Page 35 - ROCKNATION ISSUE 27

ROCKNATION ISSUE 27 PAGE 35
THE HARD WAY

Hello The Hard Way and welcome to Rocknation. Let’s start off with your
“Police Brutality” CD. Please tell us about some of the tracks.
Hello & thank you. Well what can I say about the record? It’s incredibly raucous
with lots of shredding guitars & grooves. It’s rude, crude & colorful. The
opening track is called CUM. It’s about an AIDS infected hooker that has to
suck dick on Hollywood Blvd to feed her heroin habit. The closing track is called
LET IT ROCK which is about a sloppy blowjob. So you can tell, we’re loaded
with class! Lol But in between, there’s songs about domestic violence, being the
downtrodden 99% & of course, Police Brutality so it covers a wide range of the
world we live in today.

Who did the music and lyric writing for this release?
All but one song from the record originated with me. I generally thump around on an acoustic guitar until I find a catchy groove that grabs me
& then I kinda flesh it out from there. I almost always write the music first & fumble around for a melody line that works well with it. Lyrics are
alot harder because I have to get my head into a much different place. Once I figure out what I want to say & how to say it, I record a demo
& send it to the band. From there, they punch it up & make any chord progression changes that work better for the arrangement. From there,
we get together & jam it out until we have a finished product. The only song that didn’t start with me was I CAN’T GO HOME. John Huldt
developed that progression & sent me an extremely solid demo. From there, I wrote the melody line & lyrics. It’s one of my favorite songs on
the record.

Where did you record these tracks at?
NRG Studios in North Hollywood, CA. They’ve put out so many amazing records & it was awesome to have first class facilities& all the perks
that come with it.

What was it like working with a major producer TIM LUCE (ALCATRAZZ, MICHAEL SCHENKER)?
Tim & I have been friends for a decade. He was our bassist in THE HARD WAY for 5 years so he knows what we are supposed to be & I
believe he captured the class & the mania quite well on the record. It sounds alive!!! He is soooo talented & has a great ear & sense of style.

If you had to tell someone what your music sounded like, what bands would you mention?
Wow! Well, we have a truckload of influences like GNR, WASP, OZZY, AC/DC, MOTLEY etc but in actuality, we don’t really sound like
anybody but ourselves. Which is what every band should constantly be aware of…BE YOURSELVES!!! It’s always best to be a 1st rate you
instead of a 2nd rate copy!

What national bands have you played with?
Oh jeez, the list is too long to mention everybody. We’ve played with pretty much everybody. We’ve been direct support for Michael
Schenker, Warrant, Zebra, Kings X, Dokken, Lita Ford, Glenn Hughes, Steel Panther, Faster Pussycat, LA Guns, Bulletboys, Great White,
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow/YngwieMalmsteen), Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks), Stephen Pearcy (RATT), Gilby Clarke (GNR), Ritchie
Kotzen (Poison/Mr Big), EnuffZnuff, Dizzy Reed (GNR), TUFF, Y&T, Lynch Mob, Last in Line, Krokus, Angel, Winger, and many, MANY,
MAAAAAAANY others.

How did you hook up with the monster drummer Bobby Rock who has been in some major bands like
LITA FORD, VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, HARDLINE & SLAUGHTER.
Bobby & I went to BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC in Boston together back in the 80’s. Tim Luce reconnected us for THE HARD WAY.
Bobby is the true God of Thunder! Amazing drummer & an incredible human. I’m proud that we’ll always be brothers.

Thank you for taking time for this interview, any last words to the fans?
The future of this music & the genre is in YOUR HANDS! You either support it or you don’t.
Support means opening your wallet & buying the merch. Buying the CD’s. Sharing the videos
& promoting a band that ignites you! That’s true support. When the bars open again, buy the
tickets (from the bands) & attend the shows. Tell your friends. Take them out for a great
rocking night of bigtime fun!!!All our musical heroes are dropping like flies & if you don’t invest
in the future………there won’t be one!!! Remember, only YOU can save it or let it die. There’s
lots & lots of tremendous talent out there. Take the time to find the next generation of rock
stars & help them become the future legends we all need.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to entertain you!

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