interview with SUPERCHIEF
What made you call the band "Superchief"? There is an old train that traveled the southwest of America called the Sante Fe Superchief. A huge hunk of metal hauling ass through the desert sounds pretty cool eh? Also there is a kickass song called Superchief by the band Mindfunk and I always thought it would make a good band name.
How was the band formed? Band formed out of a rock band called The Howling Sons. I, Jason Monroe, started the band with ex-guitar player Ricc Terranova. We decided to go heavier, with more riffs when we made the change to Superchief.
Can you tell about your band? 5 guys that play heavy riff rock. Some call it stoner rock, some call it hard rock or heavy metal. We don't care what it is labeled, we just play what we like. We a praised for our high energy and raucous live shows.
Where are all band members from?/Who does what in the band? Haldor Von Hammer - vocals, Ryan Marcum - Drums, Casey Doser - guitar, James Segovia - bass, Jason Monroe - guitar We are all from the midwest of America, specifically Des Moines Iowa
What was the ambitions of the band when you started? To put out kick ass music that we all are proud to play and that we like to listen to. Anything beyond that has been extra. We are now into touring and playing live as much as we can around the country and region.
Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? We are what happens when Clutch, Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath gets together and has an orgy.
Where was your first gig? January 2008 - we played with Radio Moscow in Des Moines at a local club.
Where was the latest gig? We played a doom fest in Madison Wisconsin called Bachfest
Who writes your songs?/Who writes the music who writes lyrics? The music is written by all members of the band and the lyrics are from our vocalist, Haldor.
Who has the best since of humor in the band? Hard to say. We are all quite funny, but I would say Haldor is at the top of the pile.
What genre do you feel you are? I feel we are rock n' roll. I really don't like all of the limiting genres that have been created and labeled over the years. For those that into labels I would say we are stoner rock.
What are your songs about? We write about what we know. Women, alcohol, drugs, sex, vikings, warfare, greed... all that kind of shit.
Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We mainly focus on originals, but we have done a few covers for fun here and there.
Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they? 3 - Our first EP was called "Rock Music" our second release and first full length album was called "Corporate Dynamite". We are recording our third release now and it will be called "Trophy Room".
Do you have any clips on YouTube? Yeah, I think there are some live clips out there. Do a search for Superchief live or Superchief Corporate Dynamite.
How old are you?/What got you started in music? 42 - I had an older brother who always listened to albums and I got hooked on Rush and Black Sabbath at an early age.
At what age did you start playing? I started playing musical instruments when I was 11 or so.
How old were you guys when you first stood on stage? 19 years old
What year was the band started? 2008
Best/worst gig you've played? We played a show at a venue called Nates Dungeon and while it was sort of fun, it was in a basement of a guys house and the dude had cat and mold in the basement. I have allergies so I was miserable and had a snotty nose and sneezing. I was rocking out with a box of tissue on my amp... fucking hardcore.
What places will you be playing in in the imidate future? Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri. We will be touring our region when the new album is release.
Witch band is the best you´ve seen? Rush - hands down the best band in the history of rock n' roll. For a recent show, it would be Orange Goblin, or Clutch
Is it always the same songs live? Nope we do a new set list for most shows.
What has been the best/most promising gig so far? Our favorite gig thus far was playing with Red Fang at small bar in the Midwest. They are some great guys and it was a rad show. We have quite a bigger shows, but that small show was by far one of the coolest.
Have you had any bigger tours from start to now? We have done several tours around the region and country, but all have been just SUPERCHIEF in a van traveling around and playing with locals. We did do a small Midwest tour with our brothers in Red Desert from Minneapolis.
How big crowds do you usually play for? 200 - 400, some shows we have played for 1000+
What are the plans for the rest of the year? Release our album and our first video and then TOUR as much as we can.
Where do you usually play? Mainly all over the midwest region but we have gone east of or location and down to the south.
How do you get psyched up for a gig? Alcohol
What are your goals with your music? Play music that I like to listen to and meet cool people.
When did you decide to go all in for the music? When I was 18... still trying
Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? Older bands by far...
What are your sources of inspiration? The music I grew up with, my friends and family. Things that happen in the news... all sorts of things honestly.
What's the first step when making a new song? The riff... when writing usually everything starts with a badass riff.
How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? It is impossible to stop, so you kind of have to just accept it. I think it helps with exposure.
What would be your dreams for the band? To be able to make a comfortable living playing music and not having to work a "regular" job.
Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to? Metal, rock, funk, soul, old school country... no rap though
What do you hold most dear? Personal freedom and truth
What would be your greatest fears for the future? That people will continue to slide down the slope of stupidity we seem to be on.
Have you been in any other bands? I have been in tons of bands over the years, but I don't dwell on the past or look back to the past in that way. I am in SUPERCHIEF now and that is all that matters.
What do you work with outside of the band and the music? Computers and software, I also like to draw and paint.
How important are your fans? We love those that support us and enjoy our music, however, we would play to no one (and we have) and still be happy. You have to learn to deal with that disappointment touring in America. Heavy music is not as highly regarded in the States as it is in Europe.
How often do you rehearse? At least every week, but we try to get together more than that.
Where do you rehearse? We have a rehearsal space in an old warehouse where a bunch of other area bands rehearse. It has a cool atmosphere and vibe going. It's good community of people.
Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment? The Huntress and Trophy Room, both are going to be on the upcoming release.
Do you have any webpages?
We are on Facebook and have a Reverbnation page as well as Twitter
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Superchief/53609835725
http://www.reverbnation.com/superchief
Any pearls of wisdom for all other bands out there? Find the right group of guys and stick with them. What breaks up a band is not the music it is the attitudes and drama that exists between the members. Find the right dudes and you will be golden.