King Cherry blends gritty nostalgia with a modern rock edge, drawing from each member's diverse musical background to create a unique sound. Their journey is fueled by originality, connection, and high-energy performances.
1. King
Cherry’s beginnings are rooted in a meeting in Hollywood that led to the formation
of the band. Could you tell us more about how that moment changed the course of
your musical careers?
Brian: Rach flew out to Hollywood from the east coast to catch one of our shows
as she was inline to “sub” for our bassist and good mutual friend who was about
to be a father and needed time off. That trip was a game changer for her and I,
we were so on the same page musically, image wise, and just as people in
general. We seemed to have the same thought process when it came to band ideas
and direction that we'd like to go in so it was only natural for us to explore
those ideas and bring King Cherry to life.
2. Brian, you’ve toured the nation with Hollywood Gods N' Monsters, and
Rachel, your experience spans across genres from jazz to horror punk. How do
these varied backgrounds influence the music you create with King Cherry?
Rach: I think having experience in several styles and genres is so important,
no matter what kind of band you’re in. If you don’t, you’re missing out on the
opportunity to write some really cool little riffs or lines that might throw listeners
off.... it’s street cred. I was originally trained in Jazz bass, and I carry a
lot of that with me. It helped me develop my sense of rhythm at a really young
age so it makes things a lot easier for me, thank God. My horror punk past is a
huge influence in King Cherry, even down to what I wear on stage. We have a
couple pure punk songs that take a very very quick wrist, and luckily my
history in punk bands makes that possible.... Because ouch. King Cherry has a
lot of
unreleased songs on stand-by, and we want them all to sound pretty different.
We even have one in the works that’s straight acoustic guitar, Johnny
Cash-esque blues. It’s just fun to switch things up.
3. Rachel, you’ve shared the stage with iconic acts like Robert Plant and
Imagine Dragons. What have those experiences taught you that you now bring into
King Cherry’s performances?
Rach: I was so young at the time my old band did that festival with them....it
was unreal. It was my first “tour” (and I say that word loosely) and my first
festival ever, so now I know what to expect... I also know how badly I want to
get on some festival lineups again. That is a main goal of this band because
that was still one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I would love
for King Cherry to have those experiences now.... So, Aftershock, Louder Than
Life, Download....CALL US!!!!
4. Your new single, "The Last Bite," was crafted with Halloween in
mind but also aims to be a year-round anthem. What inspired the vibe and theme
of this track?
Brian: Well, I've always had this thing for vampires.. when I was a kid I use
to have this reoccurring dream that I was in the dark watching TV as a vampire
would sneak up behind me and bite my neck.. I was really young and that dream always
scared the crap out of me. This band in general is like Halloween all year
around. We also based the sound of the song around the idea of it fitting in a modern
day “Lost Boys”, or even True Blood.
5. King Cherry has a strong ‘90s and early 2000s rock influence with a modern twist. What aspects of that era’s music do you try to capture, and how do you infuse it with your unique edge?
Rach: When we started talking about forming King Cherry, we knew we wanted to pay homage to the big bands of the late 90s and early 2000s. Even industrial acts such as Manson and Orgy. That’s what we both enjoy the most and we just
love that nostalgic feel of it (Even though I didn’t really get to live during that time and enjoy it)....But, we know people get bored easily so we did really use my inside knowledge of the younger generations to an advantage and try to
infuse it with some modern sounds and topics that might grab a younger audience as well as the old head rockers.
6. Brian, your work with artists like Tommy Thayer of KISS is impressive. How have these experiences shaped your approach to King Cherry’s music and live shows?
Brian: Tommy was a mentor to me for sure. He always had high expectations for me whether we were in a band together or not. Invaluable insight he gave me as I was just trying to find my footing in the LA scene from a small town. What I learned through my experiences in my early days in LA really stuck with me, I think my style old school mixed with Rach's more modern style gives us that unique blend that's really authentic to us.
7. With shows coming up in Arizona, what can fans expect from a live King
Cherry performance, especially during the Halloween season?
Rach: Well, we do have a Halloween show planned with the Union Underground, so
that will be very very fun. At our live shows we try to engage the audience and
make them have as good of a time as we are. We’re always hanging around after
out sets for sweaty hugs and signatures if people want.... We really look at
our live shows as an opportunity to make a bunch of new friends. Oh, it can get
kind of loud, too.
8. Both of you have performed with other bands and projects. What did you
learn in those experiences that you wanted to do differently or improve upon
with King Cherry?
Brian: This question has more to do with band members than anything else to me,
I would probably be more selective in whom chose to play with, musically
and personality wise.
9. Your journey has taken you from the big stages to forming King Cherry and focusing on original music. What drives you to create something uniquely yours, despite the allure of performing with major acts?
Rach: We were with Hollywood Gods N’ Monsters for about 3 years and we are so endlessly grateful for a time with the band. But we missed creativity and original material SO much. I think the main motivator is just having something that you are so ridiculously proud of and the pay-off of hearing someone say, “you guys are my favorite band”, or just seeing someone in your merch. It’s an indescribable feeling and keeps us working every day.
10. The Last Bite is described as a high-energy track meant to be played loud. What are some of your key influences when it comes to crafting such dynamic, electrifying rock songs?
Brian: Lots of influences, but this song in particular would be Zombie/Manson-y. We wanted to attract the fan bases that we ourselves are in, so we wanted it to sound very authentically us. We also re-watched a lot of cult vampire movies and listened closely to the sound tracks, imagining ways that we can modernize it and give it a “King Cherry” flare.
11. With your diverse music backgrounds, how does your songwriting process work? Is there a specific element you start with, or do you follow an inspiration that builds organically?
Brian: Most of my song ideas come from messing around on an acoustic guitar while humming a melody until something sticks... lyrically it doesn’t necessarily have to be a personal experience of mine, sometimes I write through my perception of somebody else's point of view... somebody else's perspective. Or, I I write about things that we're interested in....such as vampires.
12. Finally, looking forward, what are your hopes for King Cherry? Are there any new directions, sounds, or projects on the horizon that fans can look forward to?
Rach: We have a lot of local shows waiting to be announced and out of state road dates in the works...playing live is our favorite part about this so that is a priority. We also have specific goals too, like I mentioned festivals earlier.... that is a huge goal/hope for this band, to get on those festival circuits with some of the greats, big and small. We also have a music video for “The Last Bite” set to begin production in November. We are working with my favorite up and coming director, Livi DarConte. As for our sound, we are always looking to evolve and improve. Our first two songs sound wildly different than “The Last Bite” and the other new songs we have recorded and ready to go. We don’t try to lock ourselves down too much, so whatever we want to write, we write. I’m sure we’ll sound pretty different in the next few months, who knows...
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