Thank you for joining us today, Kickstand Jenny! Can you tell us about the origins of the band? How did the band come together?
This whole thing started out as a project meant for licensing deals and song demos.. I (Preston / guitarist) was working with my friend (famed producer/songwriter) Chas Sandford at his studio in Nashville.. We started recruiting singers and musicians to demo some songs I had written during The Covid Pandemic, and we were able to get Mark Slaughter (Slaughter), Scott Foster Harris (LA Guns) and others to perform on the tracks.. After hearing Scott’s voice, we decided to go after him.. I sent him four more tracks and asked him to join the band to make a full album.. After hearing the tracks, he decided that he wanted to be a part of it.. What started out as a simple project evolved into an amazing album full of great tunes.. And here we are..
What inspired the name “Kickstand Jenny” for the band?
The story behind the name is a great one, but unfortunately we have to keep it a secret for now.. haha.. We can tell you that it is based on real people and real events..
How would you describe the band’s musical style and genre?
This is the toughest question we ever have to answer, because our music is so diverse.. If you listen to the complete album, you will hear samples of Rock, Punk, Alt, Metal and Country.. We have a diverse sound because of our diverse influences.. If I was forced to pick only one “genre”, I would say we are Pure Rock..
Who are the members of Kickstand Jenny, and what roles do they play in the band?
Our members are : Scott Foster Harris (Vocals), Preston Morelock (Guitar) and Chris McComas (Bass)
What was the creative process like for your latest album, “Between the Lies”?
This album was unique in that we were all under the Covid shutdown.. So I (Preston) demoed the tracks on the computer, then sent the tracks to Scott and Chris. From there, they were able to learn and record their parts.. Then I would put all the extra layers (keys, percussion, etc.) together.. From there, we were able to meet at the studio in Nashville and put all the tracks together.. This was a rough time to make music, but the shutdown allowed us to have the time to do this project, since we couldn’t play out live.. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise.. The extra time also allowed us to perfect the sound that we wanted.. And ultimately, the time allowed us to acquire a record deal with Spectra..
How did you develop the album title “Between the Lies,” and what does it signify?
A lot of thought went into the album title and cover art.. As I mentioned earlier, the album was made during covid, and there was so much going on around that time (socially, politically, etc.).. There was (and still is) so much “push and pull” or “yin yang” in this world.. Love and hate, left and right, right and wrong, truth and lies.. This is the concept of the cover art.. The earth is a yin yang with half the earth beautiful and pristine, while the other half is dark and dirty.. But which side is real? Which is the truth? Which is right?…… It is up to us to read between the LIES..
Are there any overarching themes or messages you aimed to convey through “Between the Lies”?
The album itself is a concept album which tells a story from beginning to end.. The theme is about the loss of a loved one.. The songs play like the loss is a human, but in reality the songs are about the loss of the music itself.. When I was writing the songs, I was really burned out from playing music and doing shows.. Especially during covid.. So the songs are about leaving the music behind.. I knew I would regret and miss it if I quit, so the songs follow that concept.. The tracks start with “Love It or Leave It” which is self explanatory.. From there, you have “Standing In The Doorway” and “Solo”, which tell the story of being over the situation, and leaving it behind.. From there you have “Never Gonna Let You Go” and “Tonight”, which touch on remembering and dreaming about what you had.. “One More Day” and “Take Me Back To The Time” touch on wanting it back and wishing you could have it again.. Then you have “Death Trap” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” , which signifies the concept of death and then the resurgence of the love (the music).. The album ends with the truth known all along… “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”
Can you share some memorable moments or challenges you faced while recording the album?
That’s an interesting question, as there were so many challenges we faced while making “Between The Lies”.. Honestly, any sane person would have thrown in the towel..haha.. I could fill a book with the issues we faced, so I will just touch on a few.. Covid made it tough at first, because it was hard to get everyone together at the same time.. So we spent a lot of time and took many trips from Florida to Tennessee for about a year.. And when we were finally ready for Scott to come from Texas to record his parts, we found out that our producer lost all the tracks!! So the first year was absolutely erased, and we had to re-record all the music again.. So much time and money gone!! .. And then we had to uncomfortably ask Mark Slaughter to come back to record his song again.. That was a horrible first step.. The drums were a whole other story, that I’ll save for another time.. haha.. As hard as it was to complete this project, we kept pushing and ended up with a beautiful piece of art.. So, as bad as things were at times, and as hard as this was to complete, it was worth it all..
Are there any specific tracks on the album that hold special significance to the band or have interesting stories behind them?
Every song on the album has deep meaning and special significance.. An interesting side story: When we asked Mark Slaughter to perform on a song, we sent him four to choose from.. He ultimately chose the track “Solo”.. He said that song reminded him of his time in the band The Vinnie Vincent Project.. Interestingly, he left that band to go “solo”.. We thought that was a neat sidestory..
How do you approach the songwriting process within the band? Is it a collaborative effort or more individual contributions?
This album was written by guitarist Preston Morelock, with the exception of the track “Love It or Leave It”, which was co written with bassist Chris McComas.. Chris had the bass line written for that track, and Preston wrote the song around that riff.. Typically the songs are written as a joint effort with music pieces or ideas.. This album however was written from the ideas and lyrics first.. Mainly because it was written with the concept in mind.. For the new songs, we are going back to a collaborative approach..
Looking ahead, what are the future goals and aspirations for Kickstand Jenny as a band?
We have been blessed to have made this amazing album, and acquired a record deal with Spectra.. So we have checked a couple boxes off from our goals already.. The next step is to start touring, which we are preparing for now.. Then, the next step is to hit the studio to record some new stuff ASAP..
