'Fashion for PASSION' a'la White Sister or 'PASSION Rules The Game' as in 'ze Scorpions? Neither actually as these fellows are hard at work on all the hairmetal clichés of The Strip and overall very Sleazy influences. Featuring former Night By Night vocalist Dan Rossall, here disguised as Lion Ravaréz. Why the sudden name change? Hell if we know. Actually, we do know, simply read on. The U.K. rockers are obviously dreaming about the 80's hairdays/daze and lo and behold. It's yet another up and coming Frontiers combos that's well worth checking out if like it sleazy and blue. Find out more about PASSION and their debut album. Here's Lion Ravaréz aka Mr. DAN ROSSALL
What started your Passion for hard rock?
Discovering Heavy Metal at age 11 - Megadeth, Metallica and Pantera was where it all began for me.
Why the sudden name change? from Daniel Rossall to Lion Ravaréz?
He's a fictional character, an alter-ego.
Passion (the band) originally started out as a parody?
Passion is a parody but definitely a positive one. We're not making a mockery of a bygone era.
According to the press release, 'The album features Rossall on guitar, bass and vocals. In addition, he has also played drums'. What did the other band members do?
Weston James played bass on 'Trespass on Love' and also co-wrote that song. The other guys will be part of the live outfit. Passion is very much a Daniel Rossall creation, that said, on the next album I have encouraged Chance & Weston to create some music, so that should be fun!
Lyrics in the vein of Gene Simmons and Danger Danger? Any political view or take at the world?
The lyrics are intentionally excessive and over the top. They're very tongue in cheek, Passion really isn't a political band. I do read a lot of books on the subject and believe we are living in a time of great imbalance within our society.
What inspired you to compose 'Lost In The Dark'? It feature the dark lyric "I've lost what I'm searching for all colours turn to black. I remember the brighter days now I'm overcome with pain", end quote.
To be frank, the lyrical content came from my experience with deep depression. I occasionally suffer with this mental illness and I felt that it was important to express myself on this track. Musically it already had a somber tone, so lyrically, this is the one song where I am expressing a very sensitive issue. The lyrics came after the music and the music was very influenced by the 'Back for the Attack' album from Dokken.
You're also the producer of the album. What's the secret behind a good production?
I suppose that depends on the genre. With rock I have always preferred the drums to sound huge and be quite up front in the mix. I am a little obsessed with listening to the drums whenever I listen to an album. I'm constantly curating and learning. In the genre I work in, I feel that I strive for perfection within the instrumentation, the song and the mix - the entire piece. So I search for a great tone with each instrument - luckily, we have a helluva lot of references to steal from!
Personally, I like working in the box. It's fast, it's consistent and you can deliver high quality quickly. Technology has made incredible progress in this field and I shall continue to embrace it. I simply don't have £10,000 or more to go and work with a big producer in a fancy studio. The market doesn't allow for new artists to do this, only the leftover monopoly bands. My key to good production is probably the same as a lot of other producers - good songs, quality musicianship, critical ears, understanding musical principals, a vast musical vocabulary, getting instruments to sound great while tracking and of course, taking your time with everything. Having a goal that you can visualise is also important as is having a personable demeanor.
What kind of equipment are you using in the studio? Are you in up-to-date or old school?
I'm very much in the box, so digital all the way for me. Guitar wise I have a Suhr Modern Satin, a Charvel So-Cal MIJ and a Yamaha BBX bass. I use Avantone, AKG and Shure mics and I have a Dave Smith Prophet Rev-2 Synthesiser. I'm using Kemper for guitar amp modelling and have an electronic drum-kit to track drums.
I really like the artwork of your album. Simplicity works the best?
Thank you, I was unsure at first but when I shared it around I was getting super positive feedback. I agree, keep it simple! I think it's quite distinctive with the logo.
So. What's the biggest difference between Night By Night and Passion?
Night By Night was darker and more melancholic musically. I really enjoyed my time with the band and I'm still good friends with all the lads. Passion is obviously brighter and more bombastic due to the songs being so outlandish and mostly inspired by 80's rock. NXN was more focused on trying to have a more current sound and they did it excellently.
If there's anything you'd like to add, say, please do
Support the music you love, buy the physical product. Without it, I feel this is going to be extremely hard to sustain over a course of time. I'd like to think that all artists, regardless of genre, would get together and protest the absolute unethical payments they receive from streaming. Like in any civilised work place, you need ethical legislation. I feel the youth culture of today is based around a set of junk values and a junk culture. Thanks for showing an interest in Passion and I hope you'll continue to enjoy the album. /DAN ROSSALL.
Interview by: Urban Wally Wallstrom
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