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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 10th
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.
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How
did you adapt to being in a band that already had 3 albums out
and had already been establishing itself in Switzerland, was
this an easy transition for you?
Mark – Well it was not
something I said yes I have to do this now. At first I had
to really think about it. What happens to me if all the
fans they already have in Switzerland and Germany decide not to
accept me? But I decided to give it a chance and I knew if it
was like that, and they said we don’t want that singer, then
I’m not that depressed, but it wasn’t at all like that.
The first concerts were really cool, the people were watching
and they said yeh this could be
a good thing and after the 'Rising' album came out, they said
yes this is really cool and this was a real success for Shakra.
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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.
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Can
I ask you about a couple of the other songs off the album?
Cardiophobia' – what does the lyrics mean to that song?
Mark -
Cardiophobia is if you have a fear of having a heart attack.
Acherons
Way?
Mark – We made the music as an acoustic ballad, but it is
not a happy one, or a love song. I heard the music first, then we
did the melody. It’s about a river that goes to the underworld
and in Greek mythology this is called Acheron. There comes the guy
with the boat and he comes there and he picks you up. You
give him a coin, but this is the
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story
of a guy who’s waiting and the boat is coming and all the time
it's coming and then it goes but he can’t go with it, there is
something in his life that has to change before he can leave so he
can't go with the boat.
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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!) |