From: "Kimberly Reid" <kimbereid@msn.com> To: discuss@creedlisters.com Date: Thu 24 Jun 2004 09:31:38 -0500 |
(Transcript of interview with Mark Tremonti done on 6/17/04 with DJ Sonja from FM99, Norfolk, VA www.fm99.com)
DJ Sonja: On the line with me is Mark Tremonti formerly of CREED now of the band Alter Bridge. Mark, I know you have been doing phone interviews all day and I am sure you are sick of it, but I am sure FM99 listeners want to hear it from you, why did CREED decide to disband?
Mark Tremonti: Oh just personal differences and we just weren’t making any headway and I need to get out there and me and Phillips, Scott Phillips need to get out there and play shows and stay busy and the best decision toward the end was just to go in a new direction.
DJ Sonja: Mark a lot of times when you hear about bands breaking up there is always the PR spin on things, What is the real story here, are you guys STILL friends with Scott Stapp?
Mark Tremonti: Umm well you know, we wish him well and hopefully he wishes us well but there were some personal differences that kept us from moving forward with the band
DJ Sonja: Got it! And it was just time for you and Scott Phillips to move on
Mark Tremonti: Right!
DJ Sonja: And joining you is your original bass player, Brian Marshall who was in CREED at one time, left the band under “odd” circumstances. How was that getting back with him?
Mark Tremonti: Oh it was great, as soon as I called him, it was like all was forgiven and it was like it never happened and we are real excited to have him be a part of it. We all just mesh so well together.
DJ Sonja: And Myles Kennedy, vocalist, was in a band called Mayfield Four. We just got the Alter Bridge song today actually, I have already played it on FM99, we are going to play it again soon. What a voice this guy has!!
Mark Tremonti: Yeah, he’s ......I am a huge fan, we searched all around for the best vocalist for this project He was by far my favorite and Scott Phillips’ favorite, we are real happy to have him be a part of it.
DJ Sonja: Did you know him before you went on a search for a vocalist?
Mark Tremonti: Well his band opened for us back in the late 90's but we never really got too close cause it was so hectic back in the day. The word around the touring circuit back then was that he was just this amazing powerhouse of a singer and I would listen to their CD’s and hear him play live and it was just amazing and great to have him be a part of it.
DJ Sonja: Who actually writes the songs for AB
Mark Tremonti: Well mostly I wrote the songs and then towards the end, me and Myles and I would finish off lyrical ideas and arrangement ideas on the second half of the album.
DJ Sonja: Well there’s just one song that I’ve heard so far..... is phenomenal and I don’t even mean to say that to kiss up, I really don’t, it’s just a GREAT song.
Mark Tremonti: Thank you very much
DJ Sonja: Does the rest of the album sound like that or do you have different musical styles on there?
Mark Tremonti: No....It’s all over the place, there’s real heavy stuff and then there is a song I wrote about my mother that’s more of a ballad, so it’s all over the place.
DJ Sonja: I am on the phone with Mark Tremonti of the band AB, the new CD from them is called One Day Remains. It comes out August the tenth. I know Scott Stapp formerly of CREED also has a solo album coming out. You guys both decided to stay with Wind-Up Records, why?
Mark Tremonti: Oh you know, they are like family. We were the first band they signed back in the day and we kind of grew together and learned how to get through in this business together and we are all just real close friends.
DJ Sonja: So you figure, why go anywhere else
Mark Tremonti: yeah, we all believe in each other, have worked with each other and know exactly how to interact with each other and it’s great!
DJ Sonja: You know FM99 and Creed have quite a history. The first time you guys ever played in Hampton Roads, you played an FM99 cent show at the boathouse. At that point MOP was on the radio and that was about it, and the place was PACKED!
Mark Tremonti: Awesome, yeah I remember the boathouse.
DJ Sonja: Unfortunately, Hurricane Isabel damaged it to where it’s no longer a venue.
Mark Tremonti: wow man...
DJ Sonja: Then you played at ODU’s Foreman Field, and then as the band progressed you played the Va Beach Amphitheater a couple of times. The last time you and I saw each other, and I know you don’t remember, you meet a million people, we actually took an FM99 Party Bus two summers ago up to Richmond when you guys played the Coliseum and you KICKED everybody’s ass in ping pong backstage.
Mark Tremonti: laughs......its very fun to do
DJ Sonja: Everybody.....my husband played you, our promotions guys played you..... are you still playing a lot of ping pong?
Mark Tremonti: You know I haven’t really been able to lately, but it was just a strange coincidence when we went out to LA to mix the first couple of songs, one of the engineers got cocky when he was giving us a tour of the studio, we walked by a pong table and said, “anybody want to get whooped, come see me”. So I took that opportunity to skunk him about 20 times. So it was fun!
DJ Sonja: Oh and that poor guy didn’t even know what was coming.
Mark Tremonti: No but it was great though because I hadn’t been able to play in awhile and it was fun to get that out of my system.
DJ Sonja: Well it’s funny you have inspired our station because when we do our stations show, we now have a ping pong table back in the broadcast area.
Mark Tremonti: Well then you guys will be some competition next time
DJ Sonja: Yeah? When AB comes to town, boy you had better look out...
Mark Tremonti: Alright, alright, .well I’ll be practicing on tour.
DJ Sonja: It’s a great way to blow off steam though you don’t really think about it, but it’s just such a fun game, you can’t really get hurt doing it.
Mark Tremonti: Yeah, it’s a great way to warm up for a show and get your blood flowing.
DJ Sonja: I imagine...No what tour plans does AB have.
Mark Tremonti: We are going out on September 23 and start our American tour. We might go to Europe for a week just so when we start the American tour we can just keep going with it.
DJ Sonja: Hopefully AB will come through Hampton Roads, because we want to see you guys live in concert and see what the new band is all about.
Mark Tremonti: Definitely, we’ll be there.
DJ Sonja: and something else I wanted to mention that I am not sure if a lot of our FM99 listeners even know about, you took the time to spend some time with a little girl named Taylor Adkins.
Mark Tremonti: Yeah
DJ Sonja: Taylor lived here in the area, 10 years old, she passed away a few weeks ago after a battle with cancer. How was it that you met Taylor and got to spend some time with her?
Mark Tremonti: I met her....I was doing a signing I think it was about 8 months ago or so, I went around and did appearances for my guitar and did signings at guitar stores
DJ Sonja: I remember that...
Mark Tremonti: I met her father Keith,... and he had showed me pictures and said that the music had helped her and we were her favorite band and that she had a brain tumor and that was what my mother passed from and it just kind of hit home. And I called and kept in contact and told them that if they ever came down to Orlando we’d would hang out. So they came down to Give Kids the World in Orlando and came down and we hung out for a few days. Its’ really sad, she’s a great girl.
DJ Sonja: Well I did play some CREED for Taylor’s on the day of her funeral. I know it meant A LOT to her that you spent that time with her, a number of her family members have told me so. I heard you guys were finger painting, is that true (laughs).
Mark Tremonti: Yeah, I still have a couple of her paintings still up in the studio.
DJ Sonja: That is awesome! Mark Tremonti, thanks so much for calling in and spending some time with FM99 today, we really appreciate your time and hearing about the new AB album which is out August the tenth.
Mark Tremonti: Thank you very much I appreciate it.
DJ Sonja: Take care Mark Bye
Source: The Pit
Open Your Eyes
Alter Bridge 2004
Looking back I clearly see
What it is that's killing me
Through the eyes of one I know
I see a vision once let go
I had it all
Constantly it burdens me
Hard to trust and can't believe
Lost the faith and lost the love
When the day is done
Will they open their eyes
And realize we are one
On and on we stand alone
Until our day has come
When they open their eyes
And realize we are one
I love the way I feel today
But how I know the sun will fade
Darker days seem to be
What will always live in me
But still I run
It's hard to walk this path alone
Hard to know which way to go
Will I ever save this day
Will it ever change
Will they open their eyes
And realize we are one
Still today we carry on
I know our day will come
When they open their eyes
And realize we are one
(solo)
Will they open their eyes
And realize we are one
(its hard to walk this path alone
hard to know which way to go)
Will they open their eyes
and realize we are one
(lost the faith and lost the love
when the day is done)
Will they open their eyes
And realize we are one
Transcribed by M. Tremonti
Source: The Pit