{"id":30815,"date":"2016-11-16T21:58:09","date_gmt":"2016-11-16T10:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=30815"},"modified":"2016-11-17T21:32:51","modified_gmt":"2016-11-17T10:32:51","slug":"james-michael-sixxa-m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2016\/11\/james-michael-sixxa-m\/","title":{"rendered":"James Michael of SIXX:A.M."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sixx-am-band\"<\/a>
\n\u201c\u2026you and I spend so much of our day now hearing how rock is dead or rock is going through changes and the reality is that it\u2019s not, it\u2019s actually a resurgence and you\u2019re right I think people are coming to rock music now for a sense of salvation now, for a sense of hope and SIXX:A.M. is the perfect example of doing that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

From release: SIXX:A.M.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>are set to release\u00a0Vol. 2 Prayers for the Blessed<\/em>\u00a0on\u00a0November 18\u00a0via\u00a0Eleven Seven.<\/strong>\u00a0Written and recorded at the same time as\u00a0Vol. 1,<\/em>\u00a0Prayers For The Damned<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>which debut in the top 10\u00a0on the\u00a0ARIA Album chart\u00a0in\u00a0April 2016,\u00a0Vol. 2 Prayers For The Blessed<\/em>\u00a0acts as a companion piece to the first volume while simultaneously elevating the band’s sound in every area.<\/p>\n

In Montana getting ready for a show James Michael called in for a chat to discuss SIXX:A.M.\u2019s new album \u2018Prayers For The Blessed\u2019, creating it, the evolution of the band, the future of the band, touring, and much more\u2026<\/p>\n

It’s been just over six months since the release of ‘Prayers For The Damned’ how have the last six months been in the lead up to the release of ‘Prayers For The Blessed’?<\/strong>
\nWell it\u2019s been great because we\u2019ve been on the road most of that time and it\u2019s always nice to be out playing shows every night because you can really get a sense of how the new music is connecting with the audience. We are just so pleased with how this entire run has gone with \u2018Prayers For The Damned\u2019 and now with the upcoming release of \u2018Prayers For The Blessed\u2019 just watching the audience wrap their heads around both of these records and all this new music has been very exciting for us, it\u2019s really exactly what we planned for and we\u2019re at the point now where we\u2019re just so excited to be putting the second record out and to just continue playing these songs live and seeing the reaction that they get. We actually started playing one song, our new single \u2018We Will Not Go Quietly\u2019 which is the first single off \u2018Prayers For The Blessed\u2019 we started playing that up in Canada a couple of weeks ago and the reaction to a room full of people that had never heard the song it\u2019s pretty over the top so we\u2019ve been really happy with how it\u2019s all going so far.<\/p>\n

So when putting together what is essentially a double album, was it a hard task to decide what would be going on each album to make them the way they are?<\/strong>
\nYes it was actually a hard task, it was a fun task and a very exciting challenge for us but I think the reason it was so hard is because we realised the importance of it, we realised how important it was to put the right songs in the right order on the right record. That was a challenge that we really enjoyed, because any time you\u2019re pacing a record, any time you\u2019re figuring out the sequence of even just a single record it\u2019s so important and it\u2019s an exciting time in the process because you\u2019re able to listen back to the songs and really get the effect of how they\u2019re coming across to the audience. So it was fun, but yeah we put a lot of thought into that and a lot of planning, in fact at one point the song \u2018Rise\u2019 which is the opening song of Volume 1, at one point we actually had it slated for Volume 2, so there was definitely some moving around of parts as these songs started developing, as we started sequencing the records we made some changes but it was a real fun part of the process.<\/p>\n

It would be remiss of me to not mention the cover of ‘Without You’, how did it come about that you ended up recording this track?<\/strong>
\nWell you know we\u2019ve done a cover of The Cars song \u2018Drive\u2019 on \u2018Modern Vintage\u2019 our last record and that was such a fun experience for us and we just got such a great reaction from our fans and we love that idea of celebrating the craft of song writing, not only with the songs that we write but with songs that we feel made an impact on our lives and on people\u2019s lives, so when it came time to write and record both of these new records Volume 1 and Volume 2 I think in the back of our minds we knew we wanted to do another cover and really celebrate another song that we think is great. The way that we came up with \u2018Without You\u2019 which is originally written by Badfinger and then made a huge hit by Harry Nilsson back in the 70\u2019s was that I think it was playing in the rolling credits of a movie that Nikki was watching and he said \u201cremember that song \u2018Without You\u2019\u201d and we all said yeah, what a great song that was, so we kinda started tossing the idea around and it just seemed like a natural fit for us. We just loved how simple the melody was and how simple the sentiment of that lyric was and just so what we did is we just made a much heavier and very SIXX:A.M. version of it, and we\u2019re really thrilled how that turned out and we\u2019re talking about making a video for that one.<\/p>\n

I’m also a big fan of a huge power ballad, and there are a couple of rippers on this album, but one I wanted to ask about specifically was ‘Maybe It’s Time’, how did this one come about?<\/strong>
\nWell thank you, that\u2019s a song we wrote a few years ago and we always knew it was going to be a special one and quite honestly to me personally I think it\u2019s one of the best SIXX:A.M. songs we\u2019ve ever written and recorded because it really exemplifies so much about what we believe in as a band message wise, the lyrics of that song are so beautiful and triumphant and really deal with something that I think we all struggle with in a way, so I really love that song. To your point about power ballads, power ballads nowadays have a hard time finding a home and I think for bands like us to attempt to do that you\u2019re taking a bit of a risk but a risk taking when you have a message that\u2019s that strong and I really, really love that song and I hope someday we can get that song in a movie or some type of thing where people can identify with is because it\u2019s a truly, truly special song.<\/p>\n

Well it got me on first listen and it\u2019s helped me look at stuff I\u2019m going through, so thank you for writing that one!<\/strong>
\nYeah well thank you for saying that, that\u2019s really nice and I\u2019m glad you had that reaction to it, I really hope that people worldwide will have a similar reaction to that and to a lot of the songs on the new record, we\u2019re very proud of both of these records, I do think that Volume 2 \u2018Prayers For The Blessed\u2019 really turned into something that even we weren\u2019t expecting, I think that we all discovered some things about ourselves personally and ourselves as a band that we were kind of surprised by in the making of this record.<\/p>\n

In producing the albums, is it hard for you to sometimes separate artist vs producer hats when in the studio?<\/strong>
\nYou know it can be, it\u2019s part of the process that\u2019s just natural for me, I\u2019ve been a music producer and writer my entire adult life so to be able to do it with SIXX:A.M. there are certain elements of it that are even easier number 1 because of the trust that I have in my two band mates and the trust that they have in me, that always makes it an easier process and they really do trust me to take this music that\u2019s so precious to all of us and to present it and record it in a way that really represents all our hearts and souls and it\u2019s a great honour to be trusted like that with this music. To answer your question, yeah there are moments where it can be very difficult to keep that objective viewpoint that a producer has to keep but again, when those moments occur I\u2019m able to lean on my two band mates for that objective viewpoint that maybe I don\u2019t have because I\u2019m too close to it. It\u2019s a process that we\u2019ve worked out over the last ten years and it\u2019s worked really well for us and I\u2019ve enjoyed every minute of it and I\u2019ve made the decision that I will not actually be producing the next SIXX:A.M. record, it\u2019s just I\u2019ve reached a point where I really feel like I owe it to myself where I can come into it like my two band mates just as an artist and let somebody else produce me. I\u2019m excited about that, I think we\u2019re all a little apprehensive and we haven\u2019t chosen who we\u2019ll have produce it but that\u2019s an exciting change for us and I think especially for me it will let me experience the record making process like my two band mates have.<\/p>\n

Get Nikki to give Butch Walker a call, that would be killer he\u2019s a great producer\u2026<\/strong>
\nIsn\u2019t Butch great! You know we\u2019ve got a shortlist of guys that we\u2019ve been talking about and like I said it\u2019s an exciting prospect but it\u2019s also a very terrifying prospect because we\u2019ve always done it this way, I\u2019ve always been at the helm and there\u2019s been a comfort in that. So we\u2019re excited, we\u2019re inspired and we\u2019re probably a bit nervous and scared about what comes next but that\u2019s always the best place to be when you\u2019re creating, you don\u2019t want to have too stable a footing when you\u2019re creating music I think some of the best stuff comes from insecurities and from uncertainty and that\u2019s something that SIXX:A.M. has always relished, that challenge.<\/p>\n

So you know I have to ask… When are we going to see you in Australia?<\/strong>
\nWell you know what I don\u2019t have an answer for that but I will tell you this, we\u2019re talking very seriously about it right now, we\u2019re trying to figure that exact answer out because we\u2019ve been so excited about that fact that we\u2019re starting to get some attention down there, some real support and so it\u2019s very, very important to us that we do eventually get down there and tour. So we\u2019re working on it, it\u2019s something that we certainly will not rest until we are able to give you and answer on that.<\/p>\n

I think what it comes down to is sort of what you said before, there aren\u2019t many bands out there these days that are making the anthemic big rock albums anymore with the power ballads and with the stuff like Nikki being in Motley Crue and with those songs back in the 80\u2019s that sort of music I feel can and is making a comeback and people want those optimistic songs again and I think you guys are doing it\u2026<\/strong>
\nI think that you\u2019re right and I feel that as well, you and I spend so much of our day now hearing how rock is dead or rock is going through changes and the reality is that it\u2019s not, it\u2019s actually a resurgence and you\u2019re right I think people are coming to rock music now for a sense of salvation now, for a sense of hope and SIXX:A.M. is the perfect example of doing that, of creating music that deals with heavy subject matter that really gets your blood pumping but also it deal with issues that really do matter in our lives as we go through life, and I think that people always come to rock music for that sense of connection and that sense of acknowledgment of their own feelings.<\/p>\n

What for you over the five albums now has been the greatest evolution you’ve seen take place within SIXX:A.M.?<\/strong>
\nI think it occurred in this last year, the real evolution started when we got into the studio after our \u2018Modern Vintage\u2019 tour and we started writing and recording both \u2018Prayers For The Damned\u2019 and \u2018Prayers For The Blessed\u2019 because it marked a turning point in SIXX:A.M.\u2019s lifespan it was the first time that we went into the studio knowing that we were going to be out touring, knowing that we were going to be supporting music and knowing that we were all finally 100% committed to SIXX:A.M. moving forward so we didn\u2019t have these other things keeping us from being able to do this. So it really marked a turning point and I think we all brought our A game and we all realised the importance of taking it up a few notches as we committed to SIXX:A.M. moving forward and I think that we\u2019ve done that. I think when you listen to Volume 1 and Volume 2 and then go back and listen to \u2018The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack\u2019 or \u2018This Is Gonna Hurt\u2019 or \u2018Modern Vintage\u2019 you will hear that evolution but I think you\u2019ll hear it the most dramatically displayed on this new record.<\/p>\n

On a side note and while I\u2019ve got you I have to mention the song ‘Private Parts’ you did with Halestorm, what a tune, glad that one came about…<\/strong>
\nOh thank you, I love that one, Lzzy is like a sister to me and I\u2019m just so blessed to know them as musicians and I really, really loved that whole time of creating music and I hope that Lzzy and the guys and me can get back in the studio and do something else in the future.<\/p>\n

Lastly, let’s look ahead to the future, finish this sentence for me, in 2017 SIXX:A.M. wants to…<\/strong>
\nIn 2017 SIXX:A.M. is going to go back into the studio and we are gonna write and record yet another record and we are literally gearing up for bringing to the word in 2018, we\u2019ve got big plans for this band, we believe in this band, we believe wholeheartedly in our fans that have now stuck with us for ten years since \u2018The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack\u2019 came out, so there\u2019s a lot coming and 2017 will be the ten year anniversary of \u2018The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack\u2019 so we\u2019re talking around ideas on how to celebrate that. So there\u2019s a lot of new stuff coming from SIXX:A.M. and I can promise you that we are so fully committed to blowing this band up and conquering the world.<\/p>\n

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

From:<\/strong>\u00a0Los Angeles, CA, USA<\/p>\n

Band Members:<\/strong>\u00a0Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba and James Michael.<\/p>\n

Latest Release:<\/strong>\u00a0Prayers For The Blessed Vol 2 (Out November 18 \u2013 Sony Music Australia \/ Eleven Seven)<\/p>\n

\"iTunes<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

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Website:<\/strong>\u00a0http:\/\/www.sixxammusic.com<\/a><\/p>\n