Rare is it when I get to talk with someone of such knowledge and depth. Rarer still is when that learned musical scholar is also one cool and down-to-earth guy. That guy is dUg Pinnick. dUg is a virtual one-man walking history of music. Having honed his style and tone in the ’70s and solidified his place in music in the ’80s with King’s X, dUg played it all, done it all, heard it all, and been it all. And now we get the honor of hearing some of those stories and much more from the badass of bass in this exclusive interview.
Today we get the latest news on King’s X’s new album and tour, the dirt on his other bands including KXM with George Lynch and Ray Luzier as well as his reflections on his just-completed Jimi Hendrix tribute tour with Joe Satriani and even a much-needed health update on King’s X bandmate Jerry Gaskill and so much more! Consider this interview a lesson in musicianship and a guide to living free.
Check out the full interview HERE.
Check out our interview with Jerry Gaskill HERE.
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Interview with Republica’s Saffron
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with one of my personal favorite artists and an artist that helped define my younger years, both musically and personally, in the form of Saffron Sprackling from the almighty Republica. To say that Republica not only defined the 90s and electronic rock and pop music in general is an understatement. They helped create a bevy of music that came after them and have continued to fill stadiums from then to now.
Republica, consisting of Saffron, Tim Dorney, and Johnny Glue, have also released their new single and video titled ‘New York’, from their upcoming album ‘Damaged Gods’, releasing in 2024. Continuing that alt.pop magic that Republica planted those sonic seeds for, ‘New York’ is the gateway drug that will continue that special legacy that Republica is know around the globe for. Showing the songwriting within the group is a continuous evolution of revolution feels so refreshing knowing that great artists never die.
And, in this interview, we talk with Saffron about ‘New York’ and ‘Damaged Gods’ as well as everything Republica and Saffron, including her charity work as a keyworker in the mental health industry during the pandemic (BBC News video below).
This is truly as much a good conversation with a wonderful person as it is an interview. Watch the video above to check it out. Enjoy!
About ‘New York’ & ‘Damaged Gods’
It’s been a long time coming as the mighty REPUBLICA release their first new material in a decade in the guise of massive new single ‘NEW YORK’. It may be chilly outside but Republica are determined to continue the Summer mood with this stunning feel-good anthem to send souls soaring and get bodies moving. A short, sharp shot of dopamine to the heart and soul, vocalist (and cultural icon) Saffron says; “We’re so happy to be back out headlining live festivals and gigs again after lockdown and delighted at the reactions from the crowds and every audience who seemed to have taken ‘New York’ to their hearts already, as it has become a firm live favorite. So for us it means the world to have the opportunity to finally release new material through Armalyte Records.”
2023 has been a stellar year for Republica featuring a headline performance at Blackpool’s Rebellion Punk Festival, playing to 25,000 people alongside the Happy Mondays, and a sellout UK tour with The Boomtown Rats, it seems only fitting that the band close out the year in celebratory style with this joyous, upbeat anthem.
Following in the footsteps of gigantic smash singles ‘Ready To Go’ (with an incredible 42 million Spotify streams and counting) and ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’, ‘New York’ is another Republica instant alt. pop classic, and is the first single to drop following their newly inked deal with Armalyte Records, London’s leading underground alternative label.
About Republica
Republica dominated the charts in the Nineties with the band’s iconic and fiery front woman, Saffron, Tim Dorney (keyboards) and Johnny Male (guitar). They rode the Britpop wave of female-fronted rock bands like Sleeper, Elastica, Garbage and Lush, injecting it with their self-dubbed ‘techno-pop, punk rock’ sound.
Between 1996 and 1999, Republica sold an incredible 3 million albums and clinched Top 5 slots in the UK, America, South America and Europe with platinum sales across the globe, while their hit single ‘Ready to Go’ soared to Number One in many countries.
Their music has become a sought after soundtrack: ‘Ready To Go’ is currently being used on a Chevrolet advert in the US and featured in the billion dollar grossing ‘Capt Marvel’ movie, ‘YellowJackets’, Ted Lasso, Cruel Summer, Dua Lipa’s World for Vogue and Olivia Rodrigo covered it live on her 2022 world tour. It has been used in more than 300 films and adverts. Wes Craven selected their hit single, ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ for the soundtrack to his hit movie ‘Scream’ and invited them to perform at its Hollywood premiere.
Recently they have had headlining mainstage festival appearances including: the huge European City Of Culture festival in Serbia last year; Dubai, Israel, Germany, Isle Of Wight Festival, Victorious Festival, Norway’s Midnattsrocken, Little Orchard, Whychwood, Chalfest, Rebellion Punk Festival, Tom Kerridge’s Pub In The Park and a sell out UK tour with Sir Bob Geldolf’s Boomtown Rats.
Saffron also performed at two half times in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup last December and with Orchestras at the Brit Pop Festival and Back To Basics in Leeds with more coming in 2024.
Saffron has appeared on recordings by some of the world’s biggest music acts: The Prodigy (‘Fuel My Fire’ from ‘Fat of the Land’ album); The Cure ‘Just Say Yes’; Junkie XL; Gary Numan; Jeff Beck; DJ Carl Cox; Jah Wobble; N-Joi (‘Anthem’); Mark Moore, St Etienne and The Shamen.
Republica’s first album has been reissued as a Deluxe Triple CD, followed by colored vinyl reissues of both their albums: ‘Speed Ballads’ for 2023’s Record Store Day in April.
Saffron starred in a piece for the BBC for their classic TOTP documentary shows on the year 1997.
LINKS:
http://www.republicamusic.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/officialrepublica
https://twitter.com/saffrepublica
http://www.youtube.com/user/RepublicaTV1
https://republicaofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rSp8CsbPdFVq84q123pJy
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/republica/616725537 -
An Interview with Lunikk
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with the musical duo known as Lunikk. Kristina Yordanova and Denislav Popov, a.k.a. Lunikk, had a humble beginning in the city of Sofia, Bulgaria, and are now set to take their music across the world stage. It’s a rare thing for an artist, or a band, to have a sound that transcends borders as well as cultures, but Lunikk achieve this as a part of their sound. And they do it effortlessly.
In this interview, we talk about the origins of Lunikk and how Kristina and Deni work together as well as the evolution of that sound, that sweet sound that mixes genres and influences just underneath the originality that is Lunikk, and much more.
About Lunikk
Lunikk is an Eastern European experimental pop duo created by Kristina Yordanova and Denislav Popov. They met a couple of years ago when Deni was in a rock band and Kristina was deeply deluded that music is something she doesn’t want to pursue. After many shared moments and conversations about music, they understood that their brains were chattering on the same frequency. As fate would have it, while Kristina kept a notebook with written poetry (called “Let’s live on Mars”) Deni’s band broke up, and slowly but surely the two discovered they wanted to hate and love the world together through the same melodies.
Consequently, they promised each other that there will be no compromises and that no ego can stay in the way. They built up a studio in a room at their apartment and 2 years and many cigarettes later 12 songs have been born within an imaginary world. A world that is based on the grey reality they are living in but delivered in a way anybody can relate to.
The beats and instrumentals are all done by Deni, but the vocal lines and the messages are framed by Kristina. They are very much influenced by artists such as Robert Johnson, Son House, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Muse, Coldplay, twenty one pilots, Highly Suspect, Lorde, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Imagine Dragons, and many, many more. Their name comes from the Bulgarian word for “Moon”.
Featured image by Licata.bg.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/strangelunikk
https://www.instagram.com/strangelunikk
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvMsIaQS7JTaaRpnyb4zrGQ
https://spoti.fi/367GWvl
https://soundcloud.com/strangelunikk
https://twitter.com/strangelunikk -
Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for 6/22/2020
In this episode of ‘The Week in #Indie’ we have video premieres from Bentley Jones and Ask Carol as well as single and album premieres from Bailey Coats, Dives, Lakes, Shawn O’Donnell, The Asteroid No.4, Mile Me Deaf, and The KillerHertz.
About Bentley Jones
Bentley Jones has just dropped his new video titled ‘I Could Be Your Girl’. Bentley is one of those artists that, when he releases something, I quietly think to myself ‘About time…’. I say this because he is a constantly and truly evolving artist. Each release is somewhat of a reinvention of both the artist and the music. This is just as true with ‘I Could Be Your Girl’.
The video is at times hypnotic and captivating yet gives that sense of solace and yearning. A dark longing for love and romantic closeness in a time of social distancing lending to that certain something we all feel at times, especially these times, in that we all need someone. I hear the words ‘Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ when I first watched this video and now those words have a meaning to me. This is a message to the world that beauty is more than sexual and sultry; it’s something we all have, and by knowing that you can get the deeper meaning of the music.
To me, Bentley is an artist who deserves everything he’s worked for and worked very hard for. Now entering his tenth year as an artist, he is just as fresh and new as ever and it shows.
LINKS:
http://www.bentleyjones.com
http://www.facebook.com/BentleyJonesMusic
http://twitter.com/Bentley_Jones
http://www.youtube.com/BentleyJonesMusic
http://www.soundcloud.com/BentleyJonesAbout Ask Carol
Ask Carol have released their new video for the track titled ‘Run With You’. And, with this being their first actual music video, there is no better way to make their visual debut than with the eye candy set forth with ‘Run With You’. Constructed not only as a visual accompaniment to the song but as an artistic statement in of itself, the video gives visual punctuation to the percussiveness of the song while highlighting the hook and becoming almost a canvas for the song to paint on instead of the music becomes a soundtrack. This is essential because, as someone who reviews music every day, is exactly what a music video should be; an introduction to the music.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/askcarol
https://www.askcarolmusic.comAbout Bailey Coats
Beginning as a vocal exercise, Baily starts the song off with a subtle bang of reminiscing of life and love with that message of no other way, sent to us just in time as a pick me up and mental reassurance that is well needed and deserved with the state of things being the way they are.
Featuring a unique duet between the percussive yet melodic vocals versus the staccato beat and lush piano-driven music, ‘No Way Out’ showcases a solid artist at the introduction of her career.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/baileycoatsofficial
https://www.facebook.com/BaileyCoatsMusic
https://twitter.com/bailey_coatsAbout Dives
DIVES is set to release their new single titled ‘100 Times’ on June 17, 2020. We get an advanced listen, however, of the suave new track in all of its glory and shimmering originality. The track is a showcase of sorts and a perfect introduction track to what DIVES’ sound is and creativity can bring. The song is a strong blend of solid chord progressions and harmonies that soar and dive in unison causing that inevitable hit of the repeat button.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/DIVESvienna
https://divesmusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/divesvienna
https://dives-vienna.bandcamp.comAbout Lakes
Lakes drop their new single titled ‘Kids’ featuring Dan Lambton, formerly of Real Friends. Besides being a modern-day guitar juggernaut, ‘Kids’ has that carefree summer feeling that’s awash with the hook and swimming in that aural splendor that gives you a smile as you search for the repeat button because of that magical section you heard that captivated your ears. I love the subtle instrumentation, especially the horn (listen for it), along with the solid rhythm that gives everything that special and precise pronouncement that exclaims ‘I’m here’.
LINKS:
https://www.ourbandlakes.com
https://www.facebook.com/ourbandlakes
https://twitter.com/ourbandlakes
https://www.instagram.com/ourbandlakes
https://ourbandlakes.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5TizUcJWoPu6QwTZnlsqVAAbout Shawn O’Donnell
Shawn O’Donnell premieres his new single titled ‘Quicksand’ right here on Jammerzine. The first thing you capture at that first listen to the song is Shawn’s nearly perfect and natural voice. And what’s more, is that Shawn has that songwriter’s mentality that knows exactly what not only compliments his voice musically but what music can surround that vocal prowess to become an all-encompassing self-made style that lets the listener in and welcomes them to the next experience of their life.
‘Quicksand’ is a song that is all too aware of itself and, while having that introverted quality found in the best music and art, lets the listener in just enough to share that experience in a way that they feel like a part of the music and, in turn, the music becomes a part of their heart.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/shawnodonnellmusic
https://www.instagram.com/shawnomusicAbout The Asteroid No.4
The Asteroid No.4 are set to drop their new single titled ‘The After Glow’ tomorrow. In addition to that, however, we get the title track of the upcoming album ‘Northern Songs’ coming out later this summer. And within those two open windows of expression, we get a magnitude of sound both in scope and in vision. Both lush with thick and ‘wall-of-sound’ style guitars from shimmering to that beautiful 12-string and everything in between, The Asteroid No.4 creates a stage for the music and a theater for the mind with what I believe will be an imaginative album.
As of June 19, ‘The After Glow’ is available digitally online, including via Bandcamp and Spotify. The full album ‘Northern Songs’ will be released later this summer.
LINKS:
https://theasteroidno4.com
https://www.facebook.com/theasteroidno4
https://theasteroidno4.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/theasteroidno4
https://twitter.com/theasteroid4
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Sz2gqTwJDGHcFFb0WiDVb?si=rSwNKPMATRefrpbu80AmDg
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-asteroid-no-4/1391476929About Mile Me Deaf
Mile Me Deaf has released their new album titled ‘Ecco’ via Siluh Records. Featuring a much more synthesized and refined sound, Wolfgang Möstl, the mind behind the music, give that signature sound a kick with a solid set of hooks within the electronic realm and sends out a solid set of tracks each with their own purpose with the love of an artist and the care of a producer.
LINKS:
http://www.milemedeaf.com
https://www.facebook.com/milemedeaf
https://twitter.com/milemedeaf
https://milemedeaf.bandcamp.comAbout The KillerHertz
The Killerhertz has officially dropped their new EP called ‘Innocent Sinners’. Packed with that ‘purrfect’ smooth and thick set of guitar tones most guitarists spend their whole lives seeking, and combine that with valid and thought out songwriting and hook mentoring, and you have The Killerhertz.
Every song is laid out like a well-planned attack. And each band member is solidly in step with each other as the songs vary from moods and manners yet remain true to the original vision capped off with the well-fitting vocals of Thomas Trold.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/thekillerhertzband
https://www.facebook.com/NoiseGateRecordsDKClick HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
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