A Dirty Dozen with EMPERORS & ANGELS – December 2021 (BMA)

According to a recent press release: “The band was formed in 2020 by 4 long-time friends and musical counterparts.  Each having success on multiple scales, the right time presented itself providing safe passage for Emperors & Angels to surface. The quartet began writing and soon found producer Paul Trust “Starset” to help mold EA’s sonic assault. After working together on the first three releases, the band decided to self produce. Taking everything they had learned from Paul, Sahaj Ticotin (Ra) and multiple others to EA’s newest measure. Already making headway and gaining national / International traction, Emperors & Angels are primed and Ready for War! The band is a finalist for the 5th Annual Banger Music Awards in the following category: BEST HARD ROCK SONG.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and 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?

As we are still flying high from our debut album release, EA has already thrown another single to the masses in “Re-Intervention.” If you are reading this and are one of the many who grabbed or streamed our album, you will notice that there is a track titled “Intervention.” “Re-Intervention” hosts much of the same music with a revived chorus and verse lyrics that finish the dark story that began as “Intervention.” Most of our songs begin with a silly working title. This was a very rare time that didn’t happen.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician? Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

It all started with a dream and a Hot Lixx guitar. I earned cash mowing neighborhood lawns and purchased my first drum set. Back in Black was the soundtrack helping me learn meter and strong song writing. My first rock concert was the Rush Counterparts tour featuring Rush and Primus. I was hooked! The sound, lights and energy locked me up and to this day I’ve yet to wanna escape!

3. What was your reaction to being included in the Banger Music Awards process? Did you ever think what you were doing would be elevated to “award” status?

John and Banger Music have been a huge supporter to EA, We appreciate all the spins! As for being selected for Best Rock Song. That’s rad no doubt! It’s always Great for the bands efforts to be recognized as a whole!

4. 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?

From a lyrical standpoint EA provides a platform to empower our listeners. I have a no holds barred approach with my feelings, the darkness and the breakthrough to surface from those demons. Musically I feel we have a sound our own. EA is relevant yet we have flashback moments to our roots that provide a freshness for our listeners. Self produced, mixed and recorded, we are free to explore, so our sound can change and most likely will with our forthcoming efforts.

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

I’ve always enjoyed working with Sahaj Ticotin. He has a true gift of communicating in the studio. He sets a mood and drives the best performance out of each artist he works with!

6. How important to you is the local music scene and acceptance by not only the fans but also your peers?

If you don’t have roots, you don’t have a platform to grow. Home is the root of it all. So a solid relationship in your local scene is huge!

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?

You would figure Bela or I would be quick to the acoustic, but wrong! Guitars in general grab the attention of Brett. So if the question is the first to grab, Brett’s the dude! As for cooking Jason makes some pretty killer food, although we all can make some kick ass Ramen. EA was founded on a pretty large appetite for beer! So you will most likely see a cold one in each of our hands before and after a show!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

I was outside of Minneapolis, MN in a town called Fridley. This tall dude walked up to congratulate me on the bands performance. It was pretty dark, but you could see the large black hair, glasses and stature of the man. Gene Simmons! Holy cow! I couldn’t believe it. It was too awesome to be true. Well, that’s because it was! Like Spaceballs, I had captured his stunt double! I’ve met a ton of awesome rockers in my time. I can’t say I’ve ever been starstruck, but the stunt double almost had me!

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?

Music is a lifeline for me. My family is my world! I have a hard time imagining never writing or creating. I’m just not wired like that. There is no off button! A pause every once in a while yes. Maybe I would enjoy becoming a brewmaster lol.

10. What is one question you would like an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I think it would be a great ice breaker to be asked when the last time I showered was. Especially while interviewing on the road! I don’t like talking about my songs. The reasoning behind them or whatnot. I temporarily begin the process selfishly. But the end result is a universal thought that I hope impacts everyone in a positive uplifting manner. I love the stories! Sitting down with perfect strangers listening to them let me know how something I helped create has helped them! Oh!!! And the age old question where did you come up with your band name! C’mon Man! Oh… and when an interviewer gets our home town wrong. EA is proudly a Central IL based rock act!

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?

There aren’t enough words to explain this! What I will say, is from every hiccup or failure I’ve leaned a lesson. You can’t change the past. You can take time to understand it and move forward.

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?

The insanity of Mötley Crüe’s Too Fast For Love! Possibly something a bit more psychedelic like Yellow Submarine? On that note I jump outa genre to Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew Session! That would had been a wild experience. Maybe the Damn Yankees debut record! Holy cow that is an amazing record! Maybe Nelson After the Rain. Sounds silly, but there were some amazing artists that played and wrote for that record. I need to stop cause I haven’t even touched this topic or incredible bands like Kiss, Van Halen, Rush, AC/DC, singer songwriters like Jim Croce, Tom Petty okay I need to stop.

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Category: Interviews