Lunatics
On Parole
Lunatics On Parole is a
unique band with a radical sound and lyrics that are a punch in the face
for all the comformists and people with false pretenses. It's a band addressed
to the open minded, so if you are such a person, read below the interview
we did with Kenny the Gardener, the band's mainman and get your brain cells
spinning!
1. FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS ON “RISE”!
I LOVED IT! HOWEVER I’D LIKE TO KNOW THE CREATOR’S POINT OF VIEW. SO, ARE
YOU CONTENT WITH THE FINAL RESULT?
Hello Christine and all the people who read
Behind The Veil Ezine, this is Kenny the Gardener, lead singer and creator
of Lunatics On Parole. Thanks so much for the great review and a chance
to do an interview so everybody can get to know more about us. As far as
the RISE CD goes, yes I am content with the final results, however like
most musicians and producers, there’s always the feeling of ‘if I only
had more time and/or money I could have done this or that’. The band went
through many changes during the recording and considering the circumstances
I am very pleased with the outcome.
2. PLEASE GIVE US A SHORT BAND BIO AND INTRODUCE
YOURSELVES TO THE READERS…
Lunatics On Parole began in 1998 as a psychedelic/punk/metal
band and through constantly changing members has evolved it’s sound into
what it is today, a combination of all kinds of metal and punk. The lyrical
content has gotten the band notice for its political content as well as
the party songs they write. The current lineup as of today- 3/20/06, is
myself doing vocals, Mike Brickman on bass and Jorge Iacobellis on drums.
Mike and Jorge are former Hirax members (2003-2004) who have played in
Europe. Rusty Reens of Watch Me Burn played drums on the half of the CD
and the guitars were done by Bryce Waring and Zeke Truman. Mathias (Schneebie)
Schneeberger played the keyboards as well as engineering everything.
3. BY THE WAY, SINCE I WROTE IN MY REVIEW MANY
THINGS ABOUT WHAT MUSIC REALLY MEANS TO ME, I’D LIKE TO KNOW YOUR POINT
OF VIEW ON THE SUBJECT…
Music has always been a big part of my life
and now basically is my life. Everything I do revolves around the band,
unfortunately it’s not all music. I listen to music all the time, different
kinds at different times of the day. It’s so much a part of me now, with
writing, recording, performing and producing, that I really don’t know
what I would do without it. Music fulfills an important part of everybody’s
life nowadays, regardless of the kind you listen to. It’s an emotional
release for coping with the modern world.
4. NOW LET’S SUPPOSE THAT YOU WERE ASKED
TO WRITE A REVIEW FOR “RISE”. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TRYING TO BE AS OBJECTIVE
AS POSSIBLE? WHY SHOULD THE METALLERS CHECK YOU OUT?
Oh boy, try to be objective huh? That’s
hard when you’re totally involved with something like I am with this. Ok
here goes,,, The RISE CD is like nothing you have ever heard. The band’s
sound is impossible to categorize because there are so many different styles
of metal mixed with punk. The songs have catchy riffs, good melodies and
solid musicianship. The unique death metal yet comprehensible vocals are
belting out their dissatisfaction with American politics and society of
today. This CD is for those that like different kinds of metal and/or political
lyrics.
5. WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST
PART OF YOUR MUSIC, ACCORDING TO YOU?
The same thing, we don’t sound like anybody
else. It’s the best because I want to have a unique band that does not
sound like anybody else. When they hear one of our songs, regardless of
what style we are doing, they know it is Lunatics On Parole. The worst
part is that bookers and promoters don’t know where or how to book us.
We’re ‘too heavy’ to play punk shows and ‘not heavy enough’ to play metal
shows. And that’s actually changed over the years from us being ‘too heavy’
to ‘not heavy enough’ in the metal scene. It doesn’t matter who they book
us with though, we always get a good response from the crowd.
6. HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO CREATE SUCH UNIQUE AND
ORIGINAL SOUNDING SONGS? IT’S REALLY HARD TO FIND SUCH A QUALITY NOWADAYS.
WHAT KIND FO PROCEDURE DO YOU FOLLOW WHILST COMPOSING?
Thank you, my objective has always been to
make original music. RISE is our third CD and each one has a theme or story.
I start with that, deciding on what the CD will be about and then what
kind of songs I want. The band jams to come up with riffs and ideas, somebody
will have an idea and we go from that. Although I don’t play an instrument,
I can sing guitar parts when I have an idea. After we arrange the music
into a song, I write the lyrics, sometimes while we are recording the song.
7. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE FEEDBACK? WHAT WAS
THE MOST FLATTERING AND WHAT THE WORST COMMENT YOU RECEIVED?
The feedback for RISE has been great! We have
not gotten any negative responses, everybody seems to like it. The most
flattering would the review we got from you, especially about the vocals.
I liked that part.
8. I REALLY LOVED THE VOCALS! YOU HAVE A REALLY
UNIQUE, STRANGE AND EMOTIVE VOICE INDEED! SO, WHAT DO YOU FEEL OR THINK
OF WHILST INTERPRETING THE SONGS?
I wrote all the lyrics so I’m basically singing
what I feel. Each song is an expression of what I am thinking about on
a particular subject. By the way, there are no FX on the vocals, everything
you hear on the CD I can do live and in person.
9. YOU’VE CREATED THE BAND IN ORDER TO BE ABLE
TO EXPRESS YOUR INSIGHTS, BE THEM POLITICAL
OR OTHER. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? WOULD YOU LIKE TO STATE SOME OF YOUR
VIEWS ON NOWADAYS SOCIETY?
That would take 5 pages at least to state
how I feel about today’s society! Basically, I’m pro-environment, we only
have one world; pro-education, it’s the most important thing a person can
have; pro-marijuana legalization, it’s stupid to jail people and
ruin their lives because of pot-nobody has ever died from smoking weed;
pro-choice on everything, if I’m not hurting anyone then leave me alone!
I’m anti-corporations, they are turning working people into robots while
the bosses running them get rich; the $$$ is more important than anything
else. I’m against people telling me what I should believe in and trying
to force their religion on others. Like I said, I could go on for awhile.
10. SO, CONTINUING ON THE SAME ISSUE I’D LIKE
YOU TO TELL ME IN A FEW WORDS, THE MAIN TOPICS YOUR LYRICS DEAL WITH AND
YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION…
The RISE CD was written over the past 4 years
reflecting the current situation in American politics. The general theme
is that the current political leaders are working with the corporations
to control the world and dictate to people how they should act and think.
I get my inspiration from watching what is going on, through computer news,
TV news, public radio and reading. The Daily Show is a great place because
the truth can often be found in humor.
11. NOW SINCE YOU ARE A POLITICALLY DRIVEN PERSON
AND BY READING YOUR ALBUM TITLES AND LYRICS, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE
AGAINST WARS AND THIS WAR AGAINST IRAQ IN PARTICULAR. AM I RIGHT? HOW DO
YOU FEEL ABOUT IT AND ABOUT GEORGE BUSH BEING YOUR PRESIDENT?
Actually I have always been interested in
warfare and have studied it in great detail-I was a history major when
I was in college and still read and watch television shows about it. It
is a terrible thing, a horrible waste of human life, but as long as there
are people who want what others have it will be there. I believe it should
be used as a last resort. I’m against the war in Iraq because it was started
on false pretences, done for political reasons and there were no plans
for what is happening. I think that George Bush stole the 2000 election
and is one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States.
He used the war to get re-elected and personal gain. Haliburton, the company
Dick Cheney worked for before becoming VP, is the company making money
from military contracts and rebuilding Iraq. Bush will have the most corrupt
administration in history, beating out Reagan. His cabinet-Cheney, Rumsfeld,
Rice, Gonzalez, Ashcroft etc are people that I despise.
12. WELL, I COULD ASK A THOUSAND THINGS ON THAT
ISSUE, BUT ANYWAY LET’S MOVE ON TO THE COVER ARTWORK. WHOSE WORK IS IT?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? THE DOLLAR SIGNS ON THE AMERICAN FLAG IS EASY
TO UNDERSTAND, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WOMAN? HAS IT GOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH
FEMALE RIGHTS? :)
The picture of the woman came from a WW II
recruiting poster encouraging workers to keep up production. The idea is
for people everywhere to stand up to the corporations and political bullies.
No, it wasn’t about female rights, personally I look forward to the time
where no one talks about rights because they are a natural part of life
for everyone.
13. HEY YOU ARE 6’8’’ TALL (HOW MUCH IS IT IN
METERS BY THE WAY?) AND YOU WANT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD. SO, CAN YOU DO
IT? DOES EVERYONE LISTEN AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOU? :))
I believe I am about 2.2 meters. When I duck
through the doorway and enter a room, just about everyone looks at me so
it’s easy to get people’s attention. When I am on stage, I have everyone’s
attention and those that like metal and/or hate Bush will cheer for us.
The others leave. (L.A. often has shows with mixed kinds of music.)
14. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS? WHAT
SHOULD THOSE ATTENDING YOUR SHOWS EXPECT TO SEE?
We have done several American tours over the
years and working on going to Europe this summer or next. And of course
we will be playing shows all over California. People can expect to see
and hear a tight show with songs that make you cheer and think. And one
of the tallest people you will ever see on stage.
15. IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO INVITE A FAMOUS MUSICIAN
TO PLAY IN ONE OF YOUR LIVE SHOWS, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Wow, that’s a tough one. And if you include
dead people, it would be even more so. Hmm…in a fantasy world, Jimi Hendrix
and Dimebag, to be on a stage with either of those two would have been
incredible. Shannon Larkin, Godsmack’s drummer, would be my choice. I think
he is one of the greatest drummers I ever saw-see WCA and Souls at Zero,
and he is an old friend who is an “original” Lunatic.
16. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THERE WAS NO MUSIC IN
THE WORLD? HOW AND WHERE WOULD YOU CHANNEL ALL YOUR CREATIVE ENERGY?
I would be curled up in a ball in a dark room
or ripping people’s heads off with my bare hands. Seriously, I would be
writing poetry, I did that before I ever though about singing. I don’t
know what I would be doing, probably would have finished college and would
have liked to have gotten a job as a history professor.
17. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD
IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
If it were an emotion, it would be hope, hope
that things will get better, that truth will win out in the end.
If it were a painting it would be a ragged black and white war cartoon
drawn with heavy lines…
18. WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO
HAVE? A TITLE THAT WOULD SUM UP THE WHOLE LUNATICS ESSENCE.
A Madman’s Sane Look at American Politics
Through Metal Music.
19. BY THE WAY HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS STRANGE
BAND NAME?
I had the name before the band. I was talking
with a friend and who said my first jam sounded like a bunch of lunatics
and I said “yeah, on parole. Hey Lunatics On Parole would be a good band
name.” I kept that in mind when I formed the band.
20. THANK YOU! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE
TO MENTION AND I FORGOT TO ASK YOU?
|