SplatterTribe.TV Music:Interview Pop Evil

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Originally Posted on 06-22-09

POP EVIL

Rock On The Range

www.popevil.com

www.myspace.com/popevil

I have to be honest, heading into this years Rock On The Range Festival in Columbus, Ohio, I really did not know much about the band Pop Evil. I knew they where playing on one of the sidestages and I knew I had an interview scheduled with them a couple of hours after their show. I had done a little research on them heading into the situation, but I had no idea, honestly, if I would like them or not.

Their show completely made my mind up for me though. The show was intense. The crowd was intense. The sidestage looked more like a main stage while Pop Evil was performing. They could not have given more and the crowd could not have responded more. Flat out, I thought they where Awesome and they made me a fan.

This interview was conducted a couple of hours after the show with mostly the Lead Vocalist Leigh Kakaty, but Guitarist Tony Greve, Bassist Matt DiRito and DJ Donnie D also made brief appearances during the talk. Drummer Dylan Allison and Guitarist Dave Grahs where absent in this conversation.

The first thing the Pop Evil guys noticed was my Texas Hippie Coalition shirt and they all raved about how Bad-Ass the Hippies are and how they had recently played with them. So that was also a plus in my book.

So here it is, the interview that Welcomes Pop Evil into the Tribe and to go along with it is the SplatterTribe Premier of Pop Evil's new video for the song 100 In A 55.

Interview By

All Photo's where taken from Pop Evil's MySpace page or taken by me.

Transcribed Rock On The Range 2009 interview with Michigan band Pop Evil!

PLUS BONUS '100 In A 55' video!

LIVE interview with Pop Evil

SplatterTribe: Introduce yourselves and tell everybody who the hell Pop Evil is..

Leigh Kakaty: I'm Leigh Kakaty. I've done vocals for the band Pop Evil ever since we got started. We've been playing for 10 years. We've played in cover bars, just doin our thing and just kept pounding. We knew growin up we needed to spend money on a good producer to give our songs a chance and to give ourselves a chance to learn how to write. To write a song that could influence others. We come from Michigan. So it's the land of Kid Rock & Eminem. They're good mentors growing up. In 2005, 2006 we got with Al Sutten, Kid Rocks producer and he kind of, you know, he shaved the fat around the edges and he tried to teach us about why we wanted to play covers and understanding about writing a hook and to make the most out of making money to give yourself the opportunity to play in the big leagues. But in order to do that we need to starve and the perseverance to be an independent

band, you know. To make those moves and to stay together. To deal with family and friend animosity that comes with Jealousy. We're from Flint, Michigan it's not really known for the Rock N Roll Mecca that it isn't. So not a lot of people are like,

"What do you want to be when you grow up? Oh, a Rock Star. Yeah, right, right, right,, right, but what is your real job?"

"Uh, I'm in a band and that's my only job."

"Oh, ok, do you have health insurance with that?"

"Uh, no." So, (I mean) we have to be able to take care of each other.

It's an American struggle like most of the people in this country that are on the grind. everyday, trying to take care of their families. Who are struggling and trying to make it to their feet. But, those few that are struggling still know what their passion is and that passion, along with trying to make money doing it, is the key. That's what we are.

SplatterTribe: What is the music scene like in Michigan. I mean all people know about is like Kid Rock & Eminem.

Tony Greve: Of course we got the big boys. We got Kid Rock & Eminem, but there is just like a great scene there man. (A lot of) hidden talent, man. It's the craziest thing man, not even just Michigan, but the country in general, on how many great artist that are never gonna get heard. There's all these bands in Michigan that just don't get heard....

SplatterTribe: What's the club scene like in Michigan?

Leigh Kakaty: Their few and far between, a lot of these Mom & Pop venues, a lot of these Mom & Pop music stores are are going out of business. Their few and far between, the place for these bands to be heard. But the good news is, if you're signed to a major or any big league, big type honcho........Everybody uses YouTube and MySpace, so you have to be creative on these venues. These opportunities we do have as independent artist, as artists, as people....Look MySpace, you can do anything, you know. It's what you make of it. You've got to be more creative. In some way's it's great, you've got Guitar centers, Best Buy selling guitars last i was (there), but.... it also makes it harder because Radio, which is still having an effect on the changing musical world, they suffer to. So how would you feel if you are is in the music biz, they're probably getting triple the cd's and demo's that you once did, because it was harder to do these things (in the past). Now you go to the garage, make your cd, rip it on iTunes, the next thing you know, "Hey, here's my demo."

People don't understand that we are trying to build a story with Pop Evil. Labels aren't just giving away deals. They what to see a story. They want to know how long this band has been together. They don't want to give an X amount of dollars to somebody just to see them quit in a year, you know. Even though we've been together for a log time, ten years, there's nothing like living everyday of your life with your brothers. It's tense man. It's intense. It's about dealing with animosity. It's about dealing with the haters. It's about dealing with the judgmental views of other people. At the end of the day, we write music for ourselves. It's that mentality that sports teams have, you know. It's us against the world. It's like, there's six guys on this team. There's six starters on this team and we just go battle everyday and that battle is proving it. Like we had to do to you, today. You have to prove yourself everyday. It's so good to have a story. People want to hear a story. To give people something to believe in.

SplatterTribe: Do you guys still believe in the major label idea?

Leigh Kakaty: I don't really think about it or believe in any of that stuff. What I believe in is now more than ever, every show, everyday, every night, every person. That's all that matters. If you do not.......it doesn't matter with a label. Sure a label, if they can help dude, that's great. If they aint gonna help you help yourself. Fans, people, you guys, that's what it's about, it is. That's the whole game.

SplatterTribe: You guys have managed to get some good tours. How did you get to the point of landing these tours and playing on a side stage, of a major Rock Festival in the US, and owning that stage, as the whole crowd sings along to your songs?

Leigh Kakaty: Hard work, man. That's it, man. Good things come along with hard work. And people start seeing it. People in this business aren't dumb. They're watching, the artists and their are so many good, up and coming bands. They could take any one of them and offer it to them. People are watching. They want to see who's doing it their selves. They want to see something a little different, I get it. You know, we had an opportunity that arose. They where interested in us doing the tour and why not man, we're big fans. It's always great when you can get on a tour and your a fan of that artist.

Rock On The Range '09

Dave Grahs / Tony Greve / Matt DiRito

SplatterTribe: So you are pretty much going from tour to tour right now?

Leigh Kakaty: Yeah, we're on the Buck Cherry tour right now. The (we got) Saving Able and (then) Judas Priest in the States.

SplatterTribe: So, what about video's, I believe you've done three, should be be expecting another soon for 100 in a 55?

Leigh Kakaty: We've just shot, actually, the ne music video for a 100 In A 55. We just shot that. It's insane, can't wait till it's out.

SplatterTribe: Can you tell me anything about it?

Leigh Kakaty: We're not telling you anything about it. You've got to watch it and see. It's all on the DL!

SplatterTribe: What do you guys have planned next?

Leigh Kakaty: Where not really demanding ourselves. We're just driving man. We just drive. We're cleaning gutters in Michigan. We call it toilet work man. We're in the cellars, in the gutters cleaning all the excrement that needs to be cleaned and we're just doing whatever. We're a baby band. Theirs know going around it. We've got a lot to prove and hopefully we'll be able to do it. We've got a lot of work to do, you know.

Tony Greve: One show at a time dude. To try and knock them out

Leigh Kakaty: That's the plan. The plan is to keep playing everyday. Keep hustling and keep winning over not just fans, but friends, you know. The people that came on that Tesla tour, we learned what real fans are about. Real fans will follow you for a lifetime.

SplatterTribe: You guys are doing shows with some somewhat diverse artists. Is there anybody Pop Evil would say no to?

Leigh Kakaty: I think we would say no if it wasn't the right tour at that time. Depending what the video is. What our single is. You know, if it's a Kelly Clarkson tour, which I would do without a heartbeat. If it's our song Hero, maybe we couldn't get away with it, but if it's 100 In A 55, yeah we could probably play with her. But, it's got to be compatible (though), you know?

SplatterTribe: We're you guys in previous bands?

Leigh Kakaty: The cool thing about Pop Evil, that not as many bands have, (I mean) some do, but we all grew up together, man. So it's really cool to know that even if we aren't here with you guys today, we're at home on Lake Michigan, with our acoustic guitars, jammin' out with a bond fire, with our friends having a cook-out. Just jammin' All Summer Long, kind of like Kid Rock said. That's the cool thing about the band, even though we all grew up at the lake, we all grew up with the same love of music man. And that's the pleasure that brought us together. (We're) a group of guys that are that die hard about the same thing.

SplatterTribe: So who where some of you guys influences growing up?

Leigh Kakaty: You're gonna laugh at mine, man. I'm a haha Rap guy, Tupac, Snoop, Dre, that's it.

Tony Greve: That's it (points to his Dimebag Darrell tattoo)

SplatterTribe: Well that's another thing, I heard you have an actual Dimebag guitar?

Tony Greve: (I'm) a diehard Pantera fan.

Leigh Kakaty: They just custom made him the Dimebag Ax. It was the guitar he was playing tonight. There's only one in the world.

SplatterTribe: How does that come about?

Leigh Kakaty: Just the love we have for Pantera, you know? You meet the right people and they see the sincerity and passion you have. This is not Rocket Science man, It's a people business. Like I see you next time, I'll be like, "Oh dude, the interview! Let's have a shot!" Then the next meeting it's like, "Damn, I got another guitar.... Well, you need this for your band, why don't you take my guitar?" It's about people man, that's it.

SplatterTribe: How long has this line-up been together?

Leigh Kakaty: I believe it was 2007, right? (To Tony) Yeah you started in January 2007 and Matt was March 2007.

SplatterTribe: How did this lineup come about?

Leigh Kakaty: Well, we were all different ages from each other so we all wasn't in the same class, but yeah, we all grew up in the same area. He (Tony) was playing in a great band. We were playing in a great band. Matt was playing in another great band. Donnie was .....DJ in all the clubs. We all were like ....Wow, we should like.....Whoa, you....Whoa. Then we all met at a Steak & Shake and there it is right?

Rock On The Range '09

Leigh Kakaty

SplatterTribe: What has been some of the biggest moments that have made you feel like you might be getting to another label? Like, for example the crowd reaction today at Rock On The Range.

Leigh Kakaty: Yeah, I think tonight. I definitely think tonight.

SplatterTribe: Did you expect you guys to be over as much as you were?

Leigh Kakaty: Yeah, but I didn't expect it to be......You never know how we're gonna be received. We're a new band, but you never know. For me to stop playing in 100 In A 55 and for them to sing the whole first verse. It was mad. It was so mad. It was spiritual. But it's something you have to take on as a responsibility, that you have people that are listening. You have to be responsible for that. That's what I think a lot of people don't understand. You have to be responsible for the people who are listening, that's the key. Theirs so many people in the world who are not listening, so if you get that 1 percent, whatever it is, just listening to you. You have to understand that responsibility that comes with that kind of commitment. All you people that get that should take that responsibility. I don't get to go golfing on Sunday. I'd be golfing right now, if I was home. I don't get to go do those things because we have a responsibility to our people, who might not even know the band, but need those lyrics, need that music for obstacles in their life. Think about it, medicine, or doctors, what's the thing beside's any medicine or antibiotics that gets people through the day?

SplatterTribe: Music, man

Leigh Kakaty: Do the math. It's simple, you know what I mean, It's simple. Take the responsibility that come with the honored service to play on stage like we just did. So, I'm happy about it. I actually get angry about it? No. I want to stand on a chair and go......

(Tribe Note: At this point Leigh stands on chair and yells something at everyone, but in the loud press room, I could not understand, for sure, what he said. If I had to make a guess though, I would say, that he said, "SplatterTribe Is Awesome!!!!" I don't know for sure if that is exactly what he said, but we're gonna go with that.)

(Everybody laughs)

SplatterTribe: If you start throwing chairs, throw them that way! So what about you Matt, what did you grow up listening too?

Matt DiRito: Real heavy like Jazz and stuff man. I grew up listening to a lot of Rock N Roll and stuff man, like Journey and stuff.

SplatterTribe: What would be some bands that blow your mind to get to tour with.

Matt DiRito: Judas Priest / Whitesnake man, Motley Crue.

DJ Donnie D: Kid Rock man. I've like Kid Rock forever. I saw him when I was like 17. I got to go to night clubs, he was just rappin man, I was like....

Leigh Kakaty: Bobby and Marshal man. We love listening to Kid Rocks story. I mean, I remember in a bar. he played the bars right up in Michigan dude. Someone threw a beer bottle at him. He said thank you a lot. He played 2 songs and left. The next thing you know, he's on MTV as Kid Rock, you know.

Texas Hippie Coalition too! We love those boys....hahaha....shout out!

SplatterTribe: You have the Judas Priest/Whitesnake show coming up?

Leigh Kakaty: July 5th

SplatterTribe: What do you have between here and there?

Leigh Kakaty: We've doing Saving Able. We've got some one off headlining shows.

SplatterTribe: When you go from Tesla and Buck Cherry and Saving Able and Judas Priest, do you feel the difference in crowd reactions?

Leigh Kakaty: Sure, But at the end of the day., people don't have money to waste. They pay for their tickets and just want to be entertained People will appreciate music. They appreciate good entertainment. And if you can come and do what you do, you're always going to have those people who don't like you, but that's fine. Rock N Roll isn't for everybody. Our band isn't for everybody, but it's for those.....remember I stood on the chair.....

SplatterTribe: So you guys feel you are role models as musicians?

Tony Greve: If you're getting into music and you're doing it, you're gonna have people following you and you can't let those people down man, otherwise what are you doing it for?

Leigh Kakaty: You gotta take time to meet'm. You gotta take time to shake their hands. You gotta take time to listen to them. It's funny cause you wait your whole life to have fans. Now, the coolest thing in the world is seeing the faces of all those people you've prayed for all your life. "I can't wait to see what my fans would be like." Now we thank you.
(end)

POP EVIL

www.popevil.com

www.myspace.com/popevil

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