www.tilterworld.com
VERSIONE ITALIANA

 


Moreno Lissoni
Traduzione by Claudia Schiavone

Freschi di uscita discografica, poco tempo fa abbiamo contattato il leader dei Tilterworld Lonny Paul illustrandoci il "Vicious Circles" e raccontandoci un pò di cose sulla sua prima band, gli Heart Throb Mob.

Hi Lonny, I've just got "Vicious Circles"... wasn't it supposed to be released through Fastlane Records?? What's going on? What's going on?
Well, Fastlane Records signed us back in June of 2005. At that time, we turned in a finished, ready to be released CD. Fastlane promised a summer release, but by December, when it still wasn't out, we decided to take things into our own hands. So, we got out of the deal and released it ourselves.

Let's go back for a while, how was the Tilterworld project born?
Stevie and Lonny were in a few other bands together, and when they decided to change direction, Jaimie and Michael seem to fit the suit. So we started writing songs and away it goes.

Before forming Tilterworld you played with The Endorphins, Superficial and The Sinthetics... I don't know much about any of those > bands, can you give me some hints?
The Endorphins was a three piece rhythmic rock band. In other words, we were a rock band trying to sound like an RNB band. The Superficial were simply an extension of that. They even had two beautiful female background singers. We were going for a Prince vibe. The Sinthetics was just the opposite. That was a heavy rock band that sounded a bit like Marilyn Manson. Stevie was on drums and we eventually evolved into a pop punk thing. Which seemed to be what was happening at the time.

Tilterworld is also Stevie Deluxe, J-Sin and Michael Thomas who used to play in many bands in Los Angeles...
Stevie was in a band called Space Age Playboys. I met him when he was playing in a band called Queer For Girls. Jason was replaced just before the record came out by Jaimie. Who also came from that band.
Michael, well he's probably been in more bands than all of us combined. He was signed in a band called Engines Of Aggression back in the 90s. He also goes out with Bang Tango and Beautiful Creatures when they tour. Right now, he's touring with Steven Adler’s band, and he sings for a band called Fastback.

Chapter Heart Throb Mob: I spent $ 35 to buy "Hit List" in the mid 90's when HTM were one of the best glam bands around. What memories do you have of that time?
I loved all the glam dress up. I’d like to see more of that in today's artists. The songs production and lyrics were lacking, but hell, I was only 16. What the hell did I know about any of those things.

I still love the songs from Heart Throb Mob, even though the album recording was awful.where did you record them???
We borrowed an 8 track cassette recorder and recorded them in a garage. I guess you could say we were a genuine garage band.

Ahahah! How does it feel to look now at those pictures where you looked like women?
Like I said, the glam dress up thing was fun. Each night was like Halloween or a costume ball. I've always been and still am petite. It was what we thought was happening at the time.

Some time ago I found out some mp3 of your post-HTM project as Lonny Lovette. What was it about? Until Tilterworld's "Vicious Circles", I've never released anything officially since the Heart Throb stuff.
However, I've been writing and recording almost every day since. So I can't imagine what you have your hands on.

Traci Michaels is now with Peppermint Creeps, what do you think of him and of his new band?
I think Traci enjoys what he does and that's ultimately what counts.

What about Bobby Vanden and Dev Estate? Are you still in touch with them?
I haven't seen Boby in at least 6 or 7 years. Unfortunately, we did not remain friends. Dev was actually the first guitar player in Tilterworld. Until he decided to sing for a band called "Butterfly Knife". We do remain friends to this day. In fact, I plan to see him next Saturday.

Let's talk about the album again; "Vicious Circles" has really a few in common with HTM bubblegum glam and it seems to be a CD keeping up with the times. Did you decide not to play glam rock anymore on purpose or is it a simple musical evolution?
Since I wrote all the songs then and write all the songs now, naturally the melodies are going to sound like they came from the same writer. I didn't purposely set out to write anything but good songs. Evolution was inevitable.

Am I wrong or your way of singing has changed too?
Again, the Heart Throb material was 10 or so years ago. I was literally just a kid, and didn't know what the hell I was doing. It took me a while to find a voice that I thought fit the sound I was trying to create.

"Vicious Circles", "Piece of me", "Emotional Scars", "Carousel", "Can't Wait" e "Waterfall" are among my favorite tracks.is there a song you feel a particular tie with?
That's like asking a mother if she likes one child better than another. Even if I did, I couldn't say it out loud.

The 90' saw the releases of Guttersluts, Foxy Roxx, Rebel Rebel, Heart Throb Mob, Big Bang Babies, ecc... were equal to "events" for Italian glamsters. Do you think there is a band that would have had a better success if only had been out at the end of the 80's?
I think that we were all a little late to the party. We'll never know for sure, but I want to believe that we might have all had a better chance.

At the latest Rock City News Awards REVLON RED won the prize as "Best Hollywood band" and the vocalist Marky DeSade has won as "Best male frontman"... how is the glam/hard rock scene in L.A.? Any good band or venue to let us know about? There are a lot of great bands.
"Loser", John from Maralin Manson's new band rocks. There's a band called "Still Standing". I could go on but the fact is, there's too many to keep up with. "The Gig" is my favorite venue.

By the way, I'm presently reading "Los Angeles" of A.M. Homes, which describes that town as the Mecca of visionaries, romantics and dreamers. How true is that statement? Do you feel more visionary, romantic or dreamer?
I would say that's dead on. We're all dreamers out here.

What are your expectations for the 2006?
The same as every year. To make great music, and hope that others enjoy what I create.

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