Page 5 - ISSUE 12

ROCKNATION ISSUE 12 PAGE 5
Mary: You mentioned the song "Loaded Beach Florida but I’m guessing we’ll have
and Alone", I’ve read where Austin talks to scale it down a bit but that’s the nature
about the lyrics being about someone who of the beast. We have more production on
has experienced a small amount of fame this tour than you saw this summer; we’ve
and let it go to their head, forgetting about brought our own lighting rig.
the important things…as a band who has Mary: What are some of your favorite
experienced some serious success, what songs off of the new album to play live?
keeps you from becoming your own song Mark: Definitely "Up All Night", that’s my
lyric? favorite. It’s kind of funny; when we started
Mark: Well put…honestly, all of our playing new songs in our set I had to
families have been so supportive. I can rethink things because I already had my
guarantee you that if I turned into "that guy" moves down for the other songs but "Up All
that my Mom would just smack me right Night" just came naturally to me. I’ve never
back down to reality. I really think that it’s seen a crowd respond to a song like they
our families that keep us all grounded. respond to that one from day one so it’s
Mary: So the legendary Mick Marks makes very exciting.
an appearance on the album. I’m guessing Mary: Devil’s Due Publishing has created
that the band as a whole are big Crue fans a comic book based on the band and your
but how did that collaboration come about? tour…and you’re now using it for the tour
Mark: I think he had approached us, he guide correct? Where did that idea spawn
from?
Interview with Guitarist Mark King wanted to write some songs but we were Mark: They approached us about it and at
already in the studio and our songs were
By Mary Ouellette done so we asked if he wanted to play first I didn’t know what to think but it’s pretty
sweet, a comic about Hinder, I’ll be a little
a solo on one of the songs and sent him
some options. Sure enough he want- comic character! It’s still in the beginning
ed to do it on "Take it to the Limit." phases so we’re not really sure what direc-
Mary: So was that a big deal for tion we’re going to go with it but we’re try-
you, are you a Crue fan? ing to work out a way to get fans involved
Mark: Oh totally, who’s not a fan of and submit their input. We just want to
Motley Crue? It was really bizarre have fun with it.
that it even happened, we’re just five Mary: Are any of you guys big comic
On November 4th, HINDER (Austin Win- years and then I thought I was too cool for boys from Oklahoma and now one of the geeks?
Mark: Honestly I don’t think any of us have
kler on vocals, Mark King on guitar, Joe it and started playing football instead. Fast guys from Motley Crue is on our record? ever owned a comic, it was never my thing
"Blower" Garvey on guitar, Mike Rodden on forward to college where I was a guitar It’s pretty amazing. growing up.
bass and Cody Hanson on drums) dropped performance major and I broke a knuckle Mary: With three years in between your Mary: Given that the band is made up of
their sophomore effort Take It To The Limit. on my middle finger and lost my flexibility in first and second album, what do you think such colorful characters, can you tell us
After selling over three million copies of it. It ended up being a blessing in disguise has been the biggest transformation? one random or little known fact about each
their debut album Extreme Behavior the because after that I started taking piano Mark: I would say just the slow progres- member?
pressure was on, but for these Oklahoma lessons, voice lessons, composition les- sion. We started off with three crew mem- Mark: Where to start..where to start…Aus-
boys it was business as usual. sons, all the things that help me with the bers in an RV and now we have two tour
With the first single "Without You" already band now. Guitar is definitely my favorite buses and a semi. Our production is bigger tin. I don’t know if it’s little known but he’s
a fan favorite, this album is sure to live up instrument but piano is my second. and we have ten guys on crew now. I think married.
Mary: I don’t want to be responsible for
to expectations. Inspired by notorious rock Mary: So lyrically the songs on the new that’s it, we’ve been working our tails out
bands from the 80’s and 90’s a guest ap- album are pretty reminiscent of rock of the here on the road and slowly growing which telling your fans that.
Mark: Yeah, maybe that’s a bad idea. Mike
pearance from legendary Motley Crue axe- 70’s and 80’s with themes of sex, booze, is what I’ve always wanted to do so things use to be in an emo band. Blower went to
man Mick Mars on the title track comes as rebellion, partying etc…how much of the are good! college for communications. Cody went to
no surprise. The album mixes arena ready lyrics are pulled from reality? Mary: Critics have not always been kind
rock anthems with ballads and everything Mark: I’d say pretty much all of them. The to you in the past…yet you still sell tons of school for some kind of management. And
in between. only one that’s really a story is "Loaded and records and sell out shows coast to coast… what about me, about a year before I joined
Hinder I was a door to door salesman. It
The band is currently out on tour headlin- Alone" which is a story about a guy who that’s got to be a little gratifying to prove was awful. I had just moved to Oklahoma
ing the Jägermeister Tour (with support by goes off to L.A. to become big and bad and that sometimes rock and roll in its purest and I couldn’t find a job to save my life so
Trapt, Red and Safetysuit). Guitarist Mark ends up being "Loaded and Alone." The form is the most satisfying? Do you read
King called us to fill us in on the new al- rest of the song lyrics are real. The last your reviews and if so, how do you react to I took this job. I think I made $200 in two
months because I really sucked at it.
bum, the current tour, and to clear up a few track on the album "Far From Home" that’s them?
rumors perpetuated by the pesky media. very true and hits close to home for all of Mark: I read our reviews and I’m glad that Mary: I think it’s great that you’re so honest
about that and it kind of lends itself to my
Mary: I wanted to start off by congratulat- us. We just love all the gang vocals, we we get bad reviews because it seems like
ing you on Take It To The Limit the new wanted to do more of that on the first album everything that they say is cool…if you pick next question - the band sort of blazed their
album! It came out in early November… but I don’t think we could get away with it up a Rolling Stone and it’s something they own path from the beginning, starting in
did you do anything special on that day to as much being a baby like, it sells two copies, and everything they clubs and building up a following and label
celebrate or was it all work and no play? band but now that we’ve say is bad is what ends interest…what advice can you give to other
Mark: We were in L.A. and any time we’re established ourselves up being big. We’ve sold bands out there who may be struggling to
in L.A. it’s all press and interviews. We had and sold 3 million copies three million records and stay together?
a show that night so we didn’t get to do we are able to do a bit they’ve bashed us from Mark: I would say one of the main things
anything real special but it’s kind of funny more of what we want to day one and still do, and is that to put any money you make from
playing gigs back into the band. That way
– Mike, Cody and I went to find something do which is awesome. I hope they continue you can make flyers, go out and flyer,
to eat and we saw a place called "Sizzler" Mary: So as a musi- to do so because once stand outside for a few hours and tell every
so we ate there for our CD release. I don’t cian, how does it feel they start saying we’re
know if that’s really special but that’s how it to be able to say that cool we’ve probably sold person you see about your band. You need
to advertise.
happened. "My band sold 3 million out. Mary: What do you think is the biggest
Mary: Let’s talk about the writing process albums"? Mary: I saw you live misconception about the band?
a little bit. When you go from selling three Mark: It doesn’t really over the summer with
million albums on your label debut did you Three Doors Down and Mark: I want to make amends on this. We
played "A Night for the Vets" on MTV and
feel any pressure going into the writing you had a pretty sweet
process for the new album? stage set up, and I read they were talking about a beef between us
Mark: Well there’s always a little pressure somewhere that Cody’s and Saving Abel, which is a different story
but it’s from us mostly. We just go in there dad actually built it…now entirely. They said that they were shocked
that the party animals in Hinder would want
and do what we do. We can’t control what’s that you’re Sprite for our room. We wanted Sprite to
going to happen and if people are going to headlining mix with the Vodka people. Come ON! So
be buying albums when yours comes out, the Jäger- just to clear that up.
or if the industry is going to be down in a meister tour Mary: So what was the beef with Saving
hole. We’re all very proud of the product and taking it Abel?
we put out and stand behind it. We’ve been to more inti-
playing all the songs live and they’re going mate venues Mark: They had been telling the press
over very well so none of us are worried by did you have that they could out drink us but they had
any means. to tone/scale never even met us until that night. We’re
cool though, we invited them to hang out –
Mary: Is everyone in the band involved in anything we’re good ole’ Oklahoma boys and they’re
the writing process? down? good ole’ Mississippi boys, we’ve got no
Mark: It starts with Cody and Austin on Mark: Yes beef at all.
acoustic guitar and they write the meat and Cody’s dad Mary: Any pre-show rituals for the band?
potatoes of the songs – the chord progres- builds all of Mark: About an hour before the show the
sions, lyrics, melodies and then they bring our stage
it to the rest of the band so we can put our productions. five of us come together and turn up the
spin on things. So far on this old school Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, all
that good ole music and we have a Jäger
Mary: On the behind the scenes videos of tour we’ve machine on the bus and the bottles in the
the band during the recording process for been lucky dressing room so we do some damage to
the new album, we see you playing the All live photos by: Mary Ouellette and we’ve
piano. How long have you played piano? set in until I sit back and think about been able to that before hitting the stage.
Mary: Parting words?
Mark: I started taking piano lessons when I it. It’s very surreal, that’s the only word I use our full Mark: Go get our record; it’s out now,
was in the third grade. I took them for a few can come up with. production every night but it just depends finally!
on the stage. Tonight we’re at Ft. Walton