Blowin’ Wind with Skid Row’s Johnny Solinger: “It’s not about Sebastian Bach. The songs that Snake and Rachel wrote is why this band is so memorable.”
The Great Southern Brainfart — Skid Row fans are a very opinionated and unfortunately divided fan base. When Skid Row reformed in 1999 without singer Sebastian Bach, they were met with a huge ass bag of mixed emotions. 15 years later you still have people pledging their allegiance to Sebastian Bach and then you have fans like me who embraced the change and see it for the strong standing entity that they have become. Replacing such an iconic image as Sebastian Bach is a tough thing to do but in my opinion, Johnny Solinger has done a stand up job as he takes the punches that come his way while still delivering those classic songs with a ton of heart and unbridled passion.
Solinger has more than proved himself to this long time Skid Row fan and I was very excited to finally have the opportunity to talk with Johnny. Johnny is such a cool and really funny guy and we talked about the excitement of the bands new United World Rebellion releases, the state of Country Music, and why he’s such a huge fan of The Cars. This was a really great interview and I really enjoyed getting to know more about Johnny Solinger. I hope you will as well.
Johnny, thanks so much for talking today.
Thank you, Don. Well, I’ve heard of the Brainfart so I’m familiar with you [laughs]. I think you’re site’s great and I’m glad it’s doing well. I remember reading Rachel on your site the first time several years ago.
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Before we get started, I have to ask. What is one question that you get asked so much that if you get asked it again you’ll throw a brisket sandwich at them?
[laughs] Actually, I’m used to all the questions now but when people ask me, “What was it like to join Skid Row?” I’m just like, oh it was great. It was different [laughs]. I just try to answer everything honestly and humbly.
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Skid Row’s annual Wild Bill’s show is coming up here very soon. You guys always seem to enjoy the fuck out of those shows.
Yeah! Man, Atlanta. You guys rock [laughs]. That venue is a great place to play. It’s a honky tonk but they have the rock bands in there as well [laughs].
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Johnny, before we go on, I have say that I’ve been on board with you since day one. Ever since I saw you guys with KISS on the first farewell tour, I thought you were awesome then and I’m a fan dude.
Wow, Don. You have no idea how far that goes with me. That is so awesome to hear that. I really had no idea what I was going to get when I took this on. I just did it and didn’t really think about any consequences. To have people like you who have been on board since the beginning says so much to me.
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I also have to say that you’ve really done a great job with the older material. I mean, I know that Sebastian Bach is the “iconic” guy but at the end of it all, I just don’t miss all that baggage and what not that came along with him being there.
Thanks, man. Yeah, it’s just those songs. It’s not about Sebastian Bach. It’s the songs that Snake and Rachel wrote is why this band is so memorable. I just try to make them my own and try to make them sound like how they remember them.
Congratulations on the release of United World Rebellions Pt. 2. How does it feel to be a part of some of Skid Row’s best material since Slave to the Grind?
I’ll tell ya what, whenever we went in and started working on this stuff, you could tell right away that it was going to be special. I mean, nobody really cares too much about new releases unless you’re U2 and its forced upon you [laughs]. When we started working on this new stuff everyone was excited immediately. It seems like Rachel and Snake were going back to their roots; to what made them write music in the first place. To be a part of that and to sing on that stuff was really special. I can’t believe how good it all turned out and I really can’t believe what they in store for us next with United World Rebellion Part 3. I was just very excited to do it.
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I just think it’s great that Skid Row is putting out such great, new music when a lot of your peers are either putting out sub par material or just riding the wave of nostalgia do you feel that putting out new music that is of such a great quality kind of breaks the ties to being thought of as a mere nostalgic act?
You know, I’m not sure. People put out new music all the time but nobody really cares. I agree with you in that some of these bands are just putting out new music just to go out and tour. In our case, I think we just want to put out something better than we did last time. There’s an objective to top ourselves for sure. Snake and Rachel have gone back to the drawing board on some of the songs that they’ve written but they’re still out to try and top themselves from the last time. I would hope that most other bands are trying to do that but I just don’t see it a lot.
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From an opinionated fan, I sometimes feel like the later albums like Thickskin and Revolutions Per Minute saw Skid Row trying to break away from what they originally were but with these latest EPs they are really embracing the band that they originally were.
Yeah, I think that’s exactly what we’re trying to. They really went back and remembered why they were making music in the first place and what kind of stuff would we listen to? I feel like we really captured that well. Trying to make music for others instead of trying to make music for yourself can be difficult. If you start trying to make music that you think people want to hear instead of music that you really want to do sometimes it can just go astray. Being with these guys for a decade and a half, they make music for themselves and we really managed to strike it on these last two albums.
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Skid Row has been playing some of its best shows to date these past couple of years and you recently even had your biggest show to date! That must feel amazing.
Oh for sure. Ya know? Snake just had a birthday so there are 3 guys in this band who are 50 years old now. Rachel, Scotti, and Snake are all 50 years old and two months ago we played the largest show we’ve ever played in Poland in front of 500,000 people. That says something. There’s still plenty of stuff to do and we still have plenty to say.
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What is one Skid Row song that hasn’t made the set list yet that you would love to see done?
No, because they’ve made me do all of them [laughs]. Honestly, “Quicksand Jesus” is such a great song but it’s a hard song to sing. It’s not easy but it’s a really well written song. I really enjoy that one but as far as something we haven’t done, not really. There’s such a long list of great songs that the band has and I feel like we’ve mined the best of them.
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How about the polar opposite. Is there a song you’d like to kill with fire?
[laughs] If I have to sing “I Remember You” again I might die [laughs]. It’s a great song but seriously, if I have to hear it again I might die.
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I really enjoyed your country album that you put out. What was the motivation and inspiration to putting this one out?
Really? You got that one [laughs]. That’s awesome. The motivation was to just do it. I’ve been listening to Country music since I was a wee kid as well as rock n’ roll. Even now, when I’m listening to music, I’ll put on some Willie Nelson right after listening to AC/DC. My grandparents were really into the Oak Ridge Boys and lots of other old country.
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It really was a great country rock album. It just reminded me what a terrible, terrible state Country Music has been in for the past 20 something years.
Oh it’s bad, man. It’s bad. I can’t even listen to country radio. If anything I have to listen to a certain artist or satellite radio. Country on the radio these days is just horrible. It’s so bad. My favorite era is the 70’s country. That’s my thing and that’s what I try to emit when I’m doing my stuff. I have a new one coming out that’s going to be that same kind of vibe. It’s all about Willie and Waylon.
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Why does it take 10 songwriters to write a shitty Kenny Chesney song? What happened to getting drunk and just writing in a notebook?
[laugh] I have no idea. You’re three hours from Nashville. You should go sit in on one of those songwriting meetings. It’s funny. They don’t even get drunk any more. They’re just sitting around drinking iced tea and high end bottled water [laughs].
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Johnny, let’s get to know YOU a bit. What was it that made you want to be a musician in the first place?
I sang in front of people when I was in elementary school so it goes way back. I’m not sure how it all happened. I just didn’t want to get a job I guess [laughs]. Actually, I just remember loving the Ramones. They had these great, short songs that were very easy to do and I loved them. Then Kiss came along and they were just so dramatic and just awesome. I wish I could see the Ramones again. It’s so sad that they’re pretty much all dead now.
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Did you ever get to see the Ramones live?
I did. I saw them open for Pearl Jam back in like 1997. It was like 105 and degrees outside in Texas and they still had all their leather jackets on [laughs]. It was so hot and they looked like they were going to pass out but they just did everything as fast as they ever did. Matter of fact, I don’t even remember anything about Pearl Jam. It was all about the Ramones.
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So I have to ask what you think about this whole thing about U2’s new album being given to us.
[laughs] My take on it is that it’s forced upon you. It’s not just like downloading it if you want to but it’s forced on us. I checked my phone and it’s on there [laughs]. They made such a big deal about them giving it away. No, they got like 100,000,000 bucks to do it [laughs]. I mean, I guess it’s a new marketing plan but I don’t know if it’s going to work. I got a free record. I wouldn’t have bought it anyway. I can listen to the album I wouldn’t have bought anyway [laughs].
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What is a band that I’d be surprised to hear you were a big fan of?
The Cars. I love the Cars. When I was growing up you couldn’t turn on the radio and not hear a Cars song. They were everywhere. They just had really cool voices. I think they are so underrated. I also listen to Neil Diamond. Always. I love that guy. I also listen to Elton John, Air Supply. I listen to all that stuff that makes you go to sleep on a plane [laughs].
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If you could front any band from any era for just one night who would it be and why?
Oh, that would be Queen without a doubt. I don’t even have to think about that one. I’d have my Freddie stick out there. You know, my ½ mic stand and my white unitard on.
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That’s a good look for you Johnny. You should rock that look on stage.
[laughs] Yeah, I’d have to fuck up my teeth a bit, grow a moustache [laughs].
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What is one album that NOBODY should live without owning?
That would have to be Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell. You can just listen to that album over and over. His voice, the girl singing on it, the songs; I love Bat out of Hell.
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If you could go back in time and give a young Johnny Solinger one piece of advice, what would it be?
Stay in school.
Oh, did you drop out or something?
No. I went to college for like six years. I just never graduated [laughs]. I was studying communications and the University of North Texas. College was something I attempted but just never conquered.
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If Hollywood was to make a movie about your life who would play you?
It would have to be some freak [laughs]. Crispin Glover. I can totally see him playing me [laughs]. He’s a total freak.
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Finally, finish this sentence: If I wasn’t a musician I would be _________________________.
I would be a veterinarian. I’d love to heal animals if I could. Seeing a hurt puppy is like the hardest thing to see ever.
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So I know we have the Wild Bills show coming up here in Atlanta but what else is up with you and Skid Row for the rest of 2014?
We have two shows left in North America and those are Charlotte, NC and then Atlanta. Then we have six weeks in Europe with Saxon to end the year. That’s going to be pretty fucking crazy. Those guys are legends so that will be really cool.
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Thanks so much Johnny and I’m looking forward to seeing you once again at Wild Bills brother!
Man, I hope this turns out ok and doesn’t ruin your blog [laughs]. Thanks so much, Don and I’ll see you on the 27th at Wild Bills.
A HUGE thanks to the Great Southern Brainfart for the above content
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