Stick To Your Guns play Nitty Gritty in Rancho Cucamonga Dec. 11

Hardcore/metal band Stick to Your Guns will be returning to their homeland of Southern California to perform Dec. 11 at the Nitty Gritty in Rancho Cucamonga. Their past album “Diamond” climbed to #1 on the Heatseekers chart, and now the band begins pumping their punk-metal passion through their new album “Disobedient.”

STYG is compromised of Jesse Barnett (vocals), George “Schmitty” Schmitz (drums), Chris Rawson (guitar), and Andrew Rose (guitar). Their music fills the air with a blend of heaviness and positive sincerity. Frontman Barnett spoke with OC Concert Guide about the band’s music.

OCCG: Who have been some of your biggest influences in music?
Jesse: Orange County hardcore have always been the biggest influences to us and unlike a lot of other cities and places in the US, OC has quite a history in punk as hardcore. For me it started with Death By Stereo, 18 visions, Throwdown, Bleeding Through, Ignite and so on. As I grew in the scene I looked into the past and the bands that influenced those bands and I found out about other Southern California hardcore bands such as Chain Of Strength, No For An Answer, 411, Speak 714, Strife, Inside Out, Insted, Outspoken and many more.

OCCG: How has being an Orange-County based band shaped the perspective you have on the world and which you bring through your music?
Jesse: If I’m speaking honestly none except for the bands that influenced me. Growing up in the bubble Orange County…I see certain perspectives people from there have about the world and I can say confidently that almost 100 percent of the time they are skewed. Having the opportunity to travel the world and see these places firsthand or meet other people from different cultures has molded me and our music more than being from Orange County has. I absolutely love OC. It’s where I was born and it’s where I would like to die but I’m grateful for the chance to see the world.

OCCG: Can you tell us more about the theme of your new album “Disobedient” that is set to debut February 2015?
You know those job application forms where they ask you to pick one word to describe yourself in one word. That’s probably the word I would use. Haha. It probably wouldn’t get me the job but you get the point. Ask every family member I have, every teacher I had, every church pastor I was forced to sit through. I have this burning desire to question literally every piece of information I have been told. It has made a bit of a difficult life at times but in the end I’m glad that I am the way I am and I’m glad that’s it’s led me down the roads I’ve gone down. All you have to do is open your eyes to the world we live in and the proof that’s out there of how destructive we are being to each other and this earth in no longer acceptable to me. I won’t just take someone’s word for it. I will activity go out into the world and make the change that I hope to see. Life or death.

OCCG: You’ve just finished another tour throughout Europe. Any favorite highlights from particular performances?
Jesse: Every single performance is a personal journey for every one of us. The fact that we get to do that across the world and connect with other people is amazing. People who can’t or don’t speak our language singing along to our songs is surreal. I’m grateful for everyone.

OCCG: Where is one place you’d like to perform that you haven’t been yet?
Jesse: Rio de Janeiro. I’ve always wanted to go to Brazil. We are in the spring so I’m very excited.

OCCG: Your band revolves around the message of hope and respecting others. Which song from your album “Diamond” conveys this message and do you think the audience seems to resonate most with?
Jesse: Either the song “Diamond” or the song “I Am,” simply because those songs [are] about learning to respect and change yourself before you can change anything else. No one else is the cause for the damage to society except you. Change yourself and the world will follow.

OCCG: What are some of your favorite hobbies on the road?
Jesse: Reading, comics, tattoos and eating. Lots of eating.

OCCG: What was the best thing about performing for and filming the music video for your new song “Nobody” that will be part of your upcoming album “Disobedient?”
Jesse: By far best thing was my little sister being there. I’m so overwhelmed by the amount of people who showed up but I never see my sister so the fact that she was there and able to see, and be a part of the process was very very VERY important to me.

OCCG: Any message you’d like to give your fans that will be attending your upcoming Southern California show?
Jesse: Just thank you so much for the continued support. We’ll do all we can to never let you down.

Jordan Kassen plays Hotel Cafe Nov. 20

Vancouver-native Jordan Klassen was scheduled to perform at Hotel Café in LA on Nov. 20, but the show has been changed to Mon, Nov. 24. Klassen will premiere his new single “Firing Squad” and his cover of HAIM’s “Falling.” As a singer-songwriter, he creates what he calls “chamber folk-pop music.”

Klassen will also be singing songs from his EP he released titled “Kindness” and his full-length 12-song album “Repentance” (2013). He was named CBC’s Canadian act to watch for 2014, with his comforting voice and beautiful lyrics catching fire across the young generations. OC Concert Guide spoke with him about his whimsical, poetic music.

OCCG: You write and sing all your own songs. Where do you draw inspiration from?
Jordan: A lot of my inspiration comes from other art. So often I’ll hear a song or watch a film and think ‘I want to do something that feels like that’. It usually will end up taking its own form and I won’t even remember what started the cycle.

OCCG: As an artist that plays at least 11 instruments (from the electric guitar to the organs) in your album “Repentance,” you must have a natural talent for picking up instrumental skills. Do you have a favorite instrument to play?
Jordan: It’s a little all over the place. My main instrument and the one I’m most proficient on is certainly the guitar, but usually when I’m writing I’ll fall in love with something else that will draw me out of my acoustic guitar picky tendencies. Right now it’s the piano.

OCCG: You have said that your album “Repentance” was created with spring in mind and the hope that comes after a season of anxiety, and that you were inspired by Disney soundtracks to create whimsical tunes. Do you have a favorite Disney soundtrack?
Jordan: My prime Disney days were the 90s. I was 5 through 15 in the decade so of course to me all of the classics happened then (I have some younger friends who think “Mulan” is a classic…???) I’m going to have to go with “The Lion King.” Great songs and vibes, Elton in all his glory. Does it get better?

OCCG: Your new single “Firing Squad” as been called more “poppy” than most of your folk music. Do you desire to create more music like this?
Jordan: In a lot of ways “Firing Squad” has been a one-off thing. I really wanted to get out of my regular seriousness and melancholy and avoid my comfort zone by embracing pop and not trying to break many of its rules. That being said, I love hooks and I love hearing a song for the first time and having it resonate, so pop has elements I will never run away from completely.

OCCG: Name 3 of your greatest influences in the music business.
Jordan: U2 circa 1991. Joanna Newsom. Sufjan Stevens.

OCCG: Sometimes artists receive feedback from fans that give them little blissful epiphanies of remembering, “This is why I create music.” Any stories of an experience like this?
Jordan: One time at a show a girl gave me a letter that she had written that basically said “your songs have gotten me through the hardest time of my life.” She talked about wanting to invest in things that she believed in and there was a big wad of cash in the envelope. It was pretty special. I probably shed a few tears.

OCCG: At what age did you first begin writing music? How did you get started?
Jordan: I was raised in a pretty creative family and have always been drawn toward making things. My mom made a deal with me while I was playing trombone in 8th grade band class that I could quit if I started guitar lessons. As soon as I learned 3 chords I started writing my own songs. I probably know about 4 songs that I haven’t written myself because I’ve never been super interested in anything else but writing.

OCCG: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Jordan: Living in East Vancouver and continuing to do music as a job. Maybe I’ll own my own studio? And maybe I’ll be married. Haha, it sounds like I’m not shooting very far but honestly I am pretty happy with where my life is. I get to do what I love for a living.

OCCG: Choose 5 words to describe characteristics of your personality that seep into your music.
Jordan: Whimsical. Brooding. Melancholic. Hopeful. Childish.

OCCG: What advice would you give to young folk-pop singer-songwriters trying to advance their careers?
Jordan: Work really really hard. Expect years and years of investment with no payoff. Spend all of your money on it. Don’t make it your whole identity; make it what you love alongside other things that you love. Don’t think too much.

OBNIIIs play Jewel’s Catch One Nov. 29
Photo by: Renate Winter

With a mix of energetic elements from garage punk to hard rock to heavy metal, OBN III lives to play erratic tunes on loud guitars. The band will be joined by Pampers on Nov. 29 at Jewel’s Catch One in LA. The four-man band consists of Orville Neeley, Marley Jones, Michael Goodwin and Tom Triplett and draws its namesake from frontman Orville Bateman Neeley III.

Originating from Austin and now based in New York, OBN III has produced three albums: “The One and Only” (2011), a self-titled follow-up (2012), and most recently, “Third Time to Harm” (2013). Carrying charisma and heavy-sounding swagger on stage, the band performs every show with vigor.

Orville recently spoke with OC Concert Guide about their dynamic band and hard-hitting music.

OCCG: Name three of your greatest influences in music.
Orville: AC/DC (since I was ten), the Scientists (since a few years ago), Fats Domino (can you tell?)

OCCG: What’s different about your latest album “Third Time to Harm” than your past two albums?
Orville: I think the production is better, the overall recording quality. I played more instruments on 3T2H than in the past. The songs are longer, some are more complex than our previous works.

OCCG: Is there a crowd favorite song that you usually play to close the show?
Orville: Since last year we’ve usually closed with “No Time For The Blues”. Don’t know if it’s a crowd favorite yet.

OCCG: Where is one place you’d like to perform that you haven’t been to yet?
Orville: Australia.

OCCG: When you’re not on tour, what do you enjoy doing in your hometown of Austin, Texas?
Orville: I enjoy hiking the Greenbelt, going to shows, recording bands, and eating Mexican food.

OCCG: How did your band come together?
Orville: The current lineup came together when Michael Goodwin, our new bass player, answered his phone. Two members left earlier in the year (I’m not going to get into the beginnings of the band) and the three of us; Tom Triplett, Marley Jones and I needed to find a new bass player fast. Couldn’t have come together quicker, apparently.

OCCG: Anything you’d like to say to the fans that will be at your LA show?
Orville: If you exist… dear fans… we would love to see you at the show. Hang out, please. Come say ‘hi’. We’ll be on KXLU in the afternoon before the show. Tune in!

Crying plays the Roxy Nov. 22 and Chain Reaction Nov. 23

Chiptune-rock band Crying, on tour with American emo band Modern Baseball, hit up Southern California with two shows. They play on Nov. 22 at The Roxy in LA and Nov. 23 at Chain Reaction in Anaheim. This unique sounding band combines blips from gameboy tunes with high-voltage rock notes, creating a buzz in their music that seeps into the bones of the audience.

The New York based band, consists of Elaiza Santos (vocals), Ryan Galloway (guitar/GameBoy), and Nick Corbo (drums). The trio will be performing music from their newly released album “Get Olde Second Wind,” including the song “Emblem” which recently premiered on Stereogum.

OC Concert Guide spoke with Galloway about the band and their quirky punk melodies.

OCCG: How did you come up with the name for your band?
Ryan: Like most bands, we spent a long time on this. We wanted to keep it simple, but also avoid having the same band name as someone else. Our friend Megan suggested Crying and it was open!

OCCG: Name a couple of other bands who play Chiptune rock that you love.
Ryan: Anamanaguchi, Chalkboards, Melt Channel, Slime Girls. All of them have their own sound and vibe. All of them are agreeable people.

OCCG: What has it been like touring with Modern Baseball?
Ryan: They’re so devoted to making sure everyone on tour feels great. Their crowds are huge and very different from our usual crowds. There’s a running joke/common theme where people at our shows only want to speak to Elaiza and Nick, but on this tour, Nick is invisible just like me!

OCCG: The buzzing pop-punk tunes you create resemble music in videogames. Are there any videogames that have inspired the sounds you’ve made?
Ryan: I don’t really listen to 8-bit soundtracks. That era doesn’t have too much of a hold on me. I think a lot of those old school composers were influenced by prog rock like ELP and yes, metal, jazz, and easy listening, which is what I’m mainly influenced by.

OCCG: Where has been your favorite place you’ve performed at and why?
Ryan: Nick’s apartment that he shares with a bunch of other cool musicians/artists. It’s called David Blaine’s The Steakhouse. I don’t know how it works, but we always sound better than normal there.

OCCG: Do you usually produce the tunes before the lyrics or vice versa? How do you plan out matching them together?
Ryan: The writing process is 90 percent of the time me writing on the guitar and Game Boy parts. Then Nick and I figure out the drums and then Elaiza figures out the vocals. I usually tell Elaiza what my parts mean to me to give her a vague idea of what subject matter would match the music the most. It always works out!

OCCG: Is there a specific idea behind your new LP Get Olde Second Wind that recently debuted?
Ryan: It’s a double EP anthology thing. Get Olde came out last year but was never released on vinyl or CD and Second Wind is kind of the sequel in that they share many themes, both lyrically and musically.

OCCG: What are you most stoked for about coming to LA and Anaheim?
Ryan: I’ve always thought of California (which I’ve never been to) as my final resting place, so I’m excited for hopefully not being disappointed. Other than that, I can’t wait to not be so cold.

Dilated Peoples play at the Observatory Nov. 20

American hip-hop group Dilated Peoples returns to their native land of Southern California to play a night at The Observatory in Santa Ana Nov. 20. This Los Angeles based group has been active since 1995 and recently released their newest album, “Directors of Photography,” in August 2014.

The group is compromised of members DJ Babu (producer/DJ), Evidence (MC/producer), and Rakaa Irsicience (MC). Two of their tracks “This Way” and “Worst Comes to Worst” climbed to the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart and they have led multiple tours across Europe. OC Concert Guide spoke with DJ Babu about their music.

OCCG: You’ve worked with artists like Kanye West, Xzibit, and John Legend, and mostly recently—Aloe Blacc. Who has been one of your favorite artists to collaborate with and who is someone you would like to make music with in the future?
DJ Babu: For me I think it’d have to be working with DJ Premier. He was on our second album, he produced a song called “Clockwork” and on this new album he produced a song called “Good as Gone” and for those people who don’t know who DJ Premier is, he’s the production guy and one half of the duo Gang Starr. There was a certain point where DJ Premier became the go-to producer of the hip hop world, producing for the likes of you name it—Biggie Smalls, Rakim, Snoop Dog—he just became the man to go to and the list goes on. It’s always a great thing to work with him…like a rite of passage, it’s a big deal to even be in the same room as that guy and get a beat from him. He supports our group and is someone we continue to look up to.

OCCG: The song “Show Me The Way” on your recent album, “Directors of Photography” is about hard work and how it pays off. What is the core message you want your audience to take away from this song?
DJ Babu: The song is introspective of talking about what we deal with as far as blue collar people dealing with our struggles and our paths but at the same time I think it’s a universal message, it’s a song people can relate to. Sometimes life just can be rough and you got to persevere…put your head down, focus, and find something to inspire you that can drive you to keep pushing. It’s another way of saying “Life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.” Appreciate and make the best of what you’ve got. We make music sometimes that’s not super specific so I feel like a lot of it is in the eye of the beholder. A lot of songs can have a lot of tricky rhymes, a lot of layers, and levels to what they’re saying…but this song, it’s what you want to interpret it as. We try not to be very preachy or too in your face about it. Our group comes from a skill-based area. We want to make skill-based music but not to the point that it’s not gonna be appealing or something that people can relate to.

OCCG: Is there a specific song you’re most excited to perform from your album? Why?
DJ Babu: Any of them. I love performing “Directors,” I love performing “Let Your Thoughts Fly Away” and “Show Me The Way” is also really great. Those are the ones we’ve learned by experimenting that those ones go over really well with the crowd. I can’t pick one, they’re all great.

OCCG: What is the idea behind your album name “Directors of Photography”?
DJ Babu: There are a few angles, one is a play-off of the film-making world of DP…and for all of our albums and our whole aesthetic and logo, it’s a reference to vision. We feel like we are directors of photography in a sense because when you watch a movie, you may not know who the DP is, but you might know the actors and actual director is, but the DP is the one behind the scenes. He plays a position where they’re not as talked about but they’re still important to the project, and that’s how we feel about our music. We were made kind of anonymous in a sense. We’d love for everyone to know our work but they don’t necessarily need to see our faces all the time or know who we are. The biggest thing is how it works with our legacy.

OCCG: Your logo is very creative. Can you name another group you think has with a great logo?
DJ Babu: Hieroglyphics, Social Mission, Gang Star, there are so many. It’s about a group owning their title. The Alkaholiks… I mean, it’s not the greatest logo but it’ll forever be in my mind [because] the way I think about it, it makes perfect sense. It’s a guy killed over of toilet vomiting—classic. If I ever see that logo I definitely know we’re talking about The Alkaholiks.

OCCG: What advice would you give young rappers trying to make it in the music world?
DJ Babu: Study your idols, and then study your idols’ idols, and then study your idols’ idols’ idols, you know what I mean? Hip-hop is relatively a new form of music but it has been here long enough where we have a history. This isn’t just some fashion commodity, it’s a culture. We eventually wanna make money and make a career out of it but a lot of times what the media doesn’t show or what a video can’t show is the hard work and perseverance that people put in. We’re all students in this, we can never stop learning and you can never stop growing. Ultimately, come from your heart and have fun!

Lord Dying play downtown Fullerton at the Slide Bar Nov. 19
Photo by: James Rexroad

Portland-based metal band Lord Dying will perform at Slidebar on Nov. 19 in Fullerton. Bringing fresh riffs to pure heavy music, the band released a 7” self-titled tour EP that quickly sold out. They recently toured Europe for the first time, spreading the intensity of Lord Dying’s full album “Summon the Faithless” from the summer of 2013.

The band, who has undergone a change in members in the past, consists of Erik Olson (guitar/vocals), Don Capuano (bass), Nickolis Parks (drums), and Chris Evans (guitar). OC Concert Guide recently spoke with Erik about their music and life on tour.

OCCG: Your band recently toured Europe last year for the first time. What was the best part about performing your music internationally?
Erik: Performing Europe was killer! It was really cool to perform in places that we’ve never been to before and see people singing along that already knew our songs! Never experienced something quite like that before.

OCCG: What are some new ways you would like to push the envelope of what metal music is? (How do you try to make your music distinguishable from others? With mixed genres, weird ideas, any strange time signatures?)
Erik: We write the kind of riffs that we would want to hear, and if we like it enough we keep them and eventually make a song out of them. We always try to push the envelope of our own playing with every release but whether that is pushing the envelope of metal as whole doesn’t concern us very much. We try to make ourselves happy first and if other people dig it that’s killer too!

OCCG: Your logo of ‘Lord Dying’ is pretty sick. How did you come up with the band name originally and did you have a specific logo vaguely in mind at first?
Erik: The name ‘Lord Dying’ to us means the end of organized religion, which is something we would love to see. We never had a logo in mind at first but we are very happy with the logos that Orion Landau has designed for us.

OCCG: As veterans of other metal bands, how has the experience of playing in Lord Dying been different than in other bands in years past?
Erik: I think for all of us, Lord Dying has been a much more serious endeavor, we’ve all had to make serious sacrifices to stay on the road as much as we do and have even lost members as a result, but we love doing this and don’t have plans of slowing down anytime soon.

OCCG: Out of all the awesome metal bands you’ve toured with—such as Danava, Lecherous Gaze, Black Cobra, Gaza, Witch Mountain, Red Fang, Black Tusk, Down, and Ghost—is there one that stands out to you with an extra surreal experience?
Erik: We’ve enjoyed touring with all of the bands that we’ve had the pleasure of sharing the road with but Red Fang are our uber bros that we’ve known the longest and played all over the world with, which was a surreal experience in its own right.

OCCG: Is there a certain song on your album the crowd seems to enjoy most?
Erik: The crowd likes to hear “Dreams of Mercy” and “In a Frightful State of Gnawed Dismemberment” we usually open or close our set with one or the other.

OCCG: Your song “Descend Into External” talks about the “extinction” and “destruction” of man. Explain the concept behind the song—is it more about the extinction of humanity, as we know it or is it about the destruction of an individual type of man?
Erik: The song is about the extinction of all mankind, and the need for it to happen before the Earth itself dies as a result of the way we treat the Earth.

OCCG: Did each of you grow up thinking (and knowing) you’d someday be in a metal band? How has your career exceeded your expectations?
Erik: I think we all wanted to play metal all of our lives and have tried to do it in countless bands over the years. Lord Dying has gone above and beyond any expectations we might have had. Now if we can just figure out how to make a living doing it! Haha.

OCCG: What are you most stoked about for performing in Fullerton?
Erik: We are excited to play at the Slidebar in Fullerton because we’ve never been there before and have heard nothing but good things!

Lucero play three nights at the Echo Nov. 16 – 18

Memphis-based country rock band Lucero will be ending the year with three shows at The Echo in LA on Nov. 16, 17, and 18. The band began in 1998 and since then has produced eight full length albums, as well as had their music featured in many film and TV series. The members include Ben Nichols (guitar and vocals), Roy Berry (drums), John C. Stubblefield (bass), Brian Venable (guitar), and Rick Steff (piano, organ, accordion).

The band is renowned for its diverse fanbase because of their 16-year career, as well as their variety of genres they mix into their songs. With lots of laughs and a kind southern drawl, John C. recently chatted on the phone with OC Concert Guide about their music.

OCCG: Your music has been described as a fusion of country, soul, and rock. Do you draw inspiration from artists within each of those individual genres or stick to listening to artists that also play a similar synthesis to what your band produces?
John C.: No, I’d say it’s definitely the first of what you’re saying. Inherently where we’re from, this is Tennessee, this is where it all started—Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans—this is the mojo triangle where is all started. It’s kind of a hybridization of Gospel, Soul, and R&B which is what’s created Rock N Roll in the first place. So it’s just kinda in the water where we’re from.

OCCG: Any favorite soul artists?
John C.: So much…of course Otis Redding, Syl Johnson, Rufus Thomas…all the typical touchstones, but then there’s hundreds of artists who’ve recorded in stacks and stuff over the year. For every Otis Redding there’s 50 more, ya know.

OCCG: Is there a favorite song off your latest album, “Women and Work,” that the crowd seems to get most riled up about?
John C.: It’s kinda hard to say, it’s been a REALLY fun album to play live. I think every track off that record kinda translated live, but I’d say as far as a rocker…I think the crowd craves “Like Lightnin’” and then “On My Way Downtown” of course, which actually opens the show sometimes.

OCCG: Your song “Go Easy” includes an all-female Gospel choir. How did you decide you wanted to bring this sound into your song?
John C.: Not so much. That whole album is kind of an open love letter to Memphis, there’s “On My Way Downtown” and then it goes from Saturday night into Sunday mornin’. I think it’s definitely representing the Gospel that comes from here, and that influence for sure, and paying homage to that. It’s a nice way to end the record, send them out on a high note but at the same time a send ya on out that kinda just floats on out there, if that makes any sense.

OCCG: With your music featured in TV and film sensations like “The Walking Dead” and the movie “Mud,” do you spend time watching them to see how your music is used to frame the actors?
John C.: Ya, like with “Mud,” we’ve done a title track for another film called “Take Shelter” by the same director, Jeff Nichols, and with “Mud” we actually got to see a rough edit of the movie itself and got to kinda write along to it—smack the notes to the screen. It’s always a lot of fun when we get to see it and how to place it rhythmically before we even put it to the rhythm of the actual scene. Like we were saying, “Wish we had a tune in ‘Sons of Anarchy’” because that’s just a show that everybody’s kinda into, and then they called up one [of us] and we were like “Hell yeah, fellas! That show’s great!” Definitely rewarding…haha, somebody’s listening and paying attention out there.

OCCG: What’s one of your favorite things to do when home in Memphis?
John C.: Myself…I’m in the studio right now workin’ on a record that I’m recording with a singer-songwriter named Caleb Sweazy. We recorded about a month ago, and now the studio’s doin’ some mixes. So, working on music. Workin’ all the time, haha.

OCCG: You’ve been called one of the hardest working bands in the last decade, constantly being on tour. List 3 things about going on tour that make the fast-paced lifestyle all worth it.
John C.: I’d say it’s about connecting with the audience, there’s propulsion that keeps you going….we draw from the road and from the tunes, it’s what keeps it goin’. And then again it’d be people. Just travelling all these years, we’ve made friends, actual close friends as well. Continually travelling and going back to the same places, we’ve maintained some real, genuine friendships with people that we would’ve never met otherwise living in Memphis, Tennessee. The third thing: getting’ to play my base every day! Getting’ to play and hone our craft on a regular basis and gettin’ the chance to constantly learn and make things work.

OCCG: Your concerts always include a lively audience; any funny stories from your shows?
John C.: Oh my gosh, there’s so many! Really just every night, the fact that people show up and sing along, and the fact that it continues to happen is a pretty amazing story to me. Sometimes I’ll jump out in the crowd…[one time] the spirit kinda moved me, we were in New York at the Bowery Ballroom and I just couldn’t stand it so I jumped out in the crowd, that extension of the band and the crowd being kinda one unit. It’s like having your own personal Gospel choir singin’ along to every song, so it’s kinda bridging the gap, so to speak. One of the things I say sometimes is that we’re just the music and the crowd is the band, the band of people that holds us together and makes it all worth doing. Kinda blurred lines there, the crowd is just as much a part of the band as me. We wouldn’t be there but for them.

OCCG: Anything you’d like to say to the crowds that’ll be at your shows in the OC?
John C.: We’re lookin’ forward to comin’ that way, it’s kinda the last show of the year. Especially since we don’t have an opening band, it’s an “Evening with Lucero” and it’s the first set we’re doin’ of our own opening band and it’s not exactly an acoustic set but kind of old-school Lucero and new-school Lucero in that I started out in this band playing upright bass and during first set I’m on upright bass and Roy’s kinda there on drum kit, Ben our singer is playin’ acoustic guitar, but it should appeal to every level of Lucero fan since it’s coming full circle. We’re doin’ like we used to do in the beginning and then we take a little set break and come out and do the full-on rock set…it makes it extra special.

Whitechapel play Knotfest Oct. 26 in San Manuel Amphitheater
Photo by: JeremySaffer

Top 10 Billboard charting metal legion, Whitechapel, will be returning to the road this Fall that includes a stop at Slipknot’s KNOTFEST 2014 on Oct. 26 in San Bernardino, CA. The tour is in support of their Our Endless War full-length issued in April via Metal Blade Records.

Our Endless War is being slated as their most streamlined, atmospheric and emotionally powerful release to date. The album debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, #2 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums Chart, #1 on the Billboard Hard Music Albums Chart (Current) and #2 on the Billboard Rock Albums Chart.

Whitechapel’s deathcore style derives from their hometown of Knoxville, TN and the band’s name comes from their recurring theme of Jack the Ripper’s stomping grounds in the district of East London, England. The group consists of Phill Bozeman (vocals), Ben Savage (guitar), Zach Householder (guitar), Alex Wade (guitar), Ben Harclerode (drums) and Gabe Crisp (bass).

The OC Concert Guide spoke with guitarist Wade about the groups music and being on the bill of Slipknots’ Knotfest this year.

OCCG: What are some new ways you would like to push the envelope of what metal music is? (How do you try to make your music distinguishable from others? With mixed genres, weird ideas, using strange time signatures?)
AW: We just try to write what we want to write really. We write what we love and what makes us happy, and if our fans love it too then that makes it even better. Although a lot of people consider us “Deathcore” we really just look at ourselves as a Metal band. We don’t pigeonhole ourselves into a subgenre when we write. Every song doesn’t HAVE to have a breakdown, if it fits then great but we don’t just add them because we feel like every song needs one. We’re a metal band and we just write hard, heavy metal.

OCCG: Your band has been very successful ever since its formation in 2006. How do you challenge yourselves to keep producing metal music that takes it to the next level?
AW: We aren’t interested in putting out the same record twice. With every release we try to push ourselves to do something new and fresh, to keep it different from our previous releases. We want our fans to know every time they purchase a Chapel record that it will be something they haven’t heard from us before, while still sounding like Whitechapel.

OCCG: With such a variety of tracks on your recent album—with what you’ve noted as the fastest songs ever written on it as well as the slowest songs you’ve ever written—do you think this record will reach a broader expanse of fans than in the past?
AW: I really hope that it does, I mean that was the point in us putting so much variety on the record. We want our music to be able to reach as many demographics as possible so even though our style is really heavy we definitely have been making an effort to make the music more digestible for newer audiences. The more people we can reach with our music the more fans we can obtain and continue to grow our band.

OCCG: What was touring in Australia like compared to in the U.S.? How were the crowds of Melbourne and Sydney? Try any meat pies or Vegemite while there?
AW: Touring Australia was a blast. We have been there a few times now and it’s always a ton of fun. The shows are great, the food is good, and the women are beautiful haha. And yes one of my favorite parts of going over there is the meat pies, so delicious!

OCCG: Do you prefer performing at outdoor venues over indoor venues? (Or vice versa?) How does it affect the show?
AW: It’s 50/50 for me really, I love huge outdoor festivals but I like the smaller indoor shows too. The indoor shows are more intimate with the crowd, but the outdoor shows have so many people attending it’s fun to get to play to a sea of metal heads.

OCCG: You guys have some pretty legit tattoos. Does each band member have a tattoo they’ve gotten since joining the band that’s significant? What are each of them? (or a few for example)
AW: A few of the members have our Sawblade symbol tattooed on them. It’s just the Tri-Star from the Tennessee flag with a saw blade edge around it. Being from TN we all are down home country boys that love where we are from so we like representing our state in our bands symbol. It’s a really clean but still metal looking design.

Lewis Watson waits visa to play U.S. Tour
photo by: Andrew Whitton

On Sun, Nov. 9, British 22-year old Lewis Watson was set to perform to a sold out crowd at the Troubadour, but due to visa complications the show has been postponed until further notice. All holding tickets at this time will be able to save their tickets for the rescheduled date.

The poetic alternative singer-songwriter initially received fame from uploading home-recorded performances on Youtube under the name “HolyLoowis.” His five EPs have all hit the Top 10 at iTunes.

On his upcoming North America tour he will be performing from his recent 2013 album “The Morning” and past releases. OC Concert Guide recently chatted with Lewis about his indie/folk/pop music and upcoming visit to LA.

OCCG: How did you choose the name for your recent album “The Morning”?
Lewis: ‘The morning’ is a lyric that pops up a lot on this album and I really wanted the album title to be subtle. I want people to have the chance of hearing me sing ‘the morning’ and then say ‘ah, that’s why it’s called that!’ Also, I think that it rolls off of the tongue and that’s important to me, I want people to enjoy saying my debut album’s name!

OCCG: For the song “Stay,” you have explained that the inspiration for the song came from a dream about a pretty girl playing the most amazing song you don’t want to wake up from and forget. The music video for the song features model Ellie Burton; does she look like the girl that was in your dream?
Lewis: It’s tough because I really don’t remember the dream that well, I can only really remember that the girl was wearing a purple dress and that she was blonde (so probably nothing like Ellie) but I needed to ask a girl who would suit the video and Ellie was perfect for that in my eyes. I think I said ‘she’d look great dead’ when I saw her picture, regretted it immediately (it makes perfect sense paired with the video, I’m not ‘that guy’).

OCCG: What have been some of the best perks as an artist belonging to Warner Bros. Records?
Lewis: There are many, the step up has been my favorite, though. Being able to take my music and elevate it with extra musicians for live stuff, more studio time and a top producer for the studio stuff, etc. is priceless and it’s really helped me discover the music that I want to create.

OCCG: You have worked with a number of great artists in the past, including Gabrielle Aplin, Hudson Taylor, and Kimberly Anne. What were some of the best things about collaborating with them to record “Some Songs With Friends?”
Lewis: The studio, for me, is quite a lonely time. It’s lovely and, if the producer is a top banana, then it’s very fun but it is still lonely. I’d never collaborated in the studio before and it was lovely to be able to enjoy it and brainstorm with more than just one person, the more the merrier!

OCCG: During the year 2013, you dedicated your time to writing songs every day. Where do you draw inspiration from to create new songs?
Lewis: I ran fairly dry on inspiration fairly quickly in 2013 but the songs kept coming, I was extremely lucky for that because I doubt that ever happens. However, after 2013, I’ve vowed to let myself experience new things and find inspiration rather than forcing it upon myself. It can be frustrating but I really didn’t enjoy writing songs last year as much as I felt I deserved to. (I’ve also already got a lot of the next record written, which is nice!)

OCCG: Before you began playing guitar at age 16, did you ever dream of becoming a musician? If not, what career ideas did you have in mind before you discovered your passion?
Lewis: I think anybody who enjoys music (as much as I did) dreams about becoming a musician. However, that was always how I saw it – a dream. I feel like I’ve worked extremely hard (as well as being extremely lucky) and everything has gone right in order for me to have this as a career. I can honestly say that I have no idea what I’d do if I wasn’t doing this, I don’t love anything else enough…apart from golf, maybe…

OCCG: Who has been your biggest influences growing up that have shaped the acoustic style you love?
Lewis: A big influence was a project called ‘City and Color.’ He/they/it really shaped the way that I learned guitar and the way that I write songs. It was my first real experience of acoustic music (my family grew up on a diet of Bon Jovi, Queen, Michael Jackson, etc.) and it was the music that resonated with me the most. I have countless influences now, though: Bon Iver, an Australian fella called Matt Corby, Death Cab for Cutie, etc. etc.

OCCG: Speaking of things you love, the merchandise your site sells includes items with a picture of a pug wearing a T-shirt with your name on it. Do you have a pet pug yourself or a special love for pugs?
Lewis: I love dogs in general but, yeah, pugs are great. I think that I just take pity on them because they’re so ugly. I feel that if I don’t love them, who will?

OCCG: Have you performed in LA before? What are you most excited about for playing at the Troubadour?
Lewis: I have, a couple of times now, once at the Bardot on my own and then at the Bootleg with the band. I can’t wait, I love LA (mostly because of Norm’s diner on La Cienega Blvd) and to play a venue like the Troubadour (and sell it out!!!!) is bonkers to me, I can’t wait !

OCCG: Any favorite pastimes during the long travel from the UK to California?
Lewis: Watching Dexter, reading a book and listening to music. I wish I could sleep on planes but, alas, I’m unable!

Butcher Babies set to rock Knotfest Oct. 25

Heavy metal band Butcher Babies will be performing on Sat, Oct. 25 at Knotfest, a two-day camping and raging heavy metal festival in San Bernardino. The band consists of lead vocalists Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, guitarist Henry Flury, bass player Jason Klein, and drum player Chrissy Warner.

Featuring styles of shock rock, the Los Angeles based band has had one album out, “Goliath,” and recently debuted their EP album “Uncovered,” which consists of covers of famous rock songs, such as “Crazy Horses,” sung originally by the Osmonds. Heidi recently discussed the band’s music and excitement about Knotfest with OC Concert Guide.

OCCG: Touring with Marilyn Manson, one of your biggest influences, must have seemed unreal. What was your favorite thing about touring with him last year?
HEIDI: Touring with Marilyn Manson was obviously a huge dream come true for all of us. One of my favorite experiences from the tour would be how the entire tour (crew, bands, Manson) ended up at a sports bar in Canada watching the SuperBowl. To watch the SuperBowl with him was almost more surreal than the actual tour.

OCCG: I read that you’re greatly influenced by horror movie classics such as “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “The Devil’s Rejects.” Have you seen any recent horror movies that have inspired you?
HEIDI: I was really inspired by the new “Evil Dead.” I like to keep a notebook near my side while watching horror films to take notes. The song “Grim Sleeper” from our album “Goliath” was written with a lot of the imagery I saw in “Human Centipede 1 & 2.”

OCCG: As themes of shock rock, your band uses a lot of blood and corpse-like make-up in your shows. What kind of crazy Halloween costumes do you have planned for this year?
HEIDI: We have steered away from a lot of the blood and make up lately to create a different look. Every band evolves and we have also evolved. After 5 years of using gore and blood, we figured it was time for a change. However, for Halloween, this year I am painting my whole body green and dressing as Poison Ivy.

OCCG: Which of the tracks on “Uncovered” are you most excited for the audience to experience and why?
Heidi: I’m most excited for the audience to experience “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” live because it is a crowd participation song and people seem to have a blast with it.

OCCG: Heidi, what are your favorite hobbies in between gigs?
HEIDI: I design & customize shoes and clothes. However, I’ve been so busy writing the new album over the past summer, that my other hobbies had to take a back seat.

OCCG: Do you have any pre-show rituals to get you pumped up?
HEIDI: Yes! Carla and I have to listen to the band Attila. Their song “Party With The Devil” gets us all pumped up and ready to roll.

OCCG: From flaming carnival games, the junk car drum circle, a tattoo parlor, ring of fire carnival ride, zipline, and fire thunderdome, Knotfest has a ton of wild activities. What attraction would you choose to experience again or like to try for the first time?
HEIDI: I’m excited for the whole experience but the carnival games and rides are definitely going to be my favorite. They are also having a goat petting zoo, so you’ll find me there.

OCCG: What are some new ways you would like to push the envelope of what metal music is?
HEIDI: We’ve done a pretty good job with that by having two female singers. People seem so afraid of that in metal for some reason. We also would like to keep pushing the envelope with the content of our music. Can’t say much yet but, keep an eye out for the new album in summer 2015. There will plenty of envelope pushing there.

OCCG: How did your band come together?
HEIDI: I was in a metal cover band in 2007-08. We had auditions to add another girl, thus came Carla. She and I instantly became best friends. In 2009, with our love for metal we decided to quit that band and create something original and ultra heavy. After that, we put the word out that we wanted to start a metal band. People thought we were crazy (still do). Through word of mouth we found Henry, Jason and Chris. We’ve all been one big happy family since.

OCCG: What advice would you give to individuals trying to start a shock rock metal band?
HEIDI: Be persistent and learn to not listen to what ANYONE tells you. Your dream, is your dream and no one can take that away from you!