DYNAZTY
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 11th November 2009.
Swedish hard rockers Dynazty released their debut album this year. We'd just had chance to review it and thought it was rather splendid. That seemed like a good excuse to catch up with the guys and have a chat about life and music.
Drummer George answers questions on behalf of the band.
Hi Guys, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
George: Hey! Yeah we feel great! On tour with The Poodles, right now in Germany. Everything is awesome!
Could you give us a brief history of how Dynazty got started?
George: Rob and John wanted to do a metal project on the side of their other bands. Soon Joey and I joined and decided to make it a full time band, since their former bands Foxey and Sharp split up. We found Nils on MySpace a few months later and everything fell into place
I understand that, since the album was completed, John Berg has left the band. What happened? Have you found a replacement yet? How has his departure affected your ability to play live?
George: We decided that it would be better to continue the band without John. We had our differences. We still keep in touch though and John is continuing to write awesome music. The live playing is going great, we have a temporary replacement, Mano Lewys, on this tour. He's a great guitarist and a great guy!
On that note, how is the tour with The Poodles across Europe going? What has the crowd reception been like?
George: The tour is a lot of fun, the guys in the Poodles are very fun and kind people, we get along great. The crowds are usually great! Especially in Spain, they seem to really love this kind of music. We all love the life on the road!
Bands are often different on the live stage than on album. What is your live show like? Do you go all heavy, do you aim for a big party atmosphere or..., well, what should a concert goer expect from a Dynazty set?
George: You should expect more energy, faster licks, higher vocal notes, more drum chops and the songs sound even better live!
Any chance of you playing the UK soon?
George: Yes! We have talked about it a lot with our booking guy. Hopefully early 2010!! We have gotten a great response from the people of UK, so we're really looking forward to it!
What other bands would you like to share a stage with one day?
George: Whitesnake, Dio (original lineup), Yngwie Malmsteen, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden and lots of others!
Along similar lines, who or what were the early inspirations for your musical style?
George: All of those bands and also Ratt, Jorn Lande and Black Sabbath (Dio years).
Does the band have one main writer, or do you all pitch in with ideas/lyrics/riffs etc?
George: We're all involved pretty much. Rob comes up with the riffs, Nils most of the melodies and Joey and I make it work and also write some melodies etc. It's a team effort!
We reckon lead singer Nils Molin sounds a lot like Robbie Williams...but in a good way. Is there any chance of you doing a hard rocking version of a Robbie Williams song in the future? :)
George: Hahaha! That's a new one. Well, never say never ;)
You must be happy with the reviews so far! Did you know the album was special as you were recording it?
George: We're very happy!! Well, to be honest we just went in and played the songs, we had no idea of how it was gonna turn out. But we hoped for the best and are happy with the result!
Are there any favourite moments for you on the album?
George: For me it's the guitar solo from 'The Devil's Shake', the bass and drum section of 'Bring the Thunder', the second verse of 'Catch the Night' and the riff from 'Higher n' Higher'.
How did you find the writing and recording process?
George: We are the most productive under pressure. We wrote the most and best songs just days before recording. The recording process was fast and smooth. A lot of first takes. We love being in the studio working, it's a magical atmosphere.
What was it like working with the great Chris Laney?
George: It was great. He is a very special guy who does things his own way, so it was a great learning experience for all of us! We are still good friends with him and even play together in his solo band.
How did he get involved in the project – did you approach him?
George: Rob Love played with him in Zan Clan, so they were friends from before. We just called him and said we wanted to make a record. This happened about one day after we started the band. Then when he heard our songs he said he'd love to produce the album too.
Can I hear him doing backing vocals on the album? Is there anyone else featured in the recording you’d like to mention?
George: Yes there are some Laney voices in there. He does that on most of the albums he records. Also he plays some keyboards on a few tracks, listen carefully!
Was the album recorded independently and funded by the band, or did you have backing from elsewhere right from the start?
George: We were on our own.
How did the deal with Perris Records come about? Did you have labels fighting over you, or were they the only ones who ‘saw the light’?
George: We got tired of sending demos to all the labels, because they don't have time to listen to everything. We just called Tom from Perris and said Hi, and the deal was done. Haha
Any plans for a proper glitzy video for any of the tracks?
George: Yeah! We're planning on doing a video for Light's Out when we come home. It'll be kick ass!!
Are you living the rock ‘n’ roll dream yet, or is there still some way to go?
George: We certainly enjoy everything and drink quite a lot, but we're not the richest people in the world. Yet.
Who parties hardest out of the guys in Dynazty?
George: Hard question.. We all have our moments so to speak.
What’s the worst thing any of you have done when drunk?
George: We've done too many things... Rob robbed a hamburger restaurant, I walked home on the subway rails and we drank calamus oil at a party and had to spend the night in the hospital. Don't try it.
What’s next, once you finish the tour with The Poodles? Are there plans on the table for the next album?
George: We are planning to record our second album next year, and before that we might record a single. Also the UK tour and video will be done shortly. The main thing is the next album though.
What was the last album you bought?
George: Kiss - Sonic Boom
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
George: Watch the end of The Poodles' show and have some beers with the people of Germany!
Anything else you would like to mention?
George: Check us out on tour, buy our album, check out our MySpace page and hope to see you in the UK soon! Thanks for reading!
Thanks for your time :)
The new Dynazty album Bring The Thunder is out now on Perris Records. Check out the Rock Realms review here.
http://www.myspace.com/dynaztyband
