KILL 'EM DEAD COWBOY
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 6th December 2010.
UK Metalcore combo Kill ‘Em Dead Cowboy release their debut album "I Am Salvation" through Lockjaw Records/PHD on 14th February 2011, and have a big European tour coming up...so we thought we'd better find out more...
Hi Guys, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
KEDC: Yeah man, we're really good thanks! Been snowing today, so like the sensible guys we are, we decided to do some work on our van! Not the best plan!
What’s the history behind Kill ‘em Dead Cowboy? How did the band form and what’s the background of the various members?
KEDC: Kill 'em Dead Cowboy started originally as Olie and Jim, with a few other people. Along the way members left and new ones joined until we had the line up we now have.
Our history actually extends back pretty far. As Olie and Jim are brothers, they go back the furthest! Jim and Joedy were in a band together, Olie and Mugsy were in a band together, and we all knew Bloomie through his old band, who played with our old bands loads of times. Also Jim and Joedy used to work together. So its a pretty big spiders web of connections.
Who were the early influences?
KEDC: Early influences included Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, From Autumn to Ashes, As I Lay Dying etc. Basically early metal-core bands, as well as a lot of hardcore and thrash bands.
How has the Portsmouth music scene helped or hindered the band’s development?
KEDC: A few years ago, Portsmouth was wicked, had a busy metal scene, and a lot of good bands who all knew each other and worked together. Unfortunately the scene seems to have diminished in recent years, and people don't seem as interested in supporting their local scene, which is why we decided to take the next step and crack out of Portsmouth, into the rest of the UK and Europe. So I guess it's helped us a lot on many levels and pushed us to move further as a band.
Did you know what sort of sound Kill ‘em Dead Cowboy was destined to have at the start, or has it developed a lot since you began?
KEDC: The sound has developed a lot, obviously with additions of members etc. But we have always played what we enjoy playing, and wont write music to fit in with a scene, so our sound has always been true to ourselves, even though it has changed through our progression. We like to think the sound has matured, which is clear to see from the transition from our debut E.P. to the new album.
How would you actually describe your sound?
KEDC: Like we said, we don't like to pigeon hole ourselves into scenes, so really our sound has elements of a lot of styles of music, and a lot of influences which range from old school blues music through to heavy thrash bands. We sit somewhere in the middle, arranging it all together to make a unique brand of metal music.
When did you start work on new album “I Am Salvation”, and how easily did it all come together?
KEDC: We started writing the album in January 2010, but really nailed it and did the main bulk of the work in March 2010, 3 weeks locked in the studio just solid writing. We have the advantage that we own our studio, so can record ideas straight to the computer and see what things sound like, so it all came together pretty easily, even with a tight deadline and member changes half way through!!
How does it compare in terms of style and quality to your debut EP “Darkened Dreams”?
KEDC: The album represents us as a band a lot better, as the ways we recorded and the overall sound of the album is a lot more raw and has more live feeling to it than the E.P. does. We wanted this sound, as we have always been about the music, not the production, and so the album truly reflects ourselves. In terms of style, the songs on the album, as we said before, have matured and we have tried to move away just riff based songs, and add more catchy hooks and big choruses, while still keeping the Kill 'em Dead Cowboy sound.
How do you typically go about writing a song? Are you a jamming band or more methodical?
KEDC: Usually we will sit in the studio, someone will bring some ideas to the table and we record everything, be it a drum riff, guitar riff or chorus idea, we then build around these idea's seeing what fits with each other and where we need to add things later! Sometimes it is easier than others, and we can have all the elements of a song there, other times we spend days looking for the right passage to link two ideas together!
Where do you look for your lyrical and musical writing ideas?
KEDC: Lyrically the ideas usually come from things going on in our lives, or things that have gone on in the past. Like Lust and Lies Spell Flashing Lights is written about a friend who was wrongly accused of a crime he didn't commit, Nothing Tastes Like Skinny Feels is about a friend who was struggling with an eating disorder. Musically the ideas generally change depending on the mood we are all in. We don't look to anywhere in particular except ourselves and what we feel like writing at that point.
Is there a story/theme running through the album or is it more a collection of individual songs?
KEDC: There is an underlying theme through the songs basically about finding positives in all situations and becoming your own salvation.
Do you do anything special or unusual in the studio to get your sound?
KEDC: Our drummer Olie has a production qualification, and so he worked closely with our producer for the album to get the sound. There was a lot of crazy stuff going on in the recording sessions, like putting Mugsy (vocals) in fields and dog houses to record natural reverbs for the vocals, Joedy getting drunk before recording as he lays back on the click track more and has more feeling. Jim only recording facing a wall as everyone else put him off, etc etc. The album is all analogue, and there is no computer trickery, no auto-tune etc etc, so there was a lot of re-takes on things, and it took a lot to get things perfect, but this is the sound we wanted, and it was worth doing!
Do you enjoy the whole studio/creative experience, or do you prefer getting up on the live stage?
KEDC: We are all live musicians, and love being on the stage and playing to our fans and making new friends while we are doing it. At the same time, we love in the studio, and the way we recorded I Am Salvation the album reflects ourselves as live musicians while still being on a recorded disk, so in this way, we got the best of both worlds for ourselves and for the fans.
What is a Kill ‘em Dead Cowboy show like? What should fans expect from one of your performances?
KEDC: We take every show as it comes, so no two are ever the same, and we all react on the room and the audience to make the show unforgettable and crazy! Things like playing on 30ft balconies, or climbing on top of the lighting rig in an auditorium are usual behaviour at our shows. You'll just have to come and see for yourselves :P
You have tour dates coming up across Europe. Any in particular you are really looking forward to?
KEDC: We have spent a lot of time in Portugal, as that is where the album was recorded, so it's become like a second home to us, so looking forward to getting out to see our good friends there. But we are looking forward to the whole tour and really excited to get to some new places, and return to some we've been to before. Really stoked to get out and cover the amount of Europe which we are this time, it's going to be amazing. Bloomy is looking forward to having a Happy Meal in every city, we have so many toys now, its crazy!!
What have been the highlights of your career so far?
KEDC: The highlight of doing this has always been the awesome people we meet, and all the new friends we make along the way. Seeing people getting into what we are doing is the best feeling ever, and so in all honesty the highlight is nothing ourselves, but its all the people who are there for us and give us the chance to keep doing it.
Where do you see yourselves in the next 5 years? Is it onwards and upwards or do you take each day as it comes?
KEDC: We take each day as it comes, obviously in five years we would love to still be doing this, but we'll see what happens, and we will see where the fans take us.
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
KEDC: Think you've covered everything man!!
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
KEDC: We are dying for a cuppa, so we'll go put the kettle on, but seems Mugsy didn't turn up to help with the van this morning he's on tea duty so we'll just kick back and wait for our tea!!
Anything else you would like to mention?
KEDC: Thanks to everyone who has ever supported us, we couldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you. And thanks to you man for having us for an interview!!
Thanks again to the guys for their time.
http://www.myspace.com/killemdeadcowboy
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kill-em-Dead-Cowboy/118107510501?v=wall
