Q: With Karma, rather than going off in an entirely new direction, you seem to be taking everything up to this point and kind of tying it all together. Is that what you set out to do? Did you achieve what you were going for?
Kip: "Yeah absolutely, I told Reb (Beach / guitars) I want to do a cross between the first record and Pull, and so that’s basically what we did. Spent a lot of time just jamming on riffs, that’s how we do it we set up with a drum machine and then we start writing riffs, and then when we get some riffs that we dig, we start putting them together."
Q: In addition to the evolution of the band, the musical landscape also has changed significantly over the last twenty-odd years or so. Your reputation as a band has always been to pretty much write what you want to write, do you ever feel the pull of your diehard fans that want to hear In the Heart of the Young part 2 and how do you deal with that?
Kip: "Well that’s what I did on this, I mean…In The Heart of the Young was more of an experimental record, the real record of our band was Pull in my mind. If you put 'Rainbow in the Rose' and 'Headed for a Heartbreak' on Pull that would be the definitive record until now. So, you know I write a lot of classical music now so I kind of separated those two things. Right now I’ve got a couple symphony premiers and stuff, so when I set out to write this record I really wanted to keep it straight ahead, just in your face rock, and just go with what I’ve heard some of the fans want. Really just trying to bring out the elements of what I’ve known people really dug about our band the most."
I'm the lost one chasing colors to the sun
Colors bleed but never fade
"Ma mère ?! Vous voulez dire que j’aurais un ticket avec ma mère ?! Oh, dur, c’est pas le pied !
- Encore ? Mais qu'est-ce que c’est que ces histoires de pieds ? Les pieds seraient-ils le point sensible des hommes du futur ? C’est peut-être dû à un accroissement de l'apesanteur...
- Quoi ???"
Q: How is the response towards Winger in the States in comparison with Europe?
Kip Winger: "We really don’t know. We haven’t played in USA since 2006. But, the crowd is always receptive. Listen, the problem is that you don’t know the band, until you see it live. And when you see it live then you get it. it gets over funny. But, lots of people think that Winger is a wimpy band or something…but when they see us in concert, we instantly win them over. It’s better, though, in Europe because the fans are so loyal and stick with you through thick and thin. From my point of view, Europe has a better understanding for music than America."
Q: How about Japan?
Reb Beach: "When you are cool in Japan, you are cool forever!"
Q: What does the title of the album (Karma) refer to?
Kip Winger: "You don’t wanna know…no, really…Winger as a band…we had a lot of ups and downs, but still we are standing strong…we are still together and one word that instantly comes to my mind is that we must have something like a Karma. We’ve been very successful and very unsuccessful…we have a really interesting history."
Reb Beach: "People say that this was our Karma…I mean, the comeback of Winger with a record that everyone seems to be really fond of. In a way, we wrote this record for our fans. It is my Karma to be with this guy (pointing at Kip) who always gives the opposite answer than I do (laughs)!"
I'm the lost one chasing colors to the sun
Colors bleed but never fade
One of the most misunderstood hard rock bands to come out of the '80s is returning with its first album in five years. WINGER — Kip Winger on vocals/bass, Reb Beach on guitar, John Roth on guitar and Rod Morgenstein on drums — will release "Better Days Comin'" in North America on April 22 via Frontiers Records. The effort is available for pre-order on Amazon.com in a standard and deluxe configuration. The deluxe edition comes in a glossy digipak and includes the bonus track "Another Beautiful Day" and a DVD including a "Making Of The Album" documentary as well as videos for the first single "Rat Race" and title track, "Better Days Comin'". An iTunes pre-order will be available soon.
WINGER has always been known for its incredible musicianship and the trend continues on "Better Days Comin'".
"On 'Better Days Comin'', we drew from our past to elaborate on our future," explains Kip Winger.
"The band is stronger than ever and very excited about the music on this record. We feel this album exemplifies the true sound of the band in every way."
From the opening riff of album opener "Midnight Driver Of A Love Machine" to the final outro lick of "Out Of This World", it is clear WINGER is back and better than ever. Hard-rocking songs like "Queen Babylon", progressive-rock movements like "Tin Soldier", and touching ballads like "Ever Wonder" show the band's diversity while always centering on great songs.
The debut single from "Better Days Comin'" is the adrenaline-fueled rocker "Rat Race" that showcases some of the band's best work of its 25-year career.
"Better Days Comin'" track listing:
01. Midnight Driver of a Love Machine
02. Queen Babylon
03. Rat Race
04. Better Days Comin'
05. Tin Soldier
06. Ever Wonder
07. So Long China
08. Storm In Me
09. Be Who You Are, Now
10. Another Beautiful Day (deluxe edition bonus track)
11. Out Of This World
WINGER formed in the late 1980s and soared to immediate success with its 1988 self-titled release. The album spawned the hit singles "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak" and achieved platinum sales status. "Winger" also stayed on The Billboard 200 chart for over 60 weeks where it peaked at #21. Their next album, "In The Heart Of The Young", also achieved platinum status behind the singles "Can't Get Enuff" and "Miles Away". The change in musical climate of the mid-'90s, compounded with unprovoked ridicule on MTV's popular "Beavis And Butt-Head" show, led the band to go on hiatus in 1994. In 2001, WINGER reunited and has not looked back since.
R.I.P Ronnie James Dio !
"La culture, c'est comme l'amour. Il faut y aller à petits coups au début pour bien en jouir plus tard."
Pierre Desproges
