Thursday, August 30, 2007

New Interview: King Zero

By Erin Rice

King Zero is an alternative rock band from Dallas who will be releasing their sophomore album, Inside Your Head, this Saturday at the Firewater Bar and Grill. The band members took some time out to answer our questions and play a few songs in the Pegasus News studio.

_______________________________________________________

Pegasus News: Tell me about how the band got started in Austin, the reasons for the move to Dallas, and what advantages you may have here, if any.

Dave Self (guitar): Paul (lead vocals) and I were always in different bands in Austin, but we always admired each other. I was a huge fan of all the bands he was in. It's funny because it seemed to work out perfectly. I wasn't a very good guitar player or songwriter when we first met, and I was always trying to do something with him. I finally came into my own as a guitarist/songwriter and he happened to be free so we started jamming. It didn't take long to realize we worked well together and we had a good thing going even though we butted heads quite a few times in the beginning. We continued to grow as partners and shifted a few things around within the band and we started writing good songs and getting good crowds at our shows. Unfortunately, we were broke starving musicians and we decided it was time for a change.

The music scene in Austin was slipping a bit, so we decided to move to Dallas because it was Paul's hometown and he knew some people. So we cut our ties in Austin and headed north. We started playing in Dallas by doing a lot of acoustic shows and eventually, I met Tony [Palmer], and I instantly knew he was the second guitarist that KZ needed. Then after a few other changes we landed Todd and Stacy and here we are.

The Dallas music scene was so vibrant when we first got here, this was what we needed after our hayday in Austin. We saw so many great bands come and go, and so many clubs come and go and it was frustrating. So when we got to Dallas, it was a breath of fresh air; Deep Ellum was thriving, and there were so many places to play that we just started putting the word out there. So the biggest difference is that Austin was so confined to Sixth Street, but in the Metroplex, there are dozens of places to play, and you can build different crowds for each venue. It's nice to be in a different city like Fort Worth in a matter of minutes and play to an entirely different crowd, instead of doing one show a month or every other month. You can spread your self out a bit. Oklahoma is not far away. Louisiana is not far away. Houston is not far away. And even Austin is not far away. So it's nice to be right in the middle of it all.

PN: Describe your sound and why you were drawn to create this type of music. What influences do you draw on to create your music?

Tony Palmer (guitar): Although our sound seems to have taken on a life of it's own, it is most certainly a collective result of all our heroes and influences. There are common influences worth mentioning such as Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Rolling Stones, and The Beatles which are primarily rooted in the classic rock genre, but the twist comes from our individual tastes, which go genre-hopping all over the place. Dave tends to draw more from local heroes such as Ian Moore, Moke, Podunk and Vallejo, which he is heavily influenced by from the Austin scene. Paul takes from a lot of the same only adding both funk rock and singer/songwriter influences such as Bob Schneider, The Scabs, etc. Todd tends to bring a bit of southern rock to the table with Gov't Mule and Zack Wylde, as well as country influences. Stacy is fairly heavily into The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and knows just about every riff in the catalogue. I share common vibes as Dave, although I hate to admit it was heavily influenced by various 80's icons such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, as well as some of the more metal-type acts like Iron Maiden, Dokken, Motley Crue, G&R, etc., but Jimi Hendrix runs deep in my blood and tends to permeate my playing thoroughly. It all comes together and makes a very unique sound.

PN: Can you tell us about the new album, Inside Your Head, such as the process for putting it together, writing the songs, and so on. How is it different/similar to the previous album?

Tony: Our previous album was a learning experience, [not to mention] pieced together with both preexisting material and material written and composed when [former] members were in the band. Although we are very proud of the first album, this one has been conceived, written and composed by the current line-up which has been in place for some time now and is truly a King Zero product. As far as the process it of course begins with writing in our rehearsal room and can start with anything from a guitar riff, drum beat or even a vocal line. Sometimes songs will just show up and be pretty easy to tame and others will need extra care. Also, sometimes one of us will bring something in that's close to finished and the band will take it from there. Usually the tunes will then be developed and tested on a "live" audience where they will grow into their own.

It's worth noting that although we had more than enough material upon entering the studio we were very discriminative about everything coming together as an album. Many great tunes were cut because they simply did not work as a whole. We as a group are, and will always be, very dedicated to the "album" format, as we are not a fan of the "single" driven industry of today. We're out to bring classic rock back.

PN: Is the CD indicative of a live King Zero show?

Tony: We approach making albums very differently than our live shows, as we tend to add whatever elements would best provide for and add longevity to the song/album. It is worth noting that every tune on the album starts as close to the "live" performance as possible since we try to achieve that feel from the get-go; especially since it is very much the core of the King Zero sound. We are most certainly a "live" band and that's where everything starts. At the heart of every track on the new album is the "live" performance you will hear at any of our shows and although other parts are added to enhance the songs, the same energy lies underneath.

PN: Finally, tell us a bit about the CD release to take place at Firewater on Saturday.

Tony: This particular show marks an achievement of many things for us, but mainly just our existence [as a band]. We are all very thankful for what we have in this group, but particularly for the fans who have supported us along the way. This will most certainly be a night dedicated to them. If you miss this one you will most certainly be hearing about it later.

See more stories in:

• Arts > Popular Music > Alternative / Indie
• Arts > Popular Music > Rock
• Pegasus News Exclusive

Comments

squarewheeldub Anonymous

BUY THIS ALBUM !

2 years, 2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )