HEAVY Music Interviews

• Battling The Blues With JOHN CORABI From THE DEAD DAISIES

  Interview by Kris PetersThe Dead Daisies have always had an underlying stream of blues coursing through their music. It is an age-old style of music that has influenced pretty much every conceivable genre over the years, although rock music has benefited the most.With vocalist John Corabi coming back on deck for last year's album Light 'em Up, The Dead Daisies embraced their blues side even more, culminating in late night jam sessions while recording that album at the legendary FAME studios progressing into recording sessions which led to their new album Nothin' But Trouble, which is due out on May 30.The album pays homage to the work of blues legends such as BB King, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Howlin Wolf, with The Dead Daisies reworking their classic songs and sprinkling enough of their own DNA through the tracks to make them their own. It is an outstanding body of work from a band with an impressively high back catalogue, and showcases some of the influences that have seen the members hone their craft.HEAVY caught up with Corabi to find out more."You know what I'm excited about so far is that the first two songs that we released have been getting great feedback from everybody," he began. "And as I was saying earlier, this was it was what we call a happy accident. This whole thing came about in such a weird, random way. We went to this legendary studio in America called Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, and it was kind of a bucket list thing for all of us, including Marti Frederiksen (producer).So we went down there with the thought in mind that we would just maybe write and maybe do a little bit of recording down in this legendary studio. It's a legendary place, but also it's a functioning studio, and they do museum tours through this place and each night around dinner time, they bring in 20, 30 people.So we'd take a break. And then we kind of sat and thought about it. We're like, well, okay, the tour was over. We were done eating, and we'd crack open either a bottle of whiskey or some wine. And we thought we could go back to the hotel and sit and watch TV all night, or, we're here, let's just jam. Let's see. Let's just have some fun. So we kind of started jamming some blues that everybody was familiar with, obviously, like Crossroads, Going Down, and Born Under a Bad Sign. And then it was weird, we just kind of sat, and Marti kept the session rolling. We listened and thought, okay, this is really cool. This is really cool, so what we did is during the day we worked on what became the Light 'em Up record, and we just continued working at night and putting together 10 of our favourite blues songs and so far man, everybody's been raving about it."In the full interview, John spoke more about the band's intention to honour their musical roots through a collection of blues tracks. He explained the challenges of reinterpreting classic songs, emphasizing the need to make them their own while maintaining their integrity, using When the Levee Breaks as a reference for transformation. He shared insights on the evolution of specific tracks, such as Terror Plane Blues into Take My Soul, and acknowledged the blues' influence across various genres.We talked about the process behind reworking other people's music, which songs were the easiest to do and which ones more difficult and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

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• Reflecting On Music And Life With ELLA and JESSE HOOPER From KILLING HEIDI

  It was the turn of the century, and everything was meant to be crumbling.The Y2K bug had been and gone, but people were still unsure of their future - or the future of the planet for that matter - but amid all the gloom and chaos emerged a beacon of light, headed by a brother/sister combination, both still in their teens.That band was called Killing Heidi and the release that changed it all, coming out in 2000, was Reflector.Propelled by hit singles Weir, Mascara and Superman/Supergirl, Killing Heidi, and particular teenage frontwoman Ella Hooper, became the voice for disenfranchised youth everywhere. Their songs, filled with hope and belonging, gave people a view to a brighter future, which, coupled with the rags-to-riches story that accompanied the Hooper siblings, resonated with a much wider audience than the band's teenage demographic would suggest.The band would go on to release another two albums over the next 25 years, plus took a ten-year break, but will forever be known and loved for that debut album.Now, a quarter of a century on, Killing Heidi are celebrating Reflector by re-releasing the album as well as heading out on tour to take their music to the nation.Jesse and Ella both joined HEAVY to discuss 25 years of Killing Heidi."We're pretty stoked," Jesse enthused. "We're getting the band back together for the 25-year anniversary of our debut album Reflector, and doesn't that make you feel young and old (laughs). We tend to mainly do festivals with Killing Heidi over the last eight years, so we're stepping back into our own headline shows, which is really exciting for us. We're going to play Reflector in full - which we've never done before - and it's gonna be a party.""This is a big deal for us," Ella added. "We're putting on our big girl pants and doing our own headline tour with some amazing support acts as well."In the full interview, Jesse and Ella discussed the tour in greater detail, reflected on their debut album and the success it brought them, ask what the album actually means to them, their thought process going into the album and their initial hopes, which of the songs are most personal to them, their youth at the time Reflector came out and if the success of the album forced them to grow up quickly, how those songs helped shape the people they are today, playing the album in full and how difficult it was to learn all of the songs and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

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• Opening A Can Of Worms With HENRIK HOCKERT From VIAGRA BOYS

  Interview by Kris PetersFormed in Stockholm in 2015, Viagra Boys - as their name suggests - are a band here to have fun. And have fun they have, with debut album Street Worms introducing the world to their absurdist humour, with their follow-ups Welfare Jazz and Cave World only serving to solidify their reputation as a band set to conquer the world.Or at least win over a few fans.Viagra Boys have not once shown any signs of slowing down or conforming to a changing musical landscape, and have instead raised the bar even higher with the recent release of their fourth album, Viagr Aboys. In keeping with the group’s token absurdist humour, Viagr Aboys is a further step into a foray into sharp observational humour, dismantling everything and nothing at the same time. They take shots at the cultural institutions that hold people down while also turning the lens inward, never shying away from their beliefs and viewpoints in the name of acceptance.HEAVY spoke with bass player Henrik Hockert earlier this week from Viagra Boys' tour bus to find out more about their fourth release."It got a really good reaction," he enthused of the early response to the new album, "people seem to like it a lot. Good reviews and people seem to like it."We ask him to explain the album more musically."I think when we started, we were just trying to make a Viagra Boys record," he shrugged. "We have kept on doing music that we like. We often start out with a bass line and go from there, and then Sebastian makes some vocals. It's a lot of different elements in there, with some slower songs as well."In the full interview, Henrik talks more about Viagr Aboys, the singles released and how they represent the album as a whole, the Australian references in the song Uno II, the burp in the opening song Man Made Of Meat and how it came to be there, the final song River King, which is a piano led softer song, next year's tour of Australia and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

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• Respecting The Musical Legacy Of JOHN SYKES With MARK ALEXANDER-ERBER From GOLDEN ROBOT RECORDS

  Interview by Kris PetersThe world lost a true legend earlier this year, when vocalist/guitarist John Sykes - Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Tygers Of Pan Tang - lost his battle with cancer. While his legacy endures thanks to the music he created, the world has still lost a musical innovator and pioneer with a gift for writing timeless music.Around eight years ago, Sykes entered into a contract with then-fledgling music label Golden Robot Records, agreeing to terms for a new album to be released through the company. But over the ensuing few years and as life and circumstances got in the way, all that was honoured by Sykes in that contract was four songs, written by him with a view to completing a full album down the track, that have until now remained locked away from the world in their original demo state.Since Sykes' passing, the label has gone to the vault and dusted off the cobwebs and had them professionally remixed and remastered by Aussie legendary producer Paul Gommersall (Paul Weller, George Michael, GNR).Paying respect to the music and legacy of John Sykes, Golden Robot decided to allow the music world at least six months to grieve the loss of Sykes before announcing their intentions to release the four songs - the first new music from Sykes in a quarter of a century - as a four-track EP.It was a decision taken with much respect to the situation, the man, and his music, but ultimately one which Golden Robot Records believes serves the best interests of fans and enables them to release material which was to form the nucleus of a full body of work.Golden Robot Global Entertainment’s Mark Alexander-Erber sat down with HEAVY to talk us through the release and the history behind four tracks, which could well be the final recording the world hears from a man who has shaped so much of its history."John was introduced to me during the formative days of Golden Robot Records’ journey in Los Angeles," Mark explained. "The label officially launched around 2015, and by 2017 we had entered into an agreement with John for a full-length studio album. The original contract was straightforward — John was to deliver a minimum of ten tracks for a complete album.""As per the terms of the agreement, we made an initial payment to John, and everything was progressing well. John preferred to work at his own creative pace, which we respected. The understanding was that upon delivery of additional material, a second tranche of payment would be made. However, as time went on, it became clear that what we had originally paid for and what was ultimately being delivered were two very different things.""That said, we approached the situation the way we always have at Golden Robot — through open communication and a commitment to the relationship. Like many bands we worked with in those early years, it was never just about rigid contractual enforcement; it was about navigating challenges together in good faith.""In the end, what we received were four absolutely outstanding demos — powerful, compelling tracks that truly reflect John’s immense talent and artistic voice. While it wasn’t the full album we initially set out to produce, those recordings have tremendous value, and we’re proud to be the ones bringing them to the world."In the full interview, Mark provided detailed insights into his professional relationship with John Sykes, which commenced in 2017. He acknowledged that while not all contractual obligations were fulfilled to the letter, all parties involved reached mutual compromises in good faith. Mark expressed sincere appreciation for their personal and professional relationship, noting the importance of approaching sensitive matters with discretion and respect.The discussion also included specifics regarding the forthcoming 4-track EP, which will feature two previously unreleased songs along with remastered versions of two existing tracks. Mark confirmed that the estate of the late artist will receive the royalties as stipulated under the terms of the agreement.He conveyed confidence in the artistic and technical quality of the recordings, stating that the work pays a respectful and authentic tribute to John’s legacy. The release strategy includes the rollout of two singles ahead of the EP, with the first single scheduled for release in late June through Golden Robot Records on a global basis.We discussed Mark's personal relationship with John and the decision to delay releasing the songs after John's death, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

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• Drums, Discipline, And Death Metal: Ingested’s LYN JEFFS Talks Aussie Tours And Going Back To Their Roots

  Words by Angela CroudaceUK death metal giants Ingested are returning to Australian shores, and drummer Lyn Jeffs gave HEAVY the inside scoop on what fans can expect. After their tour in 2023 alongside Archspire, the band was blown away by the warm reception and immediately knew they had to come back — this time for a headlining run.“We always wanted to come over and do a headliner,” Lyn shared. “The Aussie crowds were amazing — really good energy, and we made solid connections with bands like Melancholia and Werewolves. It just felt right.”Ingested’s recent shift back to a five-piece line up has brought fresh energy and creativity to both the stage and studio. With the addition of guitarist Andrew and bassist Tom, the band embraces a more collaborative approach to writing and performance. “It’s way more dynamic now,” said Lyn. “We’ve got new perspectives, and it’s even influencing the sound. There’s a section in the new track ‘Ultra Flesh’ that’s just bass — something we’ve never done before.”Their physical and mental preparation for tours has evolved over the years, too. Gone are the hard-partying days of trying to live out Pantera-style tour videos.Now, Lyn sticks to yoga, running, and a gym routine to stay stage-ready. “Playing the kind of music we do is like a sport,” he said. “It’s not normal to play these tempos — it’s f***ing stupid really — but if you prepare well, you can still perform at your best.”The band is embracing this tour as a way to connect their evolving sound with their roots. Expect older tracks to return to the set list, now that they’ve got longer headline slots.Despite their brutal sound, Lyn reminds us not to judge a book by its cover. “People expect us to be scary or into horror 24/7,” he laughs. “But most of us are just regular people who like football, cycling, or different kinds of music.”With their grounded approach and renewed energy, Ingested’s return to Australia promises to be a tour that fans — and the band — won’t soon forget.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

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