Chicks fighting for Bleed The Freaks

interview bleed the freaks

Hello there from BRUTALISM! How are things going for you? Still on tour or is that wrapped up?
We are doing good! Been busy promoting the new record and playing some shows here and there. Right now we are on break for the holidays but 2013 should be real busy for Bleed The Freaks. We hope to get over to Europe next year.

Your debut is pretty solid and surprising with a collection of members that come from other bands that are much heavier- like Death Metal heavier- than Bleed The Freaks. What inspired the choice go with “Crush Groove Rock?”
It just came natural to us really. The band is very seasoned and we write with the song in mind. It is our belief to let the music pour out of our soul. We write what comes to us and we really don’t follow what sounds are popular. It comes from deep within each of us. We have grown as musicians and the music has grown with us as well.

“Bleed The Freaks” is usually seen as an Alice in Chains reference or tribute when bands take up the name. Any influence from that?
Alice In Chains is one of our favorite bands, there is no doubt about it. We are not a tribute band to them, but their influence does creep into the music. We feel the true emotion when we create songs, as they did when they were doing their records. We have taken some of their emotion and embodied it into our style!

How did you all finally fall in to collaborate with each other and form the band in 2008?
Well I had jammed with my bassist, Jamey Knight, for several years before in a band called Misery. We had written together and had a solid chemistry already. We met our drummer, Kenny Urrea, and started working on songs, which became the material that is on the record. The missing link was the vocals. We put an add out on Craigslist looking for a singer and tried several people out. Once we heard Will Rule we knew he was the guy. His style fit us perfectly and we immediately went to work on the album with producer Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios in California. Juan captured our raw, crush groove sound, and the rest is history!

What did you have in mind when you went for the concept of your debut album?
We all had one common theme, and that is how the world is turning into complete chaos. Our record is a message of hope, that “all is ours, or all is lost,” so if you love life and love the planet then you have to make a change!

Are there any particular tracks you think that deserve special mention that you’d like to share with our readers?
Well I love all the songs, and they all are very cool in their own way. The standout track for me is “Blind Eye.” At first it was going to be about the government always watching over us and invading privacy, but then it took on a double meaning. It is now about watching over loved ones and loved ones watching over you as well. It is a killer song and a fan favorite.

When listening to Bleed The Freak’s music, there is a nice balance between heavy aggression of Heavy Metal in general and also just a steady appeal of mainstream Rock. Do you think with such a balanced sound it is more attractive to fans on both ends of the spectrum rather than cornering just one kind of genre, like if you just went a “Death” or “Sludge” or “Black Metal” route instead?
We all love different kinds of rock and heavy metal. I think the fact that we all have been playing for so long makes it easier to write more mature material. We don’t try to be the fastest or heaviest band. We just start jamming and see what comes out. It was our intent to mix it up a little and use influences from all the styles that we enjoy and grew up with. Our sound is heavy enough to capture the metal crowd but also melodic so the rock fans can relate too.

Looking into a world where Metal/ Rock has kind of been pushed underground again in mainstream music- unless you have access to satellite radio- what do you think are the best, along with the worst things, about being in a Metal/ Rock band? What advice would you give our readers if they were to get involved with making such music?
The best thing is the fact that technology has advanced to where bands can create their own destiny now. You don’t have to rely on a big record company to get the ball rolling. The downside of that is there are too many bands and records don’t have the impact that they used to. My advice for people wanting to start a band is to do the kind of music that you love. Have fun with it. Don’t chase a trend or style just because it is popular. Work hard and hope for the best but be realistic at the same time.

So what’s planned for the near future? Another album or tour possible? You do state on your Facebook your top interest is ‘playing live!’ after all.
We are working hard to make 2013 the best year ever for us. We are shopping the record to labels and promoting it hard on our own as well. Playing live is what we love and I hope to see us expand and play other markets soon. We are hoping to hit the European festivals too. In addition to all that we are writing new songs for the second record and hope to get started on that soon as well. All updates can be found at our official Facebook page.

If you could have the ultimate lineup with yourself and two other groups- currently active of course- who would they be?
If I could pick the ultimate line-up it would be a mix of old school and new school. I’d pick Black Sabbath, Five Finger Death Punch, and Bleed The Freaks. That would kick ass!

Every band has a fan base. What’s the craziest thing a fan has done to show their love (or hatred) for the group and its members?
Our fans are usually pretty chilled out, but there was this one New Year’s Eve show where a couple chicks started fighting, and that turned into a full-on brawl. It cleared out the club for a minute. Crazy times!

That’s about all I got for now. Do you have any last words of advice for our readers and listeners about life or how to get engaged with the sound of ‘Crush Groove Rock?’ It may be something they are not used to hearing.
You just crank up the rock music, feel the groove, and never let the power of emotion crush your soul!! Thanks for the interview. Peace out!