Interview With the Members of ScreamKing
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello fellas! Welcome to the Cosmick
View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it is
greatly appreciated.
CV: What drives you to
continue to create?
Joe Lawson: My band members, my family and our fans.
John Michael Seyring: Life experiences
for lyrics…music come naturally and sometimes the lyrics will inspire the music
and vice versa.
CV: Was music your first
love?
JL: Yes
JMS: Absolutely, I
have a picture of me at age two of me playing a bath brush shaped like a
guitar.
CV: Would you say music
has made you the person you are today?
JL: To some degree yes for
sure.
JMS: Definitely
CV: Could you see
yourself doing something completely different other than music? If so, what
would that be?
JL: I could not imagine not having music in my life but I also
love martial arts.
JMS: Yes a
Mercenary
CV: Which artist has
inspired you the most?
JL: Rob Halford
JMS: To a name a
few: Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Pat Travers band, Michael Schenker and Uli John
Roth.
CV: Non artist…who has
been your biggest influence?
JL: My brother Josh Lawson
JMS: Wong Jack Man
CV: Was/Is your family
supportive with your musical pursuits?
JL: Thankfully yes
JMS: Yes on
the surface.
CV: What do you find
inspires your music the most as a songwriter?
JL: Real life and history
JMS: Life
experiences and musicians with virtuosity.
CV: What's your go to
album for motivation? Why that album?
JL: Too many to list but a few would be: Judas Priest “Painkiller”,
King Diamond “Conspiracy”, Dio “Holy Diver”, Iron Maiden “Somewhere in Time”.
The vocals and music really captured my attention, lit a fire in my heart and
inspired me for many years.
JMS: Judas Priest:
Unleashed in the East. Makes me feel good!
CV: Some of your
favorite artists... past and present, who are they?
JL: Charred Walls of the Damned, Death Angel, Testament, Helstar,
Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Dio, King Diamond, Metal Church, Accept, Wolf,
Nevermore.
JMS: Rush, ZZ Top,
UFO, Scorpions, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kiss, Manowar, The Dictators.
CV: The one album you feel every Metalhead should own and why?
JMS: Black
Sabbath: Heaven and Hell. Best musicianship and song writing I am aware of in
the Metal Genre.
CV: What do you consider
is a defining moment in Heavy Metal history and why is it significant… how did
it impact the genre?
JL: Bands like Megadeth, Metallica and Testament when they first
appeared on the scene in the early 80's they developed what we know now as the
thrash scene and it impacted thousands of people and musicians to thrash!
JMS: The
decline of the old music industry and the rise of the new internet industry.
Negatively it hurt album sales; positively you reach a wider fan base.
CV: Who would you like
to work with if given the opportunity?
JL: Rusty Cooley
JMS: Tom
Allom
CV: What do you feel are
the top three things it takes to make it in the music business as an artist?
JL: Money, Money and more money sadly.
JMS: Marketing,
Distribution, Branding
CV: There has been a lot
of remarks among established rockers these days regarding young, up and coming
bands, that they don't stand a chance at making a career with music into
today's industry... what do you think?
JL: A lot of things have changed as far as making music your
living, that being said I think it is more important for an artist to focus on
developing their own sound, maturing and growing into the best potential artist
that they can become, worry about money and fame secondary if at all.
JMS: There is
a way to do it, they just have to learn it and do it correctly. It's just like
the stock market; no one is going to teach you how to do it. You must learn it
on your own.
CV: As an artist, what
do you feel are your strengths?
JL: My range, my spirit and my creativity.
JMS: Never
giving up.
CV: What do you think
separates bands of today from bands of the past?
JL: Bands of today face many challenges but also have many tools
at their side that bands of old did not have, like modern technology in
recording, social media, etc...
JMS: Bands of
the past were better-rounded musically and tended to have a higher level of
musical training.
CV: With so many iconic
women eligible for induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of fame, such as Cher,
Stevie Nicks and Carly Simon many among others, why do you think they are being
overlooked?
JL: The Rock N Roll hall of fame is sadly a joke and a community
of snobs who have no clue on what real Rock N Roll is!
JMS: You would have
to ask the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.
CV: We hear so much
negative commentary regarding today's overall music industry. What's your take
on it? Is Rock really dead?
JL: My take on it is the reality of today’s music industry is a
constant uphill climb filled with a lot of pitfalls and tribulations, myself
personally I just focus on the music and let the rest fall into place. You,
your readers and I are still alive so that means Rock is most definitely not
dead!
JMS: No, but it is
very unpopular in the US. I was having a discussion with Ross Friedman aka Ross
the Boss and he said that countries with strong warrior culture histories have
larger rock and metal fan bases.
CV: What’s next for you?
JL: THEE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT!!!!!!!
JMS: ScreamKing:
Thee Indomitable Spirit
CV: Thank you again guys for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. I
wish you all the best and continued success with all your projects.
JL: Thanks for the great interview!
Check out ScreamKing at: http://www.screamkingofficial.com/home
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