Page 28 - Black Velvet Issue 96

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f we all tried to understand each other better the world would be a better place, I think,” says Escape
“IThe Fate vocalist Craig Mabbitt to Black Velvet down the telephone line from the USA. The band’s
sixth studio album is entitled ‘I Am Human’ and as such they delve into what makes a person who he or
she is, particularly in the title track. The world is made up of over 7 billion people on 7 different continents,
and while we’re all unique in our own way, we can share similar thoughts, feelings, likes, dislikes, habits,
flaws… and musical tastes. Some are born privileged; others have tough upbringings and have to work
hard to stay afloat. Some don’t manage that. Some can become best friends, soul mates, twin flames…
while others just don’t get on. Some are put on pedestals, achieving success, and become inspirations.
Others are misunderstood, looked down upon, dismissed. Listening to ‘I Am Human’, you may find your-
self relating to some lyrics and thinking about what sort of human you are. We ask Craig to talk about his
own human qualities – as well as role models or rebels, empires and fans’ expectations.

n ‘I Am Human’ Craig sings ‘I am goes through rough times and they can how to sing or something, because some of
Istrong, I am weak’. Black Velvet asks come out on top, and everybody can give the new songs she’s been coming out with
what strengths the frontman brought to the other people rough times, but I don’t think are really, really good. And it really makes
new album. “I think I really delved deep,” he anybody’s defined by the mistakes they people take a step back and go, “Wow, we
replies. “When it comes to the internet and make, I think you can always redeem your- really gave this girl some hate and she took
social media, people can always say stuff. self. And I don’t think that anybody that is that and used it to fuel the fire and she’s
I’ve definitely seen a lot of people say, “This victimized within this world, revenge is not doing really well now. It’s pretty inspiring.
is the cheesiest song I’ve heard in my life.” the way to go. Forgiveness is the way to go. You don’t even have to know her story, all
To me, I’m most proud of it and I think it’s the And that’s pretty much my message you need to do is watch the ‘Friday’ video,
most positive song I’ve ever written, and it’s throughout the album.” read the comments, and then flash forward
the first song that we’ve ever done where Whether you’re in school or out of it, you years later and watch one of her new ones
I’ve just sang the song in my head, wrote the can become victimized. Even members of and you’re like, “Wow! You go, girl!”
l y r i c s , bands and others in the Our strength can be born out of our
everything, public eye can become weaknesses, and Craig believes that our
and just victimized. In fact, the weaknesses and flaws also lie in our
sent it to more known you are, the strengths. “I think all of our weaknesses
Kevin [Gruft more haters you are come from our strengths. I think that all of
– lead gui- likely to have. People are us have a lot of personal stuff going on in
tarist] as a all too easy to attack oth- our life. I think we have a hard time express-
voice memo ers, both online and of- ing that to each other, just us as a band, or a
and he had fline. Craig says that he’s group of people. I think that ends up causing
to build the not too bothered by any a little bit of turmoil. But it just causes us to
m u s i c hate thrown in his direc- become closer, like a relationship. If I fight
around that. tion – and you shouldn’t with my little brother and we make up, we’re
So I had the be either. stronger than we were before that fight.”
song al- “It kind of makes me The band naturally felt a little friction
ready in my feel good. If I’m the topic when working on ‘I Am Human’, with mem-
head and I of conversation, then I’m bers occasionally bashing heads. “You’d
had no idea obviously doing some- spend so much time working on a song, and
what the thing right,” he says. then, I guess there’s the saying ‘Too many
music was “That’s proven itself time cooks in the kitchen’,” says Craig. “You’d
going to and time again with spend so much time working on a song that
sound like everything, the way the you’re really passionate about and you really
and I think world works. Me and like and you’d show it to the rest of the guys
Kevin killed and you’d have Robert go,
it. I think it’s “I hate it!” and you’re like,
an impor- “OK. You just hate it? Do
tant song. you have any other notes?”
It’s impor- “Nah, I just hate it!” And
tant to me he’d show you something
personally because I am all of those that he did, and you’re like,
things, and every human is all of those “Well, I don’t really like
things, and I’ve been on each side of that, so… where do we go
the spectrum, so to speak. Without from here?” So it was very
delving too deep into it, I grew up very time-consuming.” He says
physically and emotionally abused by the end result, and all the
my father, which turned into me being blood, sweat and tears,
abused in high school by other peers, made it all worth it though.
which turned into me being in this tour- “We’re all very, very happy
ing band by my senior year, and within with how it came out.”
the first year and a half of touring I was
joining Escape The Fate, which anyone raig was on a roll
who’s been a fan from the beginning, Cwhen he wrote ‘I
they know that we used to be marketed Am Human’. One particu-
as this new Las Vegas bad boy Motley larly though-provoking
Crue band, to the point where we had lyric that he came up with
videos which had strippers and pornstars Kevin have been talking about Rebecca was ‘When does our innocence turn into ar-
and the videos premiered on the front page Black lately… She did the ‘Friday’ song, if rogance’. So, when does Craig think it does?
of Playboy website. And we’re definitely not you’re familiar with that. She got a world of “I’m not sure,” he replies. “I know when
that group anymore. We’ve gotten a lot older, hate for it, and she could have disappeared I was writing that I was thinking, “Damn, this
but I’ve seen both sides of everything and I and just become a random internet search, is really good,” and giving myself a pat on
think that’s what makes us human. Every “Whatever happened to the girl that sang the back. But I just started asking myself,
day is a day to make yourself a better person ‘Friday’?” but she’s been releasing some when does that innocence of being a child;
than you were the day before. Everybody music and she went back and she practiced you know what’s right and wrong, obviously,

ESCAPE THE FATE