Now we have finally get our first interview up, hopefully more will follow in the future. Here we go...
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4 quickies to Paul Bonrud (right on picture) from Bonrud:
Favourite album: Journey - Escape
Favourite musician: Neal Schon
Favourite song: There are way too many to mention! This is always the hardest question for me to answer. How about Journey's "Don’t Stop Believin"? Next week it'll be something different! :)
Favourite own song: "Desperate Heart" |
Tell us a little bit of your background.
I grew up in Minnesota the son of a professional musician. I started singing when I was a child. I learned how to play the piano, violin, and baritone horn but the only instrument I ever really wanted to play was the guitar. I started playing guitar when I was a teenager and have been rockin' ever since! :) I played in bands and eventually started working as a session guitarist in Minnesota before moving to Seattle. I also studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Coincidentally, Keith Olsen is a fellow Scandinavian from Minnesota and also studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He and I actually have a lot in common which is why we easily became good friends.
How did it all started out with this, Your debut-record?
It really all began with me recording some demos on an old ADAT 8 track by myself. I had quite a few songs written and so I eventually needed to find a good singer. One thing lead to another and before I knew it, I was recording real drums (no drum machines!), working with six time Grammy winning producer Keith Olsen, and had a record deal! Truthfully, this CD was all about sticking to my vision, never giving up on my dreams, and working my tail off. I also had to pay for everything myself so it was really a labor of love. This CD never would have been completed had I not devoted all of my time and energy to seeing this through to completion.
Is it old friends who play with you or did you have a “traditional” addition?
Meeting Dave Hendricks: I was writing lots of melodic rock songs that required an exceptional vocalist. I knew quite a few vocalists in town but none of them had what I wanted. So, I put out an ad for a vocalist that could sing like Steve Perry, Lou Gramm, or Brad Delp. I was VERY explicit because most of the guys in town do not have what it takes to sing like my favorite singers. I was tired of auditioning people in person because I have a hard time hurting people's feelings so I requested demo tapes be sent to my P.O. Box. I waited a couple weeks and when I went to my post office, only one person had sent me a tape and that was Dave. I listened to the tape (it turns out it was a demo he recorded back in the late 80's) and liked what I heard. The rest is history! :)
Meeting Paul Higgins: Paul Higgins and I played together in a modern rock band called Battery Kate. We recorded a few demos and he's a perfectionist like myself. I was hired to play the Jim Evans recording sessions and then I in turn got him hired to play the sessions as well. We even ended up playing shows with the Jim Evans band so Paul and I have played a lot of gigs together over the past few years and have made lots of recordings together. He's a great guy and he totally lives for the music.
Why did you choose Keith Olson to produce Your record and how did you get in contact with this legend?
Keith was helping a good friend of mine, Mark Hopkins design a recording studio (Big Rock Recording). I met Keith one day at the studio site while it was under construction and I gave him a CD consisting of four demos. He gave me some suggestions and I went back to work on the songs. Eventually when it was time to mix the CD, I asked Keith if he had some time to mentor me in the studio just for a few hours. He listened to the first song, gave me some suggestions of things to change/redo and then he came out the next week and mixed the song. He had so much fun working with me in the studio that he wanted to mix the rest of the songs. He's really become a great friend and continues to mentor me. I have learned so much from him. He really is a great guy and his willingness to help me on this CD project speaks volumes for the kind of man he is. I really respect him...
Did you thought long about a band name before choosing just Bonrud or was it meant to be?
Hahaha! This is a great question. We used to be called "The Originals" but then we found out that there was already a band called "The Originals" so we changed our name to "The New Originals". (That’s a little bit of "Spinal Tap" humor for ya!) Actually, we did have a different name originally but we discovered another band or two were already using the name so in the end, we settled for using "Bonrud". I think it’s a fitting name for the band since this really was my project. There's no mistaking that I'm the driving force behind this CD. I played most of the instruments, wrote 80% of the music and lyrics and I produced and financed the entire CD by myself. I even paid Dave and Paul for their efforts. I'm the only one who was there from the first note to the last and every note in between. Well…my dog Barney was there for most of it too but nobody else even comes close! :)
Which influences do You have and why?
Journey is my favorite band and Neal Schon is the one who first inspired me to play the guitar as a teen. I grew up listening to my older sister's Journey records and it was Journey's live "Captured" album that especially made me want to play the guitar. I used to listen to that record, close my eyes, and imagine that it was me up on stage playing those amazing guitar solos!! Neal still inspires me to this day. Other bands that have influenced me are Def Leppard, Foreigner, Boston, Van Halen, Bryan Adams, The Eagles, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, and Giant (Dann Huff is an amazing guitarist!) Dave Hendricks was very influenced by Foreigner and Lou Gramm in particular but he is also a HUGE Styx fan. Dave's favorite album was by Foreigner but I think Styx is his favorite band. Paul Higgins loves the rockin' stuff and always seems to show up to sessions and gigs wearing Iron Maiden, Kiss, or Ozzy t-shirts. He's really a student of the drums though and has taken tips from lots of great drummers like Kenny Aronoff.
Is there something about Your record that You are disappointed with and why is that?
I'm absolutely thrilled with the CD and I'm very proud of it. I did the best I could with the resources and skills I had at the time. I've learned a lot through the process of recording the CD and especially after having worked with Keith Olsen. I'm eager to begin recording my next CD so that I can put my new knowledge and skills to work. Keith is giving me some direction in regard to where I should record the drums in particular. I will be going to a very expensive, very large studio with a HUGE room to do the drums for the next CD.
You have a new record in planning, will You use the same musicians and producer on that one?
I'm still in the planning stages but right now the answer is "yes". I actually produced the current CD while Keith mixed it, though he told me just the other day that he'd love to help me produce the next CD from the very beginning. It was pretty funny when he was telling me that because he said to me…"You do know I can produce a pretty good album don't you?" Hahaha!!! I grew up listening to his records and I was always somewhat mesmerized by his name on the back of the albums. There was something magical about seeing "Produced by Keith Olsen for Pogologo Corporation". I actually got chills when I saw my name next to his on the back of my CD. It's quite an honor to have been able to work with him. Honestly though, whether or not I have Keith produce the next CD depends an awful lot on the financial support I receive from the label and how well this CD sells. Regardless, I'm sure Keith will be involved one way or the other because he's become a very good friend and a mentor. Once I get done doing all of the promo work for this CD, I'm going to start rehearsing four new songs with the guys and will go into a studio to cut the basic tracks. I may have my friend Mark Parris play the bass on those songs so that we can cut the tracks live as a band. I've already spoken to Paul Higgins about playing the drums so it'll probably be the three of us laying the stuff down live. Dave would then sing the vocals after everything else is finished.
What do You think of the AOR-scene today? Does it grow and which bands today do You think are the biggest?
I think this style of music is starting to make a resurgence. "The Darkness" in particular is bringing back fun arena rock but I hear elements of melodic rock in lots of pop, rock, and nu-metal bands today. It's there...heck, during the 90's grunge period I think most of the really good musicians in America moved to Nashville to do modern country which is really just pop music with a bit of a twang. Dann Huff is the perfect example of this since he moved to Nashville to continue as a session guitarist, but eventually turned into a world class producer producing Faith Hill. I hear AOR musical drama in her hits "Cry" and "When The Lights Go Down". Good music never goes away and neither does great musicianship...it just moves around until it finds its niche so that it can shine for the whole world to hear. I'd love to hear great bands like Journey have big radio hits again but realistically, radio is very controlled right now. I think the internet is the equalizing force and will allow more new music from old bands like Journey and new music from new bands like Bonrud to be heard. The internet is every little band's best hope to be heard! :)
Will You do a tour with this record and if so, when and where?
Touring is very expensive so it does depend on how well it sells. Keith has encouraged us to do a small tour in Japan and Europe but it costs a lot of money to do this. So if the CD sells well, we might be coming to a stage near you very soon! :)
What are your plans for the future, besides the new record?
Right now I'm just doing everything I can to promote my current CD while the wheels are turning in the background with planning for the next CD. I am also discussing plans for playing live gigs with the guys. Hopefully we can start rehearsing once I'm done with all of the promotional activities. I've also been hired to play guitar on two other CD's so I'll be doing those recording sessions over the next couple months.
Thanks and keep rocking!
Thank you so much for interviewing me Johan! I'd also like to thank everyone who has supported me by purchasing the Bonrud CD. The only way independent artists can afford to keep making music is if people support them by purchasing their CD's. You can check out my website at www.bonrud.com for news, bios, pictures, and sound clips of the CD. Thanks again and ROCK ON! :)
