A Dirty Dozen with GENE LOUIS from BULLETS & OCTANE – March 2024

According to a recent press release: “Renowned rock sensation BULLETS AND OCTANE has once again set the stage ablaze with their latest release, “Space Lord Symphony.” This electrifying single is accompanied by a visually stunning music video that promises to captivate audiences worldwide. “Space Lord Symphony” is a sonic journey that combines the band’s signature high-energy sound with a cosmic twist. Known for their powerful riffs, anthemic choruses, and relentless energy on stage, Bullets and Octane takes their music to new heights with this intergalactic-inspired anthem. Bullets lead singer and chief songwriter, Gene Louis, has been the driving force since the band’s inception. His passion, humor, innate storytelling ability and even his imposed self-destruction has kept the Bullets and Octane song chest full of catchy, sweaty hard rock songs. Live, Gene and the band have few equals who can match their high energy shows, not even by bands half their age. From the indies to the majors, the band has not stopped or lost that passion to entertain.” We get Gene 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?

This brand new single by Bullets And Octane “Space Lord Symphony” addresses, the anticipation of the possibilities that would happen when the aliens come. The song, lyrically and musically is an exciting journey with endless possibilities.

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

My father was an Elvis impersonator and local legend, jazz musician, so growing up around all of that craziness definitely was a huge part of the inspiration of watching my father make people dancing smile and laugh. I knew that was going to be the path.

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

Luckily for me personally, I was raised around a diverse of influential music. My brother likes the 1980’s hair metal bands, my father was into Elvis and jazz music, and all of my friends growing up, listened to punk rock and metal music. So I had a pretty good variety of influence along the way.

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

Although he may not be a direct, musical, proper matchup, stylistic wise. I would love to work with Butch Walker. I respect everything he does as far as being a producer, and as a songwriter. His melodic sensibility is amazing and his lyrics on his personal albums are very freeing and unpredictable.

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

Ha ha well over all of these years I’ve pretty much done all the most ridiculous, dangerous things you could do in life. And at this point I’m super hyper focused on achieving great things with music at its fullest potential. So what clears my mind and gives me freedom is honestly waking up at 6 AM and going for jogs and hikes. Totally boring, right? But I find that all the creative juices start flowing once I get the blood pumping in my lungs contracting an expanding. Dang it I just should’ve said strip clubs or something lol.

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?

Man oh man I was raised on top 40 music when they still had radios that did top 40 countdown’s. I’ve never really been into one particular style of music which has been kind of a blessing, but also a downfall I’m all over the place when it comes to writing music and that could be difficult when coming up with a product that supposed to fit in one genre. Of course, there’s the most basic somewhere between Foo Fighters and Guns N’ Roses with a punk rock edge that seems to be pretty popular to Lable Bullets And Octane as. Unfortunately, sometimes, in the past, we would just be labeled by the aesthetic of what the band looks like, and not so much by the musical content.

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?

Man, a man, guilty as charged it would definitely be me. If there’s a good group of people and a good hang session going on, I’d be the first to pick up an acoustic six string, and start busting away at all of the great hair metal ballads from the 80s always seems to lighten the party.

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

Man oh man I’ve gotten to meet so many great people over the years. I don’t know where to begin. I’m such a fan of so many things, but I definitely will say when we were recording our album “in the mouth of the young“ for RCA records we were at capital records, and Paul McCartney came into the room and was making jokes with me and he was the nicest and sweetest guy ever. I couldn’t believe that a little Midwest boy, like myself, was able to just sit around, shooting the shit with a Beatle Paul McCartney. I would say that’s still the highlight over all of them.

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?

Over the years, I’ve changed very much as we get older, everything shifts and changes, and so does the reasoning of why we do this. For my self much like how a plant needs sunlight and water I tend to also need to entertain people, make them dance, make them smile make them laugh, and that is my goal. Every time I get on stage, I love telling jokes I love entertaining people and getting them to move and inspire them and primarily get them to forget about their problems for even a few minutes just to live in one moment and feel completely free. A little cliché but it’s true.

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 will start with the obvious question that’s always asked, which is what bands do you sound like that one is always been very difficult and kind of impossible to truly answer. As far as what question do I want to be asked that I haven’t been asked before that is a very good question that I’ve never thought about lol I might have to get back to you on that one 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?

Well I will definitely say that there is a lot of mistakes along the way I will openly own that for sure. Seeing as though I started the band in 1999 and here we are in 2024 there was a lot of influence from the 80s and 90s that was all about just party party party and it’ll all work out like a VH1 behind the music story lol I definitely know I could’ve made better decisions almost with everything along the way, but I will say the struggle that comes along with that has definitely always pushed me to write better songs, create better, musical, landscapes, and be more creative lyrically. And I am always still trying to find a way to write that great song I think it’ll always be that way until the end.

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?

My goodness, these are great questions, my goodness so many albums that have really changed my life. The two albums that come to my mind just to give you an example of how I’m all over the place. I wish I could’ve been a part of the Chris Cornell Euphoria Morning album. And also The Mighty Mighty Bosstones question the answers album. Two totally different things, but there’s something special about both of those albums and this is just off the top of my mind. I’m sure that there are other albums that would make the top of the list but that’s what is popping up at the moment.

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Category: Interviews