Art Of Dying: Interview with Jonny Hetherington

By Robin Ervolina
There's something beautifully ironic about finding out Art of Dying has a new album not from your press contacts, but from the guys themselves via Facebook. The Art of Dying boys have always held a close relationship with their fans, and foster that feeling of family via social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope. Within minutes of their announcement, the outlet requests came forth, and I jumped at the opportunity to take a listen to their upcoming EP Nevermore (review coming tomorrow), and to talk with lead vocalist Jonny Hetherington about Nevermore, his chops, Cale Gontier's (bass/vocals) hatred of 80's hairbands, and new drummer Cody Watkins.
Shockwave Magazine: Hello, Jonny!
Jonny Hetherington: Hey, is this Robin?
This is Robin.
Hey, how are you?
I'm really good. How are you?
Good!
You can hear me okay?
Yes, I'm just going to kick up the volume a little bit. I'm at airport heading out on tour.
That is right! You guys are headling this tour with Letters from the Fire and Children 18:3.
Yeah!
More ShipRocked alumni there.
That's right! Letters were out before and I think they're back again this January with us.
They are back with you guys this January. We are definitely looking forward to that. How is the tour going?
It actually starts tomorrow!
Right! Oh, this is getting published today then! Shockwave is sending a reporter out to cover your show when you hit Baltimore.
Beautiful.
So we will see you there for sure. You've got to be excited.
Oh yeah, totally. This is the first time we've really headlined; 40-something shows in 8-something weeks [laughs] so it's going to be a lot of fun. We kind of hand-picked those bands to come out with us because we really like them, and we think they're really cool, so it's just -- yeah, it's gonna be a fun little spin around the USA.
Is this what prompted you guys to surprise us with Nevermore?
Yeah, actually we've been working on Nevermore really quietly behind the scenes for a little bit and definitely we pushed really hard to make this new music available for the tour. Nevermore comes out September 2nd. The tour starts in Baltimore on August 31^st.
So I've been listening to it and I would to talk about it if you have some time before your flight to kind of dig into it. 
Yeah, let's do it.
Okay, so one of the things that I've always loved about you as an artist, and Art of Dying as a band, is that you guys don't just throw things together with no forethought. When I listen to your lyrics they are very intentional. When I listen to the melodies you chose to go along with your lyrics, again, it seems very intentional. I'm curious about the writing process for Nevermore. How did you start putting these songs together, and how did you select the ones that ultimately made the cut?
You know, Tavis (Stanley, guitar/vocals) and I went to Nashville and through old friends we started writing a few songs. One of those songs is with a guy named Marti Frederiksen, who is just an amazing talent and writer. He introduced us to his protégé Mark Holman, and we just really hit it off, the three of us -- it was -- you know, all cut from the same cloth. So we started writing together in Nashville, and a couple of those songs on Nevermore came together really quickly. It was just a really great thing. So we continued the writing process together as we did some traveling. We jumped on Skype when we could, and did some three-way writes, and that was a lot of fun. Actually the song "Nevermore" from Nevermore we wrote remotely. So Mark was in Nashville, Tavis was in Vegas, and I was in the Gulf of Mexico [laughs]. So it was like, this futuristic kind of writing session on Facetime. It didn't impede the writing process at all, in fact I think it made it better because we were able to put our three separate environments together into one kind of beautiful idea.
Nashville is the best place to learn the craft, but I feel like you have always been a poetic lyricist. Art of Dying from back to Vices and Virtues and your self-titled LP has always had a particular sound, and you've always had a way of saying something prolific in a very singable way. I am able to pull tiny little snippets of your songs that become mantras in my brain, like "Dragon fly, you've always been the one" (from "Everything" off the Rise Up LP). Are they coaching you or is this something that is just a Jonny thing?
[Laughs] It's a bit of a Jonny thing. You know, I've always been down with words, since a very early age. I was inspired early on by, funny enough, authors like Edgar Allan Poe and it just kind of always was part of my being, creative writing. We borrowed the title of this record Nevermore from a very famous Edgar Allan Poe story. We've been synonymous with ravens and poetry and stuff for a long time, and I think it's just really fitting that we would borrow Nevermore from Edgar.
Why did you chose “Cages” as your first release?
“Cages” is a really cool song. I love how spooky it is, and how the music -- I just wanted people to hear that first, you know? It was kind of a selfish decision. I was just like, you know, I'm so proud of all the songs on the record, but that opening pulse on “Cages” I think really sets up -- like the hairs on my arm go up right away, and I'm like, "Uh-oh, what's gonna happen now? This is awesome." So that's kind of what I wanted DieHards and Art of Dying fans to hear first.
It definitely has a great build. If I were listening to it on the radio, I would know it was you. But interestingly enough, now that we're talking about that pulse, I'd like to segway from that into talking about your new drummer. The last time you and I talked, Greg had just left. Now Art of Dying is minus Jeffy, and we have Cody. I would love to hear how this all came to be.
This time last year, just after ShipRocked, Jeffy let us know that he was moving on, and it definitely caught us by surprise, but you know, that happens when you've been in a band for eight years. Sometimes you decide you want to do something else. So, you know, we were sad to see him go, but happy for Cody because he has been part of our team for five years, and he's such a great musician and friend of ours that it was just a natural fit to let him jump into the drum throne and have his shot. You know, that's the way it goes, actually. A lot of younger musicians ask me "How do you start a band?" or "How can I get a band?" or "How can I get in a band?" or whatever. I get those on Facebook and Twitter all the time. That's one of the great ways, you know, is becoming a tech, becoming a stage manager, you know, paying your dues in the wings, I guess as it were. That's what Cody did. He's so humble and loyal and cool, and just waited in the wings, and I guess that timing was perfect. So he jumped on board. We've only played three shows together, which is cool. Just after ShipRocked last year we did that fundraiser with Sebastian Bach out in Alberta, and then we just did a couple festival shows together, Grizfest in BC, and a festival down in Oregon. This tour is going to really bring us together in a live sense, you know, the four of us for the first time. It's very exciting to come to these shows because it's just going to be so exciting to have new music, a new relationship on stage. As an audience member, you're kind of witnessing a whole bunch of fresh and new things, which I think is really exciting.
I'm assuming then that since he's been with you for so long that it was a very seamless transition. You must kind of feel like you're growing up your baby.
Yeah, you know, we just called him up and said, "You're in."
That is awesome. If I remember right, isn't that where Cale (Gontier, bass/vocals) started, with his cousin? Their tech?
Yeah, this is going back a few years, but a band called Thornley in Canada, which was Ian Thornley, the singer for Big Wreck, you know, he had a lot of success in Canada, I think he needed a bass player, way, way back, and Adam Gontier, Cale's cousin, phoned up Cale and said, "Hey, Ian needs bass player. Start learning the songs." That's just, you know hearsay, and I'm not sure exactly how it went down, but that's pretty close to how Cale got the gig in Thornley, which led to -- you know, Tavis was the guitar player in Thornley and that's how they became great friends, and that's how I met them and knew them, was through that band. Waiting in the wings and having your chops ready to go, it never hurts.
I want to talk about your chops, because whether you're singing live or in recordings, or on the fly with some acoustic stuff you throw up on social media, your chops are pristine. What is your vocal routine? What makes up the care and feeding of Jonny Hetherington's chops?
Thank you, that's kind. You know, I think nothing can replace experience and talent. I've always had a voice since day one. I think my parents just gave me that voice, and I inherited it, so that's kind of cool. Then just the experience of singing my whole life. It's different singing on the road than it is on a recording. It's different singing on a demo than it is on the stage. Once you've done those things, you know, the 10,000-hour rule or whatever, you just totally become more proficient at it. However, a couple of years ago I got a little cocky and thought I could do it all, and I tried to sing through a virus I had, and I lost my voice for a couple shows. And David Draiman from Disturbed introduced me to a vocal coach, Melissa Cross, she's known as the Zen of Screaming girl, and she absolutely changed my life and my world when it came to warming up my voice for live shows, and a whole different way of approaching singing, more so from your skull rather than your vocal chords. And it really changed me so, like those three things together, a little God-given talent, and little experience, and a little special training really helps me.
There's definitely God-given talent. I wouldn't put that on the shelf. But I'm glad to hear that, because that voice needs to be preserved and that is how you do it. 
Totally, and I learned a lot from Draiman too, you know. Like he -- that first Disturbed tour we were on in ‘08, he was struggling vocally. I remember they had to cut a song because he was struggling, and that's when he met Melissa Cross and started to turn things around. And look at David now, singing absolutely pristinely at the top of his career, you know? It's just amazing.
You have a new label!
Yeah, we do, Vices and Virtues. Vices and Virtues is obviously our album that we put out with Warner Brothers, but it's also the label that Cale and Tavis and I now own together. This new music is completely from us, you know, done -- obviously performed by us but we're actually putting it out through our own entity now as well, which is new to us.
And how is that going? I recently got to talk to Rick DeJesus about starting his own label, and we talked a little bit about the freedom of expression that you get when no is trying to make your music something more marketable, but allows you to be your true artist self. Are you finding now that freedom to be...?
We have had a different story. We have always had that freedom. It's funny, because working with Warner Brothers, working with Eleven Seven, working with some of these amazing producers, Howard Benson, David Bendeth, Dan Donegan, not once along the way were we told to change our creative expression. You know, we just did it. I guess we just delivered what those producers were digging already. Those labels never held us back. They did help us sometimes, guide us with -- like when we finished Vices and Virtues, there was a president change over at Warner Brothers, and he encouraged us to go finish the record in Chicago with Dan Donegan, and that led to a much better record. So things like that were cool. But we never were forced to change anything, so for us the creative journey just continues. I think for us it's more of a business journey now. Labels don't always market you the way you want, or as hard as you would want. We were a little frustrated that Eleven Seven didn't release our Rise Up hard copies, they just did it digitally, and that was a little frustrating for us. Now we have control of that end of things where we're putting out a hard copy of Nevermore right now. It's actually available at artofdyingmusic.com right now. That's the kind of thing that makes us just high-five each other, man, is being able to release music the way we want to, how we want to, through our own channels, to our fans. Like, you know as a fan you're buying the CD from the band. It's like a very pure relationship with purchasing music, so that's pretty crazy.
And you guys have always been just so tight with your fans. I've chimed in on a few of Tavis' recent Facebook Live sessions, and you have a great media presence and a great personal presence via social media with the DieHards and with your fans. Do you intend to keep doing that? Are you enjoying it?
Yes, absolutely, and actually more so. I think some of these social media sites are giving us great tools, like live streaming on Facebook and Periscoping. We're going to set up a few cameras in our tour vehicle for this tour and just let people into our lives a little more. So expect a lot of interaction for the next few months while we're on the road for sure. Wherever we have internet, you're probably going to be able to be in the van with us or backstage with us. We might even live stream and Periscope some of our shows. It's such a cool day and age to be able to have your fans be on the journey with you.
One of your DieHards, Sarah Jolin from Montreal Quebec, Canada asked me to ask you a question.
Beautiful
She wanted to know, "From all of the songs that you have written to present time, which one was the most difficult one you had to redo because of something you didn't agree on or like?"
Which was the most difficult to write?
I think she's asking, like, of all of the songs in your mind, the ones you've written, do you have a particular song that maybe you really had a lot of labor pains getting out there? That's how I interpreted it anyway. Not to put words in your mouth, Sarah!
No worries, Sarah is awesome. She's only of our total Canadian DieHards. We love her. That's a really great question. You know, I write very prolifically, and so I -- the easy answer is, there's a lot of songs no one has ever heard because they were so difficult to write that I never got through it. I never finished them. As a writer you go through those songs that just refuse to come out. They refuse to perfect. And then you go back and listen two years later to your notes and stuff and you're really happy it didn’t come out because you can see the struggle. Sometimes that struggle is good. Like, "Eat You Alive" off of Rise Up, that was a really, really difficult song for me to sing. In the studio I remember tracking the vocal a hundred times, you know, and Bendeth was really tough on me on that song, and it's just not -- for some reason that song -- lyrically it's about a guy in a prison cell, plotting his revenge. Imagine some dark Mexican hole in the ground prison cell, and just kind of scratching the days on the side of the wall, you know, counting the days until your escape. That's kind of how I felt in that song. I felt like I was the real character in the real actual vision. I was trapped in this song that I was having a tough time singing and a tough time recording. That was a really difficult song for me. Another song off that album, "One Day at a Time," that was particularly difficult for Tavis. He was fighting back tears the morning we were writing that. It was about a relationship that he was in, and it was one of those moments where you're like, your best friend is sitting there crying about his pain, and we're trying to write a song together about that. We have that in this band. Every time we sing "Get Through This" on stage, I know the guys are feeling for me and my dad, whom I lost last year to cancer. Every time we play songs like "One Day at a Time" I can look over at Tavis and remember that moment and that emotion. All the songs are difficult in one way or another.
Last time we talked, you described the recording process for Rise Up as being almost heart-wrenchingly painful. I think now, with this second writing process a little more sunshine than gloom this time?
This whole record feels like a resurrection, and it definitely feels like a rebirth. There's a lot of lyrical ideas pointing to that, especially "Nevermore." That song is such a release. If you've ever been in an abusive relationship, or if you've ever been in a place where you don’t want to be, and you finally decide to get out, and the clouds part and you say, "Now that I know/I can let go/leave this all behind/I'm taking control/on my own/I can finally feel alive/I don’t need you anymore." It's such a -- the hairs are standing up on my arm just saying that out loud because it's such a great release. This whole record of Nevermore is a very much a drawing a line in the sand and starting again, starting a new life on the other side.
I don't want to take up too much of your time. I know it's frustrating talking in an airport, and I so appreciate just having a sit down with you again. I'm looking forward to seeing you on ShipRocked, sharing thoughts and drinks and whatnot. Any final messages, any final words? Anything that I didn't cover that we definitely want to get out there to your DieHards?
I think you got it, Robin. You know, it's all about Nevermore for us right now, and this tour, so you know, as long as people know where to find us and how to find the music, I think we're good. We've been using that app Bandsintown a lot on this tour. It's so funny, every tour we do -- we'll be in Baltimore tomorrow. And then we'll jump in the bus or whatever, and we'll get online the next day and someone will comment, "Hey, when are you guys coming to Baltimore" [laughs]. We'll always be pulling out our hair because we want every fan to be able to get to every show, obviously. So it's so frustrating that we hear that somebody didn't know we were in town. I think Bandsintown really solves that, so we're encouraging all our fans to sign up on Bandsintown and track us. It's really awesome, and as a music lover it's really amazing, right?
Yes! Definitely do that! I appreciate Bandsintown! It keeps me on my toes. I do have one quick question for you. What do you guys listen to when you’re on the road? 
You know, whoever is driving usually just controls the iPhone and we just listen to music, so you get a really good mix. Like, if I'm in the front seat, I'll put on something super old to bug Cale because he really hates 80s bands. He hates it.
Like Journey?
Def Leppard and Journey, and Guns N’ Roses. Like, Cale just doesn't like that music, so we'll always crank that and bug him.
That's so funny!
He'll put on Citizen Cope, and he'll put on stuff that he and Adam listened to a lot together. Actually, you know, he'll put on some old, old Groundswell demos from back before they were called Three Days Grace, and we'll hear stuff that we haven't heard for years, or all that -- all those bands from Norwood. You know, Cale's been so in those guys' lives. Just lots of fun stuff. Tavis and I really get off on Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, kind of those 70’s records, so we'll always put those on. Yeah, I've played a lot of stuff for the guys too that I'm writing, you know like I just always have my folder of songs that they haven't heard yet [laughs].
My friend Allison refers to it as "The Vault" where you have a stockpile of ideas and lines that may not have worked in one song, but you're saving because they're so damn good.
Totally. Well, my phone is my vault. It's just jammed with ideas. I was just writing all day yesterday. I got inspired. I was just in Edmonton where my mom lives. I just stopped in to say hi on my way to Baltimore. I grabbed my dad's old guitar and started writing a song, and the next thing you know, like four hours had passed by. So I've got a new song to show the guys.
Do we -- will we maybe see that song on an extended version of Nevermore? 
You know, that's something we did with Eleven Seven, release five songs from Rise Up early as an EP, and then finish the record with a full release later on. So I don't think that's necessarily a bad idea. It's hard to say. Now that we're at the helm of our releases, we might just release six songs every 12 months, or we might continue on with Nevermore and complete the album. I don't know. The way we listen to music is changing so much, you know? Like listening to full albums, I still love doing that, but it's becoming difficult to do that with Spotify. Spotify is kind of my go-to to listen to a lot of stuff. Then you end up just kind of filtering songs rather than going through entire albums. I don't know. We'll probably ask our fans. "What do you guys want? Do you want new music every 12 months, or do you want, you know, these six songs with another six wrapped up in a full-length album?"
I mean, I think any time you guys put out new music we're going to be happy, so no worries there. I have to ask really quick. You mentioned that Cale hates 80’s music. I brought up Journey for a reason. In "Torn Down" I hear Tavis do this quick little guitar break and it just is so Journey-esque. 
Oh really?
Was that a little dig on Cale, or no?
No, I think that's just Tavis' expression. He gets a lot of guitar influence from the 80s, from Zeppelin, I guess going back further than the 80s, but from Slash. I think that's just Tavis. I don't think there's any method behind that.
Awe, but that would be so funny! Well, listen to it again, and maybe you can poke him in the ribs for us the next time you perform it.
I'll do it.
Alright, Jonny, thank you so much for your time, once again. I'm definitely looking forward to chatting with you and seeing you on the road. We appreciate you guys. Have a great time on your tour and a safe flight.
Thanks, Robin. Always great talking to you, and see you on ShipRocked if I don't see you before.
Hell yeah!
Sweet, okay! Talk to you soon.

Art of Dying kicks off their tour tomorrow, August 31st in Baltimore, MD. Tour dates can be found here, but please take Jonny's advice and download Bandsintown on your phone to keep up to date on their whereabouts! As always, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as artofdyingmusic.com. You can pre-order Nevermore at iTunes for only $2.99 (limited time only!) or purchase directly from artofdyingmusic.com.

Citizen Zero: State of Mind

[caption id="attachment_2976" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Citizen Zero[/caption]
Written by Robin Ervolina
If you listen to Octane on SiriusXM, you're no stranger to Citizen Zero. Their first single "Go (Let Me Save You)" off the upcoming State of Mind is on regular rotation. Detroit rockers Josh LeMay (vocals), Sammy Boller (lead guitar), John Dudley (drums) and Sam Collins (bass) have penned a genuine, feel-good offering. It's an end-of-summer record of top-down, sing-along anthems that stick with you, begging to be shuffled and repeated ad infinitum.  This collective of talented musicians have orchestrated a sound that is solidly rock without gimmicks, that feels familiar and comfortable, yet still refreshingly unique. In a sea of same, Citizen Zero succeeds in standing out by doing nothing more than producing great music.
The first track, "What a Feeling," features a catchy intro and serves as an introduction to LeMay's soaring vocals, with a range and reach that produces all the feels. He delivers honestly, and with an intense gritty break in his higher register that elevates those damn good lyrics. LeMay maintains his vocal purity throughout State of Mind, especially their second single "Lure & Persuade," as well as "Applause & Fame," and my favorite song on this CD, "Love Let It." This song exemplifies everything I love about Citizen Zero. It is lyrically, vocally, and melodically cohesive and sublime. Says LeMay,

“It’s the most personal to me. When things were really bad, the song was a way to convince ourselves to let our love for what we do overcome everything else. I ended up tattooing ‘Fight to Love’ on myself because everything was a fight to maintain this dream. We thought it would be unacceptable to give up.”

While Citizen Zero describes their sound as a blend of grunge a la Stone Temple Pilots, and bluesy-alt rock in the style of Kings of Leon, it's in this song, as well as "Come Away" that I most hear influences of Daughtery, Don Henley, and even a little Mr. Mister.
"State of Mind," "When The Rain Comes," and "Banging in the Nails" highlight Boller's straight-up licks tugging at the driving rhythm section of Dudley and Collins. Together, they create a solid wall of sound with all those delicious riffs and leads dancing seamlessly in and out of the melody. Pair that with hooks that go on for days, and you have an unforgettable CD to add to your collection.
State of Mind delivers rock fans an honest collection of well-crafted, catchy songs. Says LeMay, “I think the best music comes from the most honest place. Being from Detroit, there’s a no fly zone for bullshit. You have to be real, or the people will know. State of Mind is one-hundred percent who we are.”
State of Mind will be released on August 12, 2016 via Wind-up Record. Pre-order here, and check out Citizen Zero's official website, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Alter Bridge Premiers "Show Me a Leader" Exclusively on Sirius XM Octane

Written by Robin Ervolina
For those of you just tuning in, Alter Bridge debuted their new single "Show Me a Leader" off their newest CD The Last Hero, due out 10/7/16. For those of you who are diehard Alter Bridge fans, you were up at 6:30 a.m. to hear it for the first time on Sirius XM's Octane. Says Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy (vocals/guitar):

Show Me a Leader is a reflection of how polarized and fractured things are in our society. This song doesn't push an agenda, it simply expresses a very common sense of disillusionment people seem to be feeling at this point in time.

Upon first listen, this is a catchy tune, a radio-friendly upbeat number that has my ear. Scott "Flip" Phillips (drums) and Brian Marshall (bass) lay down a solid rhythm section and my heart rate increases. However, had I not known it was Alter Bridge's newest single, I'm not sure I would have figured it out from the intro. Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti has an easily recognized, highly celebrated, style that is not immediately evident in "Show Me a Leader." As it turns out, nearly one minute and a half of the full version (the guitar intro and solo by Kennedy) was edited to produce this radio cut. But fear not, Tremonster fans; Mark breaks out a seven-string guitar and kicks out a killer solo later in the song. While Alter Bridge has a world-wide following, it feels quite obvious upon first listen that this is a timely release during a divisive election year.

We're all too divided this time/Show me a leader that won't compromise/Show me a leader so hope never dies/We need a hero this time

In an interview with radio DJ Supa Dave of 101.1 WJRR - The Rock Station, Kennedy responds to a fan question regarding lyrical inspiration for The Last Hero. "We were watching campaigns, paying attention to how that was all going, which was a bit of a charade, so there was a little bit of -- that made it into some of the -- so that was inspiring." It's not great stretch to assume "Show Me a Leader" is one of those songs Kennedy is alluding to.
As for the song as a whole, it's familiar, but different. When a band with a catalogue spanning over a decade completes their fifth album, you have to wonder if they're going to sound the same, or if they've given over to experimentation and progression. If you listen to their previous four albums in succession, it should come as no surprise that the fifth produces a new sound, still Alter Bridge, but ripe with purposeful evolution and influence (Kennedy, an accomplished guitarist as well as lead singer also tours and sings with Slash & the Conspirators.) I have to admit, "Show Me a Leader" is slightly reminiscent to Slash's "World on Fire," but that's okay. Myles performs with both bands, so ultimately the influence is at least partly his own. In regards to the sound of The Last Hero, Tremonti states, "It's more progressive than what we've done in the past, the arrangements are more involved. There's a lot going on. I think when people first hear the record, they're going to have to hear it a good five or six times before it really sinks in."
So, give it a listen five or six times, in fact, listen to it as much as you want today (before it goes on sale tomorrow), courtesy of Alter Bridge and Sirius XM's blog. Just click here!
Alter Bridge is touring now, and will be making an appearance at Louder Than Life on October 2nd where it's a good bet you'll be hearing "Show Me a Leader" and more from The Last Hero.

Research credit: Allison Theriot

Vanilla Women: Interview with Jasin Todd

A few months ago I hit a local bar in town to catch one of my favorite artists playing an acoustic set with his friend Jasin Todd. Shinedown fans know Todd as the guitar player, founding member and co-writer of some of Shinedown's most riff-laden and clever songs off their first two records, Leave A Whisper and Us and Them. I was fortunate enough to spend time with him after the gig, discussing music and life, and how many strips of bacon one can expect from an order of bacon at 4a.m. He admitted he was recovering from industry burnout, and though he was unsure of his next steps, he knew the music bug had infected him once more. Before he left town, I made a point of doing what anyone with half a brain would do; I friended him on Facebook.
A few weeks later Todd invited me to "like" a page called Vanilla Women. I clicked the link and much to my delight discovered he had a new collaboration with Adam Latiff and Damien Starkey (Puddle of Mudd), and Zac Gilbert (Cold). Over the next few weeks they would release a track via Facebook called "Shakin My Cage." Within the first minute of this gritty, funky earworm, I was hooked. I immediately hit Jasin up for an interview, and he was kind enough to take time from the studio to talk with me about his new collaboration.
Shockwave Magazine: Tell me how Vanilla Women came together, and how you came up with the name for your new band.
Jasin Todd: Guess about a year or so ago I came back into Jacksonville Beach, Fl and ran into Adam Latiff somewhere, and mentioned if he would be interested in putting together a project. He agreed that it could fun, and we set up a write along with Damien Starkey.
As far as the name goes, it's a play on the word 'vanilla' ... everyone knows it means sorta plain or conventional, not exactly adventurous. Some people say music in general, at least in the popular formats, has shifted back to that -- boring. We try to bring back the risk-taking spirit of rock n' roll. People seem to absolutely loathe the name, at first, which is wonderful to me. Then over time, it seems to grow on them. So I believe we chose the right name to represent the music.
What was the writing process for your first song "Shakin' My Cage"? Has that changed as you've continued recording, or do you think the method is working right out of the gate?
The process for VM has been the exact same since we wrote together for the very first time. It's something I've certainly never been exposed to. The three of us show up to Damien's studio, exchange our hellos, and then say, "Ok who's got what?" No one comes prepared, no one comes with any ideas -- nothing ... which is absolutely insane to me, from a writer's standpoint. We literally wait until we see each other in the studio, come up with a riff, lay it down, and then the train just sorta starts laying it's own tracks. It's pretty intense to see it all unfold, speaking for myself. Even on the tones of the instruments, we never spend more than a couple minutes getting sounds. It's pretty much Les Paul/Marshall or Telecaster/Marshall. This shit isn't rocket science; the greats have already showed us what works. Plug in and let the song speak is our motto. Within five hours top, we have a fully tracked record, with everything completed, usually including a rough mix as well. It's insane. We've kept this philosophy through the recording of what has turned into five tracks now.
You've embarked on a few journeys since your Shinedown/Fuel days. You've mentioned on social media that music comes so easily to you and the guys in Vanilla Women. What do you attribute that to, and what about this collaboration is making this new venture so rewarding for you?
Music is all about chemistry. You either have it or you don't, it's not something you can force or fake, well, actually you can, but at this point in my life and career I choose not to. I'm been really lucky with all the bands I've started or toured with and only made one mistake a couple years ago now. I got with some really horrible people, on a human level as well as musicianship, and it messed me up mentally for awhile. So Vanilla Women has really put me back on track spiritually and musically. It's so rewarding to be around people that speak a common language of music, but most importantly know how to be humble and treat others with respect.
If I'm keeping count, there are now three Vanilla Women songs available for purchase and/or streaming. Are there plans for an album release in the near future?
As of now yes there are three tracks available for purchase and download from all the usual sources, with a forth dropping soon. It's by far our most exciting track yet and we're super stoked for everyone to hear it. As far as a full album of material, we'll have to see what happens and if there is enough interest. Guess we'll have to leave that up to the public.
Do you have any touring plans so Jasin Todd and Vanilla Women fans can come out and support you?
As of right now, there's nothing solid lined up, but I'm always out on an adventure of some sorts so the best way to keep track is to check my Facebook fan page or track me on the Bands in Town app.

There's a reason why so many musicians jump at the chance to work with Todd, reasons that became clear to me the night I saw him sitting on a wooden stool in a small bar. Todd isn't showy. He doesn't rely on gimmicks. I know that's not remarkable in and of itself, as the same can be said of many great artists who play for the love of the music. What I mean to say is, that's the bar for any great artist, and yet Todd, dressed down with nothing but a guitar and a mic, so greatly exceeded that expectation I had to take notice. That night I got a small sampling of the depth of his intellect, the passion he has for music, and the amazing fact that he is, at the end of the day, a humble goddamn genius.  He doesn't just play music, he exudes it, and Vanilla Women testifies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBiw2ZIkhLs

Styx: BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fl - 1/29/16

Written and Photographed by Robin Ervolina
Back to the Future. Back to the Future 2. Back to the Future 3. Hot Tub Time Machine. Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Okay ... you get my point. Generation X is obsessed with time travel. Maybe there's a reason. Maybe my generation wants to return to the past, not to suffer through zits and rejection and calculus exams, but to tap into that careless joy that existed before we had bills to pay and kids to raise and responsibilities that had actual consequences. Enter Styx -- thank our lucky stars -- enter Styx on January 29, 2016 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Styx took the stage after Tesla as part of the Def Leppard/Styx tour, the last performance before Def Leppard was forced to cancel the tour due to illness. We were fortunate enough to be there for the beginning notes of "The Grand Illusion." We were fortunate enough to be transported to our bedrooms in our parents' house, our school-days' dances, our cassette tapes in our first car. We clapped along with Tommy Shaw to "Too Much Time on My Hands." We shed tears alongside our seat-mates to the cover of Bowie's "Starman," and the timeless "Lady," in spite of the fact that we were temporarily transported back to reality when we held our cell phones up during "Light Up" instead of our colorful, fat BIC lighters (some of us used them to warm up our eye-liner, you know.)
Photographers are not permitted to return to their seats between sets. After the first three songs we were ushered back, way back, stage to await Def Leppard. It was backstage when I heard magic happen: "Come Sail Away," every lyric, sung by every person in the 2600+ seat venue. I couldn't help but channel Cartman in my head, but more than that, I couldn't help feeling envious that I wasn't singing with my peers. My husband sent me a text half-way through the song. "I'm 13 again. I'm a 13-year old kid at my first concert."
For all their spectacular lights, for all their oh-so-obvious joy at performing, the real thrill of this show is that Styx is as eager to bring the past forward as we are to return to it -- and THAT is the essence of this show. I'm sailing away, and I've set an open course to the best parts of my adolescence. Sorry Katy Perry, but Styx is the soundtrack to my teenage dreams.
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Pearl Jam: BB&T Center Fort Lauderdale, FL - April 8, 2016

Written and photographed by Robin Ervolina
Pearl Jam kicked off it's 2016 North American Tour last night at the BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The last time Pearl Jam played south Florida was 2008, so it's no wonder excited fans bought out the venue in a rumored-15 minutes. Because there was no opening act, the house filled slowly, so rather than make fans miss out on the event of the year, Pearl Jam chose to wait until most of the attendees were in place before taking stage. It's not a concession as much as an agreement, unspoken but understood; Pearl Jam is it's fans, and it's fans are Pearl Jam. The relationship between them goes beyond loyalty; it's a mutually beneficial, symbiotic entity, a perfect world between artist and music-lover.
The clock struck 8:40 pm and R.E.M.'s "It Happened Today" rang out through the speakers. Eddie Vedder and crew arrived to a euphony of appreciation. With the house lights on, Pearl Jam picked up their instruments and started riffing like the opening of their 1993 release Vs. before the house lights dropped and PJ launched into "Go." Eddie Vedder's voice, unchanged in 25 years, was strong and clear. His stage presence bled of humility; he is unaffected by the crowd, undeterred from his delivery. He is, quite simply, having fun. From the audience, cheers and screams turned to unified lyrical recitation as fans sang along word for word. Eddie Vedder looked to his "fan-mily" and exclaimed through a crooked smile, "That's pretty good!" The crowd dissolved into cheers again, then back to singing. This would be the pattern throughout the three-hour, 32-song show. Pearl Jam gives, the crowd gives back, and the circle is never broken.
Eddie Vedder shares throughout the set. He brought a bottle of wine, but states had he known so many people were going to be there, he would have brought enough for everyone. He tells an amusing story about the tiles in his bathroom "judging" him. He wonders if his toothpaste crystals are drugged. Before launching into "Severed Hand," Vedder cautions everyone to watch their drinks. The audience shares with Pearl Jam in return. A woman moved to tears during "Last Kiss" is seen on the large screen. The audience sings "Happy Birthday" for Mike McCready's 50th celebration. Vedder even briefly entered the political discourse by dancing around the stage in a Donald Trump mask during "Do The Evolution." Two vulnerable moments stand out: "Light Years" is performed in memory of Skully Quinlan,  a crew member and guitar tech who passed the day of this opening show, and a moved Vedder performs an acoustic version of "I Am A Patriot," the fulfillment of a promise to the father of a soldier named Ty.
Three hours, two encores, and a 32-song set of hits, fan favorites, and deep cuts ... this is the bar Pearl Jam set last night to an audience ranging from infants to seniors. The longevity of Pearl Jam cannot be explained simply by citing their musicianship, their lyrical genius, or the loyalty of their fans. There is magic in every moment, undefinable and unexplainable, but oh so sublime, and oh so right. Pearl Jam is playing Miami tonight, then headed up north to continue the tour through August 22, 2016. For info on dates and cities, click here, and if you find a single seat available, take my advice and buy it. There are legendary events that you can miss in your lifetime, but this isn't one of them.
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Dropkick Murphys: Electric Factory - March 13, 2016

Written and Photographed by Robin Ervolina
How do you celebrate a 20-year anniversary? If you're the Dropkick Murphys, you celebrate your anniversary by doing the same damn thing you've always done; you play great music, incorporating generations of fans that celebrate the same values of family, roots, tradition and honor ... and mosh pits ... lots and lots of punk-loving pits.
The energy inside the aptly named Electric Factory was maxing out as the Philly crowd anxiously awaited the Dropkick Murphys 20th Anniversary show. Opening bands Darkbuster and Tiger Army entertained a crowd that needed no warming up, and the city of brotherly love met them attentively and with great appreciation and enthusiasm. However, once the opening refrains of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya" and the silhouette of Ken Casey appeared on stage, everything changed. The attentive crowd morphed into a massive pit no attendee could avoid, a pit that persisted throughout the 22-song set, never settling, always welcoming, and wildly appreciative. Fans in the back threw their arms (and sometimes legs) in the air while fans toward the stage were glowing of stage lights and admiration. Al Barr took no time walking off the stage and into the crowd, singing not to them, but with them.
Dropkick Murphys played a good mix of songs spanning their 20-year career, including "Famous For Nothing" and "Rose Tattoo." Local step dancers took the stage with the band for "Prisoner's Song" and "I'm Shipping Up To Boston." Near the end of their set, Casey addressed a young boy on the rail wearing a black Dropkick Murphys shirt and newsboy cap. "I've been watching my man down here down front. He knows every goddamn word, and we want to ask him to come up here and sing a song." With that, nine-year old Patrick was hoisted on stage and enthusiastically rocked out "The Boys Are Back." He wasn't the only fan lucky enough to join the show. During "Kiss Me, I'm Shit-Faced" more fans were invited on stage to join the revelry.
A Dropkick Murphys event is more than a concert; it's a night of, dare I say, "family," joining together in what I can only describe as unity with a throw-caution-t0-the-wind chaser. The Electric Factory show was their last before heading home to Boston, as per tradition, to ring in St. Patrick's Day, but make no mistake; the Dropkick Murphys never walk alone. Anywhere they are, they are at home with the fans of all ages that love them. Here's to 20-years of solid, celtic punk rock music and may we have many, many more for the generations of fans to come. Sláinte!
Photos by Robin Ervolina
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