A Dirty Dozen with JEFF CARLSON from JEFF CARLSON BAND – April 2022

According to a recent press release: “Las Vegas, NV based rockers JEFF CARLSON BAND have announced the dates for their Over My Shoulder 2022 Tour! Launching in March, the tour winds throughout the Midwest, wrapping up May 4th in Amarillo, TX.” We get Jeff 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?

“Over My Shoulder” is our latest single. I wrote it about not giving up and giving people hope. The first two lines are about because I have Crohn’s Disease, I don’t let it stop me from writing and performing. It’s pretty straight forward lyrically.

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

What got me into music was when my mom took me to see Kiss and Black Oak Arkansas when I was 4 and 6. My dad also took me to see REO Speedwagon in front of 80,000 people in 1982, and the day I saw Bon-Jovi open for Ratt in 1985, I knew that music was all I ever wanted.

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

The day I saw Bon-Jovi in 1985, I knew that I wanted to guide my career after Jon Bon Jovi’s blueprint.

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

I would call in Desmond Child, because of all of the hits that he cowrote with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I like to spend time with my wife and daughter in our cabin in Northern Arizona.

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?

I would describe our music as having a lot of different influences from the 80’s and 70’s, with the big vocal choruses, but with really big, crunchy riffs, along with having an updated production. I have been compared to Paul Stanley, and Vince Neil, but I think I have my own style musically and visually.

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?

Our road manager Patrick cooks and gets the drinks, and either me or Kory Brown are the first to break out an acoustic guitar for a sing along lol!

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

The last time I was starstruck was when we played in L. A., and we went to the Rainbow. We walked in and Dave Grohl was there, so we thought we would buy his dinner and drinks. He not only declined but turned around and bought us our dinner and drinks and we got a picture with him! What a really great guy he is!

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?

The best part of being a musician is when you connect with the people who have never seen you before, and they like your music. It’s a great feeling! If I couldn’t play, I’d be a sound man.

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

I want to be asked where you draw your inspiration from, and there is no such thing as a bad question! Lol!

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?

Honestly, no there’s not really anything I would like to have a “do over” with, only because it’s gotten me to this point!

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 go back to when Elvis recorded “That’s Alright” in 1954, because that is when rock and roll began!

JEFF CARLSON BAND LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

Category: Interviews