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 Interview with Lead Vocalist/Rhythm Guitarist John Strickland By: Laura Dix Out of the heart of Georgia comes a band that belongs on stage performing nonstop 365 days around the globe because they are that good! Their latest single/music video really solidifies the depth of emotion in playing and they did it by doing a cover of Pearl Jam's song "Release." It was great being able to have a few moments of their time to talk more in-depth about this release and we all are eagerly awaiting their coming album in October. Laura Dix: How was the tour with Starset and Islander? John Strickland: It was a short run but really enjoyed the shows. Good crowds and got to meet great people! Everyone in the bands and crew was amazing to work with. We know Starset’s sound engineer, Ryan for over 3 years now so it was good to have a reunion. Islander and Starset are new friends for sure and hope to see them again soon! LD: Will you be heading out on the road again this year or will it be next year now? JS: Our agent is currently setting up shows and getting us on the road this fall and winter. LD: After sleeping, and a few days home do all of you get that touring itch quite soon to get out there again and perform? JS: I know I do. Once you get in the touring groove it’s hard to stop. I enjoy getting back home to see loved ones and resting but I definitely miss performing and being on tour. LD: Did you find covering a Pearl Jam song a huge undertaking? JS: It felt very natural. I’ve been a Pearl Jam fan for as long as I can remember so it was inevitable for Lullwater to do a cover. The biggest stress I had was making sure we do it justice. We wanted to keep the original vibe of the song but put our stamp on it. LD: How influential has Pearl Jam been on the development of Lullwater and the direction you all have headed musically? JS: Pearl Jam is a big influence on our band and "Release" is one of my favorite songs by them. We definitely pull musical influences from 90s grunge but each member in the band brings their own style. Ray is big into metal, Joe grew up in the jam band scene, and Binnie is a big classic rock/ Aerosmith fan so it blends well. I pull a lot from the Seattle rock scene as far as writing and vocal melodies go. I think a lot starts with Pearl Jam/grunge bands and then we evolve into our own sound. LD: There seem to be several connections for you with "Release" and the creating of the cover and music video. Can you give us details behind it all? JS: We recorded the cover of "Release" at London Bridge Studios in Seattle. LBS is where Pearl Jam 'Ten' was originally recorded so it made it that much more magical for us to do it in that studio. Once we recorded the cover, we kind of sat on it for a couple years but kept playing it live. We started touring with Candlebox a few years back and Kevin Martin and Dave Krusen heard us playing it and we’re like, yeah dudes! If you ask Krusen, he’ll prob play it with you! So we played “Release” with Kevin Martin (Candlebox) and Dave Krusen (Pearl Jam, Candlebox) 7-8 times that tour! My 12-year-old self would have shit his pants. That was one of the highlights of my career. Love those guys and beyond thankful for everything they did for us. LD: What is the release date for your next album? Can you give your fans some insight into the music on this next project?
JS: we don’t have a release date set because we’re working with our team to get it done right. Hopefully soon, though! It’s a big sounding record! We put a lot into making this record sound great. This record has strings, horns, and piano tracks so it just adds a new level of sound. Jakob Hermann was instrumental in making a produced album with big drums and big guitars and big vocals. Justin Davis, who’s worked with us since 2011, also killed it on this record. LD: Where was it recorded and who did you work with on mixing, producing, mastering? JS: Marigny Studios in New Orleans. Jakob Hermann (Top Floor Studios/ Gothenburg, Sweden) produced and engineered. Justin Davis (Ultra Hifi/ Seattle, WA) LD: Looking at the coming fall and winter months, what are some of each band members favorite things to do during the 'holiday' seasons? JS: Usually, were on tour during the holidays so hopefully playing shows haha. If we’re not on tour we try and have cookouts and party’s with friends and love ones. LD: If the band was to choose a favorite song by any other band that came out in 2018 what collectively would you all pick, and why? JS: That’s a tough one. We all have such different tastes in music but I would say Alice In Chains “So Far Under.” A few weeks back I received the email stating that I was approved to cover the Shinedown/ Godsmack 2018 show at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL. It's been a few years since I photographed Godsmack, 2016 at Chicago Open Air if I recall. And it's been since 2011 since I had the chance to photograph Shinedown. Both bands are coming off new albums and chart topping singles. Unfortunately I missed the opening set by Like A Storm but I did get there just in time for what to me was the set of the evening. Tonight's Shinedown show was much different than I recall from that show back in 2011. The stage presence from Brent Smith has always been there but he and the band have taken it to another level. Massive pyro, highly interactive with the audience and a lot of crowd participation. Both Brent and guitarist Zach Myers took to the center of the crowd for a hair raising rendition of their Lynyrd Skynyrd cover "Simple Man". Shinedown brought the goods tonight with their set as they cut loose on favorites like "Sound of Madness", "Cut The Cord", "Bully" and their newest "Devil". Godsmack rounded out the evening as a full moon sat over the southeast behind the crowd. It was a perfect setting for seeing one of the best bands over the past 2 decades. If you've never seen Godsmack live you need to know to expect an abundance of fire and a slew of songs that you probably know the lyrics to. Sully Erna and the boys thrashed through a catalog of hits that included "Cryin' Like a Bitch", "Awake", the new track "Bulletproof" and they capped off the evening with a cover of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" before sending the massive crowd home to "I Stand Alone". Don't miss this tour when they come your way, it was a night to behold. Digging the Metal Sound by: Lauren Dix Creating timeless music in a way that fits the changes of metal Another Day's Armor vocalist Logan Manganelli and guitarist Ryan Bicknell recently sat down with Lauren Dix for Bad Ass Productions. Looking at the metal scene right now where do you see yourselves in it? Logan Manganelli: I would say we’re right in the middle of it all. In the recent time since the release of the single we've gotten on a lot of peoples radars and we are working on having that number grow by the masses. Is metal always in development? Logan Manganelli: I would say so in a way. Metal over the years has changed a lot but I think now we just have sub-genres of metal and theirs still bands who really created metal still making the same or similar sounds as before. What have been some of the greatest metal bands you yourselves have ever listened to? Logan Manganelli: My top metal bands would have to be Disturbed and Slipknot. Both bands have made some timeless music and still stand tall in the metal world to this day. Do any of you still reach back, way back into the influences of let's say Dio and such? Logan Manganelli: I would definitely say so! I've always been one for respecting a culture that I am trying to be apart of so learning about the originators of such a genre I feel is a key that most people should read up on when wanting to be in such a mass genre. For your metal sound- what do you feel is the best lead guitar to use? What fits? Ryan Bicknell: This is more of a question for Nick, our lead guitarist. He uses Schecter guitars but he’s a really big tone junkie and he’s really good at coming up with the perfect note selection and tone to make the solo fit the vibe of the song and enhance what’s being played under it. How much technical training or even classical training has each band member had? Logan Manganelli: When I was in high school I was in regular choir, men's ensemble, and select ensemble but other than that I never had any technical or classical training. Break down the song's lyrics for us in "Death Investing" what is this song really at its core saying and where did the inspiration come from? Logan Manganelli: Basically I wanted to write a song that was darker in a way but the idea is about people who think they can walk around and do whatever they want but little do they know they're digging their own graves. Why was this song in particular chosen to be the first release and when will there be a follow-up? Logan Manganelli: We felt it was the best well-rounded song to release as a first single with me as the lead vocalist and we should be releasing the next single soon. Do you feel that the music video conveyed the personality of each band member? Logan Manganelli: In a way yes because we had the solo shots to give each person their own light but we are all our own individual characters and as time progresses the world will get to know everyone on a more personal level. How did you come to work with Blackwolf Imaging and Alex Kouvatsos? Logan Manganelli: We've seen his work before and were huge fans so we hired him and he actually killed the visuals and got us back the video very quickly I might add, highly recommend his services to others. How do you all work together as a band in song-writing? Together or separate? Logan Manganelli: Mainly the rest of the band wrote the instrumentals to the music and I wrote all the lyrics to the music. If each band member would Tell us what you would like to develop on your own personal musical level for the rest of this year? Ryan Bicknell: We all just want to progress and become better musicians and songwriters. Overall what would you say is Another Day's Armor strength in the realm of metal/rock and music? Ryan Bicknell: Not sounding like anyone else. We definitely have a sound that’s unique. How soon might we expect a tour? Ryan Bicknell: Soon haha. We can’t give any specifics yet but be on the lookout for sure  |
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