Interview- kHz

Band: KHZ Interviewer: Julie Johnson Date: 4-11-05

Julie: Hey, how is everyone doing now the new CD has finally been released?

KHZ: Relieved, anxious and excited, thanks…….

Julie: "Reality on a Finer Scale" was five years in the making. Tell us more about this process?

KHZ: We really wanted to make sure that every song on the album was as strong as possible, so we would write as many as we felt it took till we thought we had it. A lot of personal issues arose while writing and recording so that would continue to push things back as well. The last 2 years kept feeling like ok its ready then something terrible would happen and we would have to push it back.

Julie: How personal are the lyrics behind the new songs?

KHZ: Extremely! Every single song is completely revealing and raw. The songs on this album all tell very personal stories surrounded by the theme of self discovery with an attempt to deal with who you are.

Julie: How did you prepare for the release of the new CD "Reality on a finer Scale”?

KHZ: We started playing out a year before the release, with a bit of touring as a way to road test the songs live and make sure everything was clicking. We would continue to fine tune while playing out. That was the first step to let people know that the album was coming. Then we would use our website as phase one of getting the word out online.

Julie:How does today's politics influence your writing and recording?

KHZ: We don’t discuss politics; we are just musicians, our political opinions mean as little as anyone else’s.

Julie: Your music is sure creating a buzz especially in one of the greatest underground music cities of NYC. Tell us more about your fan base and playing your music live.

KHZ: We love playing live, it is so Important to us. We have great core fans, very dedicated. I think our biggest frustration from our fans is that we don’t get to their cities as often as they or we would like. We are hoping that will change this year. Our fan base is pretty wide, NYC is our home so we play locally often.

Julie: Known for your energetic shows what is in store now for your live shows with your new songs?

KHZ: Energy, passion, honesty…….we do our best to leave it all on the stage, hold nothing back every night no matter where or for whom we’re playing. Hopefully the live video included on the new CD will give a sample of that. That’s why we decided to include it on the album, not only as an effort to give people more for their money but as a way to give a taste of us live for those that have not yet seen us.

Julie: With some many copycat sounds within the scene, how do you keep your original and new?

KHZ: Actually we have a harder time fitting in then anything else. Fads come and go, they always will. We are always thinking about the songs and the stories they are telling. That should dictate what it’s going to sound like, not whatever trend is hot at the moment. We just try and be honest and create a balance between an album you can really sit down and enjoy from beginning to end and music that contains the right passion to really bring it live. Not sure if that makes us original, but we try and just pay attention to ourselves not what everyone else is doing.

Julie: What I really like about your music is that it is heavy but with plenty of melodies that you can actually get into. What do you think will surprise new comers when they listen to this new album?

KHZ: Hopefully that, that a record could be heavy and melodic at the same time and that it can have a female vox that can both rip it and sing.

Julie: Also, when I listened to the CD and noticed the heaviness but with plenty of melodies your music seems to be on many different levels, what do you think is the most defining level for your music?

KHZ: Again, we keep going back to this…..hopefully honesty and emotion. We really try and make music that identifies who we are; every element from the writing, recording, producing even arrangement of the songs on the album to the live shows is very carefully thought out. We are trying to connect emotionally and use whatever sounds or ideas to convey that……pure honest emotion.

Julie: I heard that you will be having tracks in the new Return Of The Living Dead film, can you tell us more about the songs and how this offer came about?

KHZ: Well with films you never know exactly till you’re watching it because it changes so much. All we know is that the song “it” is a definite. But who knows, it could be 3 seconds of it while some dude is driving in his car and its real low in the background pretending to be over the radio. Hopefully it will be more like thriller and when the camera hits a zombie yelling “BRAAAIIINNNNSSS” that shit’ll kick in balls out and make you wanna jump up & kick the guy next to you in the throat!!! …………oh sorry, having a beavis and butthead moment, we digress. Oh yeah it came about cause they were talking to our agency chaotica about some of their acts and we came up and they really liked the new record. For a moment we were almost going out to like Rumania to be in a scene. Then we would have been like stars and shit!

KHZ: I also hear that there is a remix in the works with Mindless Self Indulgence who are releasing a new album on Metropolis Records. What track is being remixed and why was MSI asked?

KHZ: Actually, they asked us. We are all friends and Pull remixed a song off the last album, “molly” and it was pretty well known so it seemed like a cool idea to do it again. It is for the song “Straight to Video”. It was nice to be asked again. They are nice people.

Julie: You have had some big press reviews with Hit Parader Magazine and Outburn for example. Do you hope that the recent press will bring you to the next level with your music? KHZ: Yeah, that would be great, Revolver said some cool stuff about us too so hopefully the exposure helps get us on bigger tours to reach more people.

Julie: You have started to play some shows with your new songs. How has the fan reaction been like?

KHZ: Incredible. Any band knows you can feel it when it’s right. When you’re playing in front of 1,000 people as an opening act for fans that not only don’t know you but don’t want to see you, and you are able to win them over, that is the best feeling. We have been really excited by the response so far and hope it continues.

Julie:What can we expect in the next several months from KHZ?

KHZ: We will be making a video and probably some remixes off the new album and of course playing live as much as possible.

Julie: Any final comments you would like to make for our readers?

KHZ: We have worked hard to make a complete and unique web experience. Please come by our site www.thekhz.com and come to our new myspace page for full length previews of songs off the new record. www.myspace.com/khz And…… no…..that’s it. Thanks for talking with us.