A Dirty Dozen with BLACKSTAR REPUBLIC – January 2019

According to a recent press release: “Blackstar Republic have released their video for single “Nuclear Hollywood” off of their forthcoming record due out spring 2019! If you’ve ever wondered what a band would sound like that can mix modern metal with elements from last two decades of hard rock/metal, then you’ve found them in BlackStar Republic. With a unique style and sound that cuts across the genres, the band has carved out a perfect niche. With songs that will have people banging their heads, to other songs that will have them singing along, hands raised. They reach across the labels and bring the listener into the Republic. BlackStar Republic has had their songs played on KEGL 97.1 radio in Dallas, including their killer single”Nuclear Hollywood”, which will also be in the film Cherokee Creek.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Biggs: Our latest song is called “Nuclear Hollywood.” We are very excited about this song. It’s a departure from our last album musically. It’s still heavy. But it’s a little bit different and we like that. It’s the first song off our new album coming out April 2019 hopefully. More of the songs are like it and have its same vibe. I think after you listen 2-3 times you’ll hear a few different sound effects. I just want people to head bang, dance and sing along to it.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Cameron: My parents got me into music when I was young my Dad listened to Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Van Halen. My brother also use to have a collection of CD’s in his closet I would steal so I got introduced to his bands as well as Korn, Slipknot, SoulFly. As far as wanting to be a musician seeing my brother guitar and play shows when I was like 6 and the audience just going crazy and forgetting their troubles and responsibilities and just being in the moment for their entire set really made an impression on me and influenced a lot of things I do, from basketball when I was, skateboarding when I was 12, to learning to play guitar at 13 all were me trying to escape and then wanting to give the same escape to others by entertaining them the same way I entertain my self.

Biggs: I guess listening to my dads old records. Hank Williams, Marty Robbins, old gospel stuff. Got older and got into metal and watched MTV when I could. I would write song lyrics and stuff. I would say my high school years is when I finally decided to pick up bass and try to start a band.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Biggs: Hmmm, I would say a few different artists. My fist show was Aerosmith and I would watch Prince and Michael Jackson do special shows on tv. I’ve always enjoyed bands who put on a live energetic show. I remember Def Leppard live in the round running around. Steven Tyler dancing and singing. Garth Brooks.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Cameron: These influences change for me a lot but as of right now McRocklin, Rick Graham, Hungry Lights, Guthrie Govan, Tom Waits in no particular order.

Biggs: Very tough question. I’ll try… Dug Pinnick, In Flames, Demon Hunter, Slipknot, and Journey.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Mykol:  I love so many artists/musicians in different music genres.To collab or have Dr. Dre produce a song to inject a hybrid rock style would be killer. It would also be amazing to see how George Clinton could create with Blackstar Republic like he did with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Rick Rubin also makes the top of the dream list for his Midas touch creativity and direction. In a true rock genre doing a heavy hitting collaboration with Sully Erna or Jack White would be insane.

Cameron: Probably Hungry Lights he always does crazy cool vocals on every thing he does. He has so many different voices in one song as well as him being a insane songwriter his voice would definitely be why.

Biggs: Chris Stapleton. Amazing song writer. In Flames band. Ryan Clark from Demon Hunter.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Biggs: I would tell them we are a mix of rock/metal genres over last 2 decades. Little bit of this and that. We have driving guitars and bouncing bass with steady mix of dance and metal drums. You will move some part of your body. We’ve been told we sound like a few different bands. Nothing that I think that made me cringe but more just “I don’t really hear it” like Lamb of God, and Volbeat.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Cameron: Invoking people to feel a way you felt or the artist that wrote the song felt when you play as a way to express your self and for other people to come up with their own ideas of the meaning.

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Biggs: It’s usually pizza and Jameson, some beer and Jäger for Petey. Mykol is the guy most likely to start a sing along.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

Biggs: Hmmm, I cant really remember. I guess hanging out with the Sevendust guys one time in Colorado. They were cool as shit. Had a great time and I fanboy’d them to death I’m sure.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Mykol: I’ve always been an artist at heart. If I wasn’t a musician, writer, arranger I would be still in my creative element as a regular visual artist. An abstract creator or even in commercial projects. As a kid I was the one at art time that would have the other kids crowded around my school desk in surprise and delight with what I had drawn, painted, etc. and would be asked to do one for them. I won 4th place for an art contest in my elementary school for an MTV rock against drugs campaign. I got to have my artwork framed and displayed before the whole school and a $100 cash prize. These days my artistic creativity gets to be expressed in many of the show and product promos for Blackstar Republic. This band is a great maximizing artistic outlet for my life.

Biggs: I would like to write screenplays for movies and tv shows. Also novels in the horror genre. I would love to get into acting. After working with Todd Jenkins on our music video and getting the behind scenes of a movie he directed called Cherokee Creek I got the itch to try getting into acting.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Biggs: Not really. Just early on we were naive and took people at their word. And then realized so many people are out for themselves and it’s all just a giant “Nuclear Hollywood.”

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Mykol:  If I could go back into history and be apart of any definitive album it would with the Blood Sugar Sex Magic album that the Red Hot Chili Peppers did with Rick Rubin. So many great innovative creative elements where put into that album. Heavy but funky, soft at times, so many different colors without losing its raw emotion. This was the album that broke them wide open. Great driving music,brilliant zone out songs from start to finish. I call those kind of albums – complete meal albums. They have all the courses, the substance, the appetizers, the sweet desserts. Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Van Halen I, Licensed To Ill all fill you with a musical experience, a complete meal that leaves you with a full soul.

Biggs: I would of liked to been around Mutt Lange and the Hysteria album. Also the Dogman album by Kings X, I just loved the production on it.

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Category: Interviews