At the end of every year, I look back on all the interviews I conducted that year, I sigh a huge ass sigh and say, “What a great year. How will I even come close next year?” 2012 was an awesome year but 2013 just took it to a whole new level. This year I had some of the best, most fun, and most interesting interviews I have had to date. I interviewed childhood favorites of mine such as Steve Blaze of Lillian Axe and Michael Lardie of Great White! I stradeled the fence interviewing Christian metal icon Michael Sweet of Stryper and Erik Danielsson of the black metal band Watain. I had John Corabi telling me stories and playing me songs on his guitar over the phone, I had Tom Keifer of Cinderella telling me how he really doesn’t like the term “hair metal”, and I also got to talk to some of my favorite up and comers such as Kadavar, Bonded by Blood, Draekon, Volume IV, and Scorpion Child. I had the opportunity to even revisit some of my favorite interview subjects such as James Paul Luna of Holy Grail, Tom Hunting of Exodus, Oderus Urungus of GWAR, and Pepe Clarke of Kyng. One of my other favorite moments was when I had hte opportunity to do my first “non-rockstar” interview when I had an amazing conversation with Rebecca Romney who is the book expert on the History Channel show Pawn Stars.
2013 was a pretty monumental year for the Great Southern Brainfart. It’s hard to believe that I have been doing interviews like these for 4 years now. I feel like I grow and get better at it with each passing interview and each passing year. I am truly living the dream and I am channeling the vibes and attitudes of the two that inspired me the most to do this: Lonn Friend (RIP Magazine) and Riki Rachtman (Headbangers Ball). I continue to look back to them to see how they did things and find myself learning more and more every time I do so. It is a never ending learning experience and each interview has it’s winning moments, losing moments and all else in between. Learning how to balance those moments and how to create the best overall experience for my subjects is something I continue to strive for. This is why I feel that you can never know everything about this art form which can at times be so exciting and frustrating at the same time.
Once again I am looking at this list and I’m thinking to myself, “How in the living hell am I going to even come close to matching this year?” Instead of sweating it out, I’m going to do exactly what I did this year. I’m just going to close my eyes, hope for the best, and see where it takes me. In 2014 I really do hope to bring you all some more great interviews from artists you already know and artists you should get to know. Thank you all for another amazing year and I hope you’ll enjoy revisiting (or visiting for the first time) The Great Southern Brainfart’s Blowin’ Wind in 2013! See y’all next year!
January 30, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with John Corabi
March 08, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Steve Blaze of Lillian Axe
March 22, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Bonded By Blood’s Jessie Sanchez
April 05, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Pawn Stars Book Expert Rebecca Romney
April 26, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Exodus’ Tom Hunting
May 10, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Crucified Barbara’s Mia Coldheart
May 20, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Cinderella’s Tom Keifer
May 27, 2013: Blowin’ Wind w/ 3 Inches of Blood’s Cam Pipes
May 31, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Kadavar’s Tiger
June 10, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Holy Grail’s James Paul Luna
June 24, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Kyng’s Pepe Clarke
July 08, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Christian Mistress’ Christine Davis
July 19, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Volume IV’s Joe Carpenter
July 31, 2013: Blowin Wind with Gypsyhawk’s Eric Harris
August 07, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with The Defiled’s Stitch D
August 12, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Scorpion Child
August 23, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Great White’s Michael Lardie
September 06, 2013: Blowin’ Wind w/ Draekon’s Chad Barnes
September 20, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with GWAR’s Oderus Urungus:
September 27, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Watain’s Erik Danielsson
October 18, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Testament’s Eric Peterson
October 23, 2013: From The Inside: Tour Manager Rory Romano
November 04, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Lita Ford
November 08, 2013: Blowin’ Wind with Stryper’s Michael Sweet
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