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Tri State Corner: Peaceful Metal with Bouzouki
Interview with vocalist Lucky of Tri State Corner in January 2009 by Patrick
We wanted to learn more about this great band. Tri State Corner was my best newcomer in 2008. Their debut album “Ela Na This†just blew my socks off. We sent Lucky (vocalist) some questions and this is what we found in our mailbox.
Hello Lucky, First of all I must congratulate you with the fantastic release ‘Ela Na This’. I reviewed this CD on our website and called it one of my best newcomers of the year. Where did you guys meet and when did you start this band?
We’ve been friends for a couple of years. Janni, Christoph and myself (Lucky) started to work on our band in 2001 already. Before we had different other music projects running. The real birth of Tri State Corner though, was in 2004. At that time with another name, but with the first songs going in the direction of what we are today. After several line up changes, we fixed the band with Markus and finally with Chris. By the way: Chris, Janni and myself are friends for more than 20 years…that makes life easier hehe…
I know where the name of the band comes from, but could you please explain the readers very briefly where Tri State Corner comes from? And where the music stands for?
The name is pretty much describing our heritage. We are from three different countries (Greece, Poland and Germany), so we created a new Tri State Corner with those countries. But the name and the band stand for much more than this. In times of racial hatred and disrespect, we want to tell:†hey, despite of having different roots, we managed to create something, to be productive, to have fun and give something back…it is something great, why don’t you try itâ€
I was very impressed by the way the bouzouki perfectly fits into the music. Are you the first metal/rock band to use this instrument in this kind of music? Who came up with the idea? What is the reaction of the metal audience towards the use of this unusual instrument?
As far as we know, there is no other band at the moment combining real Hard Rock with a bouzouki…there are Greek Bands playing Greek music with this instrument and put some Rock influences in it…but not vice versa…which is good for us. The idea came up during holidays in Greece…as we did both Rock music and also traditional Greek music in different bands for a long time, we had this “stupid†idea while sitting with our partners at the beach. At that day we wrote the key elements of ‘Ela Na This’…holidays in Greece…it increases you creativity…
I feel that progressive rock music is the only kind of music where musicians tend to take risks, break barriers and bring lots of influences into their music. Do you agree?
Yes and no. Of course progressive rock gives a lot room for doing experiments…but in the last years Hard Rock and Heavy Metal musicians came up with risky new stuff as well…just think about all the bands from Finland, Sweden or Germany with their middle age style…apart from the very classic Hard Rockers there are a lot of innovative bands out there…
Would you call your kind of music progressive? What do you consider being progressive music? Are there any bands into the progressive rock scene you like?
I think we are influenced by progressive bands, so in a way…yes we have progressive parts in our stuff. Progressive music to me overcomes the standard 3 minutes Intro, verse, Bridge, Chorus structure of a song. More parts, more experimental stuff, more complex…probably more themes and emotional ups and downs within one song. I saw 19 times Dream Theater live, I have all their albums and the rest of the band is also very much supporting them. Besides this band, I think Rush are the gods of progressive rock, Fates Warning brought this style even one step ahead and there are much more examples we could tell…come to the next show for a beer and we will spend the whole night talking about this kind of bands hehe…
I compared the music to Vanden Plas. Do you agree? Do you know this band? Do you like them or even consider to contact them and tour together?
We know them, we love their stuff and we would definitely go for a tour with them!!!
I am sure a lot of fans are waiting to hear your music live. Any plans for coming to Belgium in the near future?
Yes, we will do some shows in the Netherlands, Luxemburg and also in Belgium. Our distributor and also booking partner in this area are Rock Inc….very good guys and I am sure they will organize something cool.
We are near the end of the year and critics always like to make their best of... lists. What would you consider being the best CD's released in 2008?
1. Alterbridge (Blackbird)
2. Daniel Wirtz (11 Zeugen)
3. 3 Doors Down (3 Doors Down)
4. Pink (Funhouse)
5. Disturbed (Indestructible)
What are your top 10 all time favourite CD's?
1. Dream Theater (Images And Words)
2. Queensryche (Operation Mindcrime)
3. Iron Maiden (Seventh Son of the Seventh Son)
4. Pearl Jam (Everything)
5. Alterbridge (Blackbird)
6. Alterbridge (One Day Remains)
7. Bullet For My Valentine (The Poison)
8. Pantera (Cowboys From Hell)
9. System Of A Down (Everything)
10. 3 Doors Down (Everything)
What is your ultimate ambition with this band? What do you guys do for a living (beside playing in this band)?
We want to carry our music style to the world…and were fighting for years now and we will do the same for the further years…where it is going to lead to? Don’t know…wherever. The best part is not to be at the top, but the way to the top. We are in different businesses. Three of us in Music Business (Studio and Production, Backline Hire, Sales & Marketing, Musician), One of us is a Manager in Automotive Business and one is a Student. It is good to have a job allowing you to invest into what you love most.
Some metal fans might think this music is too mainstream, some rock/pop fans might think the music is too heavy. Do you agree?
Yes, I agree…and some might think this is interesting and new / unique…never heard before…I kind of like it ïŠ
The ‘Ela Na This’ release is in all ways very professional: cover art, production, mixing, video, web site... The whole package looks great. Who is the creative brain behind all this?
I am not kidding in saying…the Band is the creative brain. We are very well organized and everybody has his strength and responsibility…for example Christoph is the production guy. He owns a Studio and knows most about this stuff. Markus is Mr. Web…he is very talented in those things, Homepage, MySpace etc. In addition we have a good Team like Manager, Label, Publisher, Designer, Producer, PR Lady etc. The good news in our case is, everybody is really working…but the Engine for Everything is the Band!!! A Label or Publisher, an Agency or Producer can only do their work if the Band is burning…this is what we are…we are burning for TSC.
This CD will most likely open new doors and possibilities. Have you already been contacted by major record companies? Or are you happy with the way your actual record company is working? In Germany there are some big "metal/progressive" labels? Any reaction from them?
We had lots of reactions on that album!!! Recently we were in the US and did a preproduction with Tony Bongiovi (Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, Ramones etc.). We will do our next album recordings this year at the Power Station Studios in the US, produced by Tony Bongiovi. The album will stay in Europe at the same label, but we will be distributed by Sony Music, which is one step further. In the US we will of course have a release as well (our first one) but we don’t know who will make the deal…Tony will for sure get the right partners!
Geplaatst door Vera op woensdag 04 februari 2009 - 00:40:39
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