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DEVILSKIN INTERVIEW

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Devilskin is a four-piece rock band from Hamilton New Zealand formed in June 2010. The band features the Jennie Skulander on lead vocals, Nail on lead guitar, Paul Martin on bass guitar and Nic Martin on Drums. The band have released three albums and have toured Europe extensively. They did a twenty-five show run opening for Halestorm across Europe and opened for Slash on his last tour. 

 

Devilskin have been invited back to tour with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators and we got to speak to Paul about his upcoming tour and how excited they are to return to Australia. 

 

TM- Hi, this is Amelia and liz from Twinmusix and this is paul from Devilskin. Thank You for having this interview with us today.


PM - Hi, How are you?

TM - Good, how are you?

PM - Good, We are super duper excited to be touring with Slash.

TM - How did that come about?

PM -  We opened up for Slash about two years ago when he last was in New Zealand and we got on really well and he invited us back. He is a really lovely guy and we got on well he could have chosen whichever band wanted we are stoked.



TM - What can fans expect from your show?

PM - We have been to Europe and UK about 5 times now and Australia about 3 or 4 times. Getting in front of slash's crowd we are obviously going to take no prisoners and I have got a point to prove, we have travelled a long way to Europe and you guys are our neighbours are we are really excited to get out there and play to
Assuie crowds.



TM - What was your highlight of touring Europe?

PM - We did about 24 or 25 dates of opening up for Hailstorm in Europe Paris and it was incredible. Madrid was amazing it was just insane it was a treat to be playing with them. They have played with us when they came to New Zealand. We got a really good
reppor with them said they invited us to Europe to open up for them it was like Christmas for us and a lot of fun. 



TM - You played download in England how was that and can you tell us any stories?

PM - That was amazing the ended up worshipping the bands that got to play Donington download and Monsters of Rock. That was such a great Legacy for some of our favourite bands, so to get on that bill is pretty cool.

 

We were making a video at the same time so we got to make a video over there in this really cool castle that was made in the 1600. It was my birthday and I was running around a castle with my full body shaved and painted blue and horns glued on my head. We had to run through this for us like a monster and I scared children and the general public, so it was pretty memorable and the next day we were at download.



TM - Did you find any secret passageways?

PM -  No, but there was some really weird stuff and really nice grounds outside. It was really cool and creepy there and we had to run through this bush area that was still open to the public. We managed to traumatise one or two people I think.



TM - What's your favorite thing to do in Australia while touring?

PM - I love the beaches and rainforests over there any chance to get outside that is me. That is the real Australia there is so much beautiful scenery out there and often to ring with a band you don't get out see the awesome sites.



TM - What can we expect from your set list?

PM -  It is going to be really hard to sell setlist because we have 50 songs. We have to choose which songs we want to play as we are already attached to different ones.

 


TM - What can fans expect from your new album Be Like The River?

PM -  I think we are exploring new territory again we have had a big leap from our first album. We have matured a lot since that album and our new album. We are working on at the moment is really really exciting. We have already written 30 songs for it and we just have to record them and then it comes down to the inevitable task of choosing what songs we think are the best

TM - That is a lot of songs.

PM -  Yeah and they are all quite different and special in their own way. We have been going on weekend retreat and just hiring somewhere to stay and been writing songs and we have a tone of new songs we are really excited about.

TM - Do you think you'll be performing any of your new songs live?

PM -  yes definitely.

 


TM - How did you come up with your album cover for Be Like The River?

PM -  We have a guy who does all out artwork called Barney who's been doing all our artwork science day one. He has a company called Indian design, and he totally gets what we are trying to put across.

 


TM - If you could have any bands play one of your songs which band would it be which song would it be and would it be in your style or their Style?

DS - Black Sabbath performing our song Burning tree in any style they want



TM - If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be and why?

PM -  Black Sabbath I have always dreamed about writing a song with Tony Iommi. He is an amazing guitar player his
song writing skills are just wow.

 


TM - can you tell us more about your radio show?

DS - yes it is called the Axe Attack. I started back in 1987 on student radio and then in 1992 when big rock station started in New Zealand. I jumped on that and spent about 24 years with them and now I am on I Heart Radio as The Axe Attack and it's now my 32nd year of metal shows.

 


TM - Your other bands World War four went on to a tour with Motorhead could you tell us a tour story?

PM -  We played in a town called New Plymouth in New Zealand and it is the rockers part of the country. We had a great time with Motorhead. They loved the place, motorheads promoter rings me up and says you know how Motorhead are meant to be in town tomorrow, they are in town tonight and I'm looking after Lemmy for the evening except I have to go out. Are you far away from Auckland would you come and look after Lemmy. I was an hour and a half away and I said yeah I'll be there in about half an hour, I grabbed my wife's car and drove up to Auckland and met him at a strip club and got given all the strip club money. The promoter said to make sure you look after Lemmy and I will see you all tomorrow. I looked after Lemmy we had a couple of drinks and he played the pokies. As I was driving Lemmy between locations I said to Lemmy, what type of car do you drive and he said Drive I haven't driven a car since 1972 and I said why is that and he said because I am always pissed.

 


TM - what's your view on platforms like YouTube and Spotify how do you think it's affected the music industry?

PM - It is totally turned the music industry on its head. It's Evolution and it is the way it is now so you have gotta roll with it platforms like YouTube and Spotify a really really important.



TM - you released a live DVD of you playing at the power station want made you want to release it there and do a DVD?

PM -  It was our first album tour and we thought we should be filming some of it. It came out really well so we thought we should release
it it was a really awesome night. 

 


TM - How did you come up with your video for Endo?


PM -  My drummer the sun came up with the country and western idea. We were just jamming and she me did this funny little country dance and Nick just lost the plot he had to stop playing because he was laughing too hard. Nick said you totally have to do that in a video.

 

What band doesn't want to totally be covered in blood in a video unfortunately it wasn't real blood it was a mixture of corn syrup dishwashing liquid chocolate and something else foul and it was super duper sticky. Then we were all covered in this crap in the studio and then they tell us it's the last shot and then they tell us we can't walk off that area with our clothes on. We had to strip down there and there was no shower so we had to drive home sticky.

 

We are using these same directors for our new video All Fall Down and we are filming this weekend with the same director and he is a Looney Tunes guy. so it's going to be a lot of fun and it is a different concept and we aren't going to get sticky apparently we are really looking forward to it.



TM - What can we expect from your new Video All Fall Down?

PM - It's Dark, we are all going to be pushed into a meat grinder to come out as perfect little sausages a big brother sort of thing. We have
running with that theme we have a goon squad and a Forester run through searchlights and some real crazy stuff so it's going to be a lot of fun.


TM - That sounds interesting 

PM - That is why I love this job every day is different.

TM - That is very unique.

PM - you gotta be if you get half the chance you've got to indulge your Crazy ideas.

TM - Anything else you want to announce to your fans?

PM -  It is really important for us to visit Australia and win over some crowds. We love Australia we can't wait to get back there, last time we were that reopen for Halestorm that was so much fun and the stuff with Slash is going to be next level we really
cant wait.

 

TM - Hopefully I will see you in Sydney Australia. 

 

PM - We would love that. Come and have some scones and tea with us. (Laughs)

 

TM - I hope you not joking (laughs). I actually love Scones and tea. Hopefully I see you at Sydney show and get to rock out to your songs and do photography. 

 

PM - hopefully, we get to See you in Sydney. 

 

 

CHECK OUT ALL TOUR INFORMATION ABOUT DEVILSKIN

 

CHECK OUT TWINMUSIX INTERVIEW WITH FRANK SIDORIS FROM THE SLASH, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORES

 

 

CHECK OUT ALL SLASH, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORES ALBUM INFORMATION

CHECK OUT TWINMUSIX INTERVIEW WITH JENNIE FORM DEVILSKIN

 

 

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