In three days, Wednesday 13 will drop his new album Necrophaze (read the review of the album HERE). We got to interview the Duke of Spook about the album, which was pretty rad.
When it comes to interviews, I always find email, while easy, to also be a pain. I always think of things I should have asked instead, and I feel you kind of lose something. Regardless, it was was a pleasure to get some of my questions regarding Necrophaze answered.
A big thank you to Wednesday 13. See what he had to say below!
The Interview.
How would you rank this album in comparison to your previous works?
Of all of the albums in my career,Necrophaze is without a doubt the most recent. With that being said, I think it ranks to me as one of our best releases, but at the end of the day it’s up to the fans. They are the ones that are the judge and jury on these things. I just hope the fans enjoy this record as much as we enjoyed making it. Everything included on this record, the CD Vinyl packaging, videos, the promotion, is all something that I wanted to do, and I am very thankful that the label has backed me up on my ideas.
It is obvious that you’re inspired by the macabre and horror films. What film would you say has been a continuous source of musical inspiration for you?
Visually, horror films have been a huge part of my imagery and the root of my lyrics. Musical influence from horror films are a completely different side. There is amazing soundtracks from John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, John Harrison’s Creepshow, Argento’s Demons soundtrack with Claudio Simon and Goblin… The list goes on.
What does your writing process look like? Do you come prepared with an idea or lyrics, or does it all kind of come out when you are with your bandmates?
Every album that we have recorded has been a different process. That’s always due to the bandmembers constantly moving around the country. We have to determine a place to write and then determine a place to record.
The music for the latest record was written at our homebase rehearsal location in Salem, OR and the album was recorded in Los Angeles.
The biggest difference from this album compared to others was I was able to come home after the studio every night. This allowed me to be stress-free and more creative. Much more relaxed recording atmosphere just made things seem a little easier this round. We change it up every time, and I’m sure on the next recording it’ll be a completely different process.
I know songs are almost like children in a weird way, since you created them. Which song off of Necrophaze is your golden child?
That’s a great question, as I have not thought about that enough yet. Yes, my songs are like children. I create them, however I like some better than others. I guess if I had to pick a song on the album right away, it would have to be the title track, “Necrophaze”, as it features my rock ‘n roll shock rock mentor, Alice Cooper.
Do you feel there is any filler on the record, and if so, how difficult was it to write a filler song?
None. This is something that I have refused to ever be a part of.
Filler is for lazy bands or employees at the postage office. We put 100% into everything we record, and we don’t waste our time on anything that’s not 100% to us. We didn’t have a single picked out for this album, we liked every song equally. So we let the label and others that we respect pick their favorite tracks, and that’s how we chose to release the singles and videos.
How will your stage set up change with the release of the record, or will it change at all?
It will change completely. The new look, stage, and sound will all change. This is the new era, and the new phase. Wednesday 13 has taken the form of another creature. A monster.
Have you already begun working on more material, or are you just feeling these out first?
I am always thinking ahead, and I always have a few tricks up my sleeve. I think we’re going to tour and enjoy this album before we sit down and start writing the follow up.
Tour Info.
Wednesday 13 will be hitting the following cities on tour!
With Devildriver, Dope, and Ravenblack:
November:
12 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
13 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
15 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
16 – Ybor City, FL @ The Orpheum
17 – Destin, FL @ Club LA
23 – Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall Lounge
26 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
December:
2 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
5 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
6 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s
7 – Lincoln, NE @ The Bourbon
8 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios Live
With Static-X:
December:
10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Royal
11 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
12 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
13 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
15 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
17 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
18 – Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55
For more information and to purchase tickets, see his site HERE .
PHOTO CREDIT: Black and White photo of Wednesday 13 by Courtney Ware for ZRockR Magazine 2017. Colored photos of Wednesday 13 by Stephy Hayward for ZRockR Magazine 2015. All Rights Reserved.