Page 28 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 98

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ince the release of their debut, self- and even the 90s melded together was mand was there.
Stitled EP in 2010, Monster Truck have something which was kind of missing, at “It was something which I wasn’t sure I
followed something of a similar pattern; foot- least from the scene in our country. And it wanted to do because I had started the band
stomping, headbanging, fist-pumping, fin- seems it was also something that was miss- in the name of not being involved in the
ger-clicking rock ‘n’ roll designed to offer to ing elsewhere. The success of the band was music industry anymore and it was meant to
all those within earshot an immediate injec- rather rapid in the UK than we had ever ex- be a band from a DIY standpoint, booking
tion of good time vibes. And this tried-and- pected and that was the moment where I re- our own shows and really staying away from
tested format has served the band well, ally started to feel like that, I guess. It’s not the major record labels and the pitfalls which
earning them op- that we felt like true can happen when you start being on tour
portunities to play rockers; we felt like and letting other people dictate the business
with some of rock’s part of a group or a plan for the group.”
royalty, such as movement that all felt
Nickelback, Billy that way, whether it be ow, nearly ten years after their initial
Talent, Volbeat, our fan base or other Nformation, the band are signed to
Alter Bridge, Rob bands like Rival Sons Mascot Records with ‘True Rockers’ follow-
Zombie and Black or anyone waving the ing on from 2016’s ‘Sittin’ Heavy’. “I think I
Stone Cherry, as flag. We always felt was the only one in the band who felt like we
well as performing rock ‘n’ roll was very could be hugely successful,” says the gui-
alongside Deep Pur- much alive and we tarist. “Usually that would be fuelled by half
ple on their final wanted to be at the a bottle of whisky. But I always felt… I guess
tour of Europe. forefront of bringing it I had this kinda shitty punk rock attitude in
All the while, to people on a record thinking that I didn’t understand why we
their star has risen and in a live setting.” weren’t bigger. I guess I had this dumb view
too, leading to big- The band (Jeremy of ‘as soon as you are good enough that it
ger and bigger is joined by Jon Har- would just happen’ and I would sometimes
headline shows of vey, Brandon Bliss listen to other bands and think ‘we should be
their own and an in- and Steve Kiely) ini- as big as them and why aren’t we?’
creasingly large fan tially formed in 2009 “Of course, I wasn’t realising you have to
base who feed off from out of Hamilton, put in a decade’s worth of work to get there.
the positive energy Canada. Talking about So, on the one hand, I did think we could do
and messages the their debut EP, Jeremy it but on the other hand I didn’t think it would
band and their says, “We needed an happen for us because I’d been in lots of
music provide. But album to sell at the other bands where it just didn’t happen. You
with new album merch table when we can never be sure. In my drunken moments
‘True Rockers’, they finished the show be- I was sure we would get there, but you’d
have shown there is cause people really wake up in the morning with the sobering
more to Monster wanted to be able to thought that there are a million other bands
Truck than just a take our music home working just as hard as you to get their ass
good-time party with them. So I think in that position.”
band and they have already uncovered the we only spent about $4,000 to do that first
potential they have for the future. Guitarist EP. It was more of a calling card to see if we ell, hard work and perseverance
Jeremy is quick to tell us their determination really did have W can definitely make
to put the work in to achieve their full poten- a following and goals attainable. And
tial is very much there. people who with ‘True Rockers’,
While the new album still remains wanted to con- the band are really
packed with the no-nonsense, no-frills style sume the band forging forward. For
of hard rock fans have come to expect from from a starters, the album in-
the Truck, the record opens up a new side of r e c o r d e d cludes some very
the band with tracks such as the AOR-in- standpoint and thought-provoking
fused ‘Young City Hearts’, a highlight of the not just a live tracks – one being
album, and slower grooves such as ‘The standpoint. ‘Evolution’, the lead
Howlin’’, plus lead single ‘Evolution’, the lat- “Once that single. We ask Je-
ter alongside ‘Devil Don’t Care’ also bringing had come out remy for his thoughts
some deeper and more personal lyrics to and we had on the evolution of
their music, the likes of which are only set to seen the de- the world and how
strengthen the bond between the band and mand was life is evolving. He re-
their fan base. there, we put sponds, “It would
together ‘The surprise me to hear
ith the album title being ‘True Rock- Brown EP’ anyone who thinks
Wers’ and the opening song on the (which came we are in a good
album, ‘True Rocker’ (which features none out in 2011), place right now!”
other than Dee Snider), we ask Jeremy when which was He says ‘Evolu-
he knew himself that he was a true rocker. more ‘We know tion’ is “not about us
After a pause for thought, he tells Black Vel- we are here thinking we are clever
vet, “I’d have to say it was the experience of and we know or seeing something
being in this band. I think we started the we need to get which other people
group out as kind of a touchstone of a musi- this music out,’ don’t, it’s just a state-
cal journey that was really rooted in our own and then some- ment on the fact
self-indulgence. We didn’t start the group to thing crazy everyone is on the
be a touring act or on a record label, it was happened with same page as far as
really just a selfish endeavour to indulge in that EP when, out of the five songs on it, two the shit is going to hit the fan at some point
our own favourite things about rock music. I of them went top five in Canada. That was and there is going to be a major adjustment
definitely didn’t feel like a true rocker when something we never intended or expected. needed by society at large. We are all kind of
that started, but once the band started to We never even realised those songs could witnessing a massive shift in society.”
take off and we had to adjust our perspective end up on the radio. And so, when that hap- Jeremy tells us more about the things
on what the band was and what it could be, pened, it was when we realised we might re- that concern him about today’s world and
that was when I think we started to see there ally have something on our hands and we the changes he sees. “One of the main
was a whole legion of people out there who need to focus on this and really start think- things which concerns me is the general lack
felt the same way that we did with the classic ing about a full-length record and saving up of empathy and concern most people have
rock sound and the inspiration of the 70s our money to get on tour because the de- towards people they deem to be different to
MONSTER TRUCK