After over thirty years of relentless industrial tinged heavy metal! Cleveland, Ohio’s mighty influential Mushroomhead will be bringing forth another full length LP to mosh ‘n’ roll too for decades upon decades, entitled, ‘Call the Devil’! ‘Call the Devil’ will be available for your listening pleasure this Friday, August 9th, 2024 via Napalm Records! Enjoy this informative Faygoluvers.net with founding Mushroomhead drummer Steve “Skinny” Felton below! P.S. Preorder ‘Call the Devil’ via Napalm Records here: https://tinyurl.com/mrx49ku9
MUSHROOMHEAD Current Lineup:
Steve Rauckhorst – Vocals
Scott Beck – Vocals
Jackie LaPonza – Vocals
Dave Felton – Guitar
Joe Gall – Guitar
Ryan Farrell – Guitar, Bass, Keys
Aydin Kerr – Drums, Percussion
Robert Godsey – Drums, Percussion
Steve Felton – Drums, Percussion, Keys, Vocals
Chad Thomas Carsten: Mushroomhead recently celebrated its 30th anniversary as a band. Looking back at your band’s incredible, influential history. What would you say is the band’s greatest accomplishment, thus far?
Skinny: You know. At at this point it’s still being able to continue to make music and art in 2024, you know?! It’s been, like you said, a little over thirty years. And you know, back in 1992, 1993, when I started this whole thing with the group of people that I had at the time, I had no idea it was gonna happen three decades plus, man! And still be going strong! The greatest accomplishment is still being able to do it!
CTC: It’s just incredible. Because for a lot of bands. They fizzle out after a little under ten years. And then you never hear from them again. The music industry is really harsh. Something happens. And next thing you know, the band’s not together anymore. As they unfortunately fall apart. It’s just cool to see Mushroomhead still creating music after all these years!
Skinny: Yeah, you’re right there. It’s a harsh environment! It’s not for everyone. I think some people get into it with the best intentions, and then once they get somewhere in it, And they find that “Alright man, I had enough!”. You know. This isn’t a very soft, safe world to be in. And a lot of people kind of get it while it’s good and cash out. And I understand all that. But for me and being a DIY camp for this long. I think the passion is just in the creativity and the passion of the craft. We just like making shit!
CTC: Can you recall how you precisely felt on an emotional level, upon receiving your very first drum kit? What happened during that specific day?
Skinny: You know it. It was fun. I talked to my father and said, “Hey, you know. I want to get a drum kit. Is it cool If I bring it home, once I get it and practice?” And he said, “Sure.” You know, not thinking I was going to go out, and you know, save my money and go get my own kit. And I did, and I brought it home. And not even three hours later. He’s like, “Yeah, you’re gonna have to find somewhere else to do that.” So day one, I realized I needed a practice room. There was more to it instantly. Besides being a drummer. It’s like, “Oh, man, I’m gonna need somewhere to do this. And then I’m gonna need people to do it with.” So yeah, I realized right away that there was a lot more to it than just playing drums.
CTC: How exactly did the first live Mushroomhead concert experience help you evolve as a band, to improve yourselves for the future?
Skinny: You know, it was just one of those things that we you know we were super excited just to hear the stuff through a big, huge PA, live. We had worked on it as a recording project originally. And then, once we got, you know, the bulk of the songs done. We were like, “Man, we should take this to the stage and really see what what we can do and kind of even get more experimental with the stage show!” That would be what fueled the fire man, that’s all it took was one show! And I was like, “Yeah, We gotta keep working on this!”
CTC: It must’ve been a crazy experience for the people attending. Especially with the audience not being used to that type of intense experimental music material. Nine Inch Nails was blowing up beyond Ohio at that time. But as a whole, the nu-metal-industrial combination with hip-hop. With all the genre fusions at that time. There was nothing like really like that in your area. So it must been a shock for a lot of people at the time.
Skinny: Yeah, we fell in that category of “Shock Rock” for a while as well. It was just more of just us trying to entertain ourselves. And just do something that really no one else was doing. Just kind of try to do our own thing, and not pay too much attention to what others thought and what others were doing. And we ended up truly, you know, making something special.
CTC: Do the masks of Mushroomhead relate to your own personalities? Or is there something like a deeper hidden metaphor with the masks? I know you guys change masks every once in awhile. But I’m curious if there’s more of a metaphorical aspect behind it?
Skinny: No, not not really. And that’s what the original intent was when we first came out we had all matching kinda masks, just pushing the “X” face. It made it a unique look for the the band and the music and the image, more than the individual members. And then, you know, as we started to grow, we just kind of took on some of its own characters. And it’s kind of like Mortal Kombat. Where it’s it’s kind of the same character, but it just morphs a little bit. It looks slightly different. And then sometimes there are completely new characters. But no, it’s nothing really an extension personally of ourselves. But then, again, you know, if you ask a psychologist, they may tell you something different.
CTC: Because we’re on Faygoluvers.net. Mushroomhead and Insane Clown Posse have a deep mutual respect amongst each other. Was there any artistic advice you two learned from each other, to help further your careers?
Skinny: Obviously, those guys work. They’re some of the hardest working guys in the industry. And again, we share a lot in common. Just coming from the same area and just the DIY camp. And then we’ve got, you know, just such loyal fan bases that you know, we found that once we started doing shows and touring together that it, it really worked. If anything you know again, I have a ton of respect for those guys, and it’s incredible to think of where they started and where they’re at now. Seeing the Gathering every year, and how it’s just grown. And it’s been all over the place. Those guys have really achieved some amazing things. I’m sure they’re kind of like me going, “How the hell did I get here?” “And how did thirty years slip by?!” But I have nothing but respect for them!
And you know, the family (Juggalos)! We’ve been brought into that and welcomed in and absolutely love every bit of all the shows. It’s been some of my most memorable and favorite shows of all my touring, you know, going out with those guys. So I hope that we get to do more in the future. But, you know, if anything that I learned that you know anything is possible, and that I learned that I wasn’t crazy. Man that you can. If you can dream it, it can be done, and just never give up man! Keep that tenacity.
CTC: It’s just great to see in general. You can tell that some bands are just pretending to be friends. But both you and Insane Clown Posse are always showing nothing but positivity towards each-other!
Skinny: It’s a great mashup between us and those guys. Again, I love touring and doing shows with them!
CTC: Mushroomhead are currently preparing to release your highly anticipated effort. ‘Call the Devil’! Obviously, there are different types of music creativity going on with this new style for the band, within this album. Why should fans of the heavy metal/hard rock genres be thrilled to listen to this album?
Skinny: You know. If you’re fans of anything we’ve done in the past, that there’s definitely something for everyone on this one. This album, you know, it’s post Covid. So we had a little bit more to say, and maybe it comes across a little bit more aggressive or a little more doomy or a little more sinister, then say the last album (‘A Wonderful Life’). This definitely has energy and some mad, mad drama all over this album. I think, you know, being cooped up because of Covid and getting back into the studio for the first time, and being able to sit with people in close quarters and create again; the energy transferred into the recordings for sure.
CTC: Since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll and blues, there’s always been a Devil connection. Whether it’s people just being superstitious. Or full on bands that like to dive into that Satanic atmosphere, like Slayer. But for this type of project is there something more in line with darkness in the world/evil amongst society, or something totally different?! Is there a hidden, deeper meaning behind the album title ‘Call the Devil’?
Skinny: See, I like all of those. And really, truly, it is meant for open interpretation. It is truly art. So everyone that reads that they automatically get a their own idea in their head, of you know, what it is. I guess if you needed a literal example. Like, think of something that you know you’re not supposed to do. But you do it anyway. Like that late night booty call. Or when you run out of drugs. You know, those types of calls. That’s when you gotta call the Devil. But you know, some people look at it and say, “Oh, it’s the device he’s holding”. It’s this technology and all this time that it’s ripping away from our lives, when we’re staring into a phone. Is truly that the Devil? When we could set the screen time totally down and enjoy nature and everything that’s around us. There’s a lot of different ways to look at it. So again, it’s open to interpretation, but I like where you were going.
CTC: Wow! But yeah there’s always been people that have called music the Devil for centuries. I mean people even called Elvis “Satanic”, which is insane. But I mean the FBI even kept tabs on the dude. Not to get on a different subject. There are bands who literally dive into that subject matter, because, you know, they’re curious about that subject. They’re not necessarily Satanic in real life. They’re just exploring to give their music some crazy story telling element.
Skinny: Right? Yeah. But like, I said, it’s more art and open to interpretation. And you know, “Shout At the Devil” was already taken, so we had to go with this one.
CTC: And you’re right about the different aspects in regards technology. Technology is going into some dark places. Like you said, people are so glued to their phones they can’t even enjoy a concert anymore. It’s okay to take a quick picture. But if you’re just standing with a phone in your face the entire time. Why are you there?!
Skinny: Yeah, that’s a different experience. That’s for sure. It’s one I don’t understand. But you know, again, like I said, it’s open to interpretation. And you know, a lot of people look at technology as the Devil. The phone and the internet/inner web as the Devil.
CTC: Your lead single from “Call the Devil” entitled “Fall In Line” has been blown up across the rock and heavy metal world! Lyrically, what’s the song truly about?
Skinny: Again. Here we are with that open interpretation. But you know its almost one of those stabbed in the back type of betrayal feelings. Trying to speak out about it. I didn’t write all the lyrics on this one, so I can’t really say all of it. But again, it’s open to interpretation. And you know, like I said, there’s a little bit of vengeance in those lyrics. There’s a little bit of betrayal in those lyrics. And I think people can kind of relate to some of it, for sure. Once they actually read through or listen through it. But it’s not like a concept record or anything like that.
CTC: Diving into the music videos for both “Prepackaged” and “Fall In Line”. Are there any behind the scenes stories you’d like to share upon filming the music videos and their concepts?
Skinny: Other than we did them pretty quick, as we do all this stuff in-house. The one warehouse that we were filming in, actually had no air conditioning. So by the time we got to the pre packaged video with all the make up, and costumes and mask. We were melting, dude. It was like 94 degrees at midnight. It got really, really hot. Those were some of the hotter video shoots that we’ve done in awhile. But they were done really quick! .And I’m really happy with the way they came out.
CTC: Yeah, it’s just straight to the point, but it also captures and connects to the legacy of Mushroomhead in a creepy, artistic way.
Skinny: Yeah, absolutely! You know, when you put it right up next to some of the last ten years of videos, it fits right in. You know, there’s definitely always something creepy and dark. There’s always some sort of doomy element to the things that we do. I guess it’s just in our roots can’t get away from it. But yeah, again. Real pleased with those last two videos and the way they came out.
CTC: Are you able to break down the creation process for this record? And how it may have differed from your past recording sessions? Was there any new creative challenges?
Skinny: No. This one came together relatively quick. We did do it in sections, though. Where we get together for, say, two weeks and worked on a couple of ideas or a couple of songs. And then got together for a week and worked on another one. And you know. Take a month off and then get together for a couple more weeks. And so we did it in just little batch recordings. So it was nice to have the time off and come back with fresh ears and listen to what we did the last time. Instead of working on it the whole time through many times in the past. We’ve, you know, blocked out the studio for three months, and just sat there and did the whole thing.
This time it was different. We did it in sessions and with different people at different sessions. There was also some file sharing, taking advantage of technology. So you know, sending stuff back and forth from home studios to our studio. And just really taking advantage of that. So the the creative process was slightly different this time.
CTC: Was there anything you were able to try musically, that you haven’t did before? Like trying out a new style of riff or a specific new production you wanted to capture?
Skinny: It was a lot of new production for sure. And I have to say, technology had a lot to do with it. In the last few years since we did the last album. They’ve come up with some killer software. So there’s newer keyboard patches and things like that. Even the pro tool software itself is much more advanced and simpler to run. So things ran smoother. So we definitely used technology to our advantage on this one.
CTC: Would you say the band is completely satisfied with the final outcome of what fully became the ‘Call the Devil’ LP?
Skinny: You know. So far, so good. We you know, everyone was was pretty happy. We were surprised that we wrapped it up on time. Usually, you know, we’re way behind schedule, and this one all came together relatively fast and I’m really proud of it. There’s some some really cool moments all over. There’s some dark art. There’s some things that are more put together, like Opera, if you will. If you looked at it, as you know, act I, II and III, sometimes, versus your traditional song arrangements. So we definitely experimented and and played around on this one a little bit more. So, man, when it’s doomy, it’s doomy, and when it’s aggressive, it’s really aggressive. So I think there’s something for everyone on this one.
CTC: What’s your opinion on the current state of heavy music?
Skinny: I love where the the hunger, and the passion is going from the artists and to the fanbase. When you look back ten to twenty years ago, like we had said earlier, it was more of a shock rock type of thing. The Subculture was just that. And now a lot of subculture has leaked into mainstream and pop culture, you know, like zombies are cool. Now, there’s a lot of people that do cosplay more so now than ever. There’s just more of a creative world. And I think people really like that kind of entertainment. And you know, it gives me a lot of hope that there’s, you know, more of this style to come, especially in the heavy metal world, because you’re seeing more bands with theatrics, more bands with masks, more bands with extras on stage, and I really like it because it’s entertaining. It’s a great time to be in metal, man. There’s great options to listen to. I mean, there’s so much cool stuff out there.
CTC: What do you have your sights set on to conquer musically, in the next 5 years? Something you want to do with Mushroomhead that you want to accomplish, that you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet?
Skinny: We’ve talked about it for years. To make some sort of
film that goes along with the album almost like “The Wall”. But maybe not as as deep and heavy. You never know where the creativity could take us. But yeah, that’s always been something, to make a film that goes along with the album. We’ll see. We’ve been talking about doing a few different things, even like little 18 minute episodes and trying to put something together that has, five or six different episodes that you could watch. We’ve got some concepts going. So fingers crossed. That’s one wish. There’s a lot lot of talk, and hopefully, something comes together soon.
CTC: Thanks again for reaching out. Any final words?
Skinny: Appreciate it, man, seriously! Thank you for your time today, and and having the passion for metal and sharing it with the world. Man, thank you so much!
*Editors Note* Mushroomhead photos courtesy of stvthrasher (2024 Inkcarceration Festival) and SK1
Interviewer: Chad Thomas Carsten
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