The Gauntlet: What took so long to get Carver City to the fans? CKY signed to Roadrunner in 2006 and it is now mid-2009. Were you guys pulling an Axl Rose and burning through the money?
Deron: [laughs] I think we did a lot of touring. It all just went by really fast. As usual, we took our time writing. The years just really flew by.
The Gauntlet: You guys had some issues as a band though.
Deron: Yeah, we split-up for about a year due to band fighting. It was violent drug/alcohol issues. It was the standard rock n’ roll stuff, kinda boring.
The Gauntlet: It is never boring. Don't you like hearing about the drug induced fights that the bands in 80’s had?
Deron: I used to, but after going through it, not so much anymore. The tensions built up on the tour bus, tours weren't going well, someone said something, someone else responds. Then came the fights, the quitting, then people were flying home. A year goes by, you clean yourself up and get back together. It is the typical VH1 special except for the ending which rarely happens.
The Gauntlet: Carver City is the band's first album with the band being clean and sober. How did that go?
Deron: It was great actually. It felt like everything had been restored. The passion and energy and want to create had been lacking for a while. So much touring made us not want to get into the studio and write. After some time alone, I realized how much I like to pick up the guitar. I just came up with all these ideas and loops and songs. We all had these ideas that came together and it worked out really well.
The Gauntlet: Was it a band decision to get sober or were there any holdouts. It is hard enough for one person to make that decision let alone an entire band.
Deron: I think I was the hold out. I had the biggest problem with it. I wasn't as much of an addict as I was in denial of being able to do it. The other guys didn't seem to have much of a problem. Their problem didn't get in the way of things. I think everyone in the band really matured and saw what could have happened and learned from my mistakes.
The Gauntlet: So does this mean no beer?
Deron: No, saying that beer isn't allowed is saying that it is now in control of you. It is still controlling your life. It doesn’t make things any better I don't think. Telling the band they can't do it either is just putting too much thought and control in it and it's not the right thing to do.
The Gauntlet: Looking back, do you wish you could have gotten sober long before.
Deron: No. I don't think I regret anything. We had great times. It is a different state in the bands career now, we are starting fresh. We have a huge fanbase and on a different label putting out some new music. We have a new lease on life. The music industry isn't the same either. We aren't just focusing on records and single's anymore either. We are now involved with movies and soundtracks, merchandise and clothing. We really want to be involved with what happens with music in the future. We want to branch out and see where the music industry will take music and bands like us into the future.
The Gauntlet: Yesterday, your labelmates Trivium posted a blog on their Myspace page urging fans to take their music and start tape trading it to everyone they know. Is CKY in the same place with its' music?
Deron: No, no, no, no, no not at all. In reality bands need to be able to sell their music to somebody to make new music. Labels help bands with money on the road and give bands money to record. If you don't want to make new music, then maybe it is ok. I would definitely encourage fans to support bands through record sales. I think it is important for people to realize that you aren't going to get new music unless you support the band. Ultimately it will be the kids complaining about not having new music being at fault for taking it and not paying for it.
The Gauntlet: Did you have a lot more material than you used?
Deron: We had 15 songs that we recorded. Roadrunner wanted to hear 15 and that’s what we had. We had other songs, but they didn't get recorded as we don't believe in overstocking the record with so many tracks. We like about 10 songs and 45 minutes on an album to get our message out. Anything more than that, something should be left on. It is like a movie going on for 3 hours, something should be scrapped. Sometimes I like records that are 30 minutes. You can just play it over and over and over instead of getting through it just once. Have you listened to the album yet?
The Gauntlet: At this point no. I was sent an early water mark in late March and it won't work in my car stereo, home stereo or computers.
Deron: Oh that sucks. Mine was the same way. You need to put it in a disc man.
The Gauntlet: Do they still make those? I think my 4 year old daughter has a Barbie disc player.
Deron: That will be funny.
The Gauntlet: How long did the writing and recording take?
Deron: Altogether, we started writing before we went on tour in 2007. We began recording July of 2007. Then we went on tour and that is when all hell broke loose and we separated for a while. After a year we got back together and we went back to it. We cut some things out and really worked on it. We were spending fifteen hour days in the studio really rubbing it and loving it to make it ready.
The Gauntlet: Do you ever feel the need for having that extra set of ears in the studio? Maybe use a producer instead of Chad (CIG)?
Deron: We have never had a producer. We never wanted anyone from the outside to come in and fiddle with our shit. I think it stems from we are all experienced in the studio and have trained our ears to listen to what we are looking for. We came from the bottom up and have trained ourselves. Over the years, the more music you listen to and songs you write, the more fickle your ears get. I don't think anybody from the outside would know what to say to this band or know what we should sound like. It is also very expensive to get someone in there to butt heads with. Who wants to pay money to have arguments? I don't understand how bands can pay someone from the outside to come in and be the boss. I think a band should be everything. They should be responsible for everything on the album from writing, recording to tracking and mixing. It should be 100% a band effort. I don't see how bands that have been around for 30 years like Metallica pay a million dollars to put someone’s name on their work and still don’t end up with a great record. It doesn’t make sense to me. They had to have learned something from their time in the studio. You have to really trust your instinct and band. You need to know why people like your band. If you are writing the material, you have to have some sense of why they are buying it and coming to see you. Trust your instinct and not someone who is paid from the outside. We have our own studio now and that helped make this record fun. We are not on anyone's watch or dime and don't have to worry about money or paying somebody. If you aren’t worried about money, it is a lot more fun and the fans will get a more legitimate product.
The Gauntlet: So it has nothing to do with not wanted to share the secret guitar tones with someone from the outside?
Deron: [laughs] I think we can have a producer without showing him what our guitar tones are. Some people like to think they know what our tones are and that is fine.
The Gauntlet: Do you ever check the guitar tab sites to see if anyone got the correct tuning?
Deron: No, we don't go that far. We would rather have them revel in the mystery of it.
The Gauntlet: Is CKY like KFC and the two people who know the secret spice recipe can't be on the same plane together?
Deron: The whole band knows and the road crew knows. I wouldn't say things are that much under wraps. We have been lucky enough to not have copycat bands yet.
The Gauntlet: Is that the real reason for it, you don't want CKY imitators?
Deron: I guess so. Copycats get annoying. I think it is embarrassing to base a band off another. It shows a true lack of talent. I don't know why you'd want to be someone’s little bitch.
The Gauntlet: You and Monte Conner (Roadrunner A&R) go way back.
Deron: Yeah, what had happened was I wrote in to Metal Maniacs magazine and tore him a new asshole because Roadrunner dropped a bunch of my favorite bands like Cynic, Annihilator, Malevolent Creation, Pestilence, and Believer. All these bands I was just getting into and now had no deal because Roadrunner let them go. I wrote in and Monte wrote back on why their new bands don't suck and all that shit. He eventually invited me into the office in NY and I brought a demo tape. He hated it because my vocals sucked. We kept in touch and I would send him song samples and demos. I sent him the demo tracks from what became our first record and he turned that down also because it was stoner rock. We started selling our records while on tour and it was getting to the point where we sold 2,000, then 8,000 on the road. I kept sending him emails letting him know how many we sold and asking if he wanted to sign us. Then we hit 20,000 and then 35,000. I found out he didn't want to sign us because he thought we were full of shit. Island Records found out about this and signed us. Then Monte called and asked if we signed with Island Records. To this day, he calls it one of his biggest mistakes.