How would you describe your music to any person who may have never heard it before?
Christopher: A mixture of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Guns N' Roses. Southern rock played with high energy and all the rock and roll attitude that comes with it.
Is there any significance to your musical moniker? C: It's my name! Even says it right there on my ID.
What are your musical influences? K: There are so many to name. Over the years, I've listened to so many artists and styles. Early on, the biggest influences were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Then came the heavier sounds of Led Zeppelin and the classic rock bands. U2 was a huge influence in the '80s and '90s. More recently, Coldplay and the Foo Fighters.
What are your musical influences? C: R.L. Burnside sent me on this direction. In his later years, he started working with all these artists and came out with A Ass Pocket of Whiskey (1996). It has all this great blues punk energy that hits so hard. It's just a great jam with absolutely no fucks given. When I first heard it, I didn't know you could record an album like that.
What are your musical inspirations? C: Lately, I've been inspired by a lot of post-punk and even some kind of surfer rock stuff. Post-punk is just pure art if done correctly. That sound of everything almost collapsing while smirking. It's intangible but amazing if you can find it. Surfer rock for that swing, baby!
If given the chance, what musician(s) would you like to collaborate with? Rather this is to either write a song or be featured on a track. C: Josh Homme or Alain Johannes. They have such unique perspectives, and I'd love to just pick their brain for their process.
What's your new single "One More Round" about? C: "One More Round" is set to come out soon, and it's about basically plowing through all the walls that get put in your way. Powering through all those regrets and doubts, and keep going. "Every time I get a little closer, I'm further from the man I was." Keep growing and keep improving.
What's something you hope people take away from the new songs on the album? C: Take away the groove and take away the sentiment. The music business ain't kind, and your skin better get thick to survive. But I've never been in a place where I felt comfortable with who I am and who I was. That relates to so many people I know, and I hope people hear this and know that regardless of who you are right now. If you ain't happy, you can change!
Which songs on the album were the most fun to write and which were the most challenging to write? C: "Do or Die," the title track, was just fun from front to back. We basically set a goal of what it would sound like if Slash showed up to a hoedown. We landed in a pretty fun spot for that one.
"Devil's Dues" got a little rough because we thought we were done with it and decided to axe a handful of songs, so we had to start from scratch. It was pretty quick to write, but by then, we were dealing with a pretty dramatic shift in the direction, so it felt off.
Do you have any favourite songs from the new album?
C: "Never Fade Away" is just a straight jam in your face. I think within the first minute, we say every curse word except c**t. [Laughs].
What's the forthcoming album about? C: It's not expressed in the music, but for us, this is the first time in years that we felt like "this is us." It's got all the sneering, cool riffs, and driving beat and done in a cool way. I've never heard southern rock done quite like this.
Do you have any favourite songs to perform live? Could be your music or even a cover. Any reason why?
C: "Pour the Bottle" is a highlight. It's never boring. Pure energy and a great muscle song that we can flex on.
If you could perform a show this very second anywhere in the world, where would it be? Is there any particular venue or city that comes to mind?
C: Red Rocks. I think, is every musician's dream. That's like a holy land for musicians. It just oozes vibes.
What do you currently have planned for the remainder of the year?
C: Release this stuff, play more shows, and write more songs we'll probably throw out. [Laughs].
Thanks for the time today, Christopher. Is there anything else you may want to add before you go?
C: Hit all the socials and come talk to us! The road gets boring, and we can only tolerate each other's bad jokes for so long!