LOU GRAMM INTERVIEW

13th June 2009

An undisputed all time great is one way to sum up vocalist Lou Gramm.  Best known for his work in Foreigner, Lou has been solo since 2002 and this month saw the release of his debut Lou Gramm Band album on Frontiers Records. Having from the highs of selling millions (and we mean millions) of records in Foreigner to a brain tumour in 1997 its fair to say that Lou has had more highs and lows than many, yet with that he has kept his feet firmly on the ground and is thankful for everything he has today.  Enjoy the interview with a rock legend.

Lou, first off many thanks for agreeing to this interview. May I say it’s a real privilege to be interviewing you, being one of my all time favourite vocalists and musicians.
Thanks Andy, it’s my pleasure.

Congratulations on the new self-titled Lou Gramm Band album, it’s a great slice of melodic rock.  Over what period was the album written, produced and recorded?
This band started performing together in January of 2004, shortly after, we started working on new music. Although our performance schedule is not too taxing (about 50 or 60 shows a year), it took us about 3 years to complete this CD.

You left Foreigner in 2003 after you’re well publicised illness.  What were the reasons for the split and what ultimately led to you going it alone?
Although the surgery for my tumour was in 1997, Foreigner never quite got back its creative stride. By the end of 2002, it just seemed as though Foreigner had run it’s course and it was time for me to go in a different direction.

You have your brothers in the band, this must have been a very personal album to write, how did the writing sessions for the album generally take place and who contributed what?
It is a big difference being surrounded by family and friends. Most of the songs on this CD started as musical ideas by Don or Andy. Their ideas triggered my melodies and lyrics. Richard contributed the bridges and musical passages that completed the songs, except for “You Saved Me” which is almost entirely his song. Ben looked at the whole picture and gave the recording the needed continuity. I guess you would say that it was a real team effort.

Lyrically the album (as mentioned in our review) is very personal, which I felt adds great depth and substance to the music.  Have these lyrics been a way of dealing with all that happened the last few years and have they offered any relief for your personal views?
You’re right, these are very personal lyrics. I think that one of the best benefits is getting to voice these thoughts openly and hopefully to have them be accepted.

I notice a strong religious slant to the music, is this something that has helped you come through the ordeal of the last few years?
Absolutely, my faith gets me through every day.

I imagine having the brain tumour changed your whole perspective on life, what do you feel have been the most positive changes to have come from this?
I have a stronger appreciation of my family and friends, and want to make better use of my time here.

Your voice is slightly different to what Foreigner fans are used to hearing, yet I feel the lower range you now seem to be using adds a warmer quality to your voice, none of the emotion or soul is lacking, have you had to learn to utilise your voice differently, and if so how?
Most of the popular recordings of Foreigner are about 30 years old. I think that it’s only natural that my voice would mature somewhat. The songs on this new CD are better suited to where I am now.

The album I feel will be suited to fans of Foreigner’s earlier output, yet also it manages to sound current and fresh at the same time.  What the magic to the formula of your band?
We all have much of the same musical influences, or musical upbringing, but we all also like to hear new music by new artists and find something in it that we can relate to. I think that this combination is the formula for the writing on our CD.

The band I note have mainly stuck to American dates thus far, can European fans expect to see the band live anytime soon and if so what can they expect?
We are hoping that the CD will be accepted well in Europe and will then support our shows there. We currently perform many of my solo hits and several of Foreigner’s hits. We will be adding the singles from this CD to our set this year.

How did you hook up with Frontiers for the albums European release?
We were approached by Frontiers about 2 years ago, early in the production of this CD, but it wasn’t until just recently that we completed our agreement with them. 

How is your day to day life now taken into account your medical condition – is it a day to day struggle?  What can you draw strength from?
My days are pretty normal now. Up early, daily workouts, interviews, and as much family time as I can. I still take a lot of medication, but after this much time; it’s pretty well defined and is not a problem.

Having been in the music industry for over 3 decades, what’s your personal take on what the music scene is now like?
It’s certainly different…in the US, there are classic rock stations, soft rock stations, adult contemporary stations, but there are very few radio stations that will play new music from rock artists who gained their popularity in the 70s or 80s. It’s difficult to reach your audience.

Any parting final messages for our reader?
I want to thank the readers and fans that have followed my career and supported me in the past. I also hope to earn the support of new fans with our new CD from The Lou Gramm Band. 

Official Websites
http://www.lougramm.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lougrammofficial