Posts
Provided by the compucert
Lipstick on the Mirror by Pop Evil is due out tomorrow. I had a chance to speak with the singer in advance of the release.
Have you ever spoken to a person who had such a great outlook and positive attitude that you know he's going to hit it big? When I got off the phone with Leigh Kakaty, the lead singer of Pop Evil I knew he was that guy.
Pop Evil started off as a local band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They've been together for eight years now. That alone is quite a feat considering how acts come and go all the time. "When you work with the same guys for that long you know you have to make it," Leigh told me of the band's work ethic. Collectively they've made the effort to stay together and work hard toward their common goal as musicians. They did what was necessary to ascend the ladder in the music industry, playing widely varied covers and long sets to get the word out there and build their reputation and fan base. Leigh gives a lot of credit to all their influences from rock to hip hop.
Have you ever spoken to a person who had such a great outlook and positive attitude that you know he's going to hit it big? When I got off the phone with Leigh Kakaty, the lead singer of Pop Evil I knew he was that guy.
Pop Evil started off as a local band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They've been together for eight years now. That alone is quite a feat considering how acts come and go all the time. "When you work with the same guys for that long you know you have to make it," Leigh told me of the band's work ethic. Collectively they've made the effort to stay together and work hard toward their common goal as musicians. They did what was necessary to ascend the ladder in the music industry, playing widely varied covers and long sets to get the word out there and build their reputation and fan base. Leigh gives a lot of credit to all their influences from rock to hip hop.
At the time I spoke with him I had only the chance to listen to the songs they had posted on their Myspace page. When i told him I liked what they chose to post, he told me, with a laugh, "And those aren't even my favorites from the record." And I can tell you, that as much as those songs rock, the entire album is a fun musical ride. What they have that many popular acts lack these days is rocking kick. Songs with guitar solos. Strong drum lines, Pronounced bass lines. And considering they are on an independent label, no one cheesed out on production. All levels are PERFECT and that makes the songs that much more enjoyable and fun to listen to. When discussing how songs are written, Leigh explained that a song "just has to work. It needs that hook. If something isn't working right, they just scrap that idea and move on to greater ideas."
Sometimes you listen to a record and can't imagine how it would sound live. Pop Evil put together an album that you would WANT to hear them perform live. Catchy. Contagious. Gets the blood pumping. Here's the track listing:
- Hero
- Breathe
- Shinedown
- 100 in a 55
- Somebody Like You
- 3 Seconds To Freedom
- Another Romeo & Juliet
- Stepping Stone
- Jupiter In June
- One More Goodbye
- Ready Or Not
- Hard Highway
- Hey Mister
For now, they are touring, getting the word out, and having fun meeting the fans. "It's a blast playing in a new city and having people thirty deep singing along with you," Leigh told me. I was able to hear the pride in this man's voice as he related to me the feeling. He also said that playing a single set a night was a welcome break from years of three one-hour sets nightly. I'm shocked that they were able to keep that pace and NOT kill each other!
Here our the upcoming tour dates:
Date Venue City State
8/14/08 Kentucky State Fair w/ POD Louisville KY
8/16/08 Twin River Casino: Puddle of Mudd Tour Lincoln RI
8/17/08 Hampton Beach Casino: Puddle of Mudd Tour Hampton Beach NH
8/19/08 Fat Boys Watertown NY
8/20/08 Penns Peak: Puddle of Mudd Tour Jim Thorpe PA
8/21/08 Rams Head Live: Puddle of Mudd Tour Baltimore MY
8/22/08 House of Blues: Puddle of Mudd Tour Atlantic City NJ
8/26/08 Northern Lights: Puddle of Mudd Tour Albany NY
8/27/08 Magic City Music Hall: Puddle of Mudd Tour Johnson NY
8/28/08 West Shore Hardware Bar Harrisburg PA
9/11/08 Allegan County Fair w/ Daughtry Allegan MI
9/26/08 Downtown Lansing - Girls of MSU/Playboy Lansing MI
We discussed the impact of modern technology and the dissemination of music, and getting the word out. Leigh agreed that modern technology does make it easier to get people across the country to give you a listen, but makes it much harder to get signed by a label. "Ten years ago we would've been signed to a multimillion dollar contract," he explained, "but these days you sign with an indy label." Then you tour and put modern technology to good use.
And when I hit them with the Howard Stern question, how are a band of single guys enjoying the concert trail Leigh laughed and said, "You can interpret that anyway you like." Whatta cool guy! LOL!!
I loved the album and I know I can't wait for them to come by the New York City area to see them perform. I want to see these songs played live and wonder what they might throw in just for the fun of it. Check them out!
Lipstick on the Mirror by Pop Evil is due out tomorrow August 12!
On the web:
1 comments:
anyone want to see pop evil tonight in chicago? hit me up if you’re interested. all you gotta do is help promote the show. you can meet the band if you work extra hard. hit me up at dylmans@gmail.com for more info.
Post a Comment