By: Robert Cavuoto
Michael Monroe has long been at the forefront of breaking music barriers from singing in Hanoi Rocks to his successful solo career. He now returns with his highly anticipated new CD, Sensory Overdrive due out in the U.S on August 23rd which is produced by Jack Douglas of Aerosmith, John Lennon and Cheap Trick fame.
The CD features guest performances from country star Lucinda Williams and Motorhead front man Lemmy Kilmister. Its edgy rock and roll with a punk attitude, and by far one of my favorite CDs of 2011. The band found a formula to marry killer riffs with memorable hooks and with Jack Douglas at the helm, I would expect nothing less. I had the chance to speak with Michael to talk about the CD and his anticipated tour of the US this Fall.
Michael Monroe Band
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Rob: Tell us about the songwriting process for the band. How does a song get started and how does it evolve? Does each member contribute to the writing?
Michael Monroe: It was fun and interesting to see how it would all fold out for this record. Since this was a brand new situation, we were kinda feeling each other out to see who would write what, etc. So as it turned out, all five of us wrote some songs like “’78” for example.
Some were written by everyone except Karl, one was by me, Sami & Ginger (Gone Baby Gone) and one was just me and Ginger (All You Need). “Debauchery As A Fine Art” was written by me musically, plus I had pretty much written the verses, but Lemmy Kilmister and I wrote the lyrics for the chorus.
Rob: Any personal favorite tracks on the CD?
Michael Monroe: I like the whole record, but my special favorites are “Trick Of The Wrist,” “Got Blood,” “Superpowered Superfly,” “Later Won’t Wait” and “Debauchery As A Fine Art.”
Rob: What’s the secret to writing a Michael Monroe song?
Michael Monroe: There ain’t no secret, really. I guess it’s just good to keep an open mind and to pick some very good and talented collaborators that you can totally connect with.
Rob: The artwork for Sensory Overdrive is damn cool; can you tell us about it?
Michael Monroe: Thanks, I think it turned out very cool too! Well, this guy Kii Arens had sent Sami an idea he suggested for the cover, which was a similar kinda close up on an eye with the zipper plus it also had the fingers, but the nails were just plain black or something and the eye was a different color. None of the guys in the band were that much into the idea.
However, I liked it a lot and thought that if we make it so that it will be my own eye, my eyelashes, fingers & my nail polish etc. then it would be really cool. So my friend Mikko, who’s a singer in a band called Von Hertzen Brothers, took the photo of my eye with my fingers and nails holding it open. Then we sent the photo to Kii and he did his treatment on it.
Michael Monroe Band
Rob: What’s been the highlight for you launching this new band?
Michael Monroe: There’s been a lotta highlights…for me, one was finishing and completing this album. Once it was all mixed and mastered, it just felt great! There’s also been some fantastic live shows that always leave you feeling exhilarated and on a natural high.
Rob: Was it a difficult transition from being a member of a band to being a solo artist?
Michael Monroe: No, not at all really.
Rob: What are some of the pros and cons of both?
Michael Monroe: That really depends on the situation, but I believe there are good points and bad points. This arrangement works good for me…as a matter of fact, this band is kinda like having a bit of both, which is cool – the best of both worlds!
Rob: When do you think you will be touring the states?
Michael Monroe: We’ll be touring the States for about three weeks, starting this September 30th in Philadelphia and finishing on October 20th in LA at the Whiskey. We’re also working on coming back for more touring in 2012, hopefully joining forces with some other cool (and preferably big) Rock band. It would be nice to play to a bit bigger crowd at once every night. Following the US run, the band will head to Japan, Finland and the UK.
Rob: What can we expect from you live?
Michael Monroe: You can expect a high energy Rock’n’Roll Show with us playing most of the album tracks…and then some! Our current live show has about twice the energy it did before, now with Dregen in the band. He is as hyperactive and whacky as I am out there! [Laughing]
Rob: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Michael Monroe: Oh…nothing much more than warming up and stretching, doing physical exercises like a series of high kicks and stuff to get my blood circulation going.
Rob: You have played with so many great musicians in your career, any one of them stand out more than another to you?
Michael Monroe: I feel very lucky to have been playing with a bunch of extremely talented, totally amazing musicians, but it’s just impossible to compare them with one another – let alone pick one over the other.
Rob: What does the future hold for Hanoi Rocks?
Michael Monroe: Nothing, but the past – a memory of a cool band that always maintained its integrity intact.
Rob: What are some of your best memories from the Hanoi Rocks days?
Michael Monroe: Razzle being alive and with us.
Rob: My last question is, you’ve accomplished so much over your career, but what do you think is your greatest musical accomplishment?
Michael Monroe: I would say the Sensory Overdrive album and this fantastic band of mine!
