Post by Forum Lord on Aug 12, 2012 6:03:17 GMT -5
www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/08/10/1195494?sac=fo.life
Published: 12:10 AM, Fri Aug 10, 2012
Press Play: Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke reflects on career, new CD
Lynyrd Skynyrd rolled through the Carolinas last weekend with the Allman Brothers Band, making stops in Charlotte and Raleigh before the bands trek to Sturgis, S.D., later this week.
We caught up with guitarist Rickey Medlocke before the show to talk about Lynyrd Skynyrd's new album, "Last of a Dyin' Breed," his four-plus decades in rock and his American Indian roots.
When it came time for the legendary rock band to record its latest project, which drops Aug. 21, it decided to kick it old school.
With everyone in studio all at once, and with the songs already written, the band recorded the tracks live.
"(We've) been one of these types of bands that love the live situation, so this new record - the way we created it - brought all of the old-school part of it back, and it was just a very enjoyable experience," Medlocke said in a phone interview.
Eight albums in with the band, the former frontman of Blackfoot said there is still some pressure to live up to the band's storied past.
"You're always going to be judged by your past history, there's no doubt about that," he said. "But we've become so in tune with each other when we go in to write stuff that we know what we're going after."
Medlocke said some songs on "Last of a Dyin' Breed" may remind fans of the Rolling Stones or similar bands, but it's all Lynyrd Skynyrd.
"On this new record, there's a lot of blues influence," he said. "There's a lot of old rock 'n' roll stuff there. We've got several songs that will remind you of days gone by."
Few things have slowed down the band.
The band still attracts fans of all ages - from 15 to 65 - to its live shows, a feeling that Medlocke describes as "fortunate."
"We talk about being three generations deep into fans, which not a lot of bands can really say," Medlocke said. "That says something for the music."
Medlocke has long been an activist for Native American rights. Just minutes before our interview, Medlocke received a text from Lance White, the great-great-grandnephew of Crazy Horse, asking if it would be OK if the Crazy Horse family adopted him.
"I'm still stunned by it," says Medlocke, who was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008 by White and Geronimo Houston, the great-great-grandson of Geronimo. "I wrote him back just before you called me and told him it would be an honor and a privilege."
Medlocke is currently shopping to networks a documentary series called "Homeland Nation." The series gives people a glimpse into the Native American nations existing in the United States.
"This is one of my prized projects that I'm involved in right now. It's a very close thing to my heart," said Medlocke, whose body is covered in Native American tattoos.
"Very little is known about Native Americans, and people don't really realize that not all Native American nations are as fortunate as some others to have the casinos and different things like that," Medlocke said. "There's a lot of gang problems, there's a lot of drug problems, a lot of alcohol problems, a lot of domestic abuse problems - there's a lot of that stuff that goes on that people don't even realize because it's kept too quiet."
For information on Lynyrd Skynyrd, go to lynyrdskynyrd.com. Learn about "Homeland Nation," at homelandnation.com.
Published: 12:10 AM, Fri Aug 10, 2012
Press Play: Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke reflects on career, new CD
Lynyrd Skynyrd rolled through the Carolinas last weekend with the Allman Brothers Band, making stops in Charlotte and Raleigh before the bands trek to Sturgis, S.D., later this week.
We caught up with guitarist Rickey Medlocke before the show to talk about Lynyrd Skynyrd's new album, "Last of a Dyin' Breed," his four-plus decades in rock and his American Indian roots.
When it came time for the legendary rock band to record its latest project, which drops Aug. 21, it decided to kick it old school.
With everyone in studio all at once, and with the songs already written, the band recorded the tracks live.
"(We've) been one of these types of bands that love the live situation, so this new record - the way we created it - brought all of the old-school part of it back, and it was just a very enjoyable experience," Medlocke said in a phone interview.
Eight albums in with the band, the former frontman of Blackfoot said there is still some pressure to live up to the band's storied past.
"You're always going to be judged by your past history, there's no doubt about that," he said. "But we've become so in tune with each other when we go in to write stuff that we know what we're going after."
Medlocke said some songs on "Last of a Dyin' Breed" may remind fans of the Rolling Stones or similar bands, but it's all Lynyrd Skynyrd.
"On this new record, there's a lot of blues influence," he said. "There's a lot of old rock 'n' roll stuff there. We've got several songs that will remind you of days gone by."
Few things have slowed down the band.
The band still attracts fans of all ages - from 15 to 65 - to its live shows, a feeling that Medlocke describes as "fortunate."
"We talk about being three generations deep into fans, which not a lot of bands can really say," Medlocke said. "That says something for the music."
Medlocke has long been an activist for Native American rights. Just minutes before our interview, Medlocke received a text from Lance White, the great-great-grandnephew of Crazy Horse, asking if it would be OK if the Crazy Horse family adopted him.
"I'm still stunned by it," says Medlocke, who was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008 by White and Geronimo Houston, the great-great-grandson of Geronimo. "I wrote him back just before you called me and told him it would be an honor and a privilege."
Medlocke is currently shopping to networks a documentary series called "Homeland Nation." The series gives people a glimpse into the Native American nations existing in the United States.
"This is one of my prized projects that I'm involved in right now. It's a very close thing to my heart," said Medlocke, whose body is covered in Native American tattoos.
"Very little is known about Native Americans, and people don't really realize that not all Native American nations are as fortunate as some others to have the casinos and different things like that," Medlocke said. "There's a lot of gang problems, there's a lot of drug problems, a lot of alcohol problems, a lot of domestic abuse problems - there's a lot of that stuff that goes on that people don't even realize because it's kept too quiet."
For information on Lynyrd Skynyrd, go to lynyrdskynyrd.com. Learn about "Homeland Nation," at homelandnation.com.