Interview: Buckcherry

16 June 2011

Buckcherry

Whilst at Donington last weekend for Download Festival, we chatted to several big acts, including Buckcherry. We caught up with Stevie D (guitarist) and Xavier Muriel (drummer) about music piracy, festivals and plans for the future.

-You've got been on tour earlier this year with All That Remains and Hellyeah. How was it?
Stevie D: Fantastic. Initially you would think that the pairing of all those bands was a bit odd, but backstage was a big love-fest.

Everyone got along, and it made for a good night of great music. I think all the fans of each individual band really dug each other, so it was good. We got expose to their fans and vice versa, so it was good for us.

-On the subject of the diversity of the tour, how did it all come together?
Stevie: I'm not sure. I think it had something to do with management and Jagermeister, and what would make a good bill to promote the bands.

-What have you been up to since that tour?
Stevie: We actually did the State-side run of the Jager tour, and the Canadian run of that. We had a little bit of time off and here we are, back into it.
Xavier: We did a tour with Papa Roach.
Stevie: And my darkest days and Bleeker Ridge. What they like to do in Canada is keep the Canadian artists working, so we try to bring a few Canadian bands out with us.

-Is there a big difference in mentality going into a show of this size, compared to normal tour shows?
Stevie: Do you mean playing-wise?

-Yeah, and preparing yourself for it?
Stevie: Well, we've been playing, recording and touring non-stop for the last five years, so the mind-set doesn't really change. You just put your had down and do it. Smaller clubs and theatres to festivals...
Xavier: The only difference is it's earlier in the day for us, as opposed to at night when you're used to it.
Stevie: I mean sometimes you get a shorter set, sometimes you get a headlining set. So, with a headlining set you've got to pace yourself a bit more, just for endurance and energy.

-Is it hard cutting your set down if you do have limited time?
Stevie: Usually Josh picks the songs. We get the setlist and play it.
Xavier: I think for the band, me personally, when we do a longer set be warm up towards the middle.

So with a shorter set, by the time we're warmed up and ready to bring the heat, we've got like three songs left. It's a little different.

-You mentioned how extensively you tour. Do you prefer that side to recording?
Stevie: I like them both. Both have their pros and cons. One, you get to be home with friends and family. The reason we got into this is to obviously play, because we love the music.

We also get to share what we do with others. I remember as a kid getting to go and see concerts, getting that feeling from a band. Now, we get to go out and do that, it's something...we're really blessed to get to do that.

-Have you played Download before?
Xavier: Yeah, we've played here a couple of times. The weather's a little off-kilter. We'll get up there and we'll do what we do, just like all the other bands.

-Is there anyone you're hoping to see this time round, or do you not get the time?
Stevie: Yeah, we came yesterday and saw Cheap Trick, our buddies Aveneged Sevenfold.
Xavier: We saw Alice Cooper!
Stevie: The surprise for me was I got a chance to see Dan Reed. I don't know if you're familiar but he was around a while ago, and he's resurfacing now. His solo stuff is amazing, we caught his acoustic set.

-There's been a few different line-ups since Buckcherry formed. Is this one solid, and the best it's been?
Stevie: Well, as far as success...it's been together the longest, it's had the most record sales and made the most albums. By far it's the most handsome because of the drummer.
Xavier: I think if you asked other guys in the band they would say there was no other line-up of the band that existed before this.

We're seven years, still going strong, still hang out and enjoy what we do. Still very great friends, and we're blessed to be here.

Stevie: I love my drummer the most!
Xavier: I love my guitarist the most. We take everyday at a time, but yeah. I think when we first came back out a lot of people had already written us off because we weren't doing what was popular.

There was this other style of music, we were too old. We came out, we basically looked at each other like a gang, and said we're not going back til 15 goes plantinum. That's what we did, we toured for twenty six months.

-Your latest album did well in the Billboard Charts. Were you pleased with the reception to that album?
Stevie: Absolutely. Black Butterfly and All Night Long debuted in the Top 10. All these albums...every year we release something, it seems like the market place changes drastically.

For it to do what it did, and what it's doing now...like I said, we're really lucky to get to do what we do. Especially with the style of music, and the way record sales are right now.

Xavier: Most of the places we play, like we just did South America for the first time, and down there there's no record sales. There's no MTV, no VH1, there's nothing.

There's literally only the net. When we went down there and played there were thousands of people singing along. So, you have to go...ok, it has an advantage. For them to sing a song off the record we just did is pretty awesome.

-There is a trend with album sales declining. Is that much of a problem for this band?
Stevie: Well, with most rock bands, the whole thing is based on touring and merchandise. Of course, we would like to keep selling millions of records. We've already gone platinum, and that, even for rock bands, has diminished.
Xavier: I think everybody feels it. The only way for us to really get out there is to get out there.

-Is there a bigger emphasis on touring, then?
Stevie: Yeah, but that's always been there.

-Has work started on All Night Long's follow-up yet?
Stevie: We're taking a break around September. We're going to do a few dates from there, but that's when we start the writing process.

We have a studio at Keith's place called the Bastard Ranch and that's where we get all the work done. That's where the magic happens.

Xavier: We need a little break so Stevie and Jimmy could get together and write some stuff and rehearse some songs. We're not the kind of band that writes on the road. We get in a room together and bash some stuff out, and see what happens.

-So, it's more of a cycle rather than touring and writing?
Stevie: Yeah. Well, there's a little bit of it but it's usually touring, go home, start the writing, record, release, start touring again.

-Does that make it easier, being able to go home in between tours rather than constantly being on the road?
Stevie: Yeah, but it does feel like, for the past few years, that it's been non-stop working. I mean, even though we might not be out there we're still working all the time.
Xavier: We're still in the studio at noonish, we work until 6 or 7. We go home, be with the family, get up and do it again the next day.

We've been consistently non-stop since August '05. We've written, we've recorded, we've tour. We went back, we wrote, recorded, toured. It's been a crazy seven years!

-What are your plans for the remainder of the year then?
Stevie: We're going to finish up touring. Actually, when we get back from Europe we're going to be doing some Stateside touring with Papa Roach.

We take a break from that and do some recording. We should have a new release by April or May next year. That's what I was told to say!

Xavier: That's the plan so far, but things are subject to change.

-To round off, what final message can you give to our readers at Female First?
Stevie: Thanks for reading this.
Xavier: Check the music out, we think you'll dig it. It's why we're here.
Stevie: Be kind to others!

Female First - Alistair McGeorge