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After listening to the album, I concluded that your music has been influenced by many different styles...
"Indeed, a whole bunch. I mean we definitely have our own sound. I don’t think we sound like anything. We
came out like a post-hardcore thing. We came out of the New York-scene with bands like: Quicksand, Orange
9mm, you know, the New York sounds post-hardcore. We did a lot of shows with hardcore bands. We did
our first tour with S.O.D. and Vision of Disorder back in 1997. We played with a lot of bands from that scene like Murphy’s Law and all those. But since then we have been touring with bands like Kid Rock and Everlast
and mainstream alternative type bands. We can fit with all these kind of bands, because we all are song-based
and into loud music."
As you already said, Step Kings have played with both Everlast and Kid Rock, but also with the Dickies. Which
music-scene do you prefer?
"I can’t say which I prefer, we like 'm all. Some of the punk and alternative
crowd, they have more of an open mind. But the straight-up hardcore, you know, we done all those, they cross
there arms if it’s not hard-ore they don’t want to hear it. That can be a pain in the ass sometimes. But we played them all, and usually do well with all of the different crowds. Not too many bands can do that. That’s a great thing about this band."
What music have you listened to during the writing and recording of the album?
"We have been together for 3,5 years and it has been a combination over those years. We have listened
to all sorts of different stuff. From hardcore and punk bands to, like Fern (guitarist -ed) listens to jazz and
soul and stuff like that too. It’s not about just listen to the song. We listen to everything. It’s more about writing a good song. And when we are writing something comes out and it sounds too much like something else we will
scrap it anyway. We are trying to stick to our own sound. Our way we do that is to split the lead vocal between myself and
Fern. Fern is more the melodic-stuff you hear and I'm a little more straight ahead in your face or hardcore style
vocal. Those are two different vocal styles that work well together."
How was it to work with Machine, your producer?
"Machine is great. He has been a friend of ours. We did a demo with him and when the first album came out it
sounded great and we always wanted to do a record together. At that time we had a couple label offers and it turned out we did a record of our own before we did the deal with Roadrunner. It worked out great and we were totally in with Machine."
On the album there's a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Another brick in the wall'. What made you decide to record that song
for this album?
"I was in my car one day and the song came on the radio, hearing the lyrics convinced me that it’s written to be a punk rock song. It’s about youth rebelion. Leave the kids alone. But Pink Floyd is anything but punkrock and I got the idea: fuck it, how should the Step Kings do this? So the drummer drew a hardcore beat down to it and I started screaming the lyrics over it. It became our favorite live song."
What do you want to achieve with your band? Which message do you want to spread with your album?
"We don’t preach. We just want you to have a fucking great time. We are not trying to bring messages out. We want
to be a release for people. We like to be their ‘Friday-night’. Just having a good time, having a couple of drinks or
getting laid, whatever. You come out to a Step Kings show and we got girls dancing and the guys jumping of the
stage. They are just having a real good time. We have a great time up there and we want the audience to
have too. The same thing from listening to the record."
What are the lyrics about?
"The most is personal shit. Like I was involved in a relationship and all was one on one. So I wrote the song 'One on One'. I was in love with someone and the girl was into the relationship, but I was into my music. Even though we were together our heads were in two different places. That's the story behind 'One on One'."
On the last song of the album, and I don't mean the song called ‘eleven’, we really get to know the Step Kings. Were you drunk at that time?
"Ohhh that song, you mean the hidden track, we were fucking hammered. In december I was talking to
Machine and I said I wanted to do something fucking crazy to this record. I was going to a Christmas party and I said let's get drunk and then go to do something. We called some friends and met in the studio. It was an after party in the studio, everybody was wasted and out of their mind. It sounds like it and that's pretty much what came out."
But isn't that what the Step Kings stand for?
"Yes, definitely. That's how a show should end. Everybody hammered and having a great time."
What is the relation between the Step Kings and comics?
"You mean the album cover, right? It's from an old 1954 East Coast comics edition called 'Crimestories'. We
just saw it and it gave us a vibe, it is classic looking art and gives a unique look to the cover. We sort of stole it and when we got the deal with Roadrunner we had to get the rights for it which we were able to."
Which song of your latest album identifies you the best and why?
"uhhh...shit...uhhhmmm. I don’t know maybe ‘Independence Day’. So is life you know, everybody goes to school,
you get a job and you get married. In ‘Independence Day’ we try to say you don’t have to do that. You can
live your own live, it's a lot harder and it's taking a risk. But that's what I like to do and did...here I am now."
What is the best new, upcoming band you would recommend our readers?
"You should check out a new band from New York. They’re actually our roommates in the rehearsal studio. Called
El Nino, with ex-members of Pro-Pain and Meraurder. Pretty soon now, a compilation album , called New York's Hardest 3, will be released and El Nino will be on it too, just like Murphy’s Law and Step Kings."
Pick one of the following...
Vans Warped tour or Ozzfest?
"For us there is actually a third one. We are so in between. I will choose the third one called Tattoo the earth with Slipknot, Sevendust etc. We want to be on that one. Because it's a fresher and newer festival. We fit them all.
We are not more the one or the other."
New York or Amsterdam?
"Well it is my first day in Amsterdam and well, I have to answer New York. That's where my heart is. It's all about New York for me. I will check out Amsterdam this week."
Nasty interviewers or fucked-up fans?
"Nasty interviewers I can deal with but fucked up fans you can't deal with after the show."
What is the most annoying song ever
"Eiffel 65 with Blue, they are fucking annoying. When I heard it on the radio I thought what the fuck is this?"
Who would you prefer to have sex with and why: Britney Spears, Marilyn Manson or Tina Turner?
"That’s an easy one. I am not gay so it isn't Marilyn. Tina is a little fucking old. Britney Spears has gotta go on. She is a little young right now, but not that much younger then me. She has to grow up and needs some done. She will be ruined when she meets a Step King, though."
What are your plans for the near future; touring or recording a follow-up to ‘Let's get it on!’ very soon?
"Yes, the next year and a half we will be touring all over the world and will be in Europe real soon."
How many steps are the Step Kings away from world domination?
"Several steps, It's a slow-go for us. We're not looking for an overnight success. If we want to jump to quick you can burn yourself out. So we are thinking day by day, step by step. We are gonna keep going and keep going forward!"
http://www.kindamuzik.net/interview/step-kings/the-step-kings/429/
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