Page 28 - Black Velvet Issue 88

BV88 pg26, 27, 28, 29 Sixx AM_BV87 pg28 02/04/2016 20:10 Page 3

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overall message of both of these albums. tainly noticed from time to time happen and he’s not perfect, that he knows he had made
“Sixx:A.M. has always found a way to we have had a lot of fans come up to us and mistakes. I think that when you get to this
make the messaging consistent throughout tell us that exact thing, that it was a life- stage of life, and you still admit things, and
our albums and I think that this is no excep- changing experience for them, but I think admit your faults, and try to work on them,
tion to that. In fact, I think that we’ve really that has more to do with the messages of our that means you haven’t given up. You’re still
pushed that to another level. Is it a concept songs. I think that sometimes we’re just the trying to become a better person. I think that
album? I’d like to think that it is. I like to think messengers. The songs that we’ve written should be everyone’s goal – to continue to
of every record that we make as a concept have really connected with people and we’ve try to become a better person every chance
record because if it’s not a concept, then it’s found that… I can’t tell you the amount of you get. So to me, that song ‘Better Man’ re-
just a collection of songs, and albums are times that people have said, “‘Life Is Beauti- ally does reveal that. And then the song
much more important to us than that. Yes, ful’ changed my life” or …”It saved my hus- ‘Prayers For The Damned’ is another one. It
there is a constant theme that begins at the band or my wife’s life because they were deals with just being pushed to a point, even
beginning with ‘Rise’ and carries throughout struggling with addiction”. Or songs like if you’re not religious, pushed to a point
all the way to the last song of Volume 2. So ‘Lies Of The Beautiful People’ where people where you really do, at the back of your
while the two different volumes stand alone have come up and said, “It really spoke to mind, hope that there is a greater power
and are very sat- me, it looking over you and it’s going to recognize
isfying on their gave me how hard you’ve tried to improve your life
own, when they “The fans were looking back at us, lit- strength, and maybe, at that moment when you’re just
are put together erally in tears sometimes, and we real- it made about to give up, maybe they will step in and
it’s a much more ized not just how much we’d affected me feel say a prayer for you. “
complete pic- like I
ture.” their lives but how much they had af- w a s n ’ t n the subject of being a better man,
fected our lives.” - James Michael such an OJames has definitely tried to be that.
he band outcast,” Nearly three years ago he quit drinking. He
Tare well or songs posted on his two-year anniversary of being
known for helping l i k e sober. It is now almost three years.
their fans through their songs – for letting ‘Skin’; people have literally had that entire “It’s coming up on three years May 5th.
them feel like they’re not alone, for giving lyric tattooed on their body because it meant Without a doubt, absolutely one of the best
them strength and accepting them for who so much to them. I think that we try to let the decisions I’ve ever made in my life. Obvi-
they are. ‘You Have Come To The Right songs do the speaking and we try and let the ously that only works for some people. Nikki
Place’ on the new album is another song to songs find their way into a person’s life in and I have both found great joy in what has
welcome all fans into a safe environment. whichever way it’s going to and a lot of our happened to our lives once we got that
James tells Black Velvet, “When we went songs can become the soundtracks to peo- under control. Yeah, one of the biggest gifts
out on tour last year, the Modern Vintage ple’s lives and that’s just incredibly gratify- I ever gave myself and the people around me
tour, we played 19 shows, I think they were ing for us and very touching where you have that I love.”
all sold out, it was really a very, very power- people come up and tell you their stories of Nikki Sixx and also Jacoby Shaddix of
ful experience for us, the band, because we how your song has in some way affected or Papa Roach have both been very supportive
finally got to be in a room, performing our changed their lives. So it’s not a goal. It’s and inspirational to James and he has
songs to our very, very dedicated fanbase, certainly a real unexpected benefit that thanked them for helping him as friends.
and it was an incredible experience. There we’ve gotten from making Sixx:A.M. music “Both of them are, of course, very dear
were so many moments during that show and sharing it with the world. We’ve had the friends of mine and both of them have had
where we just felt a deep connection with great fortune of having very courageous incredible struggles with addiction, so when
our audience members. The fans were look- fans come up and tell us their personal sto- you are struggling with that or trying to con-
ing back at us, literally in tears sometimes, ries. It’s incredibly gratifying for us.” quer that, or navigate your way through it,
and we realized not just how much we’d af- it’s important that you can lean on people
fected their lives but how much they had af- ames is known, when he’s not that understand that. And very early on I had
fected our lives. So yeah, when we were Jfronting Sixx:A.M., for being a top- a couple of failed attempts, several years
writing ‘You Have Come To The Right Place’ notch producer. He’s talked about when he’s ago, and Jacoby was right by my side during
there was absolutely a reflection of that feel- producing, that he aims to take the musi- that time as well. One of the important things
ing of that sensation.” cians to a place of vulnerability. He says is being able to accept when you fail. Take a
He says that the ‘right place’ is not so Sixx:A.M. also aim to go to that place when song like ‘Accidents Can Happen’ from ‘The
much a live show, but more a needed feeling. they work on their own albums. “Honestly, Heroin Diaries Soundtrack’ which deals with
“I’d say we were talking more about that every time we go into the studio. Every time exactly that, you are going to slip up, you are
need for a sense of hope, that need for a I step up to the microphone and begin per- going to make mistakes, we are imperfect,
sense of healing and what we’ve found is forming a vocal. Every time Dj is getting but being able to embrace that, learn from it
that people, even as far back as ‘The Heroin ready to track a guitar part or Nikki’s getting and move on, and not give up hope, is a very
Diaries Soundtrack’ and ‘Life Is Beautiful’ or ready to play his parts, we do… and one of important part of that. And when you have
on ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’ we had the songs the first things we do is try to get ourselves the support of friends who also understand
‘Skin’ and ‘Lies Of The Beautiful People’, to a place where there is only support, there that, it doesn’t make the process easier but
these lyrics have really found their way into is only encouragement, there’s no judgment, it makes the pathway a little bit clearer.”
people’s hearts and so with ‘You Have Come there’s no sense of insecurity, and we’re will- It is definitely inspiring to fans to know
To The Right Place’ it was really about a con- ing to just expose ourselves and that’s what that their heroes have had problems and
tinuing search for what it is that’s going to fans want to hear. That’s what I want to hear overcame them. That they have had battles
make you complete, what it is that’s going to as a music fan. I want to be listening to a and are winning. If James, Nikki and Jacoby
make you feel like you fit in. So it could be a song from an artist and I want to feel that can do it, then you can too. Whether you are
rock concert. It could be almost like a reli- something is being revealed about them that young or old, you can overcome demons.
gious experience, going to church. We I did not know before. And that’s what keeps “Demons come in many forms,” says
wanted to have that feeling of ‘come one, you coming back. That’s what actually James, “and yeah, I think, very early on in
come all. If you’re in need of something, you makes a fan, a committed fan, someone who life you start absorbing things that you might
can find it here’ and I don’t think it gets much dedicates themselves to you because they see as angels and you start absorbing things
more specific than that.” want to keep learning more and more about that you may see as demons. I think that we
James references a religious experience. you. So absolutely, it’s very important to spend most of our lives with an eternal
The band have actually mentioned doing allow yourself to become vulnerable when struggle between good and evil. And really,
small shows in the future called ‘prayer ses- you are in the studio recording.” that has been the next continuous theme of
sions’. Would the band like their shows to be He tells us that on ‘Prayers For The Sixx:A.M. since the very beginning, but it’s
cleansing or life-changing for fans? Damned’ he was very vulnerable in the song especially prevalent on these two new
“That’s not really necessarily a goal,” ‘Better Man’. It was a very personal song for records, on ‘Prayers For The Damned’ espe-
James replies. “I think that would be very him. He explains that it’s “a very exposing cially – where we acknowledge that all
presumptuous to think of ourselves as that song about a person who is admitting either through life from the minute you are old
important. It is something that we have cer- to himself or his loved one that he knows enough to make your first decision, to the
SIXX:A.M.