Post by Icklejess on Feb 22, 2011 9:53:23 GMT -5
Don't think this is up on here yet-at least i didn't see it.
Mark King Of Hinder: 'It's Gibson All The Way For Me'
artist: hinder date: 02/18/2011
Plenty of stories have swirled around regarding the raunchy, rock-and-roll lifestyle allegedly lived by the members of Hinder, undoubtedly making for good publicity at the very least. Whether or not those tales are true, the Oklahoma band’s body of work has proven more of an audience lure than any rumor swirling around. Further driving the point home that Hinder is more than just a rock cliché is Mark King, the well-spoken and insightful rhythm guitarist who has carved a specific niche within the group. While Joe “Blower” Garvey tackles the gritty, bluesy lead work, King has been the man behind the vocal harmonies and rhythmic foundation (pounded out with a variety of his favorite axes: Gibsons).
On December 7 Hinder released its third record All American Nightmare, which highlights the band’s straightforward rock influences. From taking jabs at superficial pop stars (“Striptease”) to simply reveling in having a drunken good time (“Bad Mutha f**ka”), Hinder covers it all – including the countrified ballad “What Ya Gonna Do.” King recently chatted with Ultimate-Guitar.com about the latest material, his prized Gibson collection, and the essential role that rock icon Slash played in his life as a musician.
UG: I understand that you took a different approach to the songwriting for All American Nightmare. What changes were made?
Mark: On the first two albums we did all the songs with the producer. He co-wrote with and Cody. They would write a song on the acoustic guitar, they would take it someone, and they helped put it together. This time and Cody, they went out and wrote with people from Nashville, New York, and L.A. They just wrote with whomever. I can’t remember how many it was, but it was like 70 or 75 songs. We ended up demoing like 50 of them out. We kind of let friends and all of us pick their favorite songs. We came up with a plan for what the best songs for the album would be. It was kind of a cool process, but it was bittersweet, too. I guarantee all of us have songs that we really loved that didn’t make the album.
Did all of your favorites wind up on the record? If you have a few of your preferences left over, are you planning on saving them for a future recording?
Both. My favorite did make it, so that’s good. It’s a song called “What Ya Gonna Do?” that I’m really excited about. There are a few that were musically esome – even lyrically, too. I think Cody and did really great with their lyrics. Not that they were ever bad, but I think they’re getting better at it. There were a few that will be on the sidelines. They’ll maybe show up in a movie soundtrack or something one of these days.
Talk about the new approach to recording. I know that you had a few different studios that you were working with throughout the process. Did record most of his vocal tracks in a completely different studio?
For the most part. We decided to put a studio in Cody’s house in Oklahoma City for the four of us without . When we had that, we decided to just fly in a producer and do it all there. We’d save some money and that way we could just stay home. We were in Vancouver for two months for the first album and like three months for the second album. That’s a long time to be ay from home and just working hard. So we decided, “Why not just do this at home?” Then Kevin Churko is the producer that we used. He wanted to do the vocals back at his studio, which was fine with us. That was actually a shorter flight. In Las Vegas, he has his studio there.
Did you all take a hands-on approach to production as well? I’ve read that Cody in particular has been dabbling in that side of the music world lately.
Yeah, definitely. Even with the demos, a lot of production ideas were used for the album. We rearranged them when we got Kevin in on the process, but a lot of the ideas we actually decided to keep. Kevin came in and really loved some of them, so we just kept what we had already. It worked out well.
As a rhythm player, how would you describe your style? And are there any guitarists that you’ve in some way modeled your style after?
I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes to it. That’s the way I joined this band. I play chords and sing the melodies, so that’s always been my thing. It worked out well because that’s what this band was looking for. They wanted someone to play the rhythm section and someone to sing the back-up parts. That’s kind of where I fit in. I’ve actually played a few leads, but overall Blower has got much quicker fingers than me. It works out better for him to play the leads. That, and I do a lot of the vocal harmonies most of the time, too. It just works out really well that way.
Looking at back at most of the guitars you’ve played in the past, Gibsons seem to come up time and again. Are you still a Gibson man to this day?
Absolutely. Actually when we first started out and we first got signed, I went with Gretsch. I was trying to get a hold of them to get another guitar for a video, and I couldn’t get a hold of them. Then Blower said, “Well, my guys at Gibson have been talking to me about you.” So I got my first one for the “Lips of an Angel” video. They let me keep it, and I’ve been with them every since. I loved the way it felt. My favorite guitarist is Slash and he’s a Gibson man. It just made sense to switch and start playing Gibson as well.
Could you ever see yourself playing something like a Stratocaster down the line for Hinder?
For our group I think Gibson fits it better. If there’s ever a part in a song that calls for the sound of the Strat – because they definitely have unique sounds – I would play that. But overall for what we do in Hinder, it’s Gibson all the way for me.
Is it true that you don’t ever use effects?
It’s fairly true. What we did on this album, we recorded it completely different, too. We used the Eleven racks. We actually used them for the studio and now we use them live. We’ve got foot switches that go through the different effects. I’ll use a wah that’s on there that came with the Eleven rack. I don’t know. I don’t use much. I’m pretty much a plug in, dirty-tone guy.
Which Gibsons do you bring on tour?
I have a few Les Pauls. I have a couple of SGs. I actually just got a Reverse Flying V as well. I’ve got a few toys out here with me!
Do you consider yourself pretty choosy in terms of what picks you like?
It depends. Acoustically I’m going with the thinner now. Actually live I play with the .88mm – so it’s really thick. Back when we first started I went for a smaller gauge. It just depends on what I’m feeling at the time. I mix it from time to time. It’s always been my personality. I can’t stick with something for very long, and I kind of have to mix it up a little bit. Right now I’m going with the thick picks.
Going back to what you were saying about your tendency to play chords and sing harmonies, that’s the kind of thing that lends itself to singer/songwriters. I know that Cody and did the bulk of the core songwriting, but do you find yourself sitting at home ever penning melodies?
Yeah, I definitely do. I actually just wrote a song for the Oklahoma City Thunder. I co-wrote it with the guy who works for them, and they’re using it for their mascot. I’m actually writing a song that’s going to be in a movie. It’s in preproduction right now. It’s called Marvelous. I’m doing that, so I definitely do some writing on the side.
I’d like to discuss a few songs on the new record, in particular the track “Striptease.” It sounds like it would be your typical, cliché rock song, but it’s actually taking a jab at all the pop singers who are more about the looks than the talent.
The story behind that one is that Cody and were watching TV and Ke$ha came on. All of us know she’s not talented. It’s a song that’s basically talking about that a lot of girls are making money and just selling sex. All they are is good looking. They don’t have any talent. So that’s where the “Striptease” came in – “You’re nothin’ but a striptease.”
I understand the song “Bad Mutha f**ka” was recorded while “sloshed.” That had to be an entertaining recording session.
Yeah, absolutely. We threw a party at Cody’s house. We had the party going in the background and then the five of us got in a room with Kevin and just ad-libbed some lines. Whatever happened in the background happened. It came out pretty funny! If you go back and listen to it, you’ll catch someone else saying something random in the background that will make you laugh. It’s all in good fun.
As a rhythm player, were there any specific techniques or methods that took your playing to the next level?
I think for me it was falling in love with a few albums. If you can mime the tracks and try to play them, that’s where it came into play for me. I got some Guns N’ Roses tabs and tried to learn that stuff – and Weezer tabs, actually! I’m a nerd for that stuff. I would get those tabs and just kind of learn what they were doing and watch people live. That’s how I definitely learned.
So it’s safe to say that Slash played a heavy role in shaping your style.
Yeah, definitely. I remember hearing the solo for “November Rain” for the first time. I was pretty young still, but I thought, “That is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard, that solo at the end of that.”
You’ve been a band that has had consistent platinum and gold success in a music world that is pretty fickle. Given that it’s anybody’s playing field with the Internet now, what advice would you give to someone who wants to make a career out of playing music?
You’re right. All bets are all off in the game today. Probably the best thing to do, though, is not even worry about record labels because they might not even be around tomorrow. There’s no telling, really. The best thing is to use all the resources you can: the Internet, Facebook, Twitter. Reach out to your fans and try to make more fans. Try to build up the live show and make it the best thing around, where people want to come back to it. Just go for it. Don’t rely on anyone else. Do it all yourself.
Have you felt any pressure from your label?
Not really. They told us from day one that it was our band. They’ll never make the final decision on things, but they’ll definitely let us know what they think. The thing is that you’ve got to keep them happy, too, though. You’ve got to go with what they think every once in hile. It’s give and take.
There have been certain stories about Hinder truly living the raunchy rock and roll lifestyle. True or not, do you think those rumors lend themselves to the mystique of the band?
I don’t bother with them because I don’t really care, but I do think it probably lends itself. When people start talking, that’s always a good thing. I’ve heard some of the stories from other people’s perspectives, and it always sounds way better than it did! Well, I shouldn’t say always sounds way better, but it often sounds way better. So it makes it even more mysterious and over the top.
Will there be a big tour ahead of you now with the release of All American Nightmare?
We’ll definitely have a North American tour coming up next year. We’re still confirming those final dates, which will probably be everywhere. As far as Europe, we hope to get over there. We hope to play some more shows for the troops overseas. That would be esome. We’ve gotten to do that a couple of times, which is really amazing. We hope to get to do that again.
Interview by Amy Kelly
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2011
www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/mark_king_of_hinder_its_gibson_all_the_way_for_me.html
Mark King Of Hinder: 'It's Gibson All The Way For Me'
artist: hinder date: 02/18/2011
Plenty of stories have swirled around regarding the raunchy, rock-and-roll lifestyle allegedly lived by the members of Hinder, undoubtedly making for good publicity at the very least. Whether or not those tales are true, the Oklahoma band’s body of work has proven more of an audience lure than any rumor swirling around. Further driving the point home that Hinder is more than just a rock cliché is Mark King, the well-spoken and insightful rhythm guitarist who has carved a specific niche within the group. While Joe “Blower” Garvey tackles the gritty, bluesy lead work, King has been the man behind the vocal harmonies and rhythmic foundation (pounded out with a variety of his favorite axes: Gibsons).
On December 7 Hinder released its third record All American Nightmare, which highlights the band’s straightforward rock influences. From taking jabs at superficial pop stars (“Striptease”) to simply reveling in having a drunken good time (“Bad Mutha f**ka”), Hinder covers it all – including the countrified ballad “What Ya Gonna Do.” King recently chatted with Ultimate-Guitar.com about the latest material, his prized Gibson collection, and the essential role that rock icon Slash played in his life as a musician.
UG: I understand that you took a different approach to the songwriting for All American Nightmare. What changes were made?
Mark: On the first two albums we did all the songs with the producer. He co-wrote with and Cody. They would write a song on the acoustic guitar, they would take it someone, and they helped put it together. This time and Cody, they went out and wrote with people from Nashville, New York, and L.A. They just wrote with whomever. I can’t remember how many it was, but it was like 70 or 75 songs. We ended up demoing like 50 of them out. We kind of let friends and all of us pick their favorite songs. We came up with a plan for what the best songs for the album would be. It was kind of a cool process, but it was bittersweet, too. I guarantee all of us have songs that we really loved that didn’t make the album.
Did all of your favorites wind up on the record? If you have a few of your preferences left over, are you planning on saving them for a future recording?
Both. My favorite did make it, so that’s good. It’s a song called “What Ya Gonna Do?” that I’m really excited about. There are a few that were musically esome – even lyrically, too. I think Cody and did really great with their lyrics. Not that they were ever bad, but I think they’re getting better at it. There were a few that will be on the sidelines. They’ll maybe show up in a movie soundtrack or something one of these days.
Talk about the new approach to recording. I know that you had a few different studios that you were working with throughout the process. Did record most of his vocal tracks in a completely different studio?
For the most part. We decided to put a studio in Cody’s house in Oklahoma City for the four of us without . When we had that, we decided to just fly in a producer and do it all there. We’d save some money and that way we could just stay home. We were in Vancouver for two months for the first album and like three months for the second album. That’s a long time to be ay from home and just working hard. So we decided, “Why not just do this at home?” Then Kevin Churko is the producer that we used. He wanted to do the vocals back at his studio, which was fine with us. That was actually a shorter flight. In Las Vegas, he has his studio there.
Did you all take a hands-on approach to production as well? I’ve read that Cody in particular has been dabbling in that side of the music world lately.
Yeah, definitely. Even with the demos, a lot of production ideas were used for the album. We rearranged them when we got Kevin in on the process, but a lot of the ideas we actually decided to keep. Kevin came in and really loved some of them, so we just kept what we had already. It worked out well.
As a rhythm player, how would you describe your style? And are there any guitarists that you’ve in some way modeled your style after?
I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes to it. That’s the way I joined this band. I play chords and sing the melodies, so that’s always been my thing. It worked out well because that’s what this band was looking for. They wanted someone to play the rhythm section and someone to sing the back-up parts. That’s kind of where I fit in. I’ve actually played a few leads, but overall Blower has got much quicker fingers than me. It works out better for him to play the leads. That, and I do a lot of the vocal harmonies most of the time, too. It just works out really well that way.
Looking at back at most of the guitars you’ve played in the past, Gibsons seem to come up time and again. Are you still a Gibson man to this day?
Absolutely. Actually when we first started out and we first got signed, I went with Gretsch. I was trying to get a hold of them to get another guitar for a video, and I couldn’t get a hold of them. Then Blower said, “Well, my guys at Gibson have been talking to me about you.” So I got my first one for the “Lips of an Angel” video. They let me keep it, and I’ve been with them every since. I loved the way it felt. My favorite guitarist is Slash and he’s a Gibson man. It just made sense to switch and start playing Gibson as well.
Could you ever see yourself playing something like a Stratocaster down the line for Hinder?
For our group I think Gibson fits it better. If there’s ever a part in a song that calls for the sound of the Strat – because they definitely have unique sounds – I would play that. But overall for what we do in Hinder, it’s Gibson all the way for me.
Is it true that you don’t ever use effects?
It’s fairly true. What we did on this album, we recorded it completely different, too. We used the Eleven racks. We actually used them for the studio and now we use them live. We’ve got foot switches that go through the different effects. I’ll use a wah that’s on there that came with the Eleven rack. I don’t know. I don’t use much. I’m pretty much a plug in, dirty-tone guy.
Which Gibsons do you bring on tour?
I have a few Les Pauls. I have a couple of SGs. I actually just got a Reverse Flying V as well. I’ve got a few toys out here with me!
Do you consider yourself pretty choosy in terms of what picks you like?
It depends. Acoustically I’m going with the thinner now. Actually live I play with the .88mm – so it’s really thick. Back when we first started I went for a smaller gauge. It just depends on what I’m feeling at the time. I mix it from time to time. It’s always been my personality. I can’t stick with something for very long, and I kind of have to mix it up a little bit. Right now I’m going with the thick picks.
Going back to what you were saying about your tendency to play chords and sing harmonies, that’s the kind of thing that lends itself to singer/songwriters. I know that Cody and did the bulk of the core songwriting, but do you find yourself sitting at home ever penning melodies?
Yeah, I definitely do. I actually just wrote a song for the Oklahoma City Thunder. I co-wrote it with the guy who works for them, and they’re using it for their mascot. I’m actually writing a song that’s going to be in a movie. It’s in preproduction right now. It’s called Marvelous. I’m doing that, so I definitely do some writing on the side.
I’d like to discuss a few songs on the new record, in particular the track “Striptease.” It sounds like it would be your typical, cliché rock song, but it’s actually taking a jab at all the pop singers who are more about the looks than the talent.
The story behind that one is that Cody and were watching TV and Ke$ha came on. All of us know she’s not talented. It’s a song that’s basically talking about that a lot of girls are making money and just selling sex. All they are is good looking. They don’t have any talent. So that’s where the “Striptease” came in – “You’re nothin’ but a striptease.”
I understand the song “Bad Mutha f**ka” was recorded while “sloshed.” That had to be an entertaining recording session.
Yeah, absolutely. We threw a party at Cody’s house. We had the party going in the background and then the five of us got in a room with Kevin and just ad-libbed some lines. Whatever happened in the background happened. It came out pretty funny! If you go back and listen to it, you’ll catch someone else saying something random in the background that will make you laugh. It’s all in good fun.
As a rhythm player, were there any specific techniques or methods that took your playing to the next level?
I think for me it was falling in love with a few albums. If you can mime the tracks and try to play them, that’s where it came into play for me. I got some Guns N’ Roses tabs and tried to learn that stuff – and Weezer tabs, actually! I’m a nerd for that stuff. I would get those tabs and just kind of learn what they were doing and watch people live. That’s how I definitely learned.
So it’s safe to say that Slash played a heavy role in shaping your style.
Yeah, definitely. I remember hearing the solo for “November Rain” for the first time. I was pretty young still, but I thought, “That is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard, that solo at the end of that.”
You’ve been a band that has had consistent platinum and gold success in a music world that is pretty fickle. Given that it’s anybody’s playing field with the Internet now, what advice would you give to someone who wants to make a career out of playing music?
You’re right. All bets are all off in the game today. Probably the best thing to do, though, is not even worry about record labels because they might not even be around tomorrow. There’s no telling, really. The best thing is to use all the resources you can: the Internet, Facebook, Twitter. Reach out to your fans and try to make more fans. Try to build up the live show and make it the best thing around, where people want to come back to it. Just go for it. Don’t rely on anyone else. Do it all yourself.
Have you felt any pressure from your label?
Not really. They told us from day one that it was our band. They’ll never make the final decision on things, but they’ll definitely let us know what they think. The thing is that you’ve got to keep them happy, too, though. You’ve got to go with what they think every once in hile. It’s give and take.
There have been certain stories about Hinder truly living the raunchy rock and roll lifestyle. True or not, do you think those rumors lend themselves to the mystique of the band?
I don’t bother with them because I don’t really care, but I do think it probably lends itself. When people start talking, that’s always a good thing. I’ve heard some of the stories from other people’s perspectives, and it always sounds way better than it did! Well, I shouldn’t say always sounds way better, but it often sounds way better. So it makes it even more mysterious and over the top.
Will there be a big tour ahead of you now with the release of All American Nightmare?
We’ll definitely have a North American tour coming up next year. We’re still confirming those final dates, which will probably be everywhere. As far as Europe, we hope to get over there. We hope to play some more shows for the troops overseas. That would be esome. We’ve gotten to do that a couple of times, which is really amazing. We hope to get to do that again.
Interview by Amy Kelly
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2011
www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/mark_king_of_hinder_its_gibson_all_the_way_for_me.html
