Michael Monroe – Blackout States is High Energy Rock n’ Roll!

By: Robert Cavuoto

Michael Monroe is back with a new CD; Blackout States – a triumphant return to form since the release of Horns and Halos in 2013 and one of my all-time favorite CDs, Sensory Overdrive in 2011.

With thirteen new hard-hitting songs inspired by punk tradition, the band serves them up with swagger and in your face attitude. Catchy melodies married to killer guitar riffs are the perfect kick-ass ingredients in their primordial rock n’roll stew.

At Michael’s side are longtime friends and collaborators Sami Yaffa on bass, Karl Rockfist on drums, and Steve Conte on guitar. Newcomer Rich Jones rounds out the band on guitar. 

I was able to catch up with Michael to talk about his band’s latest CD and how the group sticks to their guns in order to save rock n’ roll!

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Robert Cavuoto: I find all your CDs to be very raw and honest, from the standpoint of creating well-crafted songs with personal lyrics. With Blackout States the tradition continues!

Michael Monroe: We have a great chemistry. There are no egos and I don’t have much of an ego for a lead singer. You give up a certain amount of control, but you get it back with better creativity in the songwriting.

For example, when Steve Conte writes lyrics it’s like he’s in my head and living in my world. He always amazes me with what he comes up with. Songs like “The Bastards Bash,” I had 5-7 different sets of lyrics. I wasn’t happy with any of them, so I asked Steve to help me out.

The next day he had some great ideas and we had the song. It’s great to have so many creative guys in the band who are all like-minded, as well. We are all from the same generation of music and like the same bands. I’m actually having a better time now than I’ve ever had! It doesn’t necessarily get easier; it just gets better with more fun.

Robert: “Good Old Bad Days” is one of my favorite tracks on the CD, what can you tell me about it?

Michael Monroe: I had the title in the back of my mind for a long while and never really knew how to develop a song around it.

One night I was being nostalgic and in a stream of consciousness thought; we all know there have been better times for music, but people still love good rock n’ roll. That we are a band an have always delivered on that idea 100%. At that point the song suddenly came to me.

Robert: “The Bastard Bash” and “RLF” seem to perfectly combine your innate sense of melody with the band’s ability to rock?

Michael Monroe: Thank you! For me it has always been both. There has to be rocking melody. Cheap Trick has the two down really well. Being a high energy rock n’ roll band is important to us. Even on the guitar solos you can tell that Steve and Rich create solos that have a singing quality to them.

Robert: Is the title track, “Blackout States”, a metaphor for something?

Michael Monroe: It’s actually about the state of mind. Rich Jones wrote the lyrics. The song is about one of Rich’s friends who was strung out and hooked on something. When you’re like that you don’t stand out or shine so bright.

The word “state” reminds me of the United States and when I think of that I automatically think of New York City with its skyscrapers. So, for the album cover we decided to add buildings like the London Astoria Club, the Chrysler Building from New York, a building from Tokyo and Berlin.

It also refers to the chorus “New York has gone boring because the punks all went away, Tokyo gone techno and Berlin’s gone crazy.” We decided to put the band on the cover real small right in front of the Astoria Club. I wonder if people will even notice it [Laughing].

Robert: The last three CDs have really solidified the band’s sound and musical style. Can you share your insights in to your favorite aspects of Sensory Overdrive, Horns & Halos and Blackout States?

Michael Monroe: Sensory Overdrive is a great record with amazing melodies and brilliant guitar playing. I’m really proud of that record. I think it was really something special about its creativity. It has great melody with genius ideas in the arrangements, like on “Later Won’t Wait,” “All You Need,” and “Gone Baby Gone.” The 11 tracks work perfectly.

Guitarist Dregen was in the band for Horns and Halos, he brought a funky bluesy kind of vibe to the band. One of my favorites is “Eighteen Angels”, which was his riff.  

That CD also had 11 tracks plus the two bonus tracks “Happy Never After”, which was supposed to be on the CD, and “Don’t Block the Sun.”

On this new CD, Blackout States, there are 13 songs and they go by pretty fast. On this CD, we wrote on our own at our homes and home studios since we are all live in different places around the world. Steve, Rich and Carl got together in New York for five days to write and came up with some great ideas.

Robert: You have a song written by Dee Dee Ramone on the new CD, “Under the Northern Lights”.

Michael Monroe: I’ve had that song for almost 25 years. Dee wrote that song the night we hung out on New York, in like 1991. Now it’s finally seeing the light of day. It also keeps Dee Dee’s name alive.

I have the handwritten lyrics for the song but no demo, I just remember him playing it for me. I got in touch with his widow and the guys handling his estate, they had no idea the song existed. They were very excited and they gave us permission to use it.

Robert: I know that Jerusalem Slim was a super group ahead of its time, unfortunately it didn’t work out for various reasons. Would you ever consider forming another super group and, if so, who would you consider being in it?

Michael Monroe: Anybody, other than Steve Stevens! [Laughing]. It’s great to jam with people, like when Alice Cooper who had me on stage one time, but I love the band I have now. If I could choose anyone to play with, it would be with these guys. The chemistry in my band is really unique. If I have to have a fantasy band to jam with, it would be The Rolling Stones or Little Richard.