JONNY SANTOS: I Left SPINESHANK On A High Note
March 12, 2006Roadrunner Records has published a short interview with former SPINESHANK and current SILENT CIVILIAN frontman Jonny Santos. It follows here in its entirety:
Q: It's been a few years since you left the 'SHANK. How do you feel, looking back on that decision?
Jonny: "The band ran its course, and even though we got nominated for a Grammy, I still left. I left on a high note."
Q: Give us the rundown on SILENT CIVILIAN, please!
Jonny: "It's the whole other side of Jonny Santos. I took a year off after SPINESHANK, just jamming and getting my feet wet. I went back to playing guitar. I was playing since I was 7 and I quit playing to be the frontman for SPINESHANK. I wanted to get comfortable playing and singing. I found a great group of guys, and we get along well, and they are all really talented musicians. I knew I couldn't do SPINESHANK Part II, because that is what everyone is expecting. I grew up on thrash, and my old bands were thrash band. The first SPINESHANK demos were like old SEPULTURA! Some of the riffs I wrote for this new album I wrote when I was 13 years old. I was inspired to do this because there was no expectations at all. We went in and kicked ass. Some of the songs are six and a half minutes, and lots of guitar work and drum work. I made a musician's album, in a way, and took the time with [producer] Logan Mader [ex-MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY] and made the best record of my life, ever. I still think that the band is still developing."
Q: Another Roadrunner alum, Logan Mader of MACHINE HEAD fame, produced your upcoming record. How'd you hook up with him?
Jonny: "Logan heard the band and called me, and told me he wanted to do it. He took interest in the band right away and he produced the demo, and then said he wanted to do the whole record. He has found his calling as a producer and engineer. He was patient with the band and super-easy to work with."
SILENT CIVILIAN's debut album, "Rebirth of the Temple", is scheduled for release on May 2 via Mediaskare Records. Audio samples are available at www.myspace.com/silentcivilian.
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