Page 93 - ION Indie Magazine JulyAug 2023

TB: How did you decide on the name ‘The Lion Within?’

JC: I have a multi-faceted answer for this. On one hand, I wanted a band name that
expressed how I felt about this band. That it was about finding the strength and
courage inside to really make everything inside a reality and to help inspire others to

want to do the same with their dreams and goals. To go a bit deeper, I'm a bit into
astrology. If you do an astrological birth chart you find lots of influences that govern
different areas of your life. To keep it simple without digging too deep into the
specifics, my creativity, communication, and love influences all fall under Leo, which
is represented by the lion. Therefore, the songs I've written come from my lion within.

TB: For those that are not familiar with the band, how would you describe your
music?

JC: I feel that each one of our songs really embraces different emotions to the
extreme. If I were to go by Sub-genres, I'd say it's Post-Grunge meets Alternative
Rock meets a bit of Classic Metal. If I were to go by bands, I might say Alice in Chains
meets Metallica meets something darker…like perhaps Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing
Westward, Gravity Kills, Dope -- although we never set out to sound like anyone else.
We've always strived to have our own unique sound. It's raw, heavy, melodic,
infectious, provocative...

TB: You worked with producer Andy Patalan, who has worked with Cheap Trick,
Ted Nugent, etc., on your first three singles. How did you get hooked up with
Andy?

JC: I was in a band years ago and coincidentally my bassist at the time also had a
management company that was managing Andy's band, Sponge. We went in and
had Andy produce our album at the time. I always stayed in touch with him and have
recorded with him several times with different bands I've been in. I love working with
Andy because he's like a mad creative genius that hears things in ways that I don't,
and therefore, he'll bring ideas to the table that are things I'd never think of, and they
work beautifully to add a flavor that I truly appreciate. He's incredibly easy to work
with and has an amazing environment that is comfortable to be yourself in and to
create in. You never feel pressured but feel inspired in his studio, which for me brings
out my best and makes me want to do my best until things are ‘right.’

TB: Your latest single is ‘Starblind.’ What is the story behind this song?

JC: ‘Starblind’ was actually the second song idea I'd written for this band. When you're
involved in a creative field, it's easy to put a lot of pressure on yourself. Since the
pandemic was at its height, I was contemplating the idea that we may never be able
to play music again for audiences. I was thinking about the idea of ‘having’ to give up
music. I was thinking about the days before when I'd compared myself to others I
know that had become so successful, and now not having the chance to really make
it happen myself. If you take it line by line, it's all symbolic, and the video is as well.
It's about feeling all of these things yet finding the inspiration to fight beyond them
and create, make music, and place my faith and hope that things would awaken to
do what I've done most of my life. It's about not blinding yourself to possibilities and
not giving up.