MM - Please introduce the band. Who are the members of
Snakeryder, when was the band first formed and how has it evolved
to its current membership?
I’m AJ FedZ,
lead guitarist, lead vocalist & founder of the band. Karl Karlston is the
rhythm Guitarist. Dino Castano is on the Drums and last but not least is
our new bass player Mikk Black.
Mikk recently replaced our original
bassist Joey Reno. Unfortunately Joey is no longer with us. He decided to
become the family man, cut his hair and go back to school. A man's got to
do, what a man's got to do, and we wish him
well.
The evolution of the band is only a state of mind. As a result of
our first release, we are a band that is now on the map and it feels
great!
MM - How would you describe your style of music to someone who isn’t familiar
with the band and who are your musical influences?
To keep it
plan and simple, we’re an old school hard rock band. We have been compared
to Y&T and Cinderella. We all have different rock heroes, I would just say we all grew up
on 70’s & 80’s hard rock &
metal.
MM - Where did the name ‘Snakeryder’ come from and what does it represent? Also can
you remember any of the other names you toyed with before agreeing on this
one?
I came up with the name. When I first sign the deal with Metal Mayhem, I was
pretty much a solo artist. I always believed a rocker should have a cool
stage name, so I was looking for a cool solo
artist name. My father used to call me Snake & Duke when I was a kid. I
threw the name Rex into the equation and finally decided to call myself
Snake. Now I needed a last name. One I toyed around with was Rattler. So I
would have been either Rex Rattler or Snake Rattler.
In New Jersey we have
a big Truck rental company called Ryder Trucks. I slept on it for a few
day then decided that Ryder was going to be
my last name. So I was to be Snake Ryder the solo artist with a band. When MMM signed me, they were dead set on Snakeryder being a
band. So I made them happy and a band it is. The name snake does
not refer to a man's penis and
ryder is not an action in this case.
J
MM -
You are all seasoned musicians, but what bands have you all appeared in
over the years?
We have all
been in many bands over the years. One band I was in many moons ago was
called White Fox. The band eventually evolved into the name Light Years. Jeff La
Bar from Cinderella was the original guitarist for the band. They
had a half dozen guitarist after him, then settled with me in 1990. Dino has player with Vick Le Car, and various New
York Bands. Mikk has worked with solo artist Mike Galleger. Mike is a Fastlane records
artist. Karl is like the band whore, he has been with everybody.
J
MM - Your
debut album ’Snakeryder’ is out on Z Records and available to the public
at large, what sort of feedback have you received from the fans and media
so far?
We have
received a lot of emails from fans telling us our music has brought them
back to yesteryear, and we have made them some pretty happy campers. We’ve
have had requests to sign photos, guitar picks CD booklets and what ever
would make them happy. We have also received a lot of great CD reviews.
MM - It would be great if you could give us a short statement of three or four
sentences about each song on the new album. Just what comes in your mind
when you think about the song ...
To be
honest with you, I can sum this question up very briefly. The songs on the
debut just plain and simple, ROCK! What comes to mind is the sense of
accomplishment. The album is out there and we can move on to the next
project which is Snakeryder # TWO.
MM - How did you come to hook up with Z Records and what sort of deal do you
have with them? Was it just for the release of ‘Snakeryder’ or does it
go further than that?
My friend
Danny Danzi was a Z artist so I knew of the label. I sent Z a demo about
four years ago and never heard a word from them. Danny had asked Mark
what he thought of my demo, and Mark said he didn’t get it in the mail. I
never bothered to send him another demo. I ended up hooking up with Kivel
records.
My Kivel experience was not up to standards or my
expectations, so I walked. I then signed a
deal with Metal Mayhem Music. After we were released from the MMM
contract, Nicky at AOR dream zones told me Z records was interested in the
band. I sent the Snakeryder DOA CD to Mark at
Z records and four years later, we’re on Z Records. We signed a two
album, four year licensing deal.
MM - The band have had some unfortunate bad luck with their previous record
companies. You must feel a lot happier now to have found a new home with
Z Records. Was there ever a time you felt like jacking it all in and
forgetting about your dreams to be a musician?
For now on
lets refer to our former label as “WHO”? J
Sure, we’re much happier. Z Records are a real indie label. They have some
pretty heavy hitters on their roster. It’s great
to be part of the Z family. Before we signed with Z, I was done with
everything, ready to retire and move to
Florida. J
I gave Z Records one last shot at the music business. Mark Alger saved my
life and career. (Hey Mark, if your reading
this, send us some Snakeryder CD’s or I’ll
send my boys over there)
J
MM - Do you have any plans to tour in support of this new album and if so when
is this likely to take place?
There is
not a tour in the near future. We are hard at work on our sophomore
release. If there is any tour, it will most likely be after our next
release. We may appear at Z rock in April.
I would like to educate your
readers. It cost approximately 10 thousand dollars a week to put a band
on tour. Expenses to include: Tour bus, food, road
manager, road crew, insurance, etc. The monies an unknown artist
will generate, is not enough to break even. That’s when the record
company offers the band TOUR SUPPORT. The record company then makes a
decision whether or not a tour will increase CD’s sales and be worth the
effort.
On the other hand, if we sell a decent number of CD’s in the next
six months or so, we may have some bargaining power. Time will tell.
MM - What
are your favourite tracks from the new CD? If you had only one chance to
turn people on to Snakeryder, which song would you have them listen to, to
get a feel for what you guys are all about?
My favourites would have to be: Got No Time For Romance,
Love It Bites &
Danger Zone. I would turn people on to the above titles.
MM - Where do you think ’Snakeryder’ fits into today's
overall music scene?
I don’t think
Snakeryder fits in with today’s music scene at all. As a person, I don’t
live my life trying to fitting in period. The direction of my music is a
reflection of who I am, and the guys in Snakeryder are my army.
MM - How long did it take for the new album to be created from the first initial
conception to the finished product?
I would say recording the album took about six months. After the recording was completed, Metal Mayhem Music was going
to have Mike Vescera mix the album. One thing
led to another, then MMM put it on the back burner. I got so fed up with
waiting, I bought a stamp that said cancelled.
I then stamped the MMM contract, had it notarized by a lawyer and then
sent it back to them.
With delays beyond our control, I guess it took
around two years to record mix, master and release the album. Of course
at the time, we patched things up with MMM & then finally released DOA.
MM - Did
you all agree on your particular sound at the very beginning or were there
any clashes over musical ideas?
I was the producer of our debut. From the start I was and have
always been the focal point of the band. I had 100 songs to bring to the
table, a 24 track recording studio, 10 years of recording engineering and
I secured the bands first record deal. The guys in the band are pretty
easy going and stand behind me and support my decisions.
MM - Have
you started work on a follow up album yet and if so can you tell us
anything about it and when we can expect to see it released?
Yes! The new
record will be more high octane in comparison to our debut. Sort of like
80‘s Kiss. We started preproduction during this past summer and started
the actual recording of the album in September. The projected release date
is April or May. However, there is always a chance of obstacles that may
set things back a tad bit.
MM - Who
normally writes for Snakeryder and what would you say fuels your lyrics?
I write all the
lyrics. I generally write about relationships gone bad, getting my little
noodle wet & life experiences.
MM - Do you consider that image is still as important as it was in the late
80's/early 90's?
Believe it or
not, the bands of today have an image. An image is always present. It’s a
rather dull image, but it's still an image. In the 70‘s, 80‘s & early
90‘s, bands had a more flamboyant image.
Is image important? That answer
lies in the eyes of the beholder. I for one won’t be seen on stage or
photos looking like I just rolled out of bed or ready to play basket ball.
J
MM - What is the
overall attitude in the States to hair bands? Is it positive or completely
negative? What’s your view of big hair bands who totally change their
style to fit into a current fashionable musical bandwagon style?
First of all I
don’t consider my band a big hair band. Having long hair was always the
traditional thing to do. I’m from the 80‘s, so to me long hair is the
norm. I view your question as one that only the younger generation can answer.
Example: My parents were from the 50‘s, so Elvis, Buddy Holly &
Chuck Berry was their cup of tea or flavour. When the late 60‘s & 70‘s
hit, bands like: Deep Purple, The Beatles & The Who were on the charts. At that time my father bitched that the Duck Tail hair style was out, but
he still slicked his shit back.
Twenty years from now, what will we call
the bands that set the trends in the 90‘s & 2000? The Retard Bands,
Egg Head Bands, The Baseball Cap - Baggy Pants Bands? J
If bands from yesteryear find it in their best interest to let society's
threshold hold them back from being who they are, I have no problem with
that. They're just trying to rekindle a lost
music career.
MM -
What
was the very first concert that you ever attended and did you ever think
one day you'd be the one standing on the stage in front of all those
crowds of cheering people?
My first
concert was Aerosmith 1977.
Damn, I’m getting old! I won’t tell you my
age, but people still think I’m around 29 to 32. J
Sure, I always dreamed of playing in an arena in front of twenty thousand
screaming people. Unfortunately, I didn’t get there yet. But then again, I
ain’t dead yet! J
MM - What do you hope the future holds for the band and its music?
Well you don’t know
what the future may bring. I just take one day at a time and continue to
do what I do best. Ultimately, I’d like to see bands let go of the
current trends and go back to the roots. Snakeryder will hopefully be leading the pack.
MM - Lastly,
is there anything you would like to say to all our readers out there? PLEASE DO NOT BUY THE
METAL MAYHEM VERSION OF OUR DEBUT!
Thank you for your time
doing the interview, I enjoyed it! I’d like to say thank you to everybody
that has paid their hard earned cash for a copy of our album. Whether it
be on MMM or Z Records. Thank you so much!
Everyone is welcome to send us an email at
rydethesnake@snakeryder.com,
we’re a friendly band. Don’t be shy, we will
get back to all who send us email.
