Q & A With The Artists
Q & A With Ian Abel
Ian Abel Band is a rock outfit made up of accomplished young musicians in Los Angeles, California. Lead singer, guitar player, and primary song-writer, Ian Abel, formed the band with no purpose other than creating new and fresh music for Rock N Roll fans everywhere. XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows, or announcements? -We’ve been pumping out a lot of new music! In the last month alone, we actually dropped 3 songs. Admittedly, that was unexpected, but still, it’s been nice to give our fans something new to listen to. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? -I’ve been playing with K-Swizzo (Kenny Schwartz/ drums) for 4 years I suppose. We’ve been building a LARGE catalog of original music that’s now being released. Karthik (bass) was added last year and he’s been a blessing! Our first show...
Q & A With Cedric Feazell Drummer of Magnolia Bayou
Magnolia Bayou is a rock band, born on the bayous of South Mississippi. Their roots run deep through the rich soil of the Mississippi Delta all the way down to the muddy waters of Mexico. Because their upbringings stretch so far across the state, a vast array of influences are carried throughout their music, which is soaked with the sound and soul of their southern heritage. In the three short years since their formation, they have paid their dues up and down the Mississippi Blues Trail, touring extensively throughout the surrounding South and as far as the Midwest. Full of energy and soul, the band carries a dynamic show that captivates its audience and transports them back to the late 60’s and 70’, a time when music was epic. XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows, or announcements? Cedric: The...
Q & A With Eoghan MacSheain and Emer McLaughlin From The Midnight Preachers
Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? We have just released our latest single ‘Pusher Woman’, produced by John Henry & Mixed and Mastered by Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal. Regarding live shows, we can’t wait to get out on the road again but for now we’re busy honing our live sound and performing. How long has the band been together? We have been together since 2016. What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? We were inspired by the greats… Janis Joplin, Freddie, Jim Morrison.. It works for us as an outlet for creativity. Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience? Ideally, playing our original music for a live audience. Do you have any outrageous tour stories from the road? If so, please fill us in. Hmm… we plead the fifth. What's the strangest request that you've...
Q & A With Dig Two Graves
XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Kenny: We just dropped a remix of our fan favorite Rock and Roll classic “Wick”. Remixed by edm producer Son of Michel, Check him out. Jaybee: We would be dropping hot sauce bombs and playing dummy shows but the world is closed and illegal. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Kenny: About 3 years technically, but Josh and I had a band from when we were in third grade and some of our influence came from there. So you tell me. Jaybee: True. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Kenny: Music cool, work lame. Jaybee: I want a girlfriend, I’m so lonely. XS ROCK: What is your music background? Kenny: Been playin’ drums for years now....
Q & A With Lee Heir From Prime (UK)
XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest Prime (UK Band) news? Any new projects coming out or live shows? Our most recent project has been our new CD / MP3 compilation covering the first four years of Prime called 'Art/Facts' (released in June) which we were due to tour in the Spring, before Covid-19 grabbed it's hold on things. So instead of touring - and it was going to be our last ever series of shows - we had to make do with a bit of attention online, including our lead song from release 'To Be Or Not To Be' getting a ridiculous amount of plays, way more than should have been expected, so that was nice. We are currently recording our last couple of singles. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Five years with different lineups until I ended the band in late 2019 with...
Q & A With Mojo Alice
XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Jem: Due to Covid, the gig scene has been non existent however the forced downtime has been a blessing in disguise for us as its allowed our axeman Bro-D to take the time to recover from much needed shoulder surgery. We are currently focussed on new tunes and have a new album in the pipeline. There may even be a trip that requires the use of an aeroplane to partake in a tour...when the world is feeling better! XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Jem: Mojo Alice started out in a garage around 2016ish, but it was about 1 & 1/2 years ago that we actually locked in our final lineup and decided to 'get a little more' serious. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally...
Q & A With Tensions Rising
Formed in 2008, Tension Rising is a four-piece hard rock band, based in New York City. Frontman and Rhythm Guitarist Chris Garrigan connected with Lead Guitarist Nicky Van Page through a mutual friend, who was the Bassist for the band up until 2015. Nicky commissioned a drummer that he had known from high school, and so the first iteration of the group was born. With the arrival of current Bassist Alex Repetti in 2015, the band felt ready to enter the next phase in its musical endeavor. To seek out a finite way to classify Tension Rising, in today’s smorgasbord of genres, would be a disservice to those very same influences which have played such a prominent role in what the band has formulated since day one. A true work of art rarely leaves its audience with a clear answer. Drawing from a rather wide array of influences, Tension...
Q & A With River Of Souls
XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Koen: Well, live shows are a bit impossible right now, but we did release our second alum “Usurper” in may of this year, and are currently working on material for an EP for 2021, and trying some possibilities for a live stream. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Koen: The band started out in 2014, founded by Paul, Benjamin and Bart, and Mathijs and myself joined them last year when they were looking for new musicians. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Koen: For me that was to play a lot of shows and do all that crazy stuff I saw on video tapes when I was a kid/teenager. Now I’m a little bit older and also want to...
Q & A With Above Snakes
XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out? Live shows or announcements? DAX DABS: We just released our debut single "Adrenaline", and have a pretty badass animated visualizer for the single which is out on youtube! XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? DAX DABS: We actually started writing for this project back in 2016 while living in Los Angeles, but the official release came out on July 17th of this year, so definitely a very new band! Johnny and I actually met in 2010 when touring in past bands together, and moved out to LA a couple of years later. Now back in our hometown of Boston, We're very stoked to officially launch Above Snakes! XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? DAX DABS: We started this band after being sick of dealing with...
Q & A With Andy Barton of Grimgotts
Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows, or announcements? Back in May, we released 'Tales', the first installment of our 2020 album Tales, Sagas & Legends. Sagas is to be released in August whilst the album will be out in its entirety this winter. The first single of the album, 'For the Power' was released in February The second single, 'Rise Again' is being released 31/07/2020 We've got some 2021 shows confirmed! We've got the Hard Rock Hell fest in March - playing alongside the likes of Dream Evil! We have a second festival on the Isle of Wight soon to be announced! How long has the band been together? We started off as a parody Harry Potter themed metal internet project in 2015 with just 2 members, but in 2018 we recruited a full line up and became a full Power Metal...
Q & A With Lindsay Schoolcraft About New Solo Album And Cradle Of Filth
Lindsay Schoolcraft is a singer, songwriter, harpist, and pianist from the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. She was discovered and recruited by the British extreme heavy metal band Cradle of Filth in 2013 and promoted to full-time membership in 2014. Since then she has embarked on many world tours and appears on albums “Hammer of The Witches” (2015) and “Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness of Decay” (2017) both released under Nuclear Blast Records. Lindsay has received her musical training from vocal instructors, the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto), and at York University in 2012 where she had to cut her studies short in order to join Cradle of Filth. She continues to study abroad in the fields of business, musical theory, and harp playing. Occasionally she coaches select vocal students, but composing for her projects and making guest appearances remain a top priority. Lindsay’s stage persona caught the attention of Belzebubs’ creator...