Kelakos – The “Hurtling Towards Extinction” Discussion
George Kelakos Haberstroh comments on the new songs taken from the new album “Hurtling Towards Extinction.”
1. “Livin’ on the Planet Love” has been described as capturing the signature Kelakos rock sound. Can you tell us more about the creative process behind this track and what inspired the outer space motif?
Kelakos is escaping a world Hurtling towards Extinction in our custom spaceship…Livin’ on the Planet Love is our first single. It describes a man who still has love in his heart despite seeing his life and the world full of no respect, death, violence, and hate.
2. “Snakebit” is a high-energy song with a message of love lost. How did the band approach the production to convey the emotion and energy in this song?
Yes Snakebit is a rocker! High energy is our drummer Carl’s specialty…we just let him loose and the rest of the band followed…threw in a couple of whips, and we were in business.
3. “The Lone Road” features Linc on vocals and draws from classic rock influences. Can you share the story behind the song?
Linc really wrote and sang a great song. Rejection by a woman sometimes has that effect on great songwriters, which Linc is. The band turned the outro into a kind of 60s Chicago blues band jam, reminiscent of Electric Flag and Paul Butterfield.
4. “Downhill Slide” underwent a fresh recording due to lost tapes. Can you tell us about the decision to re-record this song and how it evolved during the process?
Actually Linc’s wife Becky had heard the original version of Downhill Slide, which I recorded with Linc and the great audio engineer Tony Volante doubling on drums, in 1984 at Soundtrack Studios in Boston. She loved that song…so we brought it to the band and made sure we did it up right ….Linc added the slow and sad jazz coda with Mark providing heavy pedal steel chords, which allowed me to play some lead…
5. “Smoke and Mirrors” is described as a catchy and melodic track. What can you tell us about the band’s approach to creating a song that captures your classic sound while adding unexpected twists?
Smoke and Mirrors is very straightforward…I wrote it, and we played it with energy…all our songs have many changes in tempo and mood. Smoke and Mirrors is no different…
6. “Play It Like You Mean It” is a tribute to Carl’s musical career. How did the band come up with the idea for this song, and what was it like weaving together different musical segments?
Linc wrote Play It Like You Mean It as a way to feature Carl, and convinced Carl to sing it. Carl has drummed on over 45 albums but the only other time he sang lead was the first Kelakos album, with the single “How Did You Get So Crazy”. Carl was finally convinced to sing it, and he killed it..a great vocal…Carl drummed as only he can, and unsurprisingly had no trouble with the changes…this song is a tour de force for Carl.
7. “Austin Chill” was written by Linc but sung by George, adding a blues-boogie element to the album. What inspired the creation of this track, and how did you achieve the distinctive guitar licks in the song?
Linc took a vacation in Austin, Texas and was inspired by the outdoor musical party scene on the streets of Austin….we just tried to capture that feeling in the music….balls to the wall boogie.
8. “Back to Me” touches on a relationship strained by extreme political views and social media. Can you share the inspiration behind this song and the unique musical elements that bring it to life?
Back to Me is another great song written by Linc about torn love because of today’s crazy politics, and him wanting her to come back to him…it’s such a fun uptempo song that has Mark trading licks with me as we used to do on stage, and turns into a guitar romp…
9. “Golden Sun” is described as having a warm and intimate sound. What inspired George to write this song, and how did you create the lush production with Latin percussion and strings?
I wrote Golden Sun to tell everyone no matter how bad and hopeless it gets, there’s always that chance that things can turn around and be golden…(must be my Spartan blood).
10. “Florida Flash Flood” marked the band’s return to new music. Can you tell us more about the inspiration for this track and how it connects to the album’s theme of environmental change?
I’ve lived in Florida for years, and its weather can turn violent and deadly in a flash…we tried to capture that intensity and force in the song….It was the first Kelakos recording since we completed the Gone Are the Days album in 1978, and you can see it produced an explosion of pent-up energy!
11. “See Me Go” is Mark’s first turn as lead vocalist. What influenced the song’s sound and lyrics, and how did the band approach the vocal harmonies and instrumentals in this track?
Mark and his wife came up with hooks and the song …Mark nailed the vocal….Linc , Carl and I just fit our parts around it….Very happy that Mark now has a lead vocal of his own after all his fine work with guitar and pedal steel.
12. “Where Magic Grows” closes the album with a thought-provoking message about the future of humanity. Can you elaborate on the song’s theme and the musical choices made to convey its urgency and hope?
Linc really outdid himself on Where the Magic grows…..it fits perfectly with the album title Hurtling towards Extinction…We see the effects of pollution and global warming everywhere on the planet…the devastating wildfires in Greece, Australia, Canada, and Hawaii…never seen before storm intensity, earthquakes, floods volcanoes….truly we are all in trouble: “Hurtling towards Extinction”!
Listen to the new single: Kelakos – Livin on the Planet Love (lnk.to)
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