{"id":16746,"date":"2013-06-11T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2013-06-11T02:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=16746"},"modified":"2013-06-12T07:39:03","modified_gmt":"2013-06-11T21:39:03","slug":"trucker-diablo-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2013\/06\/trucker-diablo-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Trucker Diablo"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n<\/a>\u201cThere\u2019s no real gimmicks with us and we just try and stay true to ourselves and I think that\u2019s part of the reason they follow us, partly because of the music, but partly us as people because we take the time to talk to people, we drink beer with the fans, there\u2019s no real difference it\u2019s almost like a blue collar rock and roll type of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

From Bio: ….And the Big Truck keeps on rolling. As their catchphrase states, the Big Truck certainly does keep on rolling. Trucker Diablo are a band that have gone from strength to strength, through hard work and dedication to their craft. What does 2013 have in store for the Trucker boys? After the success of their debut album \u2018The Devil Rhythm\u2019, the band will start\u00a02013 with the release of the highly anticipated second album \u2018Songs of Iron\u2019, was released\u00a0officially in May of 2013 by Ripple Music and first single \u2018The Rebel\u2019 was released on the 1st February.\u00a0 There\u2019s a big open road in front of Trucker Diablo, jump on board, be a part of the convoy and catch the Big Truck on tour in the U.S, Europe and U.K in 2013.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve backed them from day one, we love the Truckers, so I loaded up on some beers and had a great chat with singer Tom all about their new album \u2018Songs of Iron\u2019 as well as the evolution of the band. We hope for big things for these guys and they truly are one of the Best Things You\u2019ve Never Heard.<\/p>\n

In putting \u2018Songs of Iron\u2019 together, did you consciously set out to do anything different from your debut?<\/strong>
\nI think this time we tried to get it all done in two weeks, I thinks the first album was a quick process it was like grand, people are starting to like the band, let\u2019s do an album and how many songs have we got? Five\u2026 Ok, well let\u2019s do another five and then Bob\u2019s your uncle. This time around we were a lot more conscious as it\u2019s the second album which everyone always goes on about, but we road tested some of these songs live and we were pretty confident that it was going to be good, and when we heard the album, we were just blown away, we were like holy crap, this is fuckin\u2019 amazing, hopefully I can quit my job and start rockin\u2019 full time.<\/p>\n

I can hear the evolution of the band instantly when listening to the new album, how do you feel you\u2019ve grown as a band musically since the release?<\/strong>
\nJust in terms of songs, I think the songs have grown, not just lyrics, *laughs* on the first album we were like, we\u2019ve got a verse, let\u2019s just repeat that verse two times and that\u2019s the song done. This time we sat down and really tried to pour some personal stuff into it so people could relate a bit better, so I took a lot more time with the lyrics and made sure they really fitted the music. I think we were more picky of riffs and stuff and I\u2019d written quite a lot of the album on my own as I have a rock shed at home where I sort of keep beer and guitars, so it was kind of the best place for me to go and get inspired and I took a good three to six months in refining all the riffs and all the songs and just making sure we were ready. So there was definitely more time and I think they\u2019re more mature the songs this time around, but the same kind of formula, the big choruses and the big riffs that get everyone singing along.<\/p>\n

Song wise, what inspired the songs for \u2018Songs of Iron\u2019?<\/strong>
\nI think growing up in Northern Ireland I think everyone gets inspired or motivated or demotivated by the shenanigans over the last thirty years, and I remember as a kid being surrounded by that and I think it\u2019s hard for you not to write about that, but I can\u2019t talk, especially on one of the songs, \u2018The Streets Run Red\u2019, that was about me growing up in all the troubles going on in Northern Ireland, but using music and rock and my motivation and writing about how I didn\u2019t get caught up in that, that I chose down that road. So it was searching all the old memory bank and what was memorable at the time, so probably more in depth this time.<\/p>\n

In particular, first single \u2018The Rebel\u2019 has one hell of a groove, is there a story behind that one?<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s not a personal song, it\u2019s just a story that I sat down and wrote out about a guy breaking a deal and doing whatever he can to get back to the girl he loves, so a bit of a Rebel love story type of thing, so it\u2019s about that and it really came together really well.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019m a sucker for a ballad, like a big sucker\u2026 and a song like \u2018Maybe You\u2019re The One\u2019 is such an unexpected treat on a rockin\u2019 album. What was the idea the one behind running with this big power ballad?<\/strong>
\nIt was never really going to be on the album, it was a song I\u2019d written on an acoustic, an old acoustic and I was just sitting around playing it in the house and I really can\u2019t remember how it came about, but I was just playing it in rehearsal one time and one of the guys said \u2018what\u2019s that tune there?\u2019 and I said, well just a song I\u2019ve been writing and I think when I played it we really started to evolve it and it really became the best it could be in the studio. We sat down and really worked on it and after we heard it we were like holy crap, this is flippin\u2019 some kind of big power ballad you\u2019d hear years ago, it was one of those unintentional one, and when we heard it in the studio there was just no way we could leave it off the album, it\u2019s just too good you know? It\u2019s great, it just showed a different side of us and that it\u2019s not all about a hundred miles an hour, we can park the Truck and chill out for a bit.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>I\u2019m a bit worried that there are a couple of songs on the album that come in under 4 minutes, what happened there? Ha ha<\/strong>
\nI don\u2019t know, I know on the first album \u2018Drink Beer Destroy\u2019 was the perfect single length, it was definitely unintentional, definitely looking back at the album we were thinking, shit, these songs are quite long for us but you\u2019re struggling to take parts out and not do justice to the songs, but it was definitely unintentional.<\/p>\n

At any time did you step aside from the first album and think that you need to re-evaluate the band and we\u2019re going to make this second album and this is what it\u2019s going to be?<\/strong>
\nYeah I don\u2019t think it was a conscious decision, I think it was circumstantial, I mean the band really started to shift after the first album came out and we got picked up by Ripple in the States and people really started to get into the band and we needed to step up as if we want to do this full time, we need to make sure that these songs are completely kick ass and people love them. I think there was something there, a bit of fire in us and I think it was just the reaction from people, when people react in such a good way, how can you not deliver something that\u2019s really good and that you love, you wouldn\u2019t be doing it justice, you just wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Touring wise, you\u2019re heading over to the US this year I believe as well as the UK, explain a typical Trucker Diablo show to someone who may not have seen you before\u2026<\/strong>
\nWhen we walk on stage we usually have beer in our hands, so statement of intent, we\u2019re drinking beer, and if you\u2019re not drinking beer you should probably go and get a beer and be ready to rock and we\u2019re going to have a party and if you want to be involved, let\u2019s party. It\u2019s pretty much good times we\u2019re a good time band, we all like to laugh and have a bit of a drink and I think that transcends onto the stage with the music, so I think a lot of people can relate to that.<\/p>\n

Tell us about the experience of opening for bands like Thin Lizzy and Foo Fighters\u2026<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s really surreal because I grew up with some of these bands and holy Christ to be even on the same stage as some of these guys is a dream come true, but before you go on the stage you\u2019re more concentrating on putting on a good show, so you\u2019re not concentrating on getting star struck or getting caught up in the moment and right guys, let\u2019s make this a really good show, we\u2019re here to do ourselves proud and also warm up the fans of these great bands, so put on a great show and touch wood so far all shows have been great and all shows have been received really well.<\/p>\n

When I chatted to Ricky Warwick, he only had nice things to say, how does it feel when you get praise from an artist you\u2019ve not only worked with but have been a fan of for years?<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s so unbelievable, like the first time I saw Ricky was with The Almighty, they were on the Fear of The Dark tour with Iron Maiden and I remember hearing \u2018Free \u2018n\u2019 Easy\u2019 and then three years ago Ricky was on stage with us playing \u2018Free \u2018n\u2019 Easy\u2019 and you\u2019re going Jesus Christ, how do these things happen? It\u2019s just unbelievable\u2026 Ricky\u2019s been just a great friend to us and a really good supporter of the band, he sent us a message recently to say he was talking about us on this Rock TV show that goes out national, so hopefully when that goes out we can start spreading it around and really see if it does us any justice. It\u2019s great of Ricky to do that and the pints are definitely on us next time we see him.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 when are you coming to have a beer with us?<\/strong>
\nLook, book the shows and we will come\u2026 in Australia we\u2019ve had some great reviews and I know MMM have been playing us and been on MTV in Australia, we really think we\u2019re a good fit for Australia and I think the Irish and Australians have so much in common that it\u2019s unbelievable but it\u2019s just getting there. I know the guys from Soundwave have tweeted us a few times and thought the band was great, if we can get it out there we\u2019ll make it happen it\u2019s as simple as that.<\/p>\n

No stranger to a beer, so after a few, who in the band is always the in bed first?<\/strong>
\nHands down I\u2019m the first one to bed, I\u2019m borderline narcoleptic, beer makes me pass out, I have a limit and when I reach that limit my brain says \u2018Right Tom, you\u2019re going to sleep\u2019 and nite nite it\u2019s game over\u2026<\/p>\n

In only five years as a band, what\u2019s the most important thing you\u2019ve learned?<\/strong>
\nI think it\u2019s probably to stay humble and just appreciate everything you get from your fans, because your fans are the people that really put you there and you\u2019ve got to stay real. There\u2019s no real gimmicks with us and we just try and stay true to ourselves and I think that\u2019s part of the reason they follow us, partly because of the music, but partly us as people because we take the time to talk to people, we drink beer with the fans, there\u2019s no real difference it\u2019s almost like a blue collar rock and roll type of thing. I think the best bands who have that kind of attitude really achieve and have the longest fans.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one message that you\u2019re trying to get across with the music of Trucker Diablo, what would it be?<\/strong>
\nWhen I was a kid listening to bands like Pearl Jam and Metallica, those songs really impacted emotionally and made me feel a certain way, and I just want people to feel something when they listen to our music and it\u2019s not just something that they just pass off, we want people to really touch people and them to fall in love with them, so it\u2019s just realty we want these songs to be a part of their lives as much as they\u2019re a part of our lives.<\/p>\n

What does the remainder of 2013 have in store for the Truckers?<\/strong>
\nWe played in Paris last week and it was unbelievable and we\u2019re back in France at the end of June, then we\u2019re back in the UK for a few shows at the end of July. After that we\u2019re going to plan a tour to promote the album and hopefully towards the end of the year there\u2019s normally a couple of tour supports that come about, so we\u2019re just going to keep pumping the album and hopefully all the next year all the hard work that\u2019s happened this year can really help us propel into something special next year. We were supposed to go to the states this year but it\u2019s purely down to the booking, and we have to get a booker to get us over there and that\u2019s more than likely going to happen next year, when we get a chance to play it\u2019ll be a one shot so hopefully that happens. We\u2019re definitely just getting out there more and hopefully we can start doing this full time and stop working.<\/p>\n

Essential information<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From: <\/strong>Northern Ireland<\/p>\n

Check them out if you like: <\/strong>Rock and Roll<\/p>\n

Band members:<\/strong> Tom Harte \u2013 Guitar\/Vocals, Simon Haddock \u2013 Guitar\/Vocals, Glenn Harrison \u2013 Bass Guitar, Terry Crawford \u2013 Drums<\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.truckerdiablo.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Latest release:<\/strong> Songs of Iron (Ripple Music)
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