Page 20 - ISSUE 21

HUMBUCKER
PAGE 20 ROCKNATION ISSUE 21

Interview by Tom Mathers

Rocknation: Hello Humbucker and welcome to Rocknation. Your band’s
“R.O.C.K.S” CD was mixed and mastered in the USA by legendary producer
Beau Hill of Warrant, Ratt, Winger, Alice Cooper fame. What worldwide press
reviews stand out the most about the last “R.O.C.K.S” CD?
Humbucker: Hello and thanks for having us! We got allot of positive feedback
from the “R.O.C.K.S” album. As a matter of fact, we were taken by a surprise
by that. We thought we had a good album going but the reviews have really
been over the top. Hearing people claim that it was one of the best albums of
the year is just awesome and it really helped us decide to do another one. In
the beginning, “R.O.C.K.S” was made for ourselves. We just wanted a cool
album to listen to for the rest of our lives but the incredible feedback made us
decide to do a second one and we are very glad we did, cause we think the new
album is a big improvement when it comes to production and development for
the band. We used Beau on the first one and one thing is for certain: The was
no way we were going to go down on the quality so he was the obvious choice their luck there, Hallgeir stayed in Trondheim and is doing his thing from here.
once again. Reading that “Norwegian rock just found another way to roll” as It`s two different companies now but they still share the same name... Hallgeir
UK Webmagazine Über Röck concluded with was big. Also Classic Rock Maga- has worked with everyone from Elton John to Cher and has produced over 40
zine who claimed that it was “Big Norwegian rock from big Norwegian rockers” top 10 hits in the UK and has produced albums that has sold over 25 million
was awesome. Really, the reviews we had from “R.O.C.K.S” made us gasp for copies all together so he knows his stuff. Being able to work with him was a
air more than one time I can tell you! :-) dream come true and we had a great time in the studio. We recorded guitars,
Rocknation: Perris Records distributed your “R.O.C.K.S” CD with great suc- lead and background vocals there and specially on the song “Harder Being
cess and will be distributing the new “King Of The World” CD. Please tell us Me” Hallgeir really used his skills, arranging the song beautifully and creat-
about all the great fan response the band received all over the world. ing a ballad that almost can give you a Zeppelinisque feeling with Sitar and
Humbucker: Perris did a great job with “R.O.C.K.S” and we`re happy to be orchestra arrangements. Producing the album with a guy like Hallgeir made it
involved with the company this time around too! The response from around all very easy for me to get what I had in mind this time. It worked out great and
the world has been amazing and it looks like people really like the stuff we`re we decided to use a more classic sound this time specially on the guitars to
making... Let`s face it, we don`t bring anything new to the table, it`s all been give it a more authentic classic rock feel. I think it turned out great! And with
done before so that`s not the point either. We just take the best from our influ- Hill doing the mix and mastering, it`s good for me to know that it`s the best we
ences and make it into our own thing. I think people have allot of memories could possibly have done!!
from the eighties, which was a one-of-a-kind-decade for allot of us. Hearing the Rocknation: Your new song “Dirty Nelly” is featured on the Perris Records
sound from that time once again and in a updated quality-mode seem to attract sampler. Thousands of this CD Sampler will be sent out to 100 CD stores in the
allot of people. It`s all about having a good time and who won`t have that??:-) USA. How does that feel to know that die hard rockers will be exposed to your
Humbucker is now being broad casted on radios all around the world and that band since legendary bands like Helix, Babylon A.D. and current and former
is just an amazing thing for us. We really appreciate the effort DJ`s and writers members of Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Dangerous Toys, Dirty Looks, Wasp,
have put into the band world wide. We think we benefit from the fact that we Vince Neil, Slash’s Snakepit, Skid Row, Warrant, Ratt, Foreigner, LA Guns,
don`t do things like most bands do. We don`t record and produce it ourselves Adler’s Appetite, Ted Nugent, Rainbow, Deep Purple, Scorpions and Quiet
at home, but we use the finest people and facilities we can get in every opera- Riot will be featured on the CD.
tion and the end result really stands out from most of the bands. I think it`s Humbucker: It`s truly an honour for us to be included on this CD with this
easy to recognize Humbucker when you hear it and as we are raised on po- legendary acts! We think it`s a fantastic marketing opportunity for us and it`s
tatoes and hard work, we think that when you expect people to pay for some- another great step in developing the band. These days it`s really hard to break
thing, it should damn well be the best you can possibly do! And is the best you a new band, so you need to do absolutely everything you can to do it. If you`re
can do recording it at home? No Sir! not willing to do that, you`re in the wrong business and so we are very exited
Rocknation: Please tell us about your new CD “King Of The World” about the to be a part of this.
writing and recording process. Rocknation: This song “Dirty Nelly” sounds like the same style of your last
Humbucker: We wrote the songs for this album during 2012 and 2013. We release. Is the rest of the songs in the same vein?
started with recording the bass and drums at Juke Joint Studios in Notodden. Humbucker: Well, yes and no... I`m not gonna lie: Dirty Nelly is a very basic rock
Norway with acclaimed engineer Njal Frode Lie before we moved the operation song I wrote with airplay in mind. You need to consider that these days, that`s just
up north to Trondheim. We wanted to try a new environment this time so I con- the way it is and though we most certainly are a classic rock band, and the major-
tacted a friend of mine in Trondheim-Norway named Hallgeir Rustan. He`s one ity of the songs on the album is in that genre, it`s also some heavy metal and blues
of the most decorated producers in Norway these days and I went to school based songs on the album. And like I said, a very nice ballad. So it`s something for
with him in the mid eighties so I knew him well. Since then he formed the everyone here. I think the album is very varied and interesting no matter what style
Stargate company and soon joined forces with two other guys and when those you like. But, yes the majority of the songs are plain good ole classic rock songs
guys, Mikkel SE and Tor Erik Hermansen, wanted to go to the States and try for sure!
Rocknation: What bands influence the Humbucker song writing?
Humbucker: All the great bands from the eighties have had an influence on us. But
if I should mention some more than others I think I`d have to say Kiss, Whitesnake,
Blackfoot, Bad Company, Mötley Crüe, AC/DC and bands like that.
Rocknation: Humbucker will be supporting TNT, any more shows in 2014 planned
yet??
Humbucker: Yes Sir! We had a great time with TNT. It turned out great for us! This
time they`re back with original singer Tony Harnell too, so they sound awesome
these days! We are heavily planning the tour of Norway as we speak and in Sep-
tember we`re going to play Europe and we are really looking forward to that. We
have allot of friends and fans there and it`ll be great to meet people from different
countries and see how they pick up on our live shows. We think we`ll have a great
time doing that! We certainly would love to play the US too but I guess we will just
have to see what might turn up. It`s not easy these days but we`re certainly willing
to give it a try if anything turns up worth checking out!
Rocknation: What plans do you have for 2014?
Humbucker: We`re going to tour and promote the “King Of The World” album this
year and if everything works out, then we`ll make a third record in 2015.
Rocknation: Thank you for taking time for this interview and last words to the
fans?
Humbucker: Thank YOU! No use doing what we do if no one`s interested in back-
ing us so we really appreciate it! Thanks allot! We just hope people like our album
and are willing to support us by buying it, cause that is the only way we can tour.
We simply need the money to do it so we`re hoping people see it that way and give
us the opportunity to tour as much as we possibly can. That way we can build a
cool thing together! We also want to thank everyone out there for the support so
far! You guys out there have been great and we really hope to be able to perform
for everyone of you in the future!!