| Buckcherry |
| December 20, 2007 |
| Keith Nelson |
Katrina: How did you come up with the name for your band?
Keith: The name came out of necessity really. We were called Sparrow and that’s how we played local shows when we were just coming up. In the middle of
making our first record we were forced into a situation where we had to look for another name. So we just put our heads together and I actually read this book
of interviews and there was an old interview with Chuck Berry that basically explains that the music industry side of things, they can do whatever they want with
an artist. He said his direct quote was something to the tune of they’ll do whatever they want if they think it will get them money, even turning your name inside
out. Like Buckcherry, and it was Chuck Berry. He said that and I read that and it struck a chord with me because we were just doing our first rounds of the
beautiful struggle between the business side and art side of the business of the industry. There you have it. Everyone liked it and it seemed to fit, and we
moved on.
Katrina: Who were your musical influences growing up and have they changed?
Keith: I listened to a lot of heavy music when I was growing up. I listened to a lot of like I guess what is now classic rock but when I was growing up it wasn’t
really considered classic. It was just rock and roll. ZZ Top, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones Aerosmith, that’s when I listened to Kiss, and later on I kind of went into
two different directions. I went country and blues and then I went to the Sex Pistols and Rage Against The Machine and Iron Maiden and Metallica. So it’s kind
of all in there. I listened to a lot of music, I listen to all kinds of music. The only rule is that it can’t suck.
Katrina: Which artist would you like to tour or work with?
Keith: We’ve toured with so many people that we look up to. We’ve toured with Kiss, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, AC/DC. I’d love to get in on that Sex Pistols
reunion, that would be fun for us. Something like that would be good. Metallica would be fun. I know those audiences can be brutal on openers but I think, fuck
it, we’ll do it.
Katrina: How do you write your songs and where do you get your ideas from?
Keith: A lot of times songs will come from wherever. Most of the time when I write music, writing the music to me is my chance to really kind of set the tone for
great lyrics and great melody. And so when I come up with some music I like to think of what will inspire Josh to be the most creative. I have to feel it in my gut.
So that’s kind of where the music comes from. As far as the overall inspire of the song, I think we just try to take experiences that we have and put it in there.
Sometimes we just want to make a song that’s a good excuse to party and sometimes we want to make a song that’s a little more thought provoking. So we
want every song to be an experience.
Katrina: What’s your favorite song to perform?
Keith: A song off our second record called “You” is my favorite song to perform. It’s probably one of the best songs we’ve ever written. At least here in the
States the record didn’t get a lot of love. We didn’t get a lot of support or promotion from our record label. So consequently a lot of people don’t know it. And I
always felt that the record was the underdog in our body of work. And that has a lot to do with it I think.
Katrina: Who causes the most trouble in the group?
Keith: Me by far. I’m just a practical jokester at all times. If somebody screws off the top of the salt shaker it’s probably me. Keeps everybody on their toes.
Katrina: What do you think makes a good live show?
Keith: Great musicians I think make a good live show and mixed with the right amount of showmanship and the level of unexpected behavior. It’s one thing to
watch great musicians play but it can be really boring. It’s another thing to watch a great show that can leave you wanting a little bit more in the way of
musicality. Finding the balance between that and the level of unexpectedness, what goes down with the band on stage I think that’s what makes a good live
show. You can’t really replicate that. You can’t put a cd in a player and you can’t click on a web page. It’s all about the experience.
Katrina: What do you think it takes to sustain a career in the music industry?
Keith: Thick skin. You have to deal with so much bullshit in the way of personalities and the business side of it. And I think just really believing in what you do,
and persevering in the face of, in the fear of failure and everything else I think that’s what it takes. It’s the reason we managed to stick around because we don’
t take no for an answer and when we want to do something and we stick to our guts in what we believe in. At the end of the day if the five guys in the band are
satisfied and feel good about it then we’ll just move forward.
Katrina: What advice can you give to other people who are wanting to create a band?
Keith: Like I said really believing in what you do and how you do it is at the center of all this. It’s the nucleus of any great band and writing great songs and
performing. There’s a lot of bands that play to tape now. They’ll go up there and there’s a couple of guys on stage but there’s a pro-tools session running
behind them, supporting them. I would say to me that’s just not acceptable. I think that my best advice would be educate yourself on the music business, the
business side of it and write great songs and really concentrate on being a great performer.
Katrina: Have you noticed a difference in fans when traveling throughout the world?
Keith: Oh yeah there’s a huge difference. And that’s the beauty of it. Not every place is the same. That’s what makes being on the road such an adventure.
Katrina: What have you learned while touring?
Keith: Pack light. I’ve learned so much while touring. Packing light is probably the biggest one.
Keith: The name came out of necessity really. We were called Sparrow and that’s how we played local shows when we were just coming up. In the middle of
making our first record we were forced into a situation where we had to look for another name. So we just put our heads together and I actually read this book
of interviews and there was an old interview with Chuck Berry that basically explains that the music industry side of things, they can do whatever they want with
an artist. He said his direct quote was something to the tune of they’ll do whatever they want if they think it will get them money, even turning your name inside
out. Like Buckcherry, and it was Chuck Berry. He said that and I read that and it struck a chord with me because we were just doing our first rounds of the
beautiful struggle between the business side and art side of the business of the industry. There you have it. Everyone liked it and it seemed to fit, and we
moved on.
Katrina: Who were your musical influences growing up and have they changed?
Keith: I listened to a lot of heavy music when I was growing up. I listened to a lot of like I guess what is now classic rock but when I was growing up it wasn’t
really considered classic. It was just rock and roll. ZZ Top, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones Aerosmith, that’s when I listened to Kiss, and later on I kind of went into
two different directions. I went country and blues and then I went to the Sex Pistols and Rage Against The Machine and Iron Maiden and Metallica. So it’s kind
of all in there. I listened to a lot of music, I listen to all kinds of music. The only rule is that it can’t suck.
Katrina: Which artist would you like to tour or work with?
Keith: We’ve toured with so many people that we look up to. We’ve toured with Kiss, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, AC/DC. I’d love to get in on that Sex Pistols
reunion, that would be fun for us. Something like that would be good. Metallica would be fun. I know those audiences can be brutal on openers but I think, fuck
it, we’ll do it.
Katrina: How do you write your songs and where do you get your ideas from?
Keith: A lot of times songs will come from wherever. Most of the time when I write music, writing the music to me is my chance to really kind of set the tone for
great lyrics and great melody. And so when I come up with some music I like to think of what will inspire Josh to be the most creative. I have to feel it in my gut.
So that’s kind of where the music comes from. As far as the overall inspire of the song, I think we just try to take experiences that we have and put it in there.
Sometimes we just want to make a song that’s a good excuse to party and sometimes we want to make a song that’s a little more thought provoking. So we
want every song to be an experience.
Katrina: What’s your favorite song to perform?
Keith: A song off our second record called “You” is my favorite song to perform. It’s probably one of the best songs we’ve ever written. At least here in the
States the record didn’t get a lot of love. We didn’t get a lot of support or promotion from our record label. So consequently a lot of people don’t know it. And I
always felt that the record was the underdog in our body of work. And that has a lot to do with it I think.
Katrina: Who causes the most trouble in the group?
Keith: Me by far. I’m just a practical jokester at all times. If somebody screws off the top of the salt shaker it’s probably me. Keeps everybody on their toes.
Katrina: What do you think makes a good live show?
Keith: Great musicians I think make a good live show and mixed with the right amount of showmanship and the level of unexpected behavior. It’s one thing to
watch great musicians play but it can be really boring. It’s another thing to watch a great show that can leave you wanting a little bit more in the way of
musicality. Finding the balance between that and the level of unexpectedness, what goes down with the band on stage I think that’s what makes a good live
show. You can’t really replicate that. You can’t put a cd in a player and you can’t click on a web page. It’s all about the experience.
Katrina: What do you think it takes to sustain a career in the music industry?
Keith: Thick skin. You have to deal with so much bullshit in the way of personalities and the business side of it. And I think just really believing in what you do,
and persevering in the face of, in the fear of failure and everything else I think that’s what it takes. It’s the reason we managed to stick around because we don’
t take no for an answer and when we want to do something and we stick to our guts in what we believe in. At the end of the day if the five guys in the band are
satisfied and feel good about it then we’ll just move forward.
Katrina: What advice can you give to other people who are wanting to create a band?
Keith: Like I said really believing in what you do and how you do it is at the center of all this. It’s the nucleus of any great band and writing great songs and
performing. There’s a lot of bands that play to tape now. They’ll go up there and there’s a couple of guys on stage but there’s a pro-tools session running
behind them, supporting them. I would say to me that’s just not acceptable. I think that my best advice would be educate yourself on the music business, the
business side of it and write great songs and really concentrate on being a great performer.
Katrina: Have you noticed a difference in fans when traveling throughout the world?
Keith: Oh yeah there’s a huge difference. And that’s the beauty of it. Not every place is the same. That’s what makes being on the road such an adventure.
Katrina: What have you learned while touring?
Keith: Pack light. I’ve learned so much while touring. Packing light is probably the biggest one.
