Hard Rockers “Heaven Below” continue their rise

All my friends here in California already know about this great hard working rock band, Heaven Below but now it is time for EVERYONE to know about them. My son Ryan had met their lead singer and guitarist, Patrick Kennison at NAMM 2012 and we  had their music blasting on our 7 hour drive home.  They have such an intense energy throughout their songs as they deliver “in your face rock” which we all need more of now and days.

Heaven Below rose from Los Angeles and has not stopped since. We had the chance to see them earlier this year at House of Blues Anaheim during NAMM 2013 and the place was packed. They always bring such a great crowd and if you ever see them coming to a town near you; Fly, Drive, Walk or Crawl to get to that show. You will be infused with high octane levels of rock and roll and will now be part of the Heaven Below family.   You can get to know more about Heaven Below with our interview with Patrick Kennison:

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Music Junkie Press:  Heaven Below has continuously garnered so much attention and have been dubbed everything from the next “Guns n Roses”, to the hardest working band on the Strip. It is so true! How have you been able to continue the momentum of the rise of Heaven Below and really not take a rest or slow down?

Patrick:  We’re simply 4 very driven individuals. Even though the industry is anything but standard, we enjoy ourselves too much to slow down or stop reaching for that next level. Every time something feels difficult or unattainable, it seems like we get a reward to keep us moving forward. That reward has usually been garnering new fans and playing new music for them.

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Music Junkie Press:  How did guys all meet and form Heaven Below?

Patrick:  John our bassist & I go way back to our home town of San Antonio TX. We moved out to Los Angeles together while he was playing with DJ Ashba & I was ending Union Underground. It was only a matter of time until we’d play together in Heaven Below. Jesse came on soon after he answered our Craigslist ad. We’d auditioned so many guys before he came along. Some great, some not. But he fit in immediately both musically & personally. Shad is our final piece of the puzzle. We’re blessed to have him.

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Music Junkie Press:  So many times when I listen to bands, I can really pull out which bands were the most influential for them but yet with Heaven Below – you guys are so unique and original which is so welcoming these days! What are two of the most influential albums for you growing up?

Patrick:  As a kid I grew up on classics like Maiden & Priest. Once I got into finding my way into bands I loved Pantera, NIN, Alice In Chains and basically anything with genuine vocals & loud guitars.

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Music Junkie Press:  At what age did you start playing guitar? Can you remember what the first song you really learned how to play or sing was?

Patrick:  I got a guitar on my 11th birthday. One of the first songs I mastered was Motley Crue’s Red Hot. A couple years later I sang it w/ my first band at our 7th grade dance. I was super nervous but instantly became addicted to performing.

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 Music Junkie Press:  Can you remember what was your first concert that you went  to?

Patrick:  Iron Maiden/WASP 1985. Changed my fucking life. My mom gave me $20 for a concert shirt. I wore it until it fell off my body.

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 Music Junkie Press:  Your cover of Heartbreaker is unbelievably awesome and then I recently heard your cover of Closer and was floored by it. Congratulations on being able to cover a song and still put your own personal touches to it. If you could take any song from any other genre and just turn it into a Heaven Below hit, which might it be?

Patrick:  Hmmm. That’s a tough one. I heard a song by Supertramp on the classic rock radio station the other day. I don’t know the name of the song but I thought it was very well written and that I should download it. Usually we choose a cover by accident while we’re warming up in the rehearsal room or the studio. So you never really know what will happen.

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 Music Junkie Press:  If we could peak into your Ipod or playlist, what song or artist would we be most surprised at finding on there?

Patrick:  I’m a huge Bryan Adams fan. I find his voice & songs very genuine yet simple. He’s my Bruce Springsteen.

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Music Junkie Press:  So many people do other jobs while pursuing their dream in music, what is the oddest job that you have had?

Patrick:  I once worked at an aircraft airplane engine overhauling place right out of high school. Once I saw how many of the workers had hand & finger injuries I immediately quit. I soon got a gig playing guitar & singing in a top 40 cover band. I learned so many styles of music but it wasn’t fulfilling as an original songwriter.

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 Music Junkie Press:  We know you guys have been busy this year and  being a Pulp Fiction fan, I love your video for “Dodging a Bullet”. What are you currently working on right now for us?

Patrick:  Glad you dig the video. It was fun to make. We’re currently wrapping up 3 different albums that we will consecutively release this year & early ’14. The first one is an acoustic EP, kinda like our Jar Of Flies. It’s acoustic but still dark & aggressive. After that we have a cover song EP where each member chose his favorite legendary band to cover a song from. Finally, we have a mammoth concept record. It’s very cinematic but still hard rocking & to the point. It’s a very ambitious record, but we want to push the limits on the perception of the band. Imagine Operation Mindcrime meets Master Of Puppets.

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Music Junkie Press:  I saw your photograph of the Heaven Below Coffin Kit and the creativity behind this is genius! Will it be available for us to purchase?

Patrick:  Yes!!! We have a new web store & site currently in the works. Available very soon.

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Music Junkie Press:  What are three things or secrets you can share with our readers about Heaven Below that they might not have known?

Patrick: The band name is a lyric from one of the first songs I wrote called The Laughing Dead. The band was almost called this. I’d misinterpreted a My Chemical Romance lyric & thought “Famous Laughing Dead, Heaven Below” how cool. Turns out he wasn’t saying that at all.

Jesse our guitarist actually played drums on our recent album Falling From Zero. Jesse is an amazing multi-instrumentalist & we were in between drummers at the time of the recording.

Shad is actually our fourth drummer. We had a bit of the Spinal Tap drummer syndrome prior to him. But our reward has been his amazing playing live & in the studio.

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Check out their video Pulp Fiction inspired video for their song, ‘Dodging A Bullet” which is just incredibly well done and a favorite of mine:

 

Also they have several upcoming shows in Southern Californi and are listed below:

Please make sure to check out their social media pages so you can stay up to date on when they are coming to a city near you.

~ Crank it up loud, Marisol

Information and Links:

• Website:             www.heavenbelow.com
• Facebook:         www.facebook.com/heavenbelow
• Reverbnation:  www.reverbnation.com/heavenbelow
• Itunes:                itunes.apple.com/us/artist/heaven-below/id305518257?uo=4
• Youtube:          www.youtube.com/heavenbelowmusic
• Twitter:             www.twitter.com/heavenbelow