The Dead Daises
The Dead Daisies have delivered a stellar debut album and look like conquering the world in 2014.
As far as line ups go it doesn’t get any better with the legendary Jon Steven on vocals (Noiseworks, INXS), superstars Richard Fortus (guitars) and Dizzy Read (keyboards) from Guns ‘n Roses and David Lowy (guitars) from Mink and not forgetting Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy) and John Tempesta (Rob Zombie) from the touring line up. There has already been a revolving door of superstars that have been and gone who have made an impression on this band including Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones), Charley Drayton (The Cult), Brian Tichy (Whitesnake) and Alex Carapetis (Nine Inch Nails) to name a few. Jon Stevens talks to Across The Ocean about their plans for the year.
It sounds like 2014 is going to be a massive year for The Dead Daisies with the world wide release of the band’s debut album are you excited with how everything is falling in to place?
Totally, it has been a long while coming given that the album was released just about everywhere else before Australia. The band is firing, playing a heap of shows already, rock ‘n roll!
How did you pull together such a star studded line up?
I guess it’s one of those things, word of mouth and the fact that it is a new band with experienced musicians with each one bringing something to the band who has brought another musician because they want to be a part of it.
Is this the most excited you have been about any band that you have been in?
For sure, without a doubt! It’s completely fresh and brand new, totally Dead Daisies and no Noiseworks or anything like that. We maybe old but we’re not dead yet! Playing with these guys really pushes me along and it’s one of those things where we need to show up and dig in every time because if we don’t you get reminded with a like ‘come on, man’.
Are there plans to record another album already?
We’ve recorded quite a few tracks already when we were in New York and Los Angeles. There is a bunch of stuff ready for the next round and have already toured Australia for a month we’ve had the chance to write and record a bunch of stuff. We’re a very creative bunch of individuals and certainly with the experience in this band it was fun being in the studio and being able to open it up to everyone’s ideas and just letting it flow. Everyone can just be themselves and do their thing and there is no rock star wanting it all his way.
Will there be any radical departures in sound on the next album?
No, keep it simple with all players. That’s what we inhabit and that’s what we love as it’s not like we’re going to throw in beats or anything like that. The plan for us is to put stuff out as we go along and there is stuff that’s ready to go now. The album hasn’t been out long in Australia so we’ll pick it up shortly after and keep moving forward. When you’re working with people who are all creative and keep coming up with ideas so when we’re all in the vicinity things seem to happen, which is a good thing.
Is there any vinyl releases planned?
I’m sure it will happen but we need to get the world wide release out of the way and on the way. As a band you can pretty much do anything now as everything is so accessible.
With the Australian tour done and dusted what is the plan for the rest of the year?
We’ll continue writing and recording and playing a bunch of shows and see where we are at. We’ll head back to the US and UK to follow up on what we’ve done. Richard and Dizzy go back on tour with Guns ‘n Roses so everyone will go back to their day jobs and then come back to the Daisies after that.
What was it like writing and recording the song Lock ‘n Load with Slash?
Great, we wrote quite a few songs together but that one I knew would make a great Dead Daisies song. It was really great getting him to play on it and he wanted to play on it. It was one of those days where I said ‘dude, if you’re not playing on it I’ll have to get someone else’. He decided to play on it which worked out well and was right that he did. He’s a good lad!
Will the Dead Daisies keep throwing in surprise covers in the set?
We’ll keep playing covers, our favourite songs and stuff that rocks but certainly Dead Daisies style. Everyone should keep coming and having a look, we’ll be up there punching away.
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Whether it is rummaging through vinyl at record stores such as Clarity and Title finding hidden gems to scouring the internet to find that album by the next big thing or chasing bands to get that elusive autograph and photo his passion is music all the way.
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