Page 34 - Black Velvet Issue 89

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here and there since and it’s not like I drink records of material, we’re making one right cally. I’ve been doing it nonstop since I was
and go, “This is amazing!” - it’s more like, now, I don’t know where I’d squeeze it in. I essentially a teenager, so I think it’s not nec-
“This kind of makes me feel like I have acid think if you’re coming to see a Black Veil essarily success that breeds exhaustion, but
in my stomach.” At my wedding I had some Brides show, you want to hear songs from more so if you have the tenacity to follow it
champagne and that was enjoyable but other one of those five records. While I’m really through, eventually your body will shut
than that it’s just not a part of my life right happy that while this record has responded down and if you’re burning the candle for
now. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll go back so well, I believe it’s the highest charting years on end, you will eventually hit that
to drinking more regularly and obviously record in the UK that I’ve had, whether it be wall. For me, that wall happened last year
with moderation, but as of right now, being Black Veil Brides or anything else, and so in and I didn’t feel like myself and I felt very
on tour and being sober, and enjoying that that regard it’s kind of amazing to see that upset, in the way that you sometimes have
part of my life, is fantastic. It’s gotten to the this solo record has really got legs, and peo- emotions, you can’t really register where
point now where I’m waking up early, I’m eat- ple are enjoying it, so because of that, I don’t they’re stemming from, I can only chalk it up
ing well, I’m more healthy on this tour than feel that this is a one-off, ‘I’m never going to to years and years of pushing the limit of
I’ve ever been. For me that’s a huge win.” tour this again’… I’m loving doing this, I’m where I was able to be, and kind of as any-
Andy eats a lot of vegan food – and ob- planning to continue to do this. Obviously thing, eventually your dam breaks. It’s not a
viously John Feldmann, who produced ‘The I’ve got to split my time with the band and ‘woe is me’ story. I got bummed out, and
Shadow Side’, is also vegan/vegetarian. the band is a huge priority to me, but this is tired and then I went home and I made a
Regarding John, Andy says, “I call him not like a ‘wasn’t this a fun thing?’ kind of sit- record and got married. Life is good. I’m not
the worst vegan! He is vegan but he’ll occa- uation. in a position where I was in such a place
sionally have some sushi or something. In “As I get older, the touring life is less and where I was not functioning or something,
terms of the animal rights side of veganism, less appealing. Being on tour nine months of but I think it’s important and I wanted to talk
I don’t know anybody who has fought harder the year doesn’t really appeal to me as much about that for this record because I know a
for animal rights in my world than John, to as it did when I was 19 years old. I would lot of people, particularly our younger audi-
the point where he had the legal situations imagine that the touring cycles will be more ence, deal with that kind of stuff on a daily
where government people were into his specific. We’re not going to be doing the basis and I think it’s important for people
home because of his protests and every- road dog thing that younger bands kind of that are in the position of being in a band or
thing. This was years and years ago but still do forever, we’ll be touring in a much more being someone that is looked up to in any
to this day he’s very adamantly a supporter specific way and bringing bigger shows and way, to not cast themselves as the sort of
of PETA and does as much as he can for an- doing more with the production and being shining beacon of all that is perfect because
imal welfare, so that for me is a big thing be- able to do more, because there’s not 350 I feel that it is really irresponsible, and kind
cause I’ve always been someone who’s been dates sequentially. Obviously every record of negligent on the part of someone who has
interested in that. And my eating meat was you do one big tour. The last couple of Black power over a particularly young audience.
in direct opposition to my personal beliefs Veil Brides tours we’ve been doing one big I’ve never wanted to be a role model for how
but you just get to the point where it’s so wa- tour and then another big tour and the world to live your life, more so if I can be someone
tered down in your psyche and you’re so tours have gone on forever. So I think com- who is responsible and does things that are
used to seeing it or eating it or being around ing up with the next Black Veil record we’ll helpful, and can be someone that people can
it that you don’t really think so much about do our full cycle like we always have and relate to, I feel like that’s more my job.”
it, so I’ve been making the effort in the last then as that starts to wind down I’ll have a In ‘Beautiful Pain’, the song Andy wrote
year, part of not drinking was switching to a little bit of time and I’ll be able to do this about his friend Chris Holley who passed
healthier diet, introducing more vegetables, again. away, Andy sings ‘hope you find what you’re
more other things that had more vitamins, to There’s a song on the Andy Black album looking for’. We end by asking if Andy has
try and make myself healthier and feel better, called ‘Put The Gun Down’. Andy has said found what he’s looking for.
get in better shape, and like drinking the that it was inspired by sadness that he’s “What I’m looking for? I think we’re all
meat just sort of fell away. And now I’m to the been through. Over the past year he went still searching. So I’ll raise you with a song
point where I don’t really need to go back to through a phase of ‘black sadness’ and put quote – I’ll say ‘I still haven’t found what I’m
it.” it down to exhaustion through touring. We looking for’!”
wonder if the cost of achieving success IS
ndy currently has solo tour dates up exhaustion and sadness. If you haven’t checked out Andy Black’s
Auntil September. We ask what will Andy doesn’t think so. “I think that the ‘The Shadow Side’ yet, seek it out. It may be
happen to the songs after this tour. Does he cost of living your life on a pirate ship nine exactly what YOU’RE looking for. Visit
see himself playing any in the future once months of the year and trying your best to www.andyblackmusic.com for more info.
he’s gone back to work on Black Veil Brides? play as many shows as you can for as many
“I don’t think I’ll ever cross over these to people as you can in as many places as you Words and Photos By Shari Black Velvet
Black Veil Brides,” he replies. “Never say can, eventually that will break down your
never but I don’t think so. We’ve got five psyche, it will break down your body physi-

American Satan

Andy Biersack is playing the lead role in American Satan, a movie about how a young rock band, half from England and half from the
US drop out of college and move to the Sunset Strip to chase their dreams. Andy plays Johnny Faust. Black Velvet asks Andy how
much is Johnny Faust like him?
“It’s interesting. The character of Johnny is very similar to me until a point. In his adolescence, he’s from the same part of the country
that I grew up in, his ideas and concepts and intellect is very on par with what I was interested in, he moved to LA to become a rockstar,
and that’s where the crossroads of the two routes that are taken is. The route that I took in my life is the road dog, work hard, do every-
thing you possibly can, build that audience, tour nine months of the year, ten months of the year, make no money forever, live in cars,
and Johnny takes a much more quick route to fame and success and stardom and I think because of that, ultimately, his crash is pretty
severe and pretty brutal. He gets into some very screwed up things in the context of the movie.”
We ask what sort of experience Andy had while filming it.
“Maybe not emotionally, but I certainly learned more about the craft of acting. It’s always been a passion of mine. I was a drama major
at school. I did a little bit of acting when I first moved to LA. The Funny Or Die series I produced with my cousin. I’ve always enjoyed
it, but being around people like John Bradley from Game Of Thrones, Malcolm McDowell and so many other people, it was such a
pleasure to watch them work.”
Look out for American Satan. It sounds like a great movie. It also stars Denise Richards as Kat Faust, Ben Bruce (Asking Alexandria)
as Leo Donovan and Sebastian Bach as himself.

ANDY BLACK