21 GUNS

2 extraits de démo 2008 "Messin' with mine" et "The Wall"

http://www.myspace.com/21gunss

Vivement un album !!!!!

Interview de LEIF JOHANSEN du July 10, 2008

Leif Johasen of 21 Guns
Salutations
By The Atomic Chaser and The Rocker

The '90's spawned a new breed of rock bands. Bands made up of extraordinary talent, that originated from other rock bands. These bands what are known today as "SUPER GROUPS". Bands such as Bad English that featured former members of Journey and The Babys. Then you have Damn Yankees, that featured members from Night Ranger, Styx and Ted Nugent. Both received commercial success. While Bad English and Damn Yankees did good, there were some that fell by the wayside and got overlooked. There was one band that came out around the same time but got caught in the riptide of the "Grunge Years" of rock music. That band was called, 21 GUNS. The band formed by guitarist Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy, along with co-founder, former A-ha bassist Leif Johansen. Hoping to get the same success as Bad English and Damn Yankkes, Gorham and Johansen recruited fellow Americans Tommy La Verdi on vocals and Michael Sturgis on drums.

By 1992 the band signed to RCA records and released their solid debut called, 'Salute' that received rave reviews, but went relatively unnoticed by the record buying public. After touring it was decided that Tommy La Verdi wasn't on the same page as the rest of the band, and with his departure the group disbanded. Scott Gorham began appearing at Thin Lizzy tribute shows while Michael Sturgis resurfaced with prog-rockers Asia. In 1997 Gorham decided to reform 21 Guns around new vocalist Hans Olav Solli formerly of the band Sons Of Angels. By the time their follow-up album 'Nothing's Real' was released, the music scene had completely changed, and a limited release in America killed any chance of the album breaking out commercially. The band released 'Demolition' in 2002. Many of their fans pretty much thought the band had thrown in the towel for good. While there have been rumours that 21 Guns might be reforming, it was just rumours. Then back in February of this year, the 21 Guns Myspace page was launched. As if to put more wood into the fire of curiosity, The Rocker and I wanted to find what was up. Was 21 Guns reforming or what?! We were able to make contact with 21 Guns co-founder, Leif Johansen. Here is what he shared with us.

AAM: Leif, thank you for sharing your time with us. So here is the 20 million dollar question. Is there a new 21 Guns album in the works? If, so how many songs have you already written for it?

LEIF JOHANSEN: We are sitting on quite a few songs/ideas but there are 8 new songs that we are digging and confident that they will make the album. Problem is that we have so many songs that we have never used and or recorded properly so we are sifting through them also… Looking for the diamond in the rough…

AAM: Are you surprised with the response you are getting since the 21 Guns Myspace page has gone up?

LJ: Yes, I am!!! I want to thank Ronnie for putting it all together for us… I would also like to thank a girl named Marija from Croatia who found a video of us playing in New York. That is just way too cool!!!

I have run into a lot of successful working musicians over the years and they would say stuff like, “The Salute record hasn’t left my CD player!!!” And I would say “Yeah, sure!!!” but then they would go off and start singing Tell me… or one of the other album tracks. That’s when the penny would drop and I would believe them. So when the Myspace site went up, and people from all over the world starting chiming in, it confirmed that maybe we weren’t totally full of shit after all…

AAM: How does Peter Shoulder compare, vocally to the band's previous vocalist?

LJ: What I love about Peter is that he has a blues approach to the melodies whereas Tommy had a pop approach and Solli a Coverdale thang… Nothing wrong with our first two singers but Scott and I have a tendency to write intricate grooves and melodies and when Peter puts his flavor on top it loosens it up and adds a lot of soul… I am feeling good about writing for his voice!!!

AAM: How did you come find out about Peter Shoulder? Were you already familiar with his work?

LJ: Peter had a band that had the warm up spot on a Lizzy tour and Scott called me up immediately and said he found the guy!!! I was sceptical right up until he jumped in front of the mic. Then I was sold!!!

AAM: 21 Guns is such a great rock band. Why do you suppose the band didn't get the recognition it should have gotten, when you guys first came out? Do you believe it was because of the state of the music scene was at the time?

LJ: The industry was going through some major changes at the time. Several cool bands got lost in the wake of Nirvana and grunge. Don’t get me wrong, I loved those bands too but everybody ran screaming from any rock band with a melody. Do you remember Giant??? Loved that band…

AAM: In your opinion, how has internet affected the music industry? Is it a good thing or bad thing?

LJ: I have always looked at the internet as being a good thing. But I have also stood on the sidelines pulling out my hair wondering why the record companies weren’t taking advantage of it. Napster came out and put everything into a spin. There is a strange discrimination out there these days in regards to paying for music. The general public feels that they have the right to download for free. They have no problem paying loads of money for a ring tone but the idea of paying a buck for a song is out of the question… Why is that??? Also, there are politicians over here in Scandinavia trying to get legislation making this legal… One of them is the agricultural minister and the other day a couple of musicians went and downloaded (acquired from his farm) one of his sheep and took him for a trip through the streets of Oslo. If people can download my art for free then why can’t I just walk into anybodies home and make myself a cup of coffee or a sandwich? Another aspect of this is why do we stand by and let Bill Gates and Steve Jobs make programs that make it so easy for even my 75 year old mother to be able to download and burn a CD… Their disclaimer isn’t good enough... They need to take responsibility. The technology is out there but no one feels the need to put it to use. It has only been since people have started downloading films that action has been taken.

Sorry for the tirade but I love the internet!!! I love it that 21 Guns can have a direct link to the people listening. I love it that the record companies no longer have a stranglehold on art… But let’s educate John Q. Public that it takes time and money to make a record and that the only way that we will continue to have cool new bands and new records from existing bands is to lay some cash on the table and show some appreciation…

AAM: Now during time apart from 21 Guns, you released, 'WHITEFLOWER' with your band LIFE in 2006, was the album released in the States? What other projects have recently completed?

LJ: 'Life' really isn’t a band… It’s my solo project. I am almost finished with my next one too… I am using some of the same line up as on the first album but I also got my good friends Matt and Gregg Bissonette on some tracks. We went to school in Texas together back in the day and we are all fellow Michiganians…. The White Flowers album can be found on Itunes in the states and also on www.cdbabycom. I got some really good reviews but it is a departure from what I do with 21 Guns and other projects so I am taking the attitude of “Let’s throw it out there and see if anybody bites!!!” I still feel that word of mouth is the only way to start anything, so feel free to start spreading the word… I chose the name Life because that is how you pronounce my name… Got tired of having to explain “you don’t say Budweeser!!!” But having said that I might go back to using my real name for the next one…

AAM: Talk to us about your studio, 'Stable Studios'.

LJ: Might be an idea to explain my studios origin… I have always been a gear whore. So I have accumulated loads of stash over the years. So add that to my endless search for control and the sound I am hearing in my head and there you have it… Stable Studios!!! I ran into Georg Wadenius (guitarist) some years back and when I found this old stable in the heart of Oslo (where the old King used to keep his horses) I asked Georg if he wanted a room here. Well, it quickly grew into us building a full scale professional recording studio. Floating floors etc. I bought out Georg last year but we still do a lot of productions together… . I work with a lot of different artists. I love it all!!! I mix Classical/Jazz/Rock/country and Rap records. The list is long… Gonna track a record in Nashville this August so I look forward to working in another studio with some of the good old boys!!!

AAM: What can look forward to from you in 2008?

LJ: Well, My new solo record for one!!! Next would be the new 21 Guns record and then Scott and I are putting together a new Lizzy record. It has been Scotts dreams to do new arrangements of all those great classic songs!!! With new and old friends joining in on the fun!!! That CD will most likely hit the streets next year sometime… There is always something cookin’ so thanks for staying tuned in!!!

AAM: We have to ask and we know your fans would like to know. Would you guys be up to doing a 21 Guns Tour?

LJ: Absolutely!!! That’s the idea…

Did you hear that?! A new 21 Guns record as well as new THIN LIZZY record?!!! Plus, the idea of 21 Guns touring! The gods of rock have truly heard our prayers! The Rocker and I along with All Access Magazine would like to thank Leif for sharing his time with us!