This week we seek something HIGHER! Perhaps we’ll find it in Chris Cornell’s solo album, Higher Truth? Won’t know until we dive in. Climb aboard won’tchya? Afterwards, stay on board for a giant discussion on the concept and usage of the ‘Extended Play’, i.e., the EP. Not too big and not too small… why is this thing still around?! How did it start? How was it used? How IS it used? How SHOULD it be used?! Enjoy!
Today Matt welcomes Kevin Martin, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the hard rock band, Candlebox. Candlebox recently signed with Pavement Entertainment and have a brand new album coming out early next year. Matt chats with Kevin about the writing process for the new album, some details about the band’s past, the influence of their self-titled debut, and how that album affected the band’s growth. Kevin also offers a fascinating perspective on what it was like to live and play during the rise of the grunge scene in Seattle. Finally, Kevin chats about his family life and down-time activities. He also mentions Candlebox’s current and upcoming tours, and discusses the future of the band.
Today, Matt has the honor of speaking with Jewel Thief, an indie rock band from Rahway, New Jersey. You’ll be hearing Kevin Smith on guitar/vocals/keyboards, Kevin Urban on guitar/vocals, Conor Carolan on bass/vocals, and Craig Jardonoff on drums. Not always called Jewel Thief, the band had originally established a following under the name Congress. Hear them discuss with Matt what it was like to make this transition, along with how they got their start, their major influences, and what it’s like balancing a day job with being a musician. So listen in, get to know the band, and support them in their endeavors! Their latest record, Speak Electricity, was released on March 24th 2015.
This week, Matt is joined by Alexis Brown of the metal & hard rock group Straight Line Stitch (based out of Knoxville, TN). As of today, they’ll be celebrating the release of their new EP Transparency. They’ll also be wrapping up their west coast tour, and will now be headed east for the remainder of the summer. Matt and Alexis chat about how she started singing from a very young age, and how she wasn’t always a rock singer. She also discusses her tour life and the social makeup of the ‘touring band’ mentality. The first single on the EP is called “Human Bondage”, which was also accompanied by a video shoot. Hear about how that experience went down and plenty more with this exclusive interview between Matt Storm and Alexis Brown.
Today we welcome Jose Urquiza, lead singer of 3 Years Hollow. With Matt, Jose discusses the band’s 2014 LP The Cracks, which was spotted by Matt in a Crash Chords article last year. With a singing talent that dates back to childhood, Jose burgeoned forth with the heavy rock scene, which later shaped his style and sound. Hear Matt and Jose discuss their mutual love for the heavy rock acts of the late 90s and early 2000s. Also hear about Jose’s touring life, the band’s next record, and finally an upcoming tour with SOil and Powerman 5000 (whose lead singers were featured in earlier Autographs interviews).
Matt has sure taken a slice out of the nerdcore community, but today he sidesteps towards… “nerd rock!” by introducing Seattle-man Kyle Stevens of Kirby Krackle. Apart from Kyle’s roles as frontman, singer-songwriter, and guitarist for the band, Kyle can tack on “founder of the Charging Hippo Brewing Co.” to his résumé. Along with Kirby Krackle’s latest LP, Mutate, Baby!, the band has also ventured into the world of podcasting, with their series: The Kracklekast. On this podcast, however, you can hear Kyle discuss everything from his decision to pursue nerd rock, to Kyle & Matt’s initial meeting at the NY Comic Con, to a whole slew of complimentary digressions on comics, video games, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Enjoy!
Matt is invited behind the DJ booth for this exclusive interview with the singer-songwriter, producer, and DJ/mashup artist, meekly known as ShyBoy. Once a member of the band Hypnogaja, ShyBoy discusses the band’s dissolution but reaffirms a working relationship with its members. His solo work, however, has taken flight with two LPs, Lost In Space and Water on Mars, not to mention his newest EP, Daisy Pusher. Solo work aside, his career is complemented by a recent residency at the club, Bootie, at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, which he discusses alongside his fondness for making mashups. Fielding a vast array of musical tastes (and an ode to Donna Sommer), ShyBoy leaves time for a chat on Sci-fi and comic books for his & Matt’s “spinning” dialogue.
As we’re nearing the end of the year, we’ve made this week’s episode a special one. For only the second time in CCP history, we devote an entire episode to a full-band interview in lieu of our usual album analysis. Peering deep into the local NYC rock scene, we unveil to you the vibrant and hair-raising ensemble known as Circadian Clock. With their trescendent melodies, backed by a formidable punch, Circadian Clock is poised to take NYC by storm, having released an EP last year called Someone Out There Loves You After All and a music video for their single, “Brightside”. They are currently working on an LP, slated for release next year. Rarely confronted by a band with such extensive and expansive musical roots, join us in hearing how these veterans of live performance forged their tight and incomparable sound.
This week on Autographs, we bring you the one-on-one between Matt and the Dallas-based Country Rock artist, Erik Neff. Not long ago in Crash Chords history, Neff’s debut LP, At the End of the Day (released Nov. 10th), was featured in a written (and raving) record review titled “Subtle Revitalization” by writer and CCP co-host, Steve Nagel. To prod behind the art, Matt interviews Neff on how his sound has molded over the years, on his touring ambitions, and on the mutual benefits of having a music and modeling career. Also listen in for Neff’s take on covers, and finally on—you probably didn’t guess it—football!
The “two-time” lead singer of the band SOiL joins Matt today, namely, Ryan McCombs. Formed in 1997, SOiL’s latest album, Whole (August 2013) is the first album since 2004 to again feature the vocals of the reincorporated McCombs. Ryan, who had left the band in 2004, discusses this departure, his interim work with the band Drowning Pool, and his eventual return to SOiL. Matt also prods into Ryan’s infuences and his vocals origins, finally spurring a discussion on the changing landscape of the Metal and Heavy Rock scene.
