A Dirty Dozen with V of VIOLENT IDOLS – December 2019

According to a recent press release: “Enigmatic, Aggressive Hard Rock band VIOLENT IDOLS has released the official music video for “Enemies with Benefits.” Their roaring new single featuring their signature destructive sound somehow even more VIOLENT than ever before, “Enemies with Benefits” is off of the band’s upcoming debut EP which will boast collaborations with some of the band’s most VIOLENT conspirators such as Aaron Nordstrom (Gemini Syndrome), Andy James, KAZ (VAMPS) as well as the official Jon Moxley All Elite Wrestling theme song “UNSCRIPTED VIOLENCE” that can be heard every Wednesday during AEW Dynamite on TNT. The EP was produced and mixed by Kane Churko at The Hideout Recording Studio, Henderson, NV.” We get V 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?

We just finished up recording our debut EP with producer Kane Churko at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas.  He helped us in so many ways and I’m not sure we would have made it this far without him. We actually did put couple hidden nuggets within the EP, but they wouldn’t be secret if we gave them away!

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

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of writing songs… even before I knew what exactly that was.  All I knew as a kid was that John Lennon and Paul McCartney were songwriters so I wanted to be like them.  Eventually as I got older, I discovered music like NIN or Manson and realized you could tell dark and destructive stories too.  I think those stories are underrepresented in music today so our hope is to add a dash of violence back into modern music.

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

I remember the first time I saw Trent Reznor and NIN in the video for “March Of The Pigs.”  I was just a kid didn’t even know if I liked it yet I couldn’t look away. Who were these hooligans wearing leather, makeup and women’s clothing?  It was like watching a horror movie. Exciting, dangerous and unpredictable. I quickly realized I was watching a rebellion that I needed to be part of.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Trent Reznor, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Corey Taylor, and Ozzy Osbourne.

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

One of the most exciting aspects of the making of our EP so far has been the collaborations we’ve been able to do.  We have guitar shredder Andy James featured on our new Doors cover of “Break On Through (To The Other Side)”, K.A.Z from the Japanese arena rockers VAMPS on a song called “New Religion,” and we just cut a track with Aaron Nordstrom from Gemini Syndrome called “Fuck You” that I truly believe is one of the best things any one of us have done.  Lots more guests planned for future releases that I’m very excited about. I would love to do a track with some of the hard rock classics. It would be fun to celebrate some of the other violent idols of past. Alice Cooper comes to mind. Glen Danzig maybe? Hell, I’d love to get Gene Simmons on a song!

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?

Our music is a runaway train with a mind of its own.  It’s schizophrenic. It’s violent. Our new EP is a white knuckle ride pumped full of adrenaline and chaos.  One fan said our music is the most addictively uncomfortable thing they’ve heard. That warms my heart.

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

The opportunity to bring like minded people together is the best part about being a musician.  This isn’t just about our music, it’s about creating a hub were underrepresented rock fans can rally around.  We never expected our violent community to grow so fast. People want more than what the radio is giving them.  We hope to meet that demand.

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?

I prepare the food.  I get the drinks. I start the singalong.  And yes I am a control freak!

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

Not going to lie but it was pretty intimidating meeting Jon Moxley of All Elite Wrestling for the first time.  We created his new theme song that can be heard every Wednesday on AEW Dynamite on TNT. Not only were we already fans but the guy is gigantic and could choke you out in a second.  At the end of the day though we connected over our affection for hard rock music, and had a great chat about what he wanted his entrance music to be after leaving WWE.

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

If I wasn’t more suited to make music I’d be a professional wrestler!  Still just a different version of storytelling I guess.

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?

I used to try and please everybody.  I wasted so much of my career chasing the validation of people that wouldn’t ultimately care about me anyway.  The minute I stopped chasing after that validation of others and focused on what satisfies me first life got better faster.  Focus on yourself and those that identify with what you do and don’t worry about pleasing anybody else. That’s the key.

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?

I would have loved to have been a part of the recording sessions for NIN The Fragile.  It’s such a cliche to say, but that record “changed my life”. It spoke to me and provided a road map for a different way of thinking about music, recording and songwriting.  The day we can make a record that speaks to others the way that record spoke to me will be the day our musical mission will have been accomplished.

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Category: Interviews