Interviews: BUZZED & LOADED

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Hard Rock band, BUZZED & LOADED from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. For readers discovering BUZZED & LOADED for the first time, how would you describe the band’s sound, personality, and approach to rock ’n’ roll?

Rob (Guitar/Vocals): I think in a lot of ways we embrace the volatility of the original wave of harder rock bands of the 70s and try to record and write in the spirit of the era. We keep our productions raw and real, and don’t use a lot of the bells and whistles that are available today. I think we want the listener to feel like they are in our rehearsal room sharing a drink with us, and we don’t auto-tune, cut and paste, etc… it’s all immediate performances that have been captured on our three albums. So we like to party as our name implies; we don’t do politics, and believe powerful music can be humorous even as we sing about serious subject matters. I would say we are a nouveau classic rock outfit that is more than comfortable jamming in a big venue or a friend’s oily garage.

2. What inspired the title “Medication Nation”, and what does that concept represent for the band?

Buzz Brown (Drummer): It's a jab at how the pharmaceutical industry invades your everyday life, and tries to get you feeling that you need that pill to get through the day- that stuff should be between you and your primary care doctor- not being bombarded by subliminal suggestions to increase the income of Big Pharma.

Rob Trosino: I think 3 out of 4 commercials on television are selling you a magic pill that will make everything seem perfect, even with the 700 side effects you will get from taking it. So as the lyricist, I felt I needed to call out the pharmaceutical companies for the greedy legal drug dealers they are. I’ve seen pills kill people and create a zombie class of people, so the title track and namesake of our latest album takes them to task.

3. The album combines classic arena rock swagger, humor, and modern hard rock energy. How did you develop that signature BUZZED & LOADED style?

Buzz Brown: It comes from what we grew up listening to: Nugent, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, KISS, Good rock that makes you want to stand up and shake it, and has some fun and humor involved.

Rob Trosino: I agree with Buzz totally, and I would add that we live and listen to music 24 hours a day. I even sleep with music guiding my nightly vivid fever dreams. I grew up the youngest of seven, who absorbed so many different musical styles, and I think it comes out distorted and dirtied up with the band. Also, the addition of Andy has really given us a punchy, bass-heavy sound, and he is like having a second lead guitarist.

4. The band’s story began with a casual jam session that quickly turned into writing original songs. Can you tell us more about that first meeting and when you realized this was something special?

Buzz: Rob and I bonded over our love of great '70's and '80s Canadian rock bands, like April Wine, Streetheart, Harlequin, Coney Hatch, etc., and got together to jam out on some covers. I started dorking around with patterns on the drums, while tuning them up, and Rob threw a riff over it, and we started writing stuff and forgot to get to the covers. lol!

Rob: Well, we had a supernatural incident about an hour in when Buzz questioned if the studio was really haunted or not. We were chilling on the sofa when his phone flew off his drum stool about 8-10 feet across the room. It was immediately on cue, and that made the meeting very memorable. I knew at that moment when it didn’t freak him out, we had something special to build on. We went on to write 4 songs that session and have never looked back.

5. How does Medication Nation compare to your previous albums, and how do you feel the band has evolved?

Rob: We started off with Roger Capps (the founding member of Pat Benatar) on bass, and the music was maybe a little more tepid than now. It was good, but I think on the second album (the first with Andy) we became more focused on the meat of the songs and took a step forward. Medication Nation expands on the first two albums musically with a much broader palette. Andy has really contributed with a lot of amazing song ideas and riffs on this album, and Buzz just laid down his best grooves ever.

Buzz: The writing has matured and is getting deeper. Not so heavy on the F*k me, suck me songs.

6. What inspired the songwriting on this record? Are the stories and humor drawn from real-life experiences?

Buzz: Pretty much everything we write is drawn from real-life experiences. Trying to get the demons out of the closet in a way that doesn't get us arrested- lol!

Rob: Even the song about the happy throuple is real. I’ve lived most of those lyrics for better or worse. Should be in extended therapy, but that’s what songwriting is for.

7. BUZZED & LOADED embraces the larger-than-life spirit of bands like KISS, Ted Nugent, and Alice Cooper. What elements of classic rock do you think are missing from modern music today?

Buzz: I hear a lot of new music that doesn't have any unique identity. So many guitar sounds, drum sounds, etc are sampled and used by everyone. Too many bands sound the same.

Rob: I think once you get away from putting a mic in front of your Marshall Tube Amp by dialing in a tone with a plug-in on your computer or modeler, you run the risk of seeking perfection at the expense of the primal magic of moving air in a room. I gravitate to the bands that keep it old school and maybe capture a feel versus a perfect take. I am a feel and energy guy. Listen to Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith, and you hear the hand percussion Steven Tyler was playing during the intro break and hit the floor, but the vibe of that take was the one they kept even with the noticeable mishap. The guitar is totally out of tune on Takin’ Care of Business by BTO, but not one cares because it rocks. They even used the pizza delivery boy on piano for that track because they didn’t have enough money to tip him. That’s rock magic right there.

8. How do you balance the fun and humor in your music while still delivering powerful, memorable hard rock songs?

Rob: I think the studio ghost helps us stay focused. When we act up too much, it will throw a chair, and that sobers up our attitude and brings us back into being productive.

Buzz: We are the sort that finds the fun in everything we do, and we all have such a twisted up sense of humor. It's not too hard to inject a good one-liner, or double entendre into a song, but it's harder to write a serious song.

9. Can you walk us through the writing and recording process for Medication Nation?

Buzz: We get together and start roughing out ideas, and we videotape every single session. Rob takes the things considered "moments of greatness" and fleshes them out into a song format, and comes up with a demo track, and we structure the bass and drum parts off of that.

Rob: Buzz summed that up perfectly, and another thing is we never bring in prepared songs. Every song we’ve written has been together on the spot. It’s a moment in time captured by video. We have a backlog of almost 200 songs. It’s so spontaneous.

10. What was the experience like producing the album yourselves and having Robert Trosino handle the mixing and mastering?

Buzz: It was actually great; Rob knows how this little orchestra should sound, and got things sounding quite spiffy.

Rob: They listen to every mix, and love that I keep their bass and drums front and center.

11. The band has received three consecutive Josie Music Awards nominations for Rock Album of the Year. What does that recognition mean to you?

Buzz: The JMA Awards are the real deal major league Indie Awards. That keeps us moving forward and knowing that we're not as crazy as we think we are.

Rob: Nominees are picked by an esteemed panel of industry experts, and there are 70-100,000-plus choices depending on the year from around the globe. So to think we’ve been blessed with nominations on all three albums is absolutely mind-blowing, and to go to Nashville and be at the Grand Ole Opry is a thrill that is almost better than my wedding night. Makes all of us work harder to get back again. We feel like the drunken kings of Broadway when we are in town.

12. You’ve built a reputation for entertainment both on and off the stage. What can fans expect from a BUZZED & LOADED live performance?

Buzz: We are very animated and energized. Interacting with people is what we love to do, and getting that partying/happy vibe from the crowd is the best.

Rob: I’ve been electrocuted, and even performed in a Mr. Turtle pool of chocolate pudding, so that gives you an idea of what may happen. We have had to dial back the nudity for the most part.

13. The addition of bassist Andy Claus brought a new chapter to the band. How has his arrival impacted the chemistry and sound of BUZZED & LOADED?

Rob: He has a feel that fills in the voids of a song that I’ve never experienced before. We are all best of friends, and I think that comes across in every song. I love sharing him loud in the mix. He has cemented our trajectory.

Buzz: Andy is a great player, and really brings that 70's heavy bass thunder into the fold; you can really hear the Geezer Butler and Jack Bruce influences in his style. That really matches Rob and my styles very well.

14. What has been one of the wildest or most memorable moments from your journey as a band so far?

Buzz: Going to Nashville for the Josie Awards, hanging out on Broadway and just grooving on the whole experience.

Rob: Nashville is our spirit animal. We have experienced a drunken bridal party brawl that drew so much blood, and a one-legged elderly hooker working her magic on Broadway. Also, the multiple shared paranormal experiences at the studio two weeks ago I had something that drew blood while I was just chatting with Andy. Freaky, but I feel part of our recording magic.

15. In a music world that has changed dramatically over the years, what keeps the spirit of rock ’n’ roll alive for BUZZED & LOADED?

Buzz: People will say "Rock is Dead", but that's not true. There are some great rock bands out there. You just have to look a little deeper. Mainstream corporate stations are so filtered and programmed to feed pablum to the lemmings, but we believe if you stick to what you do best, the world will catch up eventually.

Rob: Tequila. Low expectations help too, but seriously, we have the best friends and fans to motivate us daily.

16. What do you hope listeners take away after hearing Medication Nation from beginning to end?

Buzz: We hope that they can find a new favorite song, or at least something they identify with and will spread the BUZZED & LOADED love to others.

Rob: To learn that the true pill we need for happiness is good friendships and shared experiences. Nothing is better than laughing or talking with a group of friends in real life, and if you need three new friends, reach out to us.

17. What’s next for BUZZED & LOADED after this release? More touring, new music, or another dose of rock ’n’ roll chaos?

Rob: I am all about the chaos, and looking into more ways to get free drinks and tacos.

Buzz: We're already ass deep into writing the next album, and planning studio time to get it nailed down

18. Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Breathing The Core Zine?

Buzz: We appreciate every single one of you. We're hosting a huge party, and everyone is invited to join us. We consider the people that join in this madness with us as friends, and we get to know many of them. Play safe, follow your heart, and keep it BUZZED & LOADED! 

Rob: We are looking to partner up with a distillery and bring you some BUZZED & LOADED moonshine, and we will be shooting some ghost hunting videos on our YouTube page for Halloween. If anyone is in the Seattle area, you are free to come out and experience the haunted studio. Thanks again for having us.

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