Interview with Raz Klinghoffer of EarlyRise

Earlier this month, we brought to you an interview with Ben Draiman, younger brother of David Draiman of Disturbed and Device. During that interview Ben credited Raz Klinghoffer of EarlyRise and how he gave him great advice with his spectacular cover of Disturbed’s “Stricken”. You can read that interview here:

Raz Klinghoffer definitely knows how to do a cover song and make it magical. Raz and his band EarlyRise took Korn’s “Narcissistic Cannibal” and made an incredibly powerful version that is literally breathtaking. Orly Lari’s vocals remind me of a cross between Haley Williams and Cristina Scabbia, two amazing female artists. You can check out the song here:

EarlyRise currently has their debut album, “What If” out and is filled with dynamic songs that bring such depth to their music as they have succeeded in what they set out to do, “set out on a unique journey, mixing the poetic side of music with the edgier side of rock”. It is definitely a CD to treasure, complete with emotionally driven lyrics, energetic melodies, and much more to take you on a ride of emotions.

We recently  had the opportunity to interview Raz and are pleased to bring you the interview:

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Music Junkie Press: Thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with us at Music Junkie Press.  We were first introduced to you via Ben Draiman after we discussed his recent cover “Stricken”. He credits you with the making of “Stricken” after you two discussed cover versions and how to make them 180-degrees different.  Ben definitely did that, what do you think of his cover?

RAZ: I really like Ben’s interpretation; he gave it his own sound, which is exactly what covers should be about. It’s an amazing interpretation that will bring the song to a new audience, one that doesn’t necessarily even normally relate to Hard Rock.

Music Junkie Press:  You have your own amazing cover of Korn’s Narcissistic Cannibal. How did that one come about?

RAZ: When I first heard Korn’s “Narcissistic Cannibal,” I instantly really liked it. After listening to it for a while, I started imagining how Orly would sound singing it. I suggested we cover the song; fortunately, she was into it. We started experimenting and we recorded a few versions until we came to the final version that we released.

Music Junkie Press: It really is a work of art and you all did such an amazing job! Also what is great about doing a cover is you open yourselves to a whole new audience just by capturing their attention on your cover. After that cover, did you see that big jump in your fan base as well?

RAZ: Well, to be honest, not really. Our fanbase has been growing at a certain rate over the past 3 years because we make an effort to release a new song or video often enough to keep our fans engaged and interested. Because of the way we’ve built up our fanbase, “Narcissistic Cannibal” didn’t move the needle any more than our other singles releases. That said we’re still really proud of it.

Music Junkie Press: Raz, you and Orly make a dynamic writing team. Do you have any specific writing process or song writing ritual?

RAZ: Not really actually: Orly can bring a song with only an idea written on the piano, I can bring an idea on the guitar, or we can each work on an instrumental Ido and I created and then come up with an idea for a melody. Each song is different, mostly because to me it always sounds different depending on how you write it – with a piano, a guitar, a full band instrumental, etc.

Music Junkie Press: We just heard EarlyRise is being featured on the RockSmith 2014 game, what song(s) will you have on there?

RAZ: “Wasteland.” Ubisoft did a great job incorporating our song into the game.

Music Junkie Press: That is going to be great! I think we will have to pick our copy up! Are you currently working on a new album to follow up  “What If?”

RAZ: Yes, we are. We currently have around 60 rough demos. So there’s quite a lot to choose from, but we really want this album to be even better than ‘What If.’ Some of our new songs will surprise our fans.

Music Junkie Press:  Where are you recording your album?

RAZ: I have my own studio, we are recording it there.

Music Junkie Press: Can you tell us what we can expect from the next album?

RAZ: You can expect the EarlyRise sound from the last record mixed with some bold and deliberate experimentation. We want to continue to evolve, so we’re playing around with some electronic sounds, heavier guitar riffs, etc.. Since we’re in the middle of the recording process, we still don’t know how it will ultimately end up sounding ourselves. We are very excited about what we’ve been working on so far, though,  and we can’t wait to share it with our fans.

Music Junkie Press: We at Music Junkie Press have always been strong believers that Music can heal the soul, touch your heart and be there for someone during their hardest times. Do you have a personal story to share where Music was there for you?

RAZ: All I can say is that music is my healer and my drug. It’s not just a hobby, it’s my job. I can’t see my life without it.

Music Junkie Press: One of your songs, Face Me, is just so emotionally empowering, can you tell me more about that song?

RAZ: Actually, Orly wrote that song, so I can’t really speak for her. However, I agree it’s a very empowering song, and a fan favorite.

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

RAZ: Since I produce music in addition to being EarlyRise’s guitar player, I try to stay updated not just with the Rock scene, but also with what’s going on in other genres. I think the most surprising music you’ll find is Cuban Timba which I really like, I really love the groove of the music.

Music Junkie Press: As a guitar player, how old were you when you first started playing and can you remember what was the first song you learned in its entirety?

RAZ: I was 13, and my first song was “Under the Sun” by Scorpions. My big brother taught me how to play the opening riff.

Music Junkie Press: Will EarlyRise be touring soon? If you could put together your dream lineup with three bands living or dead, who would it be?

RAZ: We are very busy with our second album, so unfortunately we won’t be touring soon, we really want to finish it and release it in early-mid 2014. I think my dream lineup would include the first band I fell in love with, Scorpions, then Megadeth, then Linkin Park. That would be quite a show!

Music Junkie Press: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

RAZ: I would like to ask our fans to be patient with the release of our second album; we’re working really hard on it and we won’t let you down!

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We are so excited to hear that EarlyRise is working on the new album and we will keep you posted when we get updates. For now, make sure to visit their social media sites and if you don’t have it yet, pick up their CD, “What If”. Believe me, you will be happy you did! Then let me know which are your favorite songs on it. I will leave you with the lyric video for Oblivious and EarlyRise‘s acoustic version of  “Old Friend“.

~ Enjoy, Marisol

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