Picture through John Mortensson
Interview through: Mark Lacey
Describing themselves as loud, unapologetic rock n roll, Kickin Valentina were entertaining audiences for the closing 11 years with audacious balls-to-the-wall reside performances constructed at the foundations of the eighties laborious rock bands that ignited a style. With a brand new album of their again pocket, and displays scheduled for the United Kingdom and Europe from later this month, Kickin Valentina are driving the crest of a wave and construction a name as one of the vital ‘will have to see’ membership bands at the circuit presently.
“You wish to have each and every document to be higher than your earlier one, and all of us really feel like that is more than likely one among our perfect data from best to backside. We’re going to head out and play up to we will be able to to strengthen this one. There’s no international pandemic preventing us, so let’s do just it”.
MGM: The closing time many of us noticed you in London, was once in 2023 while you supported Tigertailz. You received a large number of new pals in your top power efficiency that evening.
Chris: Yeah, that was once a a laugh display, guy. I’ve listened to Tigertailz since long ago, so it was once a laugh enjoying a display with them.
MGM: You’ve been appearing in combination for relatively a while, however how would you describe what the band are doing presently?
Chris: After we began the band, we have been simply 4 guys that loved rock tune and we didn’t in point of fact got down to do the rest rather than simply write songs that we appreciated. All of us grew up on bands like Weapons N Roses and AC/DC and stuff like that. That was once the stuff we needed to play. There in point of fact wasn’t a lot more idea put into it than that. We knew beginning the band, or even nonetheless to this present day, we’re out in leftfield with what’s standard and we simply more or less do our factor. After we began, we had objectives; we needed to recover from to Europe and excursion, however we by no means in point of fact got down to sound like someone.
MGM: The tune scene for your a part of The united states is relatively various. In Atlanta, Mastodon are more than likely the most important band within the rock steel scene? However at an absolutely other finish of the spectrum in Georgia you’ve gotten blues bands just like the Black Crowes, Blackberry Smoke and Georgia Satellites. What’s the tune scene like for your a part of The united states?
Chris: It’s now not nice. You’ve were given some bands right here, like Mastodon and BlackBerry Smoke. And Nashville Pussy are primarily based out of right here now. You’ve were given Tuck, who was once in The Biters, however he in truth simply moved over to Nashville, so he’s now not even dwelling right here anymore. There’s some pals of ours, BSOL. There’s a couple of bands floating round. However Europe is the place it’s at for rock n roll presently. That’s how it’s.
MGM: The identify for the band ‘Kickin Valentina’ has some relatively attention-grabbing roots.
Chris: Heber and Jimmy had the identify of the band prior to I even joined it; I used to be the closing one to enroll in. It began out as a shaggy dog story and it’s a type of issues that ended up sticking, as a result of there was once a porn big name named Valentina whose fetish is kicking guys within the balls or no matter. So, it simply more or less caught, and right here we’re 11 years later.
MGM: The core of the crowd, of you, Jimmy and Heber, has been round since 2013. How did you guys meet to begin with?
Chris: I used to be in every other band referred to as ‘Rockets to break’ previous to this. I’d identified Jimmy from round. He used to paintings at a strip membership right here on the town and I’d see him up there every so often, and I’d see him at the entire displays that might come thru the city. We have been simply informal pals. My closing band broke up and he hit me up and he’s like, guy, I’m operating with this guitar participant and we’re looking to put in combination a brand new band. I used to be popping out of every other band and I used to be slightly burned out and I used to be like, guy, I don’t in point of fact need to mean you can put a band in combination, however in case you get it in combination, name me. A 12 months or so later, he hit me up. It was once like, “howdy, rockstar, you already know, I were given this band, are you ”? He despatched me some songs and I appreciated it and I went down and jammed with them and right here we’re.
MGM: DK Revelle is your 3rd vocalist. Your authentic singer, Joe Edwards, recorded a few in point of fact cool albums at the side of you, beginning with the ‘Kickin Valentina EP’ out and the ‘Tremendous Atomic EP’, which you mixed to free up as your debut album. What was once the ambition for the crowd in the ones early days?
Chris: For me in my view, I used to be popping out of the band that I used to be in for 8 years. We had toured, and opened for fucking everyone, and I simply sought after to get again into one thing the place I can have a laugh once more. Jimmy and Heber have been those that to begin with sought after to try this. I had the means of, let’s see what occurs. When we began enjoying and opening up for some other people, issues simply more or less snowballed and took off. 11 years later, and we’ve been to Europe more than one instances. We’ve been everywhere the United States and we spread out for most of these cool bands. It simply more or less organically did its factor.
MGM: Joe was once within the band for perhaps 4 or 5 years prior to he departed, and you then had an overly quick stint with Brian Bezotte, which didn’t determine. The vocalist is continuously the point of interest for a large number of bands, so any alternate, and particularly two in fast succession, may have created some uncertainty. How do you mirror on that point?
Chris: Across the time that Joe left, it was once in point of fact disturbing. We did some in point of fact excellent stuff with Joe. I don’t need to take the rest clear of what we did with him. We have been very other other people, and while you spend that a lot time in combination, like we have been doing, issues simply come to a head one day. When he left, we, we knew we didn’t need to finish the band and we needed to proceed on. We didn’t know anyone right here in Atlanta that we in point of fact idea would are compatible with what we have been doing. So, thru a mutual buddy, we met Brian and he got here down and jammed with us. We idea he was once cool, however Brian had by no means in point of fact executed a lot out of doors of the Wisconsin space. So, when he performed with us, we performed 5 displays in 5 other states. We had one right here. We did slightly pageant down in Florida, and we went out West for a couple of displays. And when he were given house, he simply made up our minds he didn’t experience traveling. Even supposing I wired it one million instances that we have been going to be traveling so much, it simply wasn’t his factor. We regrouped once more and racked our brains and, DK was once the primary one who we referred to as after Brian left. Sooner than I joined and prior to Joe was once at the beginning within the band, Jimmy and Heber knew who DK was once from when he was once in Jetboy. That they had referred to as him to be the unique singer, however on the time, they didn’t in point of fact have a complete band and there wasn’t in point of fact the rest occurring. DK lives in California, so he wasn’t in point of fact . On the time, it didn’t make sense for him. But if Brian left, we referred to as him up, and he got here out and auditioned and he simply nailed it, and we get on well.
MGM: Sooner than DK joined Kickin Valentina, he’d already executed relatively so much. He was once in Jetboy; he was once in Beggar’s Ball; he did an album with Slam Alley, and he additionally did his personal factor with Fantastically Demolished. Why do you assume it was once one of these excellent are compatible for each events to come back in combination at that time?
Chris: Persona is a large a part of it as a result of we’re round every different such a lot. We spend such a lot of hours in combination in a van and travelling, so you’ve gotten so that you can get in conjunction with every different. That was once the principle factor we have been searching for, anyone that we in truth appreciated. Taste smart, he’s were given that raspy voice that we have been searching for. He has the similar influences as us. And in relation to writing, the entirety simply clicked. We just about had lots of the tune to the music ‘Sweat’ when he joined, and in order that was once the primary music that we had written with him, and it simply labored.
MGM: Did you must make many variations when he joined? DK was once already relatively a seasoned vocalist and musician at that time. So, he would have sought after to stamp his personal mark on Kickin Valentina.
Chris: The entire procedure of ways we do issues now may be very other from when Joe was once within the band as a result of DK lives in California. It’s a six hour flight for him to simply get right here. So, the best way we means writing is other. When Joe was once within the band, we’d simply all get in combination and simply write with everybody within the room. Now, Heber or I will be able to herald a riff or a elementary concept for a music. We’ll document it, ship it to DK, and he sends his notes again, we tweak issues and we simply cross backward and forward. Something that we by no means in point of fact did prior to was once a large number of harmonies, and that’s simply one thing that we performed round with slightly bit extra with DK. We’ve indisputably performed round with extra melodies. And particularly on ‘Revenge of Rock’, we went slightly bit extra in a pop course than a few of our earlier stuff, and even in comparison to ‘Celebrity Spangled’.
Picture Credit score: Joe Schaeffer
MGM: When DK joined the band in 2019, you performed some relatively large displays, together with that Rocklanta display, and Bang Your head pageant. He would have simplest been within the band a little while. You recorded a type of songs at that Germany date, which you launched on ‘Chaos in Copenhagen’. Why did you name it that? There’s not anything survive that EP from Denmark.
Chris: We had a display booked in Copenhagen referred to as ‘Prime Voltage’, but it surely were given cancelled on account of some problems that have been occurring with the venue, so we ended up simply placing out in Copenhagen for a couple of days. We had a couple of days off and our label was once primarily based out of there, in order that they hit us up and stated, do you guys need to cross into the studio and document when you’re right here? DK was once emblem new to the band, and we had some songs we hadn’t even in point of fact performed reside but. So, we have been like, yeah, we’ll cross in. The ones 3 studio tracks have been simply recorded in a day at Medley Studios. We would have liked so as to add every other music to it, and we had ‘Bang your head’ arising. We knew we have been recording that display, so we simply ended up placing ‘Get in a position’ at the EP.
MGM: The closing couple of instances that you just’ve been to the United Kingdom in 2022 and 2023, you’ve been traveling the ‘Revenge of rock’ album. You’re again over right here from the tip of August for two weeks of displays, and probably you’ll center of attention at the new ‘Celebrity Spangled Fist Struggle’ album. That album isn’t simple to search out in the United Kingdom, such a lot of enthusiasts received’t but have heard the fabric
Chris: Numerous that album was once written all the way through COVID. We put ‘Revenge’ out after which a pair months later, COVID hit and we couldn’t cross out and play and so we simply ended up simply writing. We more than likely had 25-30 songs written. We went into the studio and recorded twelve songs from the ones and put ten at the album, so we’ve nonetheless were given two songs recorded that we’re going to do one thing with one day.
MGM: This album is uncooked, formidable, and vigorous, and there are moments throughout the songs which might be stuffed with goal and aggression. Celebrity Spangled Fist Struggle would seem to be an overly becoming album name.
Chris: Celebrity Spangled Fistfight was once one of the vital first songs that we had written. Heber had this riff with this KISS, ‘Calling Physician Love’ and LA Weapons, ‘Rip and tear’ more or less vibe to it. We simply wrote the songs, and that’s what DK got here again with. Down the street once we have been making an attempt to think about an album identify that simply gave the impression best possible. It sounds cool, and we will be able to do a large number of stuff with the imagery.
MGM: That is your fourth album, and the second with DK as vocalist. You’ve been construction a large number of momentum since he joined the band in 2019. This was once a very powerful album for you, and also you had to in point of fact make a remark with it. Did you are feeling any power in the back of that, or was once it only a case of getting a laugh with it?
Chris: One of the crucial power for us was once the ‘Chaos in Copenhagen EP as a result of that was once the very first thing that we did with DK, and you understand how it’s if a band loses a singer. Is the brand new stuff going to be any excellent? How other is it going to be? Are other people going to find it irresistible? Are they going to simply accept a brand new singer and stuff like that? In order that was once more than likely the most important one for us so far as that, and it was once gained rather well. And once we did ‘Revenge of rock’ that one did rather well. It’s simply we misplaced a large number of momentum from traveling on account of COVID. Each time we attempted to ebook one thing it could get cancelled. We’d wait just a little and rebook it. And it cancelled once more. COVID killed the momentum for that album. You wish to have each and every document to be higher than your earlier one, and all of us really feel like that is more than likely one among our perfect data from best to backside. We have been like, we’re going to head out and we’re going to play up to we will be able to to strengthen this one. There’s no international pandemic preventing us, so let’s do just it.
MGM: You’ve already performed a good selection of dates this 12 months, maximum lately throughout Europe. 2024 seems like it’ll finally end up being one among your busiest years for displays. Taking a look at your set checklist, it’s modified relatively just a little from while you closing came around right here in 2023 supporting Tigertailz. Prior to now you performed from throughout your catalogue, however this excursion is nearly solely out of your new album. Enthusiasts would possibly take into account listening to you play two new songs closing time round, in ‘Fireback’ and ‘Taking a experience’, however they’ll in large part be listening to those new songs for the primary time, reside.
Chris: We like the brand new album. They’re a laugh songs to play and it’s looking for that stability of recent stuff and sprinkling in one of the vital older stuff. We’ve nonetheless were given 3 songs within the set from when Joe was once within the band. It’s getting to some degree the place it’s laborious to make a choice what to place in there. However, as a musician, it’s looking for that stability of protecting one of the vital older stuff in there and protecting issues contemporary for us as a band.
MGM: You’re enjoying twelve dates in the United Kingdom. The primary one’s in London on the Black Center on 29th August, and your play all the way through the rustic throughout the ones 2 weeks. One date that many can be eager about is your go back to HRH Sleaze, which takes position in Leicester this 12 months. Is there someone else at the invoice you’re having a look ahead to looking at or catching up with? There’s typically a in point of fact excellent camaraderie between the bands and the enthusiasts at that pageant.
Chris: The band that I want I may see can be ‘House age playboys’, however they’re enjoying on a unique evening than us and we’re enjoying in Grimsby that evening. However I’m an enormous Korey Clark and warrior Soul fan. I want I may see them. I feel Shiraz Lane is headlining the evening that we’re enjoying. They’re a fab band. We performed with them at ‘Name of the wild’ closing time we have been over there.
MGM: The place else at the excursion are you maximum excited to be visiting?
Chris: We like enjoying on the Waterloo in Blackpool. That’s one of these a laugh display. Exhausting Rock Hell, clearly. We like enjoying at Bannerman’s. We’re going to Glasgow for the primary time. We’re going to Southampton for the primary time. So, there’s some towns that we’ve by no means performed, and we’re having a look ahead to that. After which proper after that, we head over to Germany for a pageant and we’ve were given a display on our personal over there.
MGM: You’ve simplest given your self perhaps one or two days off when you’re over right here. Will you get a possibility to look a lot of the United Kingdom or is that only for getting better?
Chris: Guy? You already know, on our days off, we’ll simply cross grasp across the town anyplace we’re at. For me, in my view, my spouse is British, so on our break day, I’m. I’m going to head see my in-laws. She’s going to be over there a few days. She was once from Carlisle, however her oldsters are down in Barrow.
MGM: Confidently, you’ll get a excellent house cooked meal.
Chris: I higher. Yeah.
MGM: The United Kingdom and Europe, particularly in Germany, have in point of fact began to fall in love with reside rock tune once more, in order that will have to be a motive force to come back over to play increasingly more displays.
Chris: For us, being an American band, it’s simply loopy for us to head over there and simply uncover this entire, “new to us” tune neighborhood. There’s a large number of cool puts that we love enjoying over there. Nottingham is true up on the best of the checklist. We’ve performed there a few instances and the crowds are simply superior. You cross to a pageant and also you at all times see the similar team of other people. We performed ‘Name the wild’ a couple of instances and it’s similar to a circle of relatives of like-minded other people going to experience tune and it’s been a laugh being part of that.
MGM: Let’s communicate in regards to the ‘what subsequent’. You’ve mentioned some displays in Germany, however you discussed that you just’d written 25-30 songs for this album, and also you’ve simplest put ten at the album, and were given two others in a position to free up. What do you assume will occur to the others that you just haven’t recorded but?
Chris: I do not know. The 2 that we’ve got recorded, we talked to our label about doing one thing with the ones; perhaps a cut up 45 with every other band at the label. I don’t know but. So far as the opposite songs, we may revisit one of the vital concepts and spot the place they cross.
MGM: Given your momentum over right here and, that feels like a excellent excuse to come back again in 2025.
Oh, we’ll indisputably be again. We’re already operating on stuff for 2025 over there, so I don’t know what time of the 12 months but, however we’ll, we’ll indisputably be again.
For more info:
https://kickinvalentina.com/
https://www.fb.com/KickinValentina/
Kickin Valentina can be traveling the United Kingdom thru August / September:
29th August: The Black Center, London
30th August: KK’S Metal Mill, Wolverhampton
31st August: Billy Bootleggers, Nottingham
2nd September: Trillians Rock Bar, Newcastle upon Tyne
3rd September: Bannerman’s Bar, Edinburgh
4th September: The Vintage Grand, Glasgow
5th September: Waterloo, Blackpool
6th September: The Tivoli, Buckley
7th September: HRH Sleaze, O2 Academy, Leicester
8th September: Yardbirds Rock, Grimsby
10th September: Suburbia, Southampton
11th September: The Brickmakers and B2, Norwich
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