Interview

VOODOO CIRCLE is back in town, ready to kick some asses and to show that rock'n roll is not dead!
Two weeks left until the release of "More than One Way Home" and it's time for Alex Beyrodt to talk about it...

SBM: Hi Alex how are you?

Alex Beyrodt: Ho fine, fine, thank you! How are you?

Fine too! Thank you!
And thank you for the time you’re giving to us…

No problem… You’re Nicolas that’s right?

Yeah I’m Nico! (Laugh)

Ok! (Laugh)

Well we’re here to talk about your brand new album “More Than One Way Home”, so how do you feel now that the release is approaching? Do you feel excited?

Oh yeah! I’m looking for it… And the album will be released in two weeks but I already know some results of reviews, I already know that in a couple of magazine we’re number 1, album of the month, but I can’t tell which ones because it’s a secret (Laugh).
I’m very excited yes, our latest video had 25.000 hits in the last four days so it’s really going well and I’m very happy!

When we hear the album, it seems like the band has really established its music style… Have you worked differently on this album now that everyone knows each other better?

Well no… not at all, we’ve worked the same way that we’ve always done. The main difference is that I started to play the Les Paul instead of the Stratocaster and I think that on the 14 songs, I’ve recorded 11 songs with the Les Paul, and that gives the whole songs more power and energy. And I think it’s one main reason of why the album sound so big, so powerful.

And was it a will to start recording with your Les Paul? Or were you jamming and saying “Oh that’s pretty cool”?

Actually I started writing with my Stratocaster and then I figured “Ouaw, the riffs I’m playing are really Les Paul riffs, they are not typical Stratocaster riffs I’m playing”. And then I recorded them to check with the Les Paul and I figured that this is exactly the way of how these riffs have to be played, and I decided that if the riff wants a Les Paul, I’ll give the riff a Les Paul! (Laugh)
And it’s really funny because I’m well known as a Stratocaster player for 20 years now and that’s totally different, you play differently on a Les Paul and you got to get used to it in the beginning but now I really love it.

As a guitarist, I really understand it! (Laugh)
I know that you love jamming session, so how do you work all together during the writing of the album?

Actually I prepare some ideas and I record them in my studio and then I select the best songs and we start recording it. Sometimes we also play together in the studio and jam a little bit. And actually the last song of the album is a live of a session we did. So basically the writing process is always the same: I write the songs, I made the demos, and then we change arrangements, we work together on the melodies, the vocals, so this is exactly the same way.

And finally VOODOO CIRCLE has become a real band more than a project, so what do you think about this evolution?

VOODOO CIRCLE was not meant to be a project, you’ve mistaken there… It was meant to be a band from the first moment and that’s really important to me. I just gave the band the term “Alex Beyrodt’s VOODOO CIRCLE” because I have famous musicians in the band like Mat Sinner, David Readman, and for the first album I had Mel Gaynor from Simple Mind on drums so I wanted to make sure that everybody knows whose band it is.
Over wise people would have talked about Mel Gaynor’s new band or Mat Sinner’s new band, that’s why it’s called “Alex Beyrodt’s VOODOO CIRCLE”. And I’m very proud and happy because the last couple of years we played couples of festivals, we will play some huge festivals this year with Whitesnake in Germany, we will go on tour in May, so I’m absolutely excited about what’s going on right now.

On the album we have songs like “Heart of Babylon” or “More than One Way Home” which really sounds like a tribute to the Whitesnake of the 80s and even David Readman sounds really like a great David Coverdale… Do you agree with that?

Oh yes! Absolutely! And there’s no problem being compared to one of the best rock band ever. And people might also say “Oh it sounds like a mix of Rainbow, Deep Purple and Whitesnake” but YES! It does! And it’s meant to be like that, we wanted to sound like this. Some bands don’t exist anymore, some don’t record anymore or if they do it’s as good as before, and this is the music I grew up with and that’s in my roots, that’s in my blood, it has always be and for me it’s totally natural to write songs in that direction.
And so many people out there are so happy that we are making this kind of music. And being compared to these bands, come on! These are the best bands in the world so it’s really cool and really great, there’s no problem with that!

Yeah and it’s just like the song “Ghost in Your Heart” which seems to be a reference to Jon Lord and Richie Blackmore, so it’s still a great source of inspiration for you.

Yeah of course! When I started guitar it was Jimmy Hendrix and Blackmore who were my influences. And I even had the honor to tour with Ian Gillian, and I also played with Glenn Hugues, so I had the honor to meet these people and to share the stage with them and to play songs like “Stormbringer” or “Highway Star” and stuff like this. So, as I said, for a guitar player it’s pretty cool to play with the guys you grew up, it’s unique and I’m really happy for that, I’m really proud of this and I remember that after we met with Glenn Hugues we played “Stormbringer” and after the song he looked at me and he said “Alex, I have to tell you something”. And I was like “Oh my God I made a huge mistake or something” and he said “I haven’t been playing with a guitarist who plays on a Stratocaster for quite a while but you do it extremely well! Thank you very much”.
So I was like… “Ouaw!!!!” (Laugh). I’m very glad and happy about it, and I’m very thankful.

You can! That is just awesome!
Now that the album will be released, you’ll go on tour and will we have the chance to see you in France during a headlining tour?

Well nothing is planed yet… It’ll probably depend on the success of the album… First we’ll go on tour in May together with Shakra, and as I said we’ll play some festivals with Whitesnake in Germany during summertime and that’s it for now.
Sure if the album is a success in France, I’d love to come back to there and play. You know Paris is really one of my favorite cities, the one I love the most, I love being here and I love “le bon manger” (Laugh).
So yes I which I could come back to visit France and go on tour with VOODOO CIRCLE.

I which you could come too!
And sorry about that but… Will we have the chance to have a new Silent Force album?

Yeah actually I’m already working on some materials, and planning to release a new Silent Force album by the end of the year. That’s my intention right now…

Why did we have to wait so much time? Was it because of VOODOO CIRCLE or other projects?

Well I had some private issues in my life which needed all my attention and then I was unhappy with some things inside the band, about how things have to be handled and turned out. And then of course I began working with Primal Fear which needed a lot of time and I love and enjoy it but it’s so successful that I’m always on tour with them all around the world. So I just got run over by private life and success with the band, that’s why Silent Force had to step back a little bit.

You clearly seem busy with Primal Fear, VOODOO CIRCLE, Silent Force but have you some projects or things you’d like to do beside these bands?

Well… Hum… Actually I’m so busy right now with music, and you probably know that next week I’ll go on tour together with Paul Rodgers, I’m so busy I wish I could have free time: no music, no guitars for four weeks, that would be great! (Laugh)

(Laugh) Ok I understand!
Well I guess we’ve reached the end of the interview now, so I leave you the final words if you want to say something to the French fans? Or you fans in general?

Well I’m thankful for supporting me all over the years. I know that I have many fans here in France, they support me and follow me since many years and I just want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to live a life as a working musician. Thank you very much.

And we thank you too. Hope we’ll see you on tour.
Ok thank you very much Nicolas! Bye bye!

Bye Alex! See you!