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10 Questions with ... Taki Sassaris
March 26, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Midnight Prophets and Eve To Adam are the only bands I've ever had.
1) What was your first band and what were some of your early musical influences?
My first band was called Midnight Prophets. My early musical influences were AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N Roses, Metallica, Faith No More, White Zombie, Tool, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots. The Midnight Prophets' hearts were bigger than our abilities. But it was loud!
2) When did you know that you wanted to play music for a living?
I became completely obsessed with playing music for a living when I was 12 years old. It was at the height of old school MTV. I was completely blown away and inspired by G N R's "Paradise City" video and Metallica's "One" video.
3) When did you form Eve To Adam and what's the story behind the band's name?
I formed ETA in 1999 when Alex and I found Gaurav Bali. The name comes from John Milton's "Paradise Lost," the story of temptation and the consequences
4) Your brother Alex is the drummer in the band. What's it like having a sibling in the band?
Alex has always been a stabilizing influence in my life. He's the constable. I have a tendency to get a little crazy on the road and he keeps me in check. It's comforting to know that my brother is always there for me and has my back no matter what happens.
5) Your new single "Straitjacket Supermodel" is getting some good love at Active Rock Radio. Tell us what that song is about?
Gaurav Bali and I wrote the song with Eric Bass from Shinedown. Straitjacket Supermodel was inspired by the TV show DEXTER. It's the song that we envisioned would be playing in Dexter's head when he gets ready to kill.
6) Your new album "Locked & Loaded" is out on May 26th. Give us a preview of what we're going to hear on this new record.
In writing and recorded "Locked & Loaded," we collaborated with some amazing talents including Eric Bass, Michael "Elvis" Baskette and Dave Bassett. You're going to hear big and heavy Rock N Roll songs rooted in adrenaline and raw emotion.
7) Your band has toured extensively with the likes of Halestorm, In This Moment, and Creed. What have you taken away from touring with these and other great rock acts?
I learned that no matter what obstacles you have to overcome and how difficult things can get at times, we have one objective: Rock the audience night in and night out. When you rock the audience, their response is the real payoff. It's why we do this. No amount of money can replace that feeling.
8) Tell us your tour plans for the rest of this year ... particularly your upcoming Spring/Summer national tour?
We're hitting the road with Pop Evil starting in April and we'll be touring nationally non-stop till the wheels come off the bus.
9) In between tour dates, Eve To Adam has been hosting some interesting live music performances at your band's loft in Queens, NY. Tell us about that.
Coming off the road with Creed for the second time in 2012, Mark Tremonti needed a place to rehearse for his new project Tremonti, which was starting the HardDrive XL tour the day after. The next thing I know, the band is setting up to jam and Wolfgang Van Halen walks into my rehearsal room asking where he could plug in his bass head and If he could use our shower ... completely surreal and amazing experience all at once.
10) Finally, you obviously travel a lot and probably get to listen to lots of Rock radio. What's your take on the music being played on Rock radio today?
I love the intensity in Rock right now ... Music is cyclical, and I believe Rock is coming back in a big way.
Bonus Questions
If you got to perform live for one night with any rock band in the world besides your own, who would it be and why?
It has always been a dream of mine to perform with Alice in Chains. Layne Staley inspired me to become a hard rock singer and I would love to harmonize with Jerry Cantrell.
What do you like to do for fun when you're not playing lead singer in a rock band?
Paint balling and getting inked. I'm also a sports fanatic and a gym rat.
You're stuck on a deserted island and you only have five CDs with you. What are they?
- Guns N Roses "Appetite For Destruction"
- Alice In Chains "DIRT"
- Metallica "Master of Puppets"
- Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
- Tool "Aenema" and Led Zeppelin IV.
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