Interview with Alan Damien of Living Dead Lights

Yesterday when I was driving around, I was so excited to see Living Dead Lights come on XM Sirius Octane with their new song, “This Is Our Evolution“. We told you last week about their new video and you can read more about that here. You can also check out their bad ass video for that song below:

Living Dead Lights have been busy working on their upcoming album,”BLACK LETTERS” which is set for a release date of January 27th, 2014. This much anticipated album has everything from gritty raw guitars, fierce insightful lyrics that will invade your mind and call it home! Guitarist Alan Damien explains about the album, “We realize that we need to put our own ideas about life behind us if we want to write songs that can reach out to the souls of people. We want them to see what’s really happening in the world.” We had the opportunity to talk with Alan and are pleased to bring you that interview here:

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Music Junkie Press: Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press! We are all VERY excited about the new album, BLACK LETTERS. We have listened to it and are just blown away. You guys seem to have literally bled your souls into the music. How was the process for you guys in the making of the album?

Alan Damien: Well really we’ve been developing some of these songs for 3-4 yrs now but that comes with being in a band. It took time to develop the sound and find ourselves in the music. The recording process was great. Fred Archambault produced it (He produced all except the last Avenged Sevenfold record) We worked with some great guys that helped bring the best out of the songs and we were really able to bring the songs to life.

Music Junkie Press: This is Our Evolution video just came out and it is amazing! We understand that you worked with iconic P.R. Brown, can you tell us about the making the video?

Alan Damien: Well we shot the video in the middle of nowhere on one of the hottest days of the year! I think it was 90 degrees in the shade. But we had a great crew that worked their ass off for us. And the band was relentless and really threw down that day. P.R. Brown made it easy it’s nice when things are organized the way they were!

Music Junkie Press: It definitely turned out awesome! Ghosts & Saints has such a completely raw and nakedness to it but at the same time a feeling of beauty, can you tell me more about that song?

Alan Damien: The songs about someone that was really close to me for a long time . She was really put through the ringer early in life. Sometimes some of us are just born into troubled situations and for anybody that knows her will know what I’m talking about! I guess we all just have to find our own way. It’s just another example of how we have to overcome our own situations to find ourselves. Because I don’t know about you but we’re only on this planet for 70 plus yrs maybe and at the end of the day I just want to have a good fkn time and enjoy life with hopefully no regrets.

Music Junkie Press: That is very well said, that song is really spectacular. Do you have any specific song writing rituals?

Alan Damien: Hah rituals? do you mean do I sacrifice chickens on a Tuesday morning with my breakfast before I write haha….Well usually we just do our own thing and bring ideas or full songs into the rehearsals and work on them. I write when I’m inspired or if i need to! Lyrics are a different deal…It generally takes me about 3 days to finish something…..It’s a beautiful yet dark process…I pretty much lock myself away for the entire time and go through every possible emotion good to bad while I’m searching for what I want to say!

Music Junkie Press: I am glad to hear that NO chickens are being sacrificed! Whatever you have been doing, keep doing it since the results have been perfect! Your music has Its own unique sound that includes some explosive riffs, punk anthemic styles and thought provoking lyrics. What artists have inspired you most in your music?

Alan Damien: I’d say we’re inspired by life mostly! Real life situations. I personally watch a lot of movies myself and that helps. I’m a huge Quentin Tarantino fan, Robert Rodriguez and Kevin Smith..For music were all over the place too …love everything from The Beatles, To Guns n Roses to Beethoven and Johnny Cash. We listen to a lot of heavy stuff too from Slayer, Pantera to The Dead Boys and The Sex Pistols. We’re def. all over the place.

Music Junkie Press: I love that such a wide range inspires you, I think it really shows in your music. We can’t wait for a tour in support of the album, anything in the works as of yet? Also, if you could put together your dream lineup, what three artists or bands (living or dead) would you like to put on the bill with you?

Alan Damien: Our record releases January 27th so shortly after our tour will start..Europe/ US/ Asia.

For me that’s easy…

Original Guns N Roses

The Beatles

Led Zeppelin

I could die easy after that night!

Music Junkie Press: That is definitely a bad ass dream lineup that would go on for days! If you could go back to your 14 year old self, what advice would you give to yourself?

Alan Damien: This art that we do is not all about art or music. American pop culture has made it so it’s 90% business these days. It’s a sad state of affairs but it’s the passion that one has and the love you have for music that will pull you through it and make it all possible.

I believe that no matter how hard or impossible the world may make something seem to achieve, that anyone can do what they want in life. You just have to believe you can do it…And wholeheartedly love it and eventually you will see some sort of success out of it…I guess it depends on what that means to you!

Music Junkie Press: Your passion for you music shines through your songs. That is great advice for all. We at Music Junkie Press are strong believers that music heals, comforts, inspires and is just the truest best friend, can you tell us about a particular time in your life, where music helped you the most?

Alan Damien: Well when I was about 14 yrs old I realized that music meant so much to me and it literally changed how I felt about life and gave me a reason. I remember thinking that wow if music can make me feel this way it really can change the world….So I wanted to give back and be in a position one day where I could really do that.

Music Junkie Press: If I could peak into your Ipod, what artist or song might I be most surprised at finding in there?

Alan Damien: Hah well I have a lot of bullshit in there….But I’m an open minded artist and I’ll listen to everything and give it a chance…But I remember as a kid some old homeless guy named Shakey Kincaid came up to me and my friend and had all these cds and wanted us to buy them haha…he said he found them in the trash or something..So we humored him and said alright Shakey what do you got….We looked through them and there was some old Guns N Roses demos that I’ve never seen before( and they were really bad too) but it was cool as shit they were my favorite band. And also cool to listen to stuff like that because it always reminded me that they were just normal people at one point just like us. So you could really see how the sound and the songs developed and turn into these huge hits!

Music Junkie Press: I love it! Shakey had old demos! It does make you realize we are all just human. Thank you so much for your time Alen and we look forward to spreading the word about the new album and we will catch you on tour next year!

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You have to take time out of your day and head over to their social media sites so you can stay up to date. You will be hearing so much more from Living Dead Lights, on Octane, your local stations, everywhere. They truly are getting the recognition that they wholeheartedly deserve. Hope you will take a listen and support them too!

~ Enjoy, Marisol

Living Dead Lights is: