SHINEDOWN haben in diesem Jahr ihr erstes Konzeptalbum veröffentlicht. "Attention Attention" ist das insgesamt sechste Studioalbum der Band und ist via Atlantic Records am 04. Mai erschienen. Barry Kerch (Schlagzeug) hat sich die Zeit genommen uns ein paar Fragen zum Album und zu SHINEDOWN im Allgemeinen zu beantworten.
Allschools: Hi there! First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!
Barry Kerch: Thank you for taking the time to reach out to me!
Allschools: Your new record “Attention Attention” is going to be released in a few days. How are you feeling?
Barry Kerch: We are extremely excited and nervous. It is always an emotional roller coaster releasing a new record. We spend a lot of time putting together a piece of art that is very personal and special to us, and then give it to the world and hope they love it as much as you do. Everyone has an opinion.
Allschools: What does the album title “Attention Attention” stand for? What made you choose the title und who came up with it?
Barry Kerch: Attention Attention became the album title after the song was written. That song really encompasses the record and the story. It stands for that moment when the person in the story comes to terms with their state of mind. We had been tossing around album titles and they all were a little long and drawn out. Maybe even a little too cerebral. At one point in the studio it was either Eric or Zach that pointed out that it should be the title. It was one of those moments when everything just clicked. Attention Attention is the alarm in your head.
Allschools: Compared to “Threat to Survival”- “Attention Attention” sounds heavier and it’s your first concept album. Has making a concept album been an idea for a longer time? What made you choose to turn those songs into a concept album?
Barry Kerch: It is very much a heavier record musically and lyrically. The idea of making it a concept, or story, record wasn’t something that was planned a long time ago. Early in the writing process for this record we noticed that the songs started to tell a story and encompass a message. At that point we knew it had to be a concept record.
Allschools: What do you have planned for the rest of the year? You’re playing Rock am Ring and Rock im Park as well as one club show in Hamburg and quite some shows in the States. Can we expect to see you in Germany again this year?
Barry Kerch: We are still very early in the touring part of this record and are known to tour for 2-3 years at a time. The festivals are wonderful, but we absolutely plan on doing a proper headlining European and UK tour this fall. It’s been way too long. Germany has a special place in my heart. I love it.
Allschools: In general, what do you prefer and why? Club show or festival show?
Barry Kerch: They both have their pros and cons. I love festivals for the large crowds, seeing other bands, and hanging out with all of your friends backstage. However, playing a club is fun because it is your fans in a nice tight place, and you can really feel the energy from the audience.
Allschools: A day off on tour. What does SHINEDOWN do for fun? Are you together as a band or do you separate when you have spare time on tour?
Barry Kerch: Honestly most days off we try to rest and recover. Our shows are physically intense and we typically play 5 nights a week. Sometimes we will have dinner together or go see a movie. When touring in new places we haven’t been, or historical places, we try and walk around and see the city sights. Brent usually stays in his room to rest his voice and not talk to anyone.
Allschools: What kind of music do you listen to at the moment? Any tracks or albums you can recommend?
Barry Kerch: I listen to many different styles of music. Currently two things that have been in heavy rotation are a band out of the UK called DEAD and their album is “The Golden Age Of Not Even Trying” and the second is a rap artist named Murs and his new record “A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable”. Both are great listens from front to back.
Allschools: SHINEDOWN is 17 years old. What do you have planned for the future? Keep making music and playing shows? Where do you see SHINEDOWN in 5 years?
Barry Kerch: We are still teenagers. We are just getting started. The plan is to keep making music and playing shows as long as we are able to. Like U2, Aerosmith, Def Leppard etc. we just want to keep doing what we love. In 5 years I imagine we will be releasing and touring our 7th record.
Allschools: Best and worst concert in SHINEDOWN history. When, where and why?
Barry Kerch: Best concert for me (Barry) so far has been the Iron Maiden London shows that we played last year. Iron Maiden is a very big influence on me and to open for them was a dream come true. Worst concert was a couple of years ago at a festival in Brazil. It was our first time being there and we were extremely excited to play. Unfortunately our audio team had major issues. We were 20 minutes behind while they tried to fix all the problems and we only had a 40 minute time slot. Once we finally got on stage it was a nightmare. We couldn’t even tell what we were playing the mix was such a mess, and the crowd just kept pointing at their ears saying they couldn’t hear us. It was mortifying! We definitely need to go back and give them a proper show.
Allschools: Thank you for your time answering our questions! Any last words?
Barry Kerch: Thank you for supporting us. I hope everyone is enjoying Attention Attention and we will see you very soon.
Im Sommer spielt die Band sowohl bei Rock am Ring und Rock im Park sowie eine exklusive Clubshow in Hamburg:
02.06.2018 - Rock am Ring
03.06.2018 - Rock im Park
06.06.2018 - Hamburg, Gruenspan
