Almost A Dirty Dozen with M. NOX from LIVING DEAD STARS – April 2020
According to a recent press release: “Melodic hard rock band Living Dead Stars drops their debut self-titled album today via Pavement Entertainment. Living Dead Stars was recorded at Echobar Studios in North Hollywood and Left Coast Label Studios, and masted by Dan Atkinson. Originally founded by M.Nox in London in 2016, now based in Huntington Beach, CA, Living Dead Stars is a perfect union of heavy aggressive guitars and drums with grooving bass, melodic vocals, and symphonic synths. The band consists of M.Nox (vocals), Spencer Conley (guitar), Michael X Zamora (guitar), Jon Blackwell (bass), and Ashley Guest (drums).” We get singer M. Nox 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 you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?
Well it´s featuring the works of Max Georgiev from Falling in Reverse, so If you ask yourself where that killer solo is coming from it’s him.
2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?
I have been on stage since I was 7 years old and I always wanted to become a full time touring artist. I don´t really recall a specific moment, It was just always the thing I wanted to do.
3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?
It’s absolutely got to be Avenged Sevenfold, Rise Against, Five Finger Death Punch and 3 Days Grace.
4. Who would be your main five musical influences?
It´s gonna be Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch, Escape the Fate, Breaking Benjamin, and Hans Zimmer.
5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?
If you would have asked me that a year back I would have said working with Max, but since I’ve now achieved that goal I’d say working with M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold) or Tim from Rise Against would be amazing.
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?
Other than saying we’re Hard Rock with a Metal edge I try not to describe Living Dead Stars to anyone as I like people to listen and make up their own minds. I think for the most part reviewers and fans have understood what we’re trying to say with our music so nothing has particularly made me cringe.
7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?
Well first of all I should never be the one that cooks. That just wouldn’t end well, cause I am a mess when I’m in the kitchen, but Spencer and Ash are really good at cooking that has saved me not only once on our last tour. We don´t drink when we are on tour, but on off days it´s gotta be Jon and myself and then the rest of the band is happy to join in, apart from Michael, who’s not a big drinker at all. Spencer and especially Michael are constantly practicing. So it´s gonna be either Michael or Spencer which is starting something and then the rest of us will join in.
8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?
Having been involved with performance for such a young age and having met quite few famous people over the years, I can’t say I’ve ever really been “star struck” as such. Having said that, there have definitely been a few times when I’ve been excited to meet and even be fortunate enough to work with certain people who I’ve always respected but I’m not sure it’s quite “star struck.”
9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?
I love travelling and flying around the world, entertaining people and the feeling of playing in front of a crowd. Be it big sold out shows or smaller more intimate shows, there is literally no job other than that for me.
10. 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?
Well talking about Living Dead Stars it will be the time when I founded the band. I thought I had the right members and it turned out that I was wrong. I lost a lot of money and that got me into a really bad spot. If there is one thing I would love a to “do over” on, then it would be the gig In Las Vegas. We were playing a benefit show while the Mandalay Bay shooting occurred. We were there in the thick of it and had to escape from Las Vegas so I’d like to go back and change my memories of being there.
11. 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?
Funnily enough, I’ve thought about this before and came to the conclusion that I don’t think I would go back to be on someone else’s record. I think that had I been involved with it I may have different feelings towards the records. I guess some things just don’t need to be changed.
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Category: Interviews