Thursday 23 July 2015

Band Interview: Stop Sign Riot

Interview with Corey of Stop Sign Riot by Lady Kat Chaos and Amethyst Wynter

Lady Kat Chaos: Hails Corey! Besides having some upcoming gigs what else are you up to?
Corey: As Of Now We Are Recording Our Single Zombies! It’s Coming Along Great.

Lady Kat Chaos: Are you recording "Zombies" in your basement like you have done with your 2011 demo?
Corey: We Took Time Off Looked Around And Found That Building A Studio Where Our Practice Space Is Was The Best Idea! We Now Have A Drum Room A Vocal Booth And A Sweet Setup With Pro Tools And Sound Equipment Its Going Along 100x Better Then Going Into A Studio Because We Are Able To Do Things On Our Time And Be Able To Find Our True Sound!

Lady Kat Chaos: You'd been looking for a place for some time. Glad you guys found a place to rehearse. What Pro Tools have you been using and what new sound equipment have you purchased to help get the sound you want?
Corey: It’s Been A Super Long Search And It Has Finally Paid Off. High Quality Vocal Mic, Drum Mics And Cymbal Mics Along With A New Sound Board (Pro Tools 10 Or 11). We Just Got It And Its Super Fun To Play With!

Lady Kat Chaos: While playing around with it have you found the sound you wanted for Zombies?
Corey: We Have Finally Found The Raw Live Feel We Have Looked For! We Try To Record What We Sound Like With No Sugar Coating. We Want You (The Fans) To Hear What You Would Hear At A Show. We Want To Bring Back That 90s Feel.

Amethyst Wynter: What kind of kit do you use and what kind of snare sound are you going after and what kinds of guitar amps do you guys use for recording and gigs? I know bands use different amps for recording than for gigs. What about real amps vs software amp sims like Amplitube and guitar rig? What kind of heads do you prefer on your bass drum and snare?
Corey: I Use A Pearl Export Kit With Zildjian Cymbals, DW 4000 Double Pedals, A Pearl Snare With A Reverse Dot, Evens Head Evens Hydraulic Heads (On The Toms), Three Rack Toms, A Floor Tom, Hi Hats 13" And 14" No Triggers. We Use All The Same Gear For Recording And Gigging.

Amethyst Wynter: What size drum sticks do you use?
Corey: I Use 5AN Nylon Tip! They Have A Great Feel In My Hands, Good Speed And They Can Take A Rim Shot!

Lady Kat Chaos: Have you used Pearl all of your drumming career? What do you like about their kits compared to other companies’?
Corey: I Used A Mapex Kit To Start Out Then Moved On To Pearl. I Don't Really Have A Preference When It Comes To Kits. I Normally Look For A Good Crisp Or Warm Sound From The Shells!

Amethyst Wynter: What double bass pedals have you used as a drummer?
Corey: I Used Iron Cobra Doubles When I Started, But Moved To A Lighter Pedal (DW). I Haven't Had The Chance To Try Out Many Others Because I Really Enjoy The Feel Of The DWs.

Lady Kat Chaos: How long did it take you to decide on purchasing your Pearl Export Kit?

Corey: Actually The Drum Kit (Pearl Export) Is The Lead Singer’s (Austin Hurd) Kit. He Is Also A Drummer! (The Pearl Has Such A Warmer Sound Then My Mapex And Matches Up With Blakes Guitar Much Better). When I Joined The Band He Stepped Down As The Drummer And Focused His Time On Working On His Vocals. I Still Own A Mapex Kit For Practice! So I Had No Choice In The Color But I Love Blue!

Amethyst Wynter: My kit’s a Percussion Plus blue kit with a Pearl snare with Pearl SS head on top and normal percussion, plus toms and floor tom with just normal white coated heads. But you might like this one my hihat stand is a Mapex Transmission pedal that has a pedal that swivels to be the hihat’s pedal as well as the second double bass pedal.We use Sabian and Zildjian and a Ludwig cymbal I found that has a very unique sound. It’s a crash but has a china sound to it as well. It’s crisp and doesn’t have a lot of sustain.
Lady Kat Chaos: What would you suggest to new drummers about keeping it from moving? Spikes on the legs of your bass drum, velcro on pedal boards or a rug?
Corey: I Did Some Research On The Pedals Before I Bought (YouTube Was A Huge Help). I’ve Always Liked Iron Cobra But The Foot Boards Are Heavy And Slow. No Offense To Iron Cobra Users Out There But I Enjoy The Speed I Get From DW. I Always Have A Drum Rug With Spikes And Velcro, I Use It All.

Amethyst Wynter: How long have you been playing drums?
Corey: I Have Been Drumming For 13 Years. I Was 12 When My Parents Bought Me My First Mapex Kit! I Used To Tape My First Kit To The Concrete In My Parents Basement.

Amethyst Wynter: Who’s your idol as far as drummers; the one drummer you look up to? Mine would be Adrian Eraldson or however you spell his last name. He was Cradle Of Filth’s drummer during the good CDs, then went to Netherbird.
Corey: I Always Followed Mesuggah’s Drummer Just For The Way He Sets Up His Kit. I Have Never Looked Up To Another Drummer. I’ve Just Always Wondered If I Could Drum What They Were Drumming. I Can’t Read Sheet Music And Never Took A Lesson And Always Go For My Own Sound And Techniques. I Use Evens Heads And Change Gig Heads Not Too Often; Only When Needed To Keep The Sound. I Practice Two And A Half Hours Every Day Just To Stay Sharp And It’s A Kick Ass Work Out. I’ve Never Had A Dead Snare; I Hope I Never Do.

Lady Kat Chaos: What is the biggest mistake you've made while setting up your kit before you took the stage? What are your thoughts about using a venue’s kit? How do you adjust?
Corey: I’ve Knocked Over Cymbals While Playing And My Snare Fell In The Same Show! I’ve Never Had The Chance To Play On A Venue Kit And I Would Get It Done. I Love New Kits And Getting A New Feel, New Sound, New Groove. In A Live Show I’m Going To Give You My Best No Matter What Kinda Kit!

Lady Kat Chaos: New drummers don't always realize that your snare wires get worn out or “stretched out” after playing a lot. Have you ever said, what the hell is all that rattling?
Corey: OH YEAH! But Haven't Said That In Awhile Tho!

Lady Kat Chaos: Did you ever have an issue with replacing your resonant heads on toms?
Corey: Not At All! They Normally Go On Smooth And Sound Great!

Lady Kat Chaos: When tuning your drums when needed did your tension rods ever strip?
Corey: Only Once On My Floor Tom! The Screw Actually Broke In Half Due To It Being Rusty And Old As Hell!

Lady Kat Chaos: Not many know drummers have a lot of maintenance to keep up with their kits and it can become costly. What steps do you take when it comes to tuning?
Corey: Drumming Has Cost Me A LOT Of Money And Time Fixing Problems! I Normally Go By The Shell Tone To Tune My Toms And Snare I Normally Like A Tight Quick Snap Like A High School Marching Band Snare Drum Sound!

Lady Kat Chaos: Make sure to watch the hard rim shots; they can be painful. You also need to be aware of high and low sounds. Do you have a full mental picture in your head?
Corey: Some Times Rim Shots Can Go Wrong And Yes It Gets Painful! I Am Very Aware Of My Drums Pitch Range! I Always Have A Mental Picture In Your Head. If You Don't I Don't Think You’re A True Drummer! I Always Have Drumming On The Mind! I Am Always Wondering If I Can Drum What The Next Guy Is Drumming Or How I Can Re Create It My Way Or What Twists I Would Add!

Lady Kat Chaos: During your sound check, you not only use the opportunity to get the proper sound, but also as a chance to warm up and practice a bit. What if the gig is running late and sometimes they don't give you a sound check, does it piss you off?

Corey: I Always Use That Time To Warm Up The Kit And ME. It Gets Me Ready For The Feel Of The Venue Crowd And The Sound Of The Kit That Night!

Lady Kat Chaos: When you listen to another drummer, what do you listen for?
Corey: Timing Mostly! Drum Fills And Pedal Techniques! Stick Tricks Don't WOW Me! I Feel That They Take Time Away From Your True Focus, That Next Bad Ass Drum Fill Or Solo!

Lady Kat Chaos: All drummers have their own style of playing; some drummers you enjoy don't always reflect your taste or style of playing. Which drummers fit your taste?
Corey: Tommy Lee (Because I Love That Old School Feel He Puts On Everything!), Meshuggah’s Drummer. Volume’s Drummer As Well I Like Djent Drummers! I Like The Off Beat Style!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you use lyrics as a guide to your drumming?
Corey: Depends On The Song! We Have Three Songs Where I Use The Lyrics To Activate Drum Fills Or Mini Solos. The Others Are About Matching Up With The Guitar!

Lady Kat Chaos: Which three songs do you use lyric-wise?

Corey: Tattoo Heroin, Suicidenial, Murderzine!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you still perform your song Evil Seed and have you thought about re-recording it since 2011?
Corey: That Song Was Recorded With Old Members! We Might Look Into It In The Near Future! We Do Not Perform That Song Live!

Lady Kat Chaos: The songs that were done with past members did you decide on trashing them or have you kept any older material and reworked it?
Corey: We Are Still Talking About That! You Never Know They Might Be Surfacing Soon!

Lady Kat Chaos: Would you say your song Tattoo Heroin is one of the most intense songs that fans go crazy over?
Corey: We Have Three Fan Favorites: Zombies, Tattoo Heroin, And Truthful Lies! They Seem To Really Get The Crowd Involved!

Lady Kat Chaos: Which are your favorite songs and why?
Corey: All Of Them! Because I’ve Been On Stage Before As A Beat Boxer And Was Never Satisfied With What I Was Doing Or How I Was Performing! But With Me Sitting Behind My Kit And Creating Music I Truly Love! I Feel Like I Am Giving The Fans A Piece Of Me Every Song Which Is Why I Love Them All!

Lady Kat Chaos: Even as musicians we aren't always satisfied. Are there any themes and concepts that the lyrics to your music revolves around?
Corey: The Lyrics Revolve Around Issues Like Addiction, Up And Down Relationships, The Government, Crazy Life Styles, Good/Bad Choices And Much More!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you think great lyrics are a dying art today and how important are lyrics to you?
Corey: I Do And Lyrics Are What Let You Connect With The Band If You're Having A Bad Day. The Lyrics Might Help You Push Thru, Or If Your Day Is Fantastic The Lyrics Might Lift Your Spirits Even Higher!

Lady Kat Chaos: Today with the newer generation when I talk with some of my daughter’s friends some of them only care about how fast the guitarist or drummer is. What you would tell the generation today about each part of the band’s music?

Corey: A Band Should Be A Group Of People Who Feed Off Of Each Other’s Talents, Not One Guy Carrying The Group With His Talent! The Drummer Or Guitarist My Be God Like, But That Doesn’t Make Up For The Rest Of The Group Being Off Time, Off Key Or Just BAD At Playing Music!

Lady Kat Chaos: Let's say you received a bad review, how would you react: okay they had a good point there so let’s work on it, of fuck them they don't have a clue what they are talking about or don't bother reading reviews? Who is responsible for writing Stop Sign Riot’s lyrics?
Corey: Austin Hurd Writes All The Lyrics! All Feedback Is Welcome! Even If You Wanna Say We Suck! I Love Reading The Reviews; It Lets Me Know What People Are Thinking. I Know People Aren’t Shy On The Internet When It Comes To Bashing Or Showing Their Love And Support For A Band! I’ve Been A Drummer For A Long Time; A Lot Of People Told Me To Quit But Still I Push On! Proving Those Bad Reviews Wrong Is Always A Goal For SSR!

Lady Kat Chaos: Why have individuals told you to quit? Some individuals just don't get it. Music is runs through our veins; it’s our life.

Amethyst Wynter: If people are hating that just means you’re doing your job and getting people’s attention, even if its negative. That just means there are others who enjoy your music
Corey: Time Away From People Who Were Close To Me, Always Practicing And My Family Hating It And Having No Beliefs In Me What So Ever. I Have Sacrificed A Lot To Get Where I Am At Today. Some Steps Have Been Harder Than Others But I Have Enjoyed The Ride!

Lady Kat Chaos: When having your own family there are some battles you tend to face. I think many of us have gone through it because they don't fully understand. I had an ex tell me it’s either him or Obscure Chaos. I guess we can see which won. If you had to express yourself about what music means to you, what creating music means to you, what a band means to you and your strive to carry on because this is who you are, what would you say to those who are now facing the same issues?
Amethyst Wynter: If it’s a dream; never give up. Love can still be found; if someone truly loves you they will never let you give up on your dreams.
Corey: Just Keep Going. Don't Give Up Just Because Someone Else Thinks You Should!

Amethyst Wynter: Sounds like my husband. He went from not having anything and no one giving him a chance to having any instrument and sound and piece of musical gear you could imagine and a college degree in music production. Normally the ones who have everything handed to them and bought for them by their parents think they are the greatest, can’t play a lick to save their lives, but somehow still have a huge ego. What I hate is music fans as well as bands are all genre specific now and you’re not a true fan unless you only listen to one specific kind of music. If you listen to black metal you better not listen to anything that’s not black metal or you’re a poser. Why not just enjoy music in general?
Corey: I Listen To The Radio Sometimes Just To Switch It Up! Every Thing But Country; I Just Can’t Get Into It!

Lady Kat Chaos: That has been going on for so many years. If you like this you can't like this style. I say fuck everyone on that one. Do your history of music and see where a lot of it stems from. Geeze, and how many musicians change their stage name and do completely different side projects. I know you guys were at one point working on an EP; did it ever come out?

Corey: It’s In The Works Now. We Finally Have A Great Spot To Record So Expect Much More.

Amethyst Wynter: If you need mastering the studio my husband owns masters music for ten dollars a song. He specializes in rock and metal and won’t stop till you’re 100 percent satisfied.
Corey: Thank You Amethyst! We Will Definitely Look Into It!

Lady Kat Chaos: How many songs will you be recording for your EP? Do you have a name for it yet?
Corey: We Don't Have A Name Yet. There Are Maybe Six Songs. We Are Still Writing So We Will Have To See What Happens.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you guys write individually or together?
Corey: Together We Have A Great Chemistry When We Are All In The Same Room Jamming Writing And Talking It All Out! We Kick Some Serious Ass When It Comes To Writing Songs. They Come Together So Well It’s Amazing!

Lady Kat Chaos: What value do you place on these characteristics within your music? Do you set out with the intention of exploring different realms in metal and rock and what would you like to go more depth with this release? How would you describe your own style of music for those who never heard you before?
Corey: Our Style Is More 90s With A Modern Edge! If You Have Never Heard Us Before You Probably Won’t Hear Anything That Matches It! It’s Hard To Explain Our Style Or What We Will Be Experimenting With!

Lady Kat Chaos: I notice how hard you guys promote your shows... you make tons of flyers and go out to hand them out. I know that one of your shows got cancelled after you did a ton of promoting for it. How did you handle that situation? Where can one contact you for booking?

Corey: We Handle Cancelled Shows Very Well.We Are Fine With Getting Bumped As Well Its Life And Shit Happens! Sometimes I Think Its Misleading But At The Same Time It Shows The People That Will Take The Time To Check Out The Shows You’re Booking Or What Kinda Shows You’re Putting On. For Booking Stop Sign Riot Call Corey Savage At (402) 316-8631 Or Message Me On Facebook Or Reverbnation.com.

Lady Kat Chaos: How important is promoting to you and how many hours would you say would spend on promoting on social media sites, pages and blogs besides traveling to hang up flyers and handing them out. Which do you feel draws more attention to your band, face to face or the internet?
Corey: The Internet Gets My Band Everywhere. We Have Gone From 100 Likes To 700 In The Past Three Months. I Promote Very Hard Because This Is My Career Choice. And I’m Making Sure I Made The Right One By Pushing As Hard As I Can And Showing The World Our Music! Face To Face Works As Well. People Enjoy Our Flyers And We Make A Lot Of Them Because We Know If A Person Sees 2 Of Them They Might Blow It Off But If They See 20 Of Them They Might Give The Show A Chance!

Lady Kat Chaos: Speaking of local bands from your area who would you recommend to check out?

Corey: Furiosity, Splitline, Moltron, Megaton, Sherry Drive, Vizagoth, Devour Once Dead, Stalemate, In The Attack, Grumble Rockband, Beauty Killed The Beast. I Hope I Didn’t Forget Anyone!

Lady Kat Chaos: Last month you heard some good news from Tate Music Group. Please elaborate.
Corey: We Have Contract Details And We Are Looking It Over As We Speak!

Lady Kat Chaos: Good luck with that. Colleen Maloney a co-owner told me to say hello to you guys and is dying to know the story behind your band name?
Corey: Tell Her To Get To Feeling Better! Stop Sign Riot Was First Going To Be Called Subject To Change But It Was Taken So The Older Members Said Lets Just Call Ourselves Stop Sign (As A Joke) And They Couldn't Copy Right That So Austin Said Why Not Just Call Ourselves Stop Sign Riot And Bam It Was Done! The Birth Of Stop Sign Riot! I’m Going To Guess That The City Put A Stop Sign At A Red Light And People Rioted Over It.

http://www.facebook.com/StopSignRiot
http://www.Reverbnation.com/stopsignriot

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