doing all the European festivals, and Asking Alexandria was on those festivals. We became really good friends, and it was interesting, because we had never really toured together before, and we found a kinship with them. When we got back to U.S., we were looking at some bands we hadn’t worked with before, and we contacted their management and were able to get them on this tour.

We knew Papa Roach would have new record in 2019, and Asking Alexandria were ridiculous live, and we knew their new record was more melodic than any other record they’d done, and it seemed like a good fit. I think the whole tour will be sold out by mid-January, so it’s a good way to start out the year.

On Shinedown’s debut album, Leave A Whisper, turning 15 years old earlier this year and what it was like to record that album

I remember that it took a lifetime to get there. I was in my early 20s, and the band had been finally formed, which took three years with all the writing and putting the band together. So, when we were finally making the album…a lot of people don’t know this, but there are three different producers on that album, and that album was recorded in five different locations across the U.S. It was a lot of work. It wasn’t a normal debut album where it’s like, these guys have known each other since they were kids and have been making music together.

On the genesis of Shinedown and how that has brought the band to where it is today

There was so much work involved in creating Shinedown and finding those individuals and harvesting a real relationship with a band. The industry looked at it like we were going to put a band together, but in reality, what happened was that I was signed to Atlantic Records with another band, and after a year, that band was dropped, and I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to have a development deal. Steve Robertson, who was the A&R at Atlantic Records, he signed me, and from there, it was a journey of four years to create what became Shinedown. I was able to really hone my craft, because Steve thought I was a great singer but also a songwriter. I’ve been given a gift to work with some of the most extraordinary people in the world over the past 20 years, and they’ve allowed me to be myself the whole time.

On the camaraderie between the current members of Shinedown

Now, more than ever, this band could not be more of a family. It’s interesting, because I don’t think of the band anymore from those first two albums. For me, the band started at The Sound of Madness. Once that record was written, that’s kind of where I think Shinedown began. But, I give much respect to Leave a Whisper and Us and Them and the people who were here in the beginning. I don’t take it for granted. We’re a group of guys who are never going to be satisfied with the idea of a feeling. We look for the biggest mountain, and once we get to the top of that mountain, we take a moment to high-five and hug each other, and then we say, “Let’s find a bigger mountain.”

On the approach to Shinedown’s latest album, ATTENTION ATTENTION

This album, in particular, had a lot to do with Eric Bass. The reason I say that is because Eric is the bass player, but he is way more than that. Eric is also the producer, main engineer and mixer on this album. I spent 179 days with him and the band last year in Charleston, South Carolina, at his studio, and we began to construct this piece of work called ATTENTION ATTENTION. It was interesting, because we had a lot of great teachers over the years in regards to production and engineering, but it was time for him to sit in the captain’s chair and really take this record on as a whole.

On why Shinedown wanted to go outside the box on ATTENTION ATTENTION

I didn’t want the album to sound stock under any circumstances, and a lot of times, what happens in any kind of genre is that certain producers and mixers and engineers will do all of those records in that genre, and what happens is that everybody starts to sound the same. Eric and I call it “band in a can,” and that was the complete opposite of what we were going to do with this album. That’s another reason we wanted Eric to produce the album.

On Shinedown’s current single, “Get Up”, being about bassist Eric Bass’ struggle with depression

The song that became the sounding board for album was “Get Up,” because the song was written about Eric. I wrote it about it him. We were in the middle of just getting some of the initial ideas out for some of the musical beds of the record, and we were listening to different riffs and drum patterns, and everything sounded the same. It had a “we’ve done this before” kind of feeling. I remember asking Eric, “Do you think we need to start out with something more dramatic?” And he played me the piano part for what became “Get Up”. I remember we spent a couple hours going through the piano part and melodies and fleshing it out, and I said, “Make me a demo, and I’ll take it to the hotel and come back tomorrow with a lyrical idea.” Well, I didn’t come back to the studio for 11 days.

I’m normally pretty quick with lyrics, maybe a day or two, but the reality was that I knew what I was going to write the song about, and I wrote the song about Eric. He deals with what is considered clinical depression. It’s not something that’s like, “He has a case of the Mondays.” This is something we as a band have watched him go through, and the reason I wanted to bring it to light is that I don’t think anybody should write a song to try to be famous, I think they should write a song because they have something to say. There was a fear that I had crossed a line with our friendship by writing a song that was so personal. That stopped me from getting back to the studio.

Finally, Eric was like, “Let’s move on.” So I said, “Nope. I’ve got it.” I cut a vocal for the song and asked when he could have a mix done. The next day, I remember he had me come over to hear the mix, and he played it twice, and the second time, I asked, “You know what this is about, right?” And he said, “Yeah. It’s about me.” That line I was so afraid of crossing, he removed it. He told me that he loved the song and the way I presented it couldn’t be more heartfelt. But he did, as great producers do, say, “If we’re going to go this far and go this deep, we’re going to have to not sugarcoat it and be very bold and honest.” So, “Get Up” was the sounding board for ATTENTION ATTENTION, because all the songs came after that.

On the overall message behind ATTENTION ATTENTION

The album is a story. It’s not a concept record, but the reason the album is so bold is because it’s an album that lets the public understand that you don’t need to be afraid to fail, because it’s what teaches you what to do next time. You’re not going to be defined by your failures. You’re going to be defined by the fact that you refuse to give up.

On Shinedown extending beyond the hard-rock universe

We don’t like to pigeonhole ourselves. We’re crossing the format right now with “Get Up” into the alternative format and Hot AC and Top 40. We’re Shinedown, and it’s a case where it’s about the music, not the category. I don’t even look at rock ‘n’ roll as a genre. Rock ‘n’ roll is a spirit and a way of life. The rock ’n’ roll community that sees no color. It doesn’t care about your religion or gender or age. Everyone is welcome. That’s the beautiful thing about rock ‘n’ roll.

On Shinedown setting the Billboard record for the most Top 10s on the mainstream rock chart

We were overseas and saw the initial press that came out, and it’s really humbling. In those kinds of situations, I don’t know what to say. I give all of that to the fan base. Whether they’ve been there from the beginning or are new fans, at the end of the day, we have one boss, and it’s the fans. I give all that to the audience. We were humbled and taken back. We don’t take it lightly. It’s extraordinary. It’s something that for us as a band, our biggest thing is trying to hold onto it! (Laughs) It’s healthy competition. That’s the best way to look at it.

On what it is about Shinedown’s music that really strikes a chord with listeners

I wish I could say it in a simple way. The best way I can describe it is what I said a moment ago about being a songwriter. For me, I never sat down and wrote a song because I wanted to be famous. I wrote songs because I have something to say. I remember my mom told me a while back, “You started singing at 10 years old, but you never really learned other people’s songs. Even at 10, you were writing your own stuff.” I’ve always been able to put what I’m going through into words and into a song, and I think that’s one of the reasons that it’s authentic and genuine.

Our thanks to Brent Smith for taking the time to speak with us. Purchase or stream Shinedown’s latest album, ATTENTION ATTENTION, at this location, and see the band’s upcoming tour dates here.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: Behind-The-Scenes Footage From ‘Blue On Black’ Video Shoot  (STORY FROM BLABBERMOUTH.COM)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH: Behind-The-Scenes Footage From 'Blue On Black' Video Shoot

Behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the music video for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH‘s cover of “Blue On Black”, a blues rock song originally recorded by the KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND in 1998, can be seen below. The clip was was directed by Dale “Rage” Resteghini from a treatment written by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory. The band selected the historic Pioneer Saloon in “Ghost Town” Goodsprings, Nevada as the background for the video.

Asked how FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH goes about choosing which songs to cover, Zoltantold “Whiplash”, the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie: “First and foremost, it has to be fun. Everything you cover has to be something that is fun to redo, fun to interpret in your own style, your own voice. And that, actually, is not that easy, because everybody has to agree, so the whole band has to agree that we actually like that song.

Ivan [MoodyFIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] is a very emotional kind of guy who re-lives all his lyrics when he’s singing, so if he’s lyrically not connected to a song, he’s not gonna sing it — he just simply won’t,” Zoltan continued. “So it has to make sense to him. If all those criteria are there, then it’s a go. ”

As for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH‘s decision to tackle “Blue On Black”Zoltan said: “In this particular case, actually, the [other] guys [in the band] wanted to do this song. I was the one who was, like, ‘Ahhh… I don’t hear this song. It has a blues-ish, southern vibe to it, and I can’t really imagine that DEATH PUNCH could remake this song.’ And then we did it — we made the song in the studio, we recorded it — and when Ivan was recording the vocals, it started to really come together when I was, like, ‘Wow!’ And in retrospect, I’m glad we did it, because it completely fits the record — it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. We made it our own, and I think it sounds amazing.

“As I said, I just didn’t see this one — I just didn’t see that this would work — and it came out great, in my opinion,” he added. “And it’s another flavor that we’ve never really done before. So I think it actually adds to the album another dimension, another kind of flavor that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

“And Justice For None” debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart back in May. The set launched with 71,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 24, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 60,000 were in traditional album sales.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer announced earlier this week that he was leaving the band, After sitting out the fall leg of the group’s recent co-headlining tour with BREAKING BENJAMINSpencer underwent a second back surgery and will need a significant amount of time to recover. The band fully supports his decision to depart.

Tags: 

WATCH TOUCHING VIDEO OF DAUGHTER SIGNING THREE DAYS GRACE LYRICS TO FATHER
CHAD CHILDERSDecember 17, 2018
RCA Records)
SHARE ON TWITTER
SHARE ON FACEBOOK
Get ready to be moved. If Three Days Grace’s lyrics don’t already move you enough, the video below most certainly will. During a recent show in Edmonton this past week, a woman was spotted in the crowd signing the lyrics of “Just Like You” from the band’s performance to her father. Luckily, someone in the crowd caught this moment and shared it online.
Facebook user Jules Maria posted the clip on Thursday (Dec. 13), a day after the concert, and it has since gone on to be viewed more than 8.3 million times, shared nearly 160,000 times and drawn more than 200,000 reactions and 12,000 comments according to the Edmonton Journal.

“We couldn’t care less about what was happening on stage, watching them was absolutely mesmerizing,” Maria wrote of the father-daughter duo. Meanwhile, Three Days Grace also noticed the posting, retweeting it with the caption, “This is amazing!” Watch the video below.

WATCH TOUCHING VIDEO OF DAUGHTER SIGNING THREE DAYS GRACE LYRICS TO FATHER
CHAD CHILDERSDecember 17, 2018
RCA Records)
SHARE ON TWITTER
SHARE ON FACEBOOK
Get ready to be moved. If Three Days Grace’s lyrics don’t already move you enough, the video below most certainly will. During a recent show in Edmonton this past week, a woman was spotted in the crowd signing the lyrics of “Just Like You” from the band’s performance to her father. Luckily, someone in the crowd caught this moment and shared it online.
Facebook user Jules Maria posted the clip on Thursday (Dec. 13), a day after the concert, and it has since gone on to be viewed more than 8.3 million times, shared nearly 160,000 times and drawn more than 200,000 reactions and 12,000 comments according to the Edmonton Journal.

“We couldn’t care less about what was happening on stage, watching them was absolutely mesmerizing,” Maria wrote of the father-daughter duo. Meanwhile, Three Days Grace also noticed the posting, retweeting it with the caption, “This is amazing!” Watch the video below.

751
5:05 PM – Dec 15, 2018
227 people are talking about this
Twitter Ads info and privacy
As you might expect, the post has generated plenty of positive comments. “That is beautiful and amazing. What an awesome close band between father and daughter,” tweeted fan Dawn Matthews. “This Edmonton daughter is money. Any kid raised this well is a success story,” added Don Anderson. Jr. “I love this so much. Music moves us all,” concludes Twitter follower Tanya Chambers.

As you might expect, the post has generated plenty of positive comments. “That is beautiful and amazing. What an awesome close band between father and daughter,” tweeted fan Dawn Matthews. “This Edmonton daughter is money. Any kid raised this well is a success story,” added Don Anderson. Jr. “I love this so much. Music moves us all,” concludes Twitter follower Tanya Chambers.

 

Meet the Michigan grandma who inspired Greta Van Fleet’s name

(STORY TAKEN FROM THE DETROIT FREE PRESS AT FREEP.COM
CLOSE

Gretna Van Fleet celebrates her 88th birthday Oct. 19, 2018, in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press Pop Music Critic

LINKEDINCOMMENTMORE

In another timeline, the band name on the Fox Theatre marquee this week might have been something a little less catchy, maybe even lamentable. Think “Iron Mountain.” Or “Universe.”

Mercifully for all involved, the group that’s taking over the Fox for three sold-out homecoming shows is wielding one of the most distinctive names in 2018 rock: Greta Van Fleet.

And the young Frankenmuth foursome owes it to the graciousness of an elderly hometown resident happy to lend her name to the cause.

“She gave us the go-ahead,” says bassist-keyboardist Sam Kiszka. “Ever since, she’s been living the rock-star life too.”

Mrs. Gretna Van Fleet, 88, certainly didn’t set out to become part of the rock ‘n’ roll annals, her name now indelibly linked to a band that’s been touring the world, posting big sales figures and racking up four Grammy nominations. The lifelong Michigan resident is content devoting her time to family, sewing and church activities, and her musical tastes run more toward classical and old pop standards.

If pressed, she’ll tell you her favorite GVF song is “Flower Power” — one of the more mellow, melodic tunes by a band best known for its searing guitars, thunderous drums and Zeppelin-esque crunch.

“It’s not my favorite music, and the boys know that,” says Van Fleet. “But I think they’re very talented, and I support them.”

Around Frankenmuth, the charming town of 5,000 known for its Bavarian-style architecture and Christmas attractions, she’s become a celebrity in her own right.

“Every day, out in town, somebody will stop me,” says Van Fleet, a retired medical secretary and office manager. “People are so excited to meet me.”

The guys in Greta Van Fleet were teenagers, the youngest of them 13, when the name arrived in a serendipitous moment of inspiration. In summer 2012, they were just an amateur ensemble without a name — three brothers and a friend working up classic-rock covers by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Ozzy Osbourne.

Read more:

Now the group had lined up its first gig: a spot in Frankenmuth’s annual Auto Fest, where brothers Jake, Josh and Sam Kiszka, along with drummer pal Kyle Hauck, would perform on Main Street.

“It was a pretty big deal,” recalls Sam Kiszka. “So we got to thinking: ‘We’re going to need a name.’ We were just playing in the garage day in and day out and hadn’t really been thinking about it.”

The brothers were brainstorming — “coming up with all kinds of horrible names,” Kiszka says — when Hauck was dropped off for band rehearsal by his grandfather.

“His grandpa said, ‘All right, have fun. I’ve got to go cut wood for Gretna Van Fleet. I’ll see you when practice is over.’ And that was it — Josh’s brain started ticking,” Kiszka says of his singer brother. “He was like, ‘That’s a band name!’ “

The other guys agreed, but chose to drop the “n” from “Gretna,” figuring “people would have gotten it mixed up and wrong anyway,” Kiszka says.

“Greta Van Fleet rolled off the tongue better,” he says.

At the time, says Kiszka, the phrase just sounded cool. But the brothers grew even more attached as they looked into the name “Van Fleet,” an Americanized form of “Van Vliet” —  or “of the water.”

“It’s Dutch, but it sounds Nordic,” says Sam Kiszka. “It sounds very classically seafaring and pleasing. And something that has always attracted us, ever since we could understand literature, is the seafaring men. In a way, that’s what we always wanted to do, and it’s kind of what we’re doing now. We’re essentially nomads. We’re not water warriors, but we are most of the time land warriors.

“So there’s a lot of meaning behind the name, a lot we didn’t intend, but it’s something I’m thankful for.”

Gretna Van Fleet is a lifelong musician who knows her way around a dulcimer and drum kit. Born Gretna Sanford in Branch County — her first name inspired by a 19th Century children’s book — she moved to Frankenmuth from Hillsdale in 1967, and these days plays violin in the Holy Jeans, her church bluegrass band.

So there was no shortage of confusion in early 2013, several months after the Auto Fest gig, when “Greta Van Fleet” popped up on the marquee of Frankenmuth’s Fischer Hall. The elderly Van Fleet was suddenly fielding calls from neighbors: “Gretna, are you playing a concert?”

“If I am, I missed rehearsals,” she told them. “I couldn’t figure out how there was someone else with a name so close to mine.”

Van Fleet and her husband headed to the venue that afternoon, got an explanation from the young rockers, and stuck around for the show.

She never resisted their borrowing of her name.

“I thought it was funny,” she says. “I didn’t think it would last long — they wouldn’t hang on to this crazy name.”

But they did. By 2017, with drummer Danny Wagner having long since replaced Hauck, Greta Van Fleet had a record deal, and a pair of hard-charging hits — “Highway Tune” and “Safari Song” — made them one of the biggest new artists in rock. Things continued heating up in the new year: globetrotting tours, dates at Coachella and Lollapalooza, an invite to play Elton John’s Oscars party, and four Grammy nominations, including best new artist.

The fall brought some fortuitous timing: GVF’s debut full-length album, “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” was released on Oct. 19 — Gretna Van Fleet’s 88th birthday. That night, the town of Frankenmuth threw a lively bash at a local restaurant, an event that was part record-release party, part birthday celebration.

Seated by her birthday cake and wearing a GVF shirt, Van Fleet was the star of the occasion, greeting fellow residents, signing band memorabilia, and looking at times overwhelmed by the attention.

Incoming town mayor Mary Anne Ackerman is a fellow member of the congregation at Frankenmuth United Methodist Church. Van Fleet, she says, is “just one of those people you’d want as your grandmother.”

“I see her as being a really great representative of our community,” says Ackerman. “She’s hardworking, she’s giving, and she’s always contributing to our church in terms of volunteerism.”

Van Fleet’s husband, four daughters and grandchildren have gotten used to the questions from strangers.

“People will say, ‘You’re not related to her,’ are you?” Van Fleet says. “It’s amazing how many friends I have now. It’s been incredible. The family are supportive, and they think it’s fun.”

For the conquering rock heroes of Greta Van Fleet, the name grows only more special with time, because “we were very fortunate to stumble upon something that is so unique to where we’re from,” as Kiszka says.

“We’re off in the world, traveling all the time,” he says. “We’re not really based out of anywhere now. So it’s kind of nice to bring that piece of home everywhere we go.”

Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.

 

Guns N’ Roses’ Steven Adler Faces Off With Slash’s Son   (STORY FROM ALTERNATIVENATION.NET)

  

On Wednesday night at Sainte Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA, it was a drummer face off between original Guns N’ Roses guitarist Steven Adler and Slash’s son London Hudson! Adler was behind the kit for his headlining set with Adler’s Appetite, while London Hudson was drumming for Classless Act. Who do you think won the battle of the drummers? Watch below and let us know in the comments!

Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash had previously announced that his son London Hudson would perform in Hermosa Beach, CA at Saint Rocke with Steven Adler.

Slash wrote on Instagram, “@classlessact NEXT SHOW -> December 26th with our friend @realstevenadler & @tantriccycle at @saintrocke Get your tickets clicking on the link in our bio! iiii]; )’”

Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler said he is sad he is not playing with Slash in a recent LA Weekly interview.

“Slash is six months and one day younger than me,” says classic-era drummer Steven Adler. “I met him in eighth grade. He is probably one of the nicest, sweetest, smartest guys I’ve ever met. I love and adore him, and he means the entire universe to me. I’m sad that I’m not working with him. All I ever wanted to do was work with him. I know when we first met at junior high school, and he came over to my grandmother’s house, and I showed him my guitar that my grandmother gave me, he asked if he could borrow it. Within one week, he was playing songs. That’s how smart and talented he is.”