A Dirty Dozen with KEITH WATSON from THE INTEMPERATE SONS – May 2022

According to a recent press release: “Indie rock band The Intemperate Sons released their new single “Dust to Dust” to all major platforms. Formed in the summer of 2019, The Intemperate Sons are an indie-rock band that are the perfect concoction of hard rock mixed with folk, grunge, and alt sensibilities. The band hails from Dallas, Texas and have earned a reputation of writing and performing songs that scratch deep into the groove of the human experience. The band’s music is deeply eclectic across the rock genre with powerful vocal harmonies to tie their melodies together. Fronted by Max Watson (lead vocals, guitars, keys) who plays alongside Jake Watson (guitars, backing vocals) and Mark Marks (Bass), and anchored by Keith Watson (drums, backing vocals, primary lyricist) they form what is a tight knit rock and roll band that is The Intemperate Sons.” We get drummer / lyricist Keith 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 the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

This song was a collaboration with two close friends of the band in Amir Derakh (Rough Cutt, Orgy, Julien-K) and Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder, Whitesnake).  Amir has been instrumental in mixing our music and has helped us on bass on other tracks on the album (while we were looking for the right fit).  Tony’s vibe on fretless bass was so right for this track.  He’s such a pro and immediately locked into the vibe of the song.  This is the only track in human history with both of those guys playing together with us!

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

All of us in the band had varying points of entry for wanting to be a musician.  For me (Keith) it was hearing the drums on the very first Van Halen record.  Alex Van Halen blew me away with the tightness of his grooves playing with Eddie and Michael.  I was a mere child when that record came out, but I immediately knew I wanted to bang on something!

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

Van Halen was definitely the first band that moved me to want to listen to and play that type of music.  Over the years, there have been multiple other influences but the primary band or artists that have affected me the most (as a songwriter) are Alice in Chains, Fleetwood Mac, Cream, and Rough Cutt.  The Rough Cutt connection musically and a subsequent chance meeting with Amir later in life and our continued collaboration has been a full circle moment for me and the band.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Alice in Chains.

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

I’ve been blessed with the great fortune of collaborating with Amir already, but if I had to choose another I would choose Peter Murphy.  His songwriting with the dark gothic undertones moves me.

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 a melting pot of hard rock, post-grunge, and post-punk.  There are three songwriters in the band and each of our personalities are imprinted in the DNA of the song.   We’ve been compared to Alice in Chains, which is fine by us!  As far as disagreeing with a comparison, we’ve had someone say QOTSA.  They are a great band, but I’m not sure we are even remotely comparable!

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

Creating a body of work that is deeply personal, a little obscure, and relatable to the fan.  It is therapeutic for sure.  After that, we get to share it with the world either virtually or live onstage.  What a blast it is to play live and share with fans!

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 cook for sure and I’m the bartender although some would rather I not make their drink! LOL.  Jake carries a guitar with him everywhere.  We frequently get together at the house and sit on the back porch to jam acoustically.  Once or twice a year, I hold a “BBQ Acoustic Jam” for the family and friends.

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

We (me, Jake, and Max) went to LA several years ago as a vacation and went to Rock and Roll Fantasy camp where we played with Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Dean and Rob DeLeo.  It was so amazing to play their songs with them!

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

I’d always wanted to be a rock reporter!  I grew up voraciously reading all of the rock publications!

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’m a firm believer in knowing I am here because of all of the moments in time and the decisions (bad and good) that were made to get here.  Living in the past is not a thing any of us do.

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?

This one is EASY!  I would’ve loved to have sat in on the recording sessions for “Diary Of A Madman” from Ozzy’s second solo record.  That is probably my favorite album of ALL-TIME!

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Category: Interviews