CORNERSTONE
Cornerstone released a while
ago an incredible album which has its base and draws inspiration from the
classic hard rock and heavy metal bands. I think you all pretty much
know Doogie White (x-Rainbow) and Steen (x-Royal Hunt). So, I grabbed the
chance and asked them a couple of things regarding Cornerstone’s past,
present and future plans.
1.HI! FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS
FOR “ONCE UPON OUR YESTERDAYS”. IT’S AN INCREDIBLE ALBUM!
(Doogie)Why thank you we are very
pleased with it.
2.IF I ASKED YOU TO POINT OUT THE MOST
IMPORTANT AND OBVIOUS ELEMENT, THE MAIN MUSICAL THEME OF THIS ALBUM, WHAT
WOULD YOU TELL ME?
(Doogie)The album is a natural
progression from what we were doing on the previous one. It is a very natural
place for us to be but it also allows us to play around with arrangements
and sounds as well as exploring the dark corners of the human condition.
(Steen)I believe that the production
is the best so far , it’s more a full sounding and in your face kind of
album, I think we moved into a more American way of production, and it’s
definitely not overproduced which was the whole idea with OUOY.
3.ARE YOU SATISFIED BY THE FINAL RESULT?
(Doogie)This is the most satisfying
album I have ever played on. It has a cool, edgy, vibrant energy
that comes from within and is not forced in any way.
(Steen) As a musician you always
have special memories for each album, and as we just finished with OUOY
its natural that it’s the album that scores the biggest points at the moment,
we had some really good times during the recordings and I have no complaints
about the album !!!Yet.
4.IF YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO CHANGE
SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
(Doogie)I would not change a thing.
The whole album was fun to make.
5.GIVE US SOME GENERAL INFORMATION
REGARDING “ONCE UPON OUR YESTERDAYS”. WHERE WAS IT RECORDED? WHO IS THE
PRODUCER? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU? WHICH ARE ITS MAIN DIFFERENCES AND
SIMILARITIES WITH “HUMAN STAIN”?
(Doogie)Steen has been producing
the Cornerstone albums from the beginning and used the same studios in
Copenhagen as on the last 2. However we took to the countryside to record
the vocals. Just to add a wee bit of a vibe rather than the sterile environment
of the studio. We wanted to have a hard but organic sound. In all, the
album took a few months.
(Steen) With OUOY, we wanted to
capture a live feel not using too many overdubs, let the band play instead
of the computer. Songwise I guess you can feel that we found the chemistry
of Cornerstone you know working close together on 2 albums I believe we
found our own expression.
6.WHERE ARE YOUR LYRICS REFERRING TO?
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE LYRICS AND WHAT CAN TAKE AWAY THE INSPIRATION
FROM YOU?
(Doogie)I always have a list of
titles and some phrases, some going back many years, that I use as a starting
point. The music is often the catalyst and opens the door and leads me
down the lyrical path. I observe, I lust, I love, I hate. I do all those
things so I can find the right lyric for the right piece of music. Sometimes
it is not until much later that the song has a meaning. Sometimes the meaning
is so clear and sometimes it remains a mystery.
7.WHAT KIND OF PROCEDURE DO YOU FOLLOW
WHILST COMPOSING SONGS? DO YOU HAVE A MAIN MELODY AND THEN YOU BUILD THE
SONG ON IT OR DO LYRICS COME FIRST?
(Steen) Sometimes it’s a melody
in my head, sometimes it’s a riff. But I often discover a lot of good things,
comes to me when I’m driving. It’s probably different for every songwriter
or composer…musician. I have a small studio at home and if I have
good riff or melody I’ll do a fast demo of it and listen to it a couple
of days later if I don’t have the time at that very moment. It’s
very random, when and how it comes about. Sometimes it will come
as a flow for a couple of weeks where you will be very productive doing
maybe three or four songs. It’s nice when you hit some of these creative
periods. Other time you’re not doing anything for a month…you don’t
have any inspiration. Whenever I feel a song is ready I send it to Doogie
to get his point on things “Is it good or crap” and if we both agree he
starts working on the lyrics.
(Doogie)The music comes first and
then I open my little books and hum around and scratch around and THEN……….I
make a coffee and start again.
8.SOME SAY THAT ARTISTS CREATE THEIR
MONUMENTS, WHEN THEY WITNESS AND FEEL PAIN IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES. WHAT
HAPPENS WITH YOU? DO YOU HAVE TO BE IN A SPECIFIC MOOD OR SITUATION IN
ORDER TO CREATE?
(Doogie)The misery of the heart
has inspired great writers and painters and poets and composers. Being
happy and content may be good for your soul but it is not good for being
creative.
9.THE WHOLE ALBUM HAS AN INTENSE RAINBOW
FEELING, A SENSATION WE DON’T GET OFTEN THE CHANCE TO LISTEN TO ANYMORE
NOWADAYS. DID YOU DO THIS ON PURPOSE OR DID IT COME OUT NATURALLY? DOES
DOOGIE WHITE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT?
(Steen)I think we are sticking
to the classic rock. You know that’s where we come from. Of course it has
to do with when Doogie got involved with the writing on the second album
too. He is, for me, like a classic rock singer. You get parallels
to the 70s and the way he’s singing and the hard rock and things like that.
And I didn’t think he’d fit it we took it to the more ‘pop’ side or AOR
side. It’s not really him. We are moving into the harder legendary
stuff when he’s involved, and that suits me fine. Then again, we can still
take some small steps and explore new areas if we feel like it , we are
not limited in any way.
10.HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A GREAT
AND REALLY CAPABLE SINGER? BY THE WAY, COULD YOU EVER IMAGINE YOUR MUSIC
WITH EXTREME AND MORE BRUTAL VOCALS ON?
(Steen) I guess when you are moving
around in the melodic rock field it’s extremely important with a good and
solid vocal performance, and I really cant imagine Doogie growling on any
Cornerstone album.
11.OBVIOUSLY IN ORDER TO FORM CORNERSTONE,
ROYAL HUNT DON’T FULLY COMPLETE AND FULFIL YOUR MUSICAL ENDEAVORS. SO,
WHICH SIDE OF YOURS DO ROYAL HUNT COMPLETE AND WHICH ONE DO CORNERSTONE?
(Steen) As I’ve said before, Cornerstone
was a natural development in my musical career, Its not something you just
decide to do at one point, it just happens, I don’t see it as two opposite
things but as a progression for me personally to start up a new thing after
15 years in Royal Hunt.
12.WHICH ARE ACCORDING TO YOU THE SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN ROYAL HUNT AND CORNERSTONE? IF YOU HAD TO LEAVE ONE BAND, WHICH
WOULD THAT BE AND WHY?
(Steen) I wouldn’t put it like
that, but I left Royal Hunt in December 2003 .
13.ARE YOU SATISFIED BY THE FEEDBACK
YOU GOT THIS FAR? IS THERE A COMMON ELEMENT, STATEMENT YOU SEE REPEATED
IN ALMOST ALL THE REVIEWS YOU GOT?
(Steen) So far they have been over
the top and one thing I noticed in a lot of reviews is words like “complete,
and what more can you wish for” .
14.DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS?
IF SO, PLEASE INFORM US ON THAT.
(Steen)We are doing our first show
in Copenhagen on the 20th of February and our manager is negotiating with
different countries in Europe at the moment for bringing Cornerstone on
tour.
15. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION,
WHAT WOULD IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
(Doogie)It would be fear and joy.
It would be despair and triumph. It would be lust and love. It would be
the colour of blood on a moonlit night. It would appear quite black but
it is deceiving. It would be the colour of a heart, torn from a lovers
grasp a still beating one last beat, before it fades and is forgotten.
16. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EXPRESS WITH
THE COVER ARTWORK? WHERE IS THIS LITTLE GIRL LED? IS SHE LED TO OUR YESTERDAYS
OR DO YOU SUGGEST THE INNOCENCE WE HAVE AS CHILDREN AND THE CHANGES THAT
OCCUR TO US THROUGHOUT THE YEARS?
(Doogie)Your are correct on both
counts. I love the sleeve Martin Burridge is a great talent.
(Steen) My personal thoughts when
I listen to this album, is flashbacks to my youth. That’s why we
started the album with some school yard sounds. It has the flashback feel
to it.
17. THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO
ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?
(Doogie)My candle burns at both
ends, It may not last the night, But oh my foes and oh my friends it casts
a lovely light.
Christine Parastatidou
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