It's Swiss made, but it's definitely far from from being cheesy.  Rumours say that when this band got together in the late 90's for their first rehearsals, even the cows on the mountains were shaken so much that they gave butter instead of milk.  With their new album 'Infected' about to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public we catch up with lead singer Mark Fox to find out more...

Would you like to start by telling us a little about the bands history, what the name represents and how you came to join Shakra?
Mark – Shakra as a band was founded in 1997, so now we're into our 10^th year anniversary.  It’s a good thing to have a new release out now which is our best one yet.  We are really happy with the production, with the songs, with the whole package.  We have the motivation. 

The name Shakra comes from the tradition that there are energy points in the body.  So when Shakra was founded they had to try and search a name for hard rock band which had energy and this fits perfectly.  They also had to have a name that was not that long, a very short name that is easy to say in any language.  You can say this in any language as it’s the same in all languages. 

It’s a little bit of problem with Shakira, with Hammerfall on the last night of the tour they made us an ‘i’ on the name on the backdrop and we didn’t see it.  We went on stage and all the audience they were laughing and I thought this is very strange here in Slovania, very strange place.  Then some time I turned around to the drummer and I see the ‘i’ and I knew it’s not because we play shitty or something like that! (laughs)

The band had another singer called Pete Wiedmar until the album 'Power Ride'.  He had to leave the band suddenly because of health reasons.  He had some problems, he's not a lucky one this guy, he had epilepsy and that’s not so good.  He forgot everything and the band were very anxious that he might forget something on stage, so they decided as a whole that they were going to quite with that.  Then they searched for a new singer and at that time I was about to finish my own solo project, a Swish/German project, all AC/DC cover songs called ‘A Touch Too Much’. 

Maybe this will become a famous song in the UK and everyone will want to hear it?
Mark – Ah but then AC/DC will get the money so that’s not so cool, but for the lyrics me.  At this time they searched for a singer and the manager of Shakra, who was a good friend of mine, they asked him if he knew someone who could replace Pete Wiermar and he said … "yes, of course I know somebody" … he sent them the cover of  ‘Touch Too Much’ and they said yes, it’s in Swiss/German but it sounds like Bon Scott so we should try that.  I don’t think it sounds like Bon Scott but it’s charming that they were hearing something like that.  Then I went there for a rehearsal.  They sent me a CD with 2 or 3 songs, I don’t remember which ones but I rehearsed them for a week.  Then I went to the rehearsal room, I sang it, they recorded it and we listened together.  It was really good and it fitted well together.  From this moment I was the new singer.  

Were you there for the writing and recording of the new album?
Mark – Well they had already begun with the song writing for the ‘Rising’ album and because they wanted to go further and they didn’t want to stop and wait till the new singer came, they already had 2 or 3 ideas and stuff like this.  So we decided yes we were going to do this.  The press was informed and the label and everybody were told yes we have the new singer.  Then we made new songs, made some demos, we had a concert that was 6 weeks after I joined the band, the Bang Your Head festival in Germany in front of 10,000 people or something like that.

The band left their previous label to join AFM at that point, was this due to development within the band itself?
Mark – There was a big change with how we did work.  That was the point that the guys in the band could say I’m going to give everything, I'm going to give everything up I have at home.  You have to have a good background to be able to do that, it’s never easy, but that was the point where we said now we’re going to make it and there’s no return. 

With Point Music we couldn’t do that.  We talked with Point Music and said we wanted more.  They did a good job for us but we said OK, we want to go further now.  We had a good discussion and they said we didn’t have the resources for that.  They said ... boys search for other deals, if you don’t find one come back.  That’s a very good point, very nice.  There are not many labels would do that.

What was the motivation from there onwards?  What was the motivation behind 'Fall', a much darker deeper album, less fun, less rock n' roll? 
Mark – Yes there is history to that.  After the ‘Rising’ album, which was a big success for everybody in the band, it was all new and the egos came out and that was the problem.  We had some problems between the different band members, little problems.  This one was always comes to rehearsals late, this one drinks too much ... When there’s all these little problems they suddenly made big problems.  You don’t like to go to rehearse.  There’s no motivation when you have feelings like that in a band.  That’s what you hear a little bit on ‘Fall’.  I don’t think ‘Fall’ is not a good album, I like that album, but you hear the depression that is strange on it.

After the ‘Fall’ album we went on tour with Stratovarius and Hammerfall and on this tour something happened, nobody knows what, but the band came back to each other.  For the members, it was like in the beginning.  Without thinking what we have to do to make this better, it was so cool.  Nothing changed, the other one still comes late, this one drinks too much (that’s me!), nothing changed but I think the respect has changed in the minds of every member.   

Because you are on tour for a month and that is a premier because the others last maybe 2 weeks, you begin to really know each other.  It was such a cool feeling because we were about to make a new album, we were going to do some song writing, it was so interesting, and it's real fun to make real music. 

Having done this album now and having the infection of the music, how are you hopeing to keep the motivation going in the band?
Mark – We have spent a lot of money, a lot of emotions, we’ve given everything you can give into this album and now we’re going to tour.  We don’t know how, but we’re going to do concerts.  At the moment I want to go out on stage as it’s nearly half a year since we last played so now I want to go on stage.  We’re going to do everything that is possible. 

It’s funny because the day before I went on this promo tour, Thomas Muster our rhythm guitarist sent me two new ideas for the next album!  He said ... go ahead and write some melodies, I said now I have to go and do the promos so wait a little bit and perhaps in 10 days I come back, wait 1 day and then you'll have the melodies! (laughs) It’s like we’re really motivated. 

If you could tour with anyone, who would it be?
Mark – I know which band I would like, Motley Crue or AC/DC but we can’t do that because we can’t pay that much.  Motley Crue would be better though because of their style of music. 

Can you tell us a little bit of background to the album?
Mark – The best thing is that if you have your own studio you have all the time in the world, so there is no need to look on the watch and say now we have to finish.  There’s no need, so you can relax and feel relieved.  When you go to the studio everything is done, the songs are already arranged, all the lyrics are done, everything is just as you want it.  Then you can record it. 

One week the guitar is finished, the next week the other guitar finished, things like that, this won’t work with Shakra.  Other bands can work like that but it won’t work with Shakra.  But that is a plus.  We also have a producer in the band, Thom who is our lead guitarist.  He has produced every Shakra album so he knows just how Shakra should sound.

For people who hear the band for the first time, what song would you suggest people should listen to? 
Mark – Well for me I’d say ‘Higher Love’, I really like this one.  I don’t know why, perhaps it has everything that my taste wants to have.  Huge melodies and the lyrics are very sarcastic.  I think this is one you have to listen to. 

The last thing is the cover, it looks fantastic and really stands out.  You said 'Infected' means you’re now going to have it punched into you and you’re going to be infected by it? 
Mark – Everybody in the band has said this.  Not just as a group but as individuals.  Everybody has these feelings, this pulse, this motivation.  We’re going to make the music we want, when we want and how we want.    

Finally, which do you prefer, to play live or to be in the studio?
Mark – That’s funny because when we make an album and go on tour I really like it, it's really cool, but after 200 concerts you say ... yeh maybe a holiday would be cool, or maybe we could go to the studio and do a new album? ... and everyone’s like Yeh!  Then when you are in the studio, after 2 weeks you miss it and you say ... yeh I want to go out on stage now!  It’s always the same. (laughs)

MM - We'd like to thank Mark for taking time out of his busy schedule to do this interview and wish him and the rest of the band every success with their new album 'Infected'.  This is Hard Rock at it's very best and is indeed extremely infectious.  Hopefully it won't be too long before we see the band on these shores.

Special Guest Interviewer - Mike Exley (Our man in the pub!)

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