July For Kings
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Interview With Joe Hedges from July For Kings By
Chris
July For Kings are one cool rocking rock band.
Their music rocks and we wanted to know more.
1. How did the band form?
our history is not unlike other rock bands. most of us met
in high school, and decided we wanted to be in a band even
before we could play instruments. In the existing line-up,
Dan and Drew are our newest members, playing with us for
just a couple years now.
2. What bands were your influnces when growing
up?
we were getting into music while grunge and alternative was
fresh and exciting. so our first musical experiences as
teenagers were with those kinds of bands. but from a
songwriting standpoint, i am more heavily influenced by the
stuff i was raised on: story-songwirters like billy joel,
and folk music like simon and garfunkel.
3. What has the response been like to the ep?
overwhelmingly positive. we are getting rave consumer
reviews at www.cdbaby.com/cd/julyforkings. it had been a
long while since releasing our debut Swim on MCA records.
Nostalgia is a little different, and we weren’t sure how it
would be recieved by the people who were familiar with
Swim. So we’re excited that the response has been so
positive.
4. What bands have you enjoyed playing with the
most?
We have played with a lot of great bands over the years. Of
the national acts, probably the most fun shows have been
with Collective Soul, Dishwalla and SR-71. Bands in the
ohio area we enjoy playing with include Langus, Smalltown
Sleeper, Blue Karma, and my sister Amy Hedges.
5. What album is usually played on the tour
bus?
Well that would be tour van at the moment. We listen to all
sorts of stuff. The last few CD’s we listened to were Chris
Cornell’s solo record Euphoria Morning, Pete Yorn’s Music
For the Morning After (the morning theme is not
intentional), and The Damnwells Bastards of the Beat.
6. Any chance of coming down under to play?
Hopefully one of these days. Believe me we would love to.
We are currently doing showcases for labels here in the
states, and have plenty of interest. It’s a long way from
here to major label album #2 and international tour, but
you never know.
7. What is your view on file sharing and the mp3
format?
I am a big supporter of mp3’s and peer-to-peer networks.
While they are argulable a big part of the music industry
sales slump over the last few years, the negative affects
are only felt by the music industry employees and the
super-star artists. Groups on our level actually benefit
from file sharing. Unfortunately, the loudest voices are
the ones higher up on the totem pole. I take it rather
personally, as an internet junkie, the webmaster for our
site, www.julyforkings.com, a musician, and of course a
music fan.
8. Any one you would really like to tour with?
Aerosmith
9. Have you had much responce from overseas?
Strangely, yes. Mostly through word of mouth and the
internet. some of our biggest supporters are from europe,
although we’ve never toured outside of the states.
10. What would we find on your stereo at the
moment?
Nine Inch Nails The Fragile at home, The Essential Stevie
Wonder in the car.
11. Realty tv? good or bad?
eh…i don’t know. i guess it depends on the show. you can
complain all you want, but when it comes down to it, most
of those shows are extremely entertaining. some days i find
myself wondering about the decaying moral fabric of the
country. then i kick myself for sounding like an old
conservative. but i am always a bigger fan of tv and music
that is both entertaining and has some substance. something
that is fun but still uplifting and affirming. most reality
tv doesn’t quite fit that description.
12. What movies have you enjoyed recently?
Napoleon Dynamite, Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Motorcycle
Diaries
13. What are your favourite movies?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, LOTR, Back to the
Future, Indiana Jones, Napoleon Dynamite
14. If July For Kings were on The Simpsons where would
they be playing?
An ohio cornfield.
Thanks for your time any last words
check out our official website, www.julyforkings.com.
listen to, purchase, and/or review our new cd Nostalgia at
www.cdbaby.com/cd/julyforkings. Thanks a lot Chris! Take
care. joe
