Catchin’ Up with Nick Walsh and Revolver

On our last visit with Nick Walsh of Revolver in late 2005, he and the band were bursting with enthusiasm & were about to embark on a European tour in support of the band’s debut release entitled “Turbulance.” Hard to believe a year has come and gone, however, as we all know, the best laid plans…well, you know the end of that phrase. But after re-grouping to focus their creative energies in the studio, a change in management, the addition of a new guitarist, and the birth of a son, 2007 finds Revolver chomping at the bit to get back out in front of the masses to deliver another round of heart-pounding, thought-provoking, steadfast rock ‘n roll.

As the finishing touches are laid upon their sophomore release, the band looks forward to giving the music industry a kick in the proverbial ass this weekend with a sneak-peak performance, along with other up & coming artists, at this year’s Canadian Music Week Showcase in Toronto, Ontario.

Nick, with his endearing charisma and unwavering professionalism, took a few minutes out of his crazy schedule just to answer a few questions for us, and countless Revolverites worldwide. Enjoy! 

                                                                                      

NICK, FILL US IN ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE REVOLVER CAMP SINCE THE RELEASE OF TURBULENCE IN 2005?
Well as you know, the CD was released in Europe through Drakkar/SONY/BMG and was well received by fans and critics alike. Unfortunately plans for a European tour were squashed due to the fact that our ex-management dropped the ball. However we did get to see the addition of new guitarist Tyson Emanuel to fill the shoes of our brother Sean ‘Crash’ Kelly, and we just signed a Japanese deal to release ‘Turbulence’ in the land of the rising sun.
 
WHAT IS TITLE OF THE NEW RECORD?
There is no title yet as we are currently in the works of securing a release for the U.S., but rest assured when we have one you’ll definitely be the first to know (or one of them) HAHA.
 
YOU DESCRIBED THE NEW COLLECTION OF TUNES AS "DARK AND HOOKY"...EXPLAIN.
That description just seemed to be the shortest way to describe this album. Most of the songs on here come from a very social standpoint lyrically, pointing out some of the harsh realities of which we call life.

And musically I think that there was just a more conscious effort in the melding of harmony and melody so people would even be able to sing along with some of the guitar parts. It’s one thing to be able to hum along to the chorus vocal, but when you catch yourself singing or humming a musical line, that’s when you know you’ve been hooked.
 
TELL US ABOUT THE UPCOMING CMW SHOWCASE ON MARCH 9TH IN TORONTO. WHATS IT ALL ABOUT?
Canadian Music Week is much like CMJ in New York City. It’s a 4-day event that happens once a year and highlights new and upcoming Canadian talent. It also houses some of the most sought after people in the biz giving seminars and doing some major partying on the company card. (You know how that is). Like most of these things it’s the networking schmooze fest of the year.
 
IT APPEARS YOU HAVE CHANGED THINGS UP A BIT WITH A NEW MANAGMENT TEAM AND AGENCY, WAS THERE ONE THING SPECIFICALLY THAT PROMPTED THE SHIFT?
Well yes. Our management and label team up here in Canada didn’t seem to have any clue what to do with a metal band. Quite honestly, I think that they were in over their heads with us.

We just found that they were blind to our vision, and we just new that we needed to be with a team that was more suited to us.

We are now working with a team out of Texas that we feel will be able to take us to that next level.
 
LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT YOUR WORKING VISAS (YAY! ), SO NOW YOU CAN BOOK SOME DATES IN THE STATES, STARTING THIS SPRING, CORRECT? WHERE ARE YOU HEADED & ANYONE ELSE ON THE BILL WITH YOU?
We wanted to do some shows on the border cities of Ontario, Canada to create a buzz in areas that would be easy for us to hit a few times in a short period. Places like New York, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio.
 
GIVE US YOUR VIEW OF FM RADIO VS. SATTELITE, AND GIVEN THE CURRENT MUSICAL TRENDS, IS RADIO SUPPORTING REVOLVER AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME AND WHAT OTHER AVENUES DO YOU UTILIZE TO PROMOTE YOURSELVES?
The one thing I can tell you about Satellite radio that I find beneficial is that there are specialty stations that cater to different genres of music, much like Internet radio. So you can target the right listeners.

FM radio is not what it once was. It used to be that the DJ’s could play what they liked, even if they wanted to put on lets say side one of Zeppelin II, they would, but those days are long gone. One word to sum it up ‘CORPORATE’.

I think that one of the best tools for promoting your band these days is myspace. The thing that makes it so cool is that you can actually hit the people that would probably be into what you do, and not just in your hometown, but all over the world.
 
ANY OPPORTUNITIES ON THE HORIZON TO JOIN A SUMMER/FALL TOUR PACKAGE/FESTIVAL OR MAYBE TOURING IN SUPPORT OF ANY HEADLINE ACTS?
As far as who we will be playing with, that is still unknown. There will most likely be some Revolver shows and some opening slots for bigger bands. The Mustang Agency seems to have a great roster of bands and some major contacts out in the field.

HOW HAS YOUR YOUR LIFE CHANGED WITH THE ADDITION OF A NEW SON EARLY LAST YEAR? IS HE PLAYING GUITAR OR DRUMS YET?
I think at this point the Drums seem to be his point of interest. When I was editing some drums for the new CD he was going nuts.

Fatherhood suits me fine, it has given me a new found energy that might not have been there. However thanks for asking.
 
LAST QUESTION: HOW DOES BRITNEY SPEARS' NEW HAIRCUT EFFECT YOU EMOTIONALLY? (HA, HA, JUST KIDDIN MAN!) -but feel free to comment.
I feel bad for her. It’s one of those situations where you have a kid who is the popular one at every school in America, and now as an adult probably finds it hard to be just another one in an ever growing see of celebrities.
 
YOU KNOW GLAM METAL WILL SUPPORT REVOLVER IN ANY WAY WE CAN , JUST SAY THE WORD...IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD OR TELL US ABOUT?...HERE'S YOUR CHANCE...GO...
Just to keep an eye out for the Rock/Metal scene that’s starting to explode now in Toronto.
There are some great new bands and clubs popping up all the time. Get off your asses and make the trip!

You heard the man… ROADTRIP!!!!!  Check ‘em out at:  www.revolvertv.com