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LIPSTICK: "Lipstick (re-issue)"

LIPSTICK-  The Nashville Glam Rock revival group, Lipstick, is releasing a special deluxe edition of their debut album, which was released independently last year.The album will feature all 12 songs from the original release of Lipstick's debut, along with 4 new bonus tracks and a short essay "written by" the band's mascot, the infamous cartoon cat known as Mr. Cool. "The debut album was meant to be a series of demos I did with Billy Morris (ex-Warrant/ex-Quiet Riot)", states lead vocalist Greg Troyan, "But the fans demanded the songs on CD, and so we put it out last year. The response was overwhelming. We didn't anticipate the level of sales we had received. We wanted to give the fans a more deluxe package as thank you to them, and something to hold them over while we work on our next release. We're really excited about this package. It's the way the album was truly meant to be." The special edition album is slated to be released on June 3rd, 2015. Find out more about the album and the band. Here's:  GREG TROYAN

Having a good sense of humor is the correct way to approach Lipstick (planet of Jendell?)

Lipstick is a band that has a sense of humor, but we're not a joke band. We're not a comedy band like Psychostick or Steel Panther; we're just a band that is able to lighten up and not take ourselves too seriously. The same way that David Lee Roth and Freddie Mercury incorporated a lot of comedy into their music is the same way that we do. We can be silly and goofy but we can be serious and meaningful if need be. Also, Jendell's nice this time of year.

Speaking of Lipstick, what's the story behind the name?

The original name of the band was "Pants". The idea was, "What am I wearing onstage?" And then we realized, of course, I'm wearing pants! But it wasn't the catchiest name and we needed something a bit snappier, so we thought about other things that I wore onstage and came up with Lipstick.

What's the reason behind this special deluxe edition re-release of your debut?

The original album was, in my mind, a demo and a template for what I wanted the first album to be. We started doing shows and people kept asking us if they could buy recordings of our music, and the demand was so high that eventually we caved in a quickly pressed copies of the demo. The album sold much better than any of us had anticipated, but I always felt there was something lacking from the package. I wanted a lyric booklet and a more expansive package, because I felt that if this is our first album, we should do it right.

So, we decided to re-release it to hold the fans over until we release "Lipstick II" (which we are in the process of recording) and stuck on a few bonus tracks, including my preferred mix of "Having Fun", two of Stephen Smith's (Lipstick bassist) songs and a brand new recording of "I Want The World To Know", which I feel better captures the emotion of the song. It's a thank you to our fans for being so wonderful and an awesome introduction to us as a band to newcomers.

How did you hook up with producer Billy Morris (ex-Warrant/ex-Quiet Riot).

I met Billy when I was 16 at a backyard party. I was a kid, eager to learn how to rock and he was really kind and invited me to sing some Poison covers with his band because I was wearing a Poison t-shirt. We struck up a friendship that continues to this very day. I was a big fan of his work as co-producer on the Warrant album "Under The Influence", and so with Billy, I got an excellent producer and an excellent guitarist as a package deal. He understood the music very well and was the perfect choice for setting the template for the Lipstick sound.

'The Conan Song', do tell us the story behind the song. Is it about the Barbarian or the comedian/TV-host?

'The Conan Song' is about Conan O'Brien, how I've been a fan of his for years, and how I'd like to perform on his show. We've got a music video for this song coming out in a couple weeks, so expect to see it on this website soon!

Kindly tell us something about the writing process and what you're trying to capture with your music.

I write very conceptually. I tend to think about what I want the song I'm writing to be before I start writing it. I think to myself, "I want to write a power ballad about falling in love at anime conventions" or whatever the case may be, and I start to write the song. Before I start writing, I usually decide the tone of the song, how long I want it to be, etc. I write songs that I want to hear. If there's a song I want to listen to, and it doesn't exist, I write it so that it exists.

Lyric-wise, is it the work of pure inspiration, fantasy, comedy, or the harsh reality?

Steve and I both subscribe to the muse theory of writing, where inspiration can come unexpectedly and that you need to just run with it and follow through with it. I tend to write more from life experiences that I've had, and Steve tends to write more from a fantasy and comedy point-of-view, but there's a lot of back and forth and blending of all of that. "Alone" is about the time in my life when I struggled with homelessness and poverty, and "Merle" is about time travel. But "Merle" is also a love song, and an anthem about following an impossible dream, which are sincere emotions, they're just presented in a fictional scenario. As songwriters, we tend not to limit ourselves. If we get inspired by a book or a movie and want to write a song about that, we can, and if we want to write a song about overcoming child abuse, we can. So, the answer to your question is that we get inspiration from all of those things.

I know that you guys like the way you rock since you wrote the song, 'I Like The Way I Rock'. But do Nashville Country folks enjoy the way you rock?

Nashville fans are great. We've got a loyal fanbase in Nashville and always have a great crowd. Country fans actually love us because we're so different from what they normally listen to. We put on a fun show and it gives them something interesting and exciting to see.

Let me get this straight. Mr. Cool, the band's mascot, and infamous cartoon cat, wrote the short essay on the re-release?

Mr. Cool can be kind of quiet in person, but he's an excellent writer. He has a way with words.

What made you want to become an Glam-Rocker in the first place?

Ever since I became a music fan, I've loved glam rock. The music was fun and catchy and the visuals were always super exciting. I knew at some point in my career that I'd want to do glam, but if I started off doing Americana and switched over to glam, people would think I'd gone insane, so I decided to start off with doing glam. I love wearing crazy outfits and I love the music. It's fun, and it's a genre all about believing in yourself and following your dreams. Who can't get behind that?

But Nashville and Glam? How many Cowboys do you have to dual before you'll find a venue to play?

Nashville is not as much of a country town as you'd think. Yes, country is very big in Nashville, but it's also a big rock town. Steven Tyler, John Corabi, Kip Winger, Tom Keifer and whole bunch of other rockers live in town... I actually made a cameo in the Winger video "Better Days Comin", and that was shot right here in town. The rock scene in Nashville is super creative. You've got bands like The Protomen and Fable Cry coming out of Nashville, bands that are truly creative and pushing boundaries. It's an exciting city to live in if you love music. The scene here is fantastic.

Tell us about your proudest achievement as a band.

Definitely our charity work. We've played shows for cancer research and child abuse awareness, and we also hosted a charity show called "Nashville Saves Christmas" where we gathered a bunch of our favorite Nashville acts for a giant charity concert for the Alive Hospice. I am super honored to give back to the community with my music. If people can have fun while supporting a good cause because of the work I do, then I am truly honored and humbled.

Who are your influences and heroes (music-wise)

The Beatles are my favorite band. Every song (except for Revolution #9) is brilliant and amazing. Jim Steinman and Phil Lynott are my lyrical heros, because they are able to mix rock n roll with heroism and romanticism. I'm obviously a big Kiss and Alice Cooper fan, and Slade is definitely my biggest visual influence.

If there's anything you'd like to add, say, please do

I want to thank Rock United for being so awesome and gracious to us. You guys are awesome and we love the work that you do. Be sure to pick up a copy of the special edition of our debut on June 3rd, and be sure to keep an eye out for our first music video in the next couple weeks. Keep on rocking and keep following your dreams!
Greg Troyan

Interview by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
Photos from the band's websites   www.lipstickgeneration.com 
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