Alan
Cotton
Guitarist of
 
who
are an awesome 70's Hard Rock / Southern Rock Group from Colorado, USA.
Interviewed by Glenn Milligan, late January 2009.
Who
are your individual influences musically and what turned you onto your
particular instrument?
As far as influences, Jimmy Page, Ronnie Montrose, Gary Moore, Robin
Trower, Gary Rossington, Michael Schenker, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton.
Basically all the guitar greats influenced me in some way. I would say
Jimmy Page would have to be the main person who has had the biggest
influence on me. Not only is he a great guitar player, but also such
a phenomenal song writer and producer.
How did the band come to be?
I had decided to put a new band together and somebody recommended Robert
Soeterboek to me. I gave him a call and we hit it off right away. Shortly
after that, he jumped on a plane and we started writing together. We
released an EP in 2006 and Twisted came out towards the end of 2008.
Bassist Wim den Boer and drummer Wilfried Broekman joined the band soon
after we completed the recording of Twisted. We couldn't be happier
since they have joined and can't wait to hit the road for a real long
tour.
What is your part of the USA like for Rock music with regard to clubs
and live venues etc?
It's actually quite good here in Colorado. As far as venues, there's
Red Rocks, Pepsi Center, Fiddler's Green, The Filmore. A lot of bands
out of Colorado have been getting signed to Major labels recently so
things have been picking up.
  
What are your fave songs on the album and why
and what influenced them?
Hmm, I tend to like them all, but if I had to choose, I like ‘Set
Me Free’. It's just a happy upbeat song that puts a smile on your
face. ‘Little Sister’ is a nice slinky hard rock and soul
tune. ‘The Game’ is a little heavier and more European sounding
than the rest of the album and I like it a lot also.
What plans do you have to hit the UK and Europe?
Because of the delays in getting ‘Twisted’ out, we decided
to do a large tour in support of the second album. We will definitely
be doing some shows in the UK either at the end of 2009 or beginning
of 2010.
What have been your favourite gigs so far and
why?
When we get to the UK, I will let you know, because I'm sure that will
be one of our highlights.
   
Who have you been compared to and how does that
make you feel?
We often get compared as Deep Purple meets Lynyrd Skynyrd. Haha. We
play blues based hard rock but we do try and bring our own take on the
music. Some bands don't like comparisons but I think it's an honor.
Those are some of the greatest bands of all time.
Why did you decide to sign to Caf Fine Records?
Caf Fine Records is actually a company Robert and I started. Running
Caf Fine Records is a full time job for me. After the EP came out, we
got offers from some labels but nothing we really felt that great about
so we decided to put Twisted out by ourselves. We ended up signing a
distribution deal with NL Distribution so ‘Twisted’ is available
at finer record stores and online retailers all through out Europe.
What would we find in your record collections
and what records do you look up to for inspiration?
I've been listening to a lot of Rory Gallagher lately. In my collection
you will find everything from Bach to Bukka White.
  
Are
there plans for a follow up to the album soon, if so when and what can
you tell us about any new songs that will appear on it?
I have just begun writing the next album this week. Things are going
great. We try not to write the same song twice so it should be a pretty
eclectic mix but their will definitely be some faster and heavier songs
on the new album.
If you had the chance what artists would you like to tour or play one-off
gigs with and why?
Any of the bands I mentioned earlier, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Skynyrd.
It would be an honor just to watch any of those bands on stage every
night.
What were the most memorable moments of recording and writing for the
'Twisted' album and why?
The whole idea was simple, just make a good Rock and Roll album like
they use to. Just try to capture the magic of the moment. I would say
writing Colorado was really special for us. That's a song I had just
played for Robert, and we took a break and were looking at Pikes Peak
from my front yard and he said "I've got it". It was just
one of those songs that comes together instantly.
   
Why did you decide to call the album 'Twisted'?
We enjoy that song and thought it sounded nice haha.
How did the album cover come to be, who came up
with the design as it’s so effective?
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. We worked with an art director out
of the Ukraine who came up with the initial ideas and sketches and then
a design firm out of Texas actually finished the graphics.

What
are you all most proud of so far?
I would say just holding the finished album in my hands. It's actually
a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes getting a cd released.
  
A
big thank you for taking out the time to answer the Q's.
First of all a big thanks to Glenn and Metalliville for supporting new
music and thank you for taking the time to read this interview. We are
so glad to meet so many people from all over the world that share the
same passion as us, a love for music. Please help support the music
you enjoy and also support webzines like Metalliville that make interviews
like this possible.
Thank you so much for the
interview and your kind review of Twisted. We really do appreciate it.
When we are in the UK, the beers are on me brother! Alan.
A
Big Thank You to Nicky Baldrian for setting up the Interview
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