LILLIAN AXE – The Acoustic Sessions
Interview with Steve Blaze
1) You have a new unplugged album coming out, please give us all the details.
This is a live CD/DVD/BLURAY of the event we held last with 100 guests including a 2 hour live acoustic show with a Q n A session and lots of bonus features. It was recorded in a Masonic Temple in Covington, La.
2) Do you have any plans for another studio album?
I am working on writing the new studio album as we speak!
3) Which is the current lineup of the band?
Still Eric Morris on bass, Sam Poitevent on gtr., Ken Koudelka on drums and Brian Jones on Vocals.
4) When and where are you going to tour for the album?
The U.S. and hopefully Europe, Canada and Japan.
5) Your first album was produced by Robin Crosby (Ratt). What do you remember from that period? Do you think that the Sunset Boulevard Party time had an effect on Robin’s health?
That was a wonderful period for us because everything was so new and exciting! I don’t think Robbin’s situation was because of the Sunset Strip mentality. He was a fantastic person, but I think he struggled with his fame and the situation he was in. He was very humble and kind.
6) How did you manage to survive during the party time of the 80s?
To the best of my knowledge few of the people from those days are still sober.
I never allowed the drinking and drug scene to become a part of my life. I was always the one in charge with lots of responsibilities. Other people relied on me. I am a control freak. so my mental faculties have to be in top shop.
7) What was your experience with MCA during your two albums with them?
They allowed us to make a name for ourselves but we were treated poorly. We were ignored, but we made the best of the situation and forged our name into the scene as best we could.
8) Did you have a direct discussion with Irving Azoff for the agreement? Was it a good deal for the band?
No, we had management, if you care to call it that, as the middleman. The deal was very convoluted and might have been beneficial if all parties had performed their jobs properly.
9) What are your favorite and worst memories from the music industry?
The great memories are the tours, the fans and the travelling. The bad memories are the disappointments caused by poor management and labels.
10) What is the influence of technology in the current status of the music industry?
Technology allows records to be recorded less expensively, but it has caused an overkill of product. The internet has made people lazy and numb to the things about music that used to be exciting!It has benefits in that the world can easily retrieve things it used to not be able to.
11) True Believer was a true hit for the band, was there any follow up from the Press and the sales?
The sales increased as the song became more popular. The problem became that there was no video for the song, and no real single follow up after that.
12) How important or not, was MTV for Lillian Axe?
MTV didn’t help us as much as it did for lots of other bands. There were benfits as people were able to see our videos once in a while, just not very frequently.
13) You were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. How did this happen?
We were inducted a few years ago, and we are very appreciative and humbled to be in the same category as many great artists such as Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Louie Armstrong.
14) How do you see the future of the band?
Many more records and tours! We want to reach the entire planet and make everyone’s lives a little happier.
Info for the band:
http://www.lillianaxe.com/
