Marty Casey/Interview
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This email interview was conducted by Abby and done by Marty Casey on July 20, 2007
WMG Abby: Hi Marty! How is everything?
Marty Casey: Hi Abby. It's cool to get a chance to talk to you. I reference Wikimusic Guide ALL THE TIME and i'm glad to be talking with ya.
WMG: What was it like being part of the reality show, Rockstar?
MC: Reality shows are the closest thing to being abducted by aliens. Only it's filmed so all of the gory things they do to you in the strict confines of a reality show set are displayed for the viewing public across the globe. And, of course, they only like to air the best AND worst of you. In the end it makes you either appear superhuman (good guy) or super jerk (bad guy). It's the greatest experience of my life that I would never want to do again.
WMG: Did that experience drew you closer in achieving your lifelong dream of becoming a famous rock singer?
MC: When I was 12 years old standing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush for a microphone and wearing the craziest clothing from my brothers and sisters closets I wanted to be larger than life. I pilfered thru album covers to find the coolest and scariest band members and emulate their attitudes. I would stand on top of my bed and pretend I was live at Boudikan. So, I guess I never planned on being famous. I wanted to be cooler than cool.
WMG: How is everything with you and your band, the Lovehammers?
MC: It has been a wild ride for me and the band. I believe I was the first reality show guy to break a band and not go solo. We worked for years to get our lucky break. It came in the most unexpected way but we took it and ran with it. There is nothing better than touring around the country with your friends and performing the songs you worked so hard to get heard.
WMG: Has there been any changes after you joined Rockstar?
MC: I never felt like a leader of the Lovehammers before I was on the show. We all were leaders in different facets of the band....stage, business, merch, touring, equipment. There are so many things to take care of when in a band that we all kinda controlled a certain aspect of the group. When I got off the show I had a really defined focus of what I thought we needed to do. I took control and they let me. I think it was a confidence instilled from the show that drove me to take the wheel and take controll of the band creatively.
WMG: How do you deal with popularity now that you have a growing fan base?
MC: We still try to meet as many fans as possible and spend hours after each show signing autographs and taking pictures. After about a year of it I grew very tired of it. I remind myself of how I felt when John Paul Jones (LZ) ot Nikki Sixx (Crue)or Walter Payton (Chicago Bears) took the time to sign something for me and how much it meant. It's important to let the fans into the party. They keep us alive.
WMG: When you sang your single "Trees" on Rockstar, has it gained more notoriety towards to your band the Lovehammers?
MC: Well, TV is a very powerfull medium. It seems that sometimes more people know me as the guy that sang "Trees" than by my name. I was in an airport in Mexico and the customs agent was yelling "Hey, You're the Trees guy!" It blew my mind. Millions and Millions of people watched Rockstar around the world. The Lovehammers have just gotten started on a global level and it will take time to introduce the fans to the band. Many come to concerts because they saw Marty Casey on a TV show and when they leave the gig they are Lovehammer fans. We are excited to do the work and let people know about us.
WMG: I still think you deserved to win on that show. But how did you deal with your loss?
MC: I was torn at the finalee. I wanted to win and front INXS but I also wanted to bring the Lovehammers along for the ride and be able to be a creator and not a re-creator. I would have enjoyed the job of froning INXS and I thank them for all they have done for me. But, the world has a funny way of giving you exactly what you really need.
WMG: But at least you got to tour with INXS. How was it?
MC: It was a blast being on such a highly anticipated tour. INXS made a smart decision in bring the Lovehammers on tour. I think it would have been great if they brought Jordis along as well. Nothing beats a sold-out tour across all of North America. I hope to do it again this fall.
WMG: How do you deal with such a busy schedule?
MC: The adrenaline of all the new experiences keeps you driven and focused. I have never had less sleep but felt more alive.
WMG: Let's talk about your latest album, Marty Casey and Lovehammers : How did you create the right sound for the record?
MC: We recorded with every producer we loved. We didn't do it in typical fashion in one studio with one producer. We modeled it after a Stones type of record and flew around the country cutting diferent tracks with the producer we thought had the right sound. Steve Albini for the straight up punk tune "Straight As An Arrow". Marti Frederickson for the morpine-syrup "Clouds", Johnny K for the ballad "Rain On the Brain", etc.. etc...
WMG: Any particular favorite from all the songs you have written?
MC: I absolutely love "Hold On" because I wrote it to help me get thru a really low point in my life and I was surprised when fans tell me they feel it has helped them thru a tough time. It's a sad song with a ray of hope at the end. We all seems to wrap our arms around that thred of "everything will eventually be ok" and climb out of the dark days and into a more stable life. Eventually...
WMG: How did your whole band help in the song-writing process as a whole?
MC: We started out sitting in a garage and writing as a unit. Over the years I have taken on the songwriting. I feel I can say what I want to say best when I create on my own and bring it to the band.
WMG: What most inspires your music writing?
MC: I usually sit down and think of something that is on my mind. I come up with an opening line and then I go running, go for a drive, take a shower, cook dinner, and all the while I concentrate on the song. What I feel and start weaving words together and writing them down when they have some promise. It takes all day. Then I put all my ideas together and try to figure out what the hell is going on with this story of massive detail. I fit the pieces together and solve the mystery. I am getting better at making sense of my unconscience. It's where all the heros and demos live and they tell the best stories.
WMG: Any gigs going on?
MC: Lovehammers are playing tons of shows and festivals this summer. In the fall is a pending world tour. More details to follow...
WMG:What are your plans for the future?
MC: I want to be involved in more projects. I will always be a member of LH but I strive to venture out and dive into styalistically different music and different types of shows. I am doing a Bowie meets Depeche Mode type project that I have finally brought to life. It's been a dream of mine since I was a kid and it's finally happening. I have obsessive amounts of energy so I would like to be doing a few projects at any given time. I'll sleep when I'm dead.
WMG: Thanks so much for the time. Any last messages to your fans?
MC: Be good to your family. It's deserves more attention than we sometimes direct words it. Nothing is as important.
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