Twinmusix chat with Todd, Neil and Tyla from Phil Campbell and the Bastard sons About their new album and more.
Twinmusix catch with Neil, Todd and Tyla from Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons to talk about their album launch and more.
What can fans expect from your new album?
Todd - Hopefully songs you can listen to and enjoy, we just wrote the best songs we could at the time. Hopefully there are some people that agree with us.
How did you come up with your album cover for Age of Absurdity?
Neil - The album cover was Todd's idea and we knew a local artist called Matt riffs. When people buy the album on vinyl I think they will be very happy with the artwork, we are all very proud with the front cover and the artwork.
What was it like working with Dave Brock from Hawkwind for your bonus track Silver Machine?
Todd - With modern technology these days he didn't even come to the studio with us, Phil has known Dave for a long time through the Motorhead connection, it's a song we have played live in the set for a while. It was Phil's idea to play the song, he loves Hawkwind, so he messaged Dave and Dave texted him back “well that is raining today, so I have nothing else to do”. So he jumped in his home studio and put guitars synthesisers and vocals on the track and sent it over to our producer and our producer mixed it into the stuff that we had done. We are very pleased that he was able to work on the track, I think it makes the track more legitimate.
Neil - We got a message saying the files have been sent and we were all really excited to hear what he had done to the Track. We literally had no idea what he was going to do, we just told him to do his thing on it.
What was your experience playing Waken Open Air for the first time?
Todd - That was crazy, a lot of traveling was done and we were all quite jet-lagged. That was the first gig that we changed our name to Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, with an all-star lineup. The banner came down and we played to about 10000 people in the tent.
Neil - It was amazing! Seeing every little detail like the name on the backdrop for the first time. Seeing this huge tent with an amazing reception and then an amazing gig, we opened the gig with a song called Big Mouth Bits, we have never played live before but definitely one we will remember.
Your album was mastered in Abbey Road Studios, how does it feel to have your album recorded in such an iconic studio?
Todd - I'm a big Beatles fan so for me it's a nice touch having it mastered there, but ultimately we let the producer decide where it was going to get mastered. When he told us that he had gotten stuffed mastered at Abbey Road Studios before, we were very happy to have our work mastered there as he had always been happy with how there stuff turned out. It is an iconic name and an iconic place so we knew it would sound even better if he mastered it there. We were really happy.
Neil - it looks so cool in the album credits where it says “mastered at Abbey Road Studios”. When we got the masters back we were all really happy with the final product, we were happy with that decision.
Can you tell us any stories about touring With Guns ‘n’ Roses?
Todd - I was the only one in the room and there was a knock on the door and it was Slash and stuff, that was pretty cool, they came to say hi. Playing to that many people every night was incredible and watching them every night was incredible! We would love to do that again.
How did you come to sign with Nuclear Blast for your newest album?
Todd - They were one of the labels to reach out to us, and had an interest in signing us. They're a big label anyway and I know Phil made a few phone calls to a few of his friends, who are already signed to nuclear blast, and he got some honest feedback on the label. Everything he heard back from his friends was positive so that was the final stamp of approval, they are a lovely bunch of people and they’re really pushing us hard which is what we wanted. We wanted them to be as much into this project as we are which is what they are doing.
If you could have any band play one of your songs which song and in your style or there's?
Todd - Pearl Jam play Big Mouth in their style, I think Eddie would kick the shit out of that song.
I'm a big fan of that song.
Neil - I would have AC/DC do Freak Show off our album with Angus and Brian Johnson.
How was it playing hellfest?
Todd - I always think it's a Stand Out festival with the best lineup every year, the main stage was incredible.
What stage equipment do you use?
Tyla - Dave uses Sonor drums and he has for many years now. Phil and Todd use Marshall amps, I use orange amps and Fender basses, my Dad uses relish guitars from Switzerland that has a beard logo on the front and a middle finger on the back of the Guitar.
what gear do you use in the studio?
Todd - I think my Dad uses Bogner guitar amps and pedals
Tyla - yeh it's Bogner, he uses that on a lot of the recordings. Their electro harmonix pedals are also pretty good to record with.
How did you come up with your new band name?
Neil - It was a joke suggestion because none of Phil's kids were born out of wedlock, they are not bastard sons in anyway, when I suggested it people were smiling and liked it. We ended up sticking with it, I know Tylas Mum wasn't happy for a while with the name but it's a good name.
Anything else you want to announce to your fans?
Neil - We hope you enjoy the album and we hope you can come to Australia soon to play some shows.
CHECK OUT ALBUM RELEASE LINK HERE - PHIL CAMPBELL ALBUM RELEASE
PRE ORDER LINK HERE - http://www.philcampbell.net/
