Jul. 25, 2012 - Issue #875: Shout Out Out Out Out
On the Record
Sebastian Bach
Still wild after all these years / Clay Patrick McBride
Sun, Jul 29 (9:30 pm)
Capital Ex, Telus Stage
Free with gate admission
Sebastian Bach has travelled a long road from his youth in Peterborough, first going wild as the lead singer of Skid Row, then landing on Broadway and television, and ultimately carving out his own solo career. Bach recently told Vue Weekly a little bit about the making of his latest solo record, Kicking & Screaming.
VUE WEEKLY: How long did it take to make Kicking & Screaming, from the initial songwriting through to the end of the recording?
SEBASTIAN BACH: It took about three months to record and master Kicking & Screaming. The record was mostly written by Nick Sterling on guitar who had a lot of great ideas coming into the project. We collaborated on a bunch of songs and also one song with John 5 from Rob Zombie's
band.
VW: You co-wrote many of the songs on the record. Did you approach the songwriting in any particular way?
SB: All you can do when making a record is go in and try to make some music that you really, really love and want everybody to hear. There are no rules on how to make this happen.
VW: Guitarist Nick Sterling also brought a number of songs to the record. Between those and the songs that you co-wrote, how did you choose the ones that made the finished record? Did you have an idea of what you wanted the album to be when you started, or did the finished shape emerge as the writing and recording went along?
SB: There are no preconceived notions going into making a record with me. I just try to make some kick-ass music that really gets me excited or makes me feel something in my heart. There are no rules in rock 'n' roll.
VW: Did you go into the recording sessions with the songs fully formed, or were they sketches that were then worked up in the studio?
SB: No. We came up with some really great ideas with Bob Marlette, the producer. The title track and also another amazing song called "Dirty Power" we co-wrote in the studio with Bob.
VW: What were the recording sessions like for this album? Did you record as a band live off the floor or did you piece it together one track at a time?
SB: The recording process was basically the same as the other albums I have done: drums and rhythm tracks with a guide vocal first, then vocals and lead guitar kind of at the same time.
VW: What did producer Bob Marlette bring to the recording?
SB: Bob Marlette brought in first-class current brand-new sounding production to the record. With the classic sound of my voice that you all know, coupled with the new production, it really sounds cool to me. With a lot of bottom end on the bass and amazing separation between the instruments as well.
VW: Were there any other songs written that were left off the album?
SB: There are a lot of songs that we demoed that did not make the record. Lots of songs with Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed and a lot of songs with Nick Sterling as well. We are going to try to make a new record as soon as possible, but I have to find a home to live in first.
VW: If you were to trace the musical map that led you to Kicking & Screaming, what would it look like?
SB: I've been doing this for around 25 years now. It's just the next record. Not trying to reinvent the wheel. V
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