WEBVTT 00:00:02.439 --> 00:00:05.059 Welcome one and all to the latest episode of 00:00:05.059 --> 00:00:08.560 Signals from Mars. Episode 440 features Bones 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:12.539 and Rhea from the band Tailgunner. They've just 00:00:12.539 --> 00:00:15.980 released the album Midnight Blitz. It was produced 00:00:15.980 --> 00:00:19.519 by the legendary K .K. Downing of Judas Priest 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.539 fame. We're going to talk about the album. We're 00:00:22.539 --> 00:00:25.820 going to talk about all things Tailgunner up 00:00:25.820 --> 00:01:00.259 next. Quick reminder that in addition to hosting 00:01:00.259 --> 00:01:03.100 Signals from Mars, I've also worked behind the 00:01:03.100 --> 00:01:06.200 scenes helping other podcasters. 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For 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:40.240 this episode, once again, Bones, who's the main 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:43.860 person behind Tail Gunner, and Rhea, who, if 00:04:43.860 --> 00:04:47.139 I'm not mistaken, is the latest member to join 00:04:47.139 --> 00:04:52.189 the band. We talk about the album Midnight Blitz. 00:04:52.290 --> 00:04:54.329 We talk about a lot of different things along 00:04:54.329 --> 00:04:57.350 the way. I do hope that you enjoy the episode. 00:04:58.310 --> 00:05:00.990 If this is the first time that you've heard about 00:05:00.990 --> 00:05:04.889 the band, support them. Check their music out. 00:05:04.949 --> 00:05:08.430 Listen, at the end of every interview, I always 00:05:08.430 --> 00:05:12.370 ask bands where people can go to put the most 00:05:12.370 --> 00:05:15.410 amount of money in their pockets. If you enjoy 00:05:15.410 --> 00:05:17.829 the interview, if you check them out in streaming, 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:20.290 and think that it's something that you're really 00:05:20.290 --> 00:05:24.149 going to listen to, pick the album up. Support 00:05:24.149 --> 00:05:27.230 them. Let them know that you've listened to this 00:05:27.230 --> 00:05:30.509 episode. All right? It makes a big difference. 00:05:30.589 --> 00:05:32.250 Believe me, there are a lot of bands that I've 00:05:32.250 --> 00:05:34.189 been interviewing lately, and hearing that from 00:05:34.189 --> 00:05:38.410 the fans has made me receive a lot of pretty 00:05:38.410 --> 00:05:42.569 cool feedback. So, yeah. In any event, support 00:05:42.569 --> 00:05:47.100 the show. Like, subscribe, wherever you... Check 00:05:47.100 --> 00:05:50.600 out your podcasts or if you follow us on YouTube, 00:05:50.740 --> 00:06:15.050 help us get to a thousand subscribers. Welcome 00:06:15.050 --> 00:06:17.750 everyone to the latest episode of Signals from 00:06:17.750 --> 00:06:22.110 Mars. I'm joined today by Bones and Ria from 00:06:22.110 --> 00:06:24.769 the band Tailgunner. How are you guys today? 00:06:26.290 --> 00:06:32.529 Good, how are you? Doing good. So to kick things 00:06:32.529 --> 00:06:35.769 off here, you guys worked with KK Downing on 00:06:35.769 --> 00:06:41.490 Midnight Blitz. Whenever someone... famous works 00:06:41.490 --> 00:06:43.949 with a band that's outside of the band like instantly 00:06:43.949 --> 00:06:46.089 you'll have reviewers and people say oh well 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:48.149 this sounds just like in this case judas priest 00:06:48.149 --> 00:06:52.350 how many people have mentioned to you so far 00:06:52.350 --> 00:06:55.129 that have heard the album and said wow i can 00:06:55.129 --> 00:06:57.170 definitely notice the priest influence in this 00:06:57.170 --> 00:07:00.449 i think for us people would say that regardless 00:07:00.449 --> 00:07:04.490 of if we work with kk or not um but we'll never 00:07:04.490 --> 00:07:07.069 shy away from a judas priest comparison they're 00:07:07.069 --> 00:07:09.189 one of the greatest bands of all time so if people 00:07:09.189 --> 00:07:12.300 want to say that we Judas Priest, then. So be 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:21.540 it. How did KK work with you guys? How engulfed 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:25.240 was he in the work? Did he point you guys in 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:28.420 the directions of improving riffs, improving 00:07:28.420 --> 00:07:36.019 lyrics? How did he work behind the scenes? He 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:39.050 was... He had quite a hands -on approach and 00:07:39.050 --> 00:07:41.430 we're really grateful for his input when we were 00:07:41.430 --> 00:07:44.990 in the studio with him. He was suggesting... 00:07:45.500 --> 00:07:47.540 a lot of different ideas that we wouldn't have 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:49.860 thought of ourselves like he's the one that told 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:52.240 us you should write a ballad and i think the 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:54.079 biggest thing we learned with him was that no 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:56.720 detail is too small and that's definitely the 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:58.339 biggest thing i learned because he was always 00:07:58.339 --> 00:08:01.300 just suggesting like let's put a dive bomb in 00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:03.879 this verse section let's add something else to 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:06.339 this and so it really helped bring the tracks 00:08:06.339 --> 00:08:11.689 to life okay um How did the pairing come about 00:08:11.689 --> 00:08:14.490 initially? Was that, I mean, I know you guys 00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:16.990 toured with him at one point with KK's Priest. 00:08:17.370 --> 00:08:20.990 Did you approach him? Did the label suggest it? 00:08:21.750 --> 00:08:26.389 He had our debut EP Crash Dive that came out 00:08:26.389 --> 00:08:31.250 in December 2022. Someone got that EP to him 00:08:31.250 --> 00:08:33.509 and he heard it and loved it. And he invited 00:08:33.509 --> 00:08:36.970 us to open the first KK's Priest show alongside 00:08:36.970 --> 00:08:41.320 Paul D 'Anno. Perfect lineup for us. Wow. You 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:43.980 know, we stayed in touch and did the UK tour 00:08:43.980 --> 00:08:47.899 with him in the summer of 2024. And when it came 00:08:47.899 --> 00:08:50.799 time to make this new record, we knew we wanted 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:53.620 a producer. We wanted someone with that experience. 00:08:53.700 --> 00:08:57.500 And obviously KK co -produced all those classic 00:08:57.500 --> 00:09:00.019 Priest records alongside Halford, Tipton and 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:02.639 Tom Allen. And, you know, we found ourselves 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:05.340 in this very cool, surreal scenario where it's 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:07.200 like, well, we're friends with KK Downing. Why 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:09.690 don't we just... call him and ask. And, you know, 00:09:09.730 --> 00:09:12.129 I did and spent a couple of days back and forth 00:09:12.129 --> 00:09:15.029 on the phone with him and he was into the project. 00:09:15.049 --> 00:09:17.529 And, you know, we're very grateful for that. 00:09:17.570 --> 00:09:22.549 I think it turned out really cool. Cool. Was 00:09:22.549 --> 00:09:25.490 there any hesitation initially? Were you guys, 00:09:25.490 --> 00:09:29.139 you know, scared that he might not? want to work 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:32.139 with you guys or was it always just positive 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:33.779 from the start you know we're going to get this 00:09:33.779 --> 00:09:36.080 guy he's going to work with us pretty much i 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:39.299 mean the first time we met kk he said he'd been 00:09:39.299 --> 00:09:41.419 waiting for a band like us to come along since 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:44.580 early death leopard and you know that's exactly 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:46.840 the vindication that we need is exactly what 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:48.779 we're trying to achieve and i think he really 00:09:48.779 --> 00:09:52.000 sees what we're trying to do and wants to be 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:55.190 a part of it and You know, in my eyes, he's the 00:09:55.190 --> 00:09:57.509 true defender of the faith because he cares about 00:09:57.509 --> 00:09:59.750 heavy metal and he cares about the longevity 00:09:59.750 --> 00:10:03.009 and the legacy and having new bands come along. 00:10:03.190 --> 00:10:06.330 So I think he was just same as us, just waiting 00:10:06.330 --> 00:10:08.610 for a band like us to come along to be a part 00:10:08.610 --> 00:10:13.230 of something like that. It's interesting that 00:10:13.230 --> 00:10:16.210 you bring that up because I've interviewed a 00:10:16.210 --> 00:10:19.769 bunch of bands over the years from the UK that 00:10:19.769 --> 00:10:22.299 have said, you know. There's no other band that's 00:10:22.299 --> 00:10:24.559 doing this right now. So we need to do this. 00:10:25.539 --> 00:10:30.879 And all those bands have one way or another come 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:34.279 apart, disappeared. Members have gone on to other 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:37.620 projects. What do you think sets Tailgunner apart 00:10:37.620 --> 00:10:41.200 from some of those bands that will give you guys 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:45.639 the longevity to carry on? Pure, unfiltered stubbornness. 00:10:48.680 --> 00:10:52.039 you need that you do it's like lemmy said the 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:55.000 best way to keep going is to not stop and it's 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:59.860 absolutely right right now that's perfect i mean 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:04.039 that's i mean i think with anything like what 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:06.340 you guys are doing you need that you need to 00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:09.419 want to continue to go because it's not easy 00:11:09.419 --> 00:11:12.080 i mean obviously we hear all the stories nowadays 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:14.879 oh well you know we're a young band we can't 00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:18.059 forward we don't we can't make this much money 00:11:18.059 --> 00:11:22.100 like they did back then but there are bands that 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:24.820 are still making it you know not to the same 00:11:24.820 --> 00:11:28.039 extent but you know there are still bands that 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:31.659 are able to carry on and and create a career 00:11:31.659 --> 00:11:34.179 out of this so i mean i agree with what you're 00:11:34.179 --> 00:11:37.700 saying i think for me and i'm sure rare will 00:11:37.700 --> 00:11:41.379 be able to relate to this is when i was growing 00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:45.799 up you know i was from day one into Maiden, ACDC, 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:50.000 Dio, Priest, Motorhead, Saxon, you name it. And 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:53.659 I remember being 12 years old and wearing, you 00:11:53.659 --> 00:11:56.080 know, leather jacket and studs and playing a 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:59.679 BC Rich Warlock bass and whatever. And you're 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:02.080 deluded at that time anyway, because you're a 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.240 kid and, you know, yeah, I'm going to be a rock 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.139 star. And then you turn up and you play a local 00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:10.480 show. you know, there's, there's people there. 00:12:10.539 --> 00:12:12.840 And in those days at that stage, you'll be a 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:14.840 rock band and you'll play alongside a band that 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:17.720 sounds like Oasis and a band that sounds like 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:21.500 whoever, you know, I remember people going, Oh, 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:23.779 they've got long hair. Oh, they play pointy guitars. 00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:26.679 Oh, you know, it's a bit of a joke and whatever. 00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:30.120 And I think spite is a hell of a motivator. And 00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:32.000 I look back at those people now and I just think, 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:39.220 yeah, whatever. Yeah, that's pretty true. That's 00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:44.840 the nonsense of the various scenes. I think if 00:12:44.840 --> 00:12:47.360 you're a good band, you're going to carry on 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:50.639 either way, regardless of image, regardless of 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:52.799 whatever. If you don't have the music to go with 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:57.240 it, in the end, you're not going to move forward. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:01.840 You guys released the EP and you guys released 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:07.269 Guns for Hire. starting to record the material 00:13:07.269 --> 00:13:09.429 or starting to write the material for midnight 00:13:09.429 --> 00:13:11.889 blitz was there anything that you guys said you 00:13:11.889 --> 00:13:15.350 know what i want to do this on midnight blitz 00:13:15.350 --> 00:13:18.889 i want to take it to this level by doing this 00:13:18.889 --> 00:13:24.850 specific thing um well for the second album especially 00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:28.169 with the title track of the album we we needed 00:13:28.169 --> 00:13:31.149 something that was just a massive step up from 00:13:31.149 --> 00:13:33.950 the stuff that we wrote on the debut album And 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:36.029 that's what we wanted to sell across in Midnight 00:13:36.029 --> 00:13:40.250 Blitz. And you can hear it in all parts of the 00:13:40.250 --> 00:13:43.450 track, really, for me, the guitars, the solos 00:13:43.450 --> 00:13:46.009 anyway. I mean, I know I didn't write the first 00:13:46.009 --> 00:13:48.230 album, the guitars in the first album, but even 00:13:48.230 --> 00:13:50.490 so, the solos I was putting forward for Midnight 00:13:50.490 --> 00:13:53.549 Blitz, Tom was constantly like, no, it needs 00:13:53.549 --> 00:13:58.350 to be better, it needs to be faster. And so I 00:13:58.350 --> 00:14:01.110 was pushed, I was pushing myself to write something 00:14:01.110 --> 00:14:04.379 like that. And then everybody else was doing 00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:06.740 the same thing. And that's the theme for the 00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:09.720 entire album, not just the first single. It's 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:14.320 just a massive step up. So for you, Ria, how 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.039 important was it to be the first time that you're 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:20.200 writing with the band, to be recording with the 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:22.720 band, to put your stamp on the music itself? 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:26.139 It was really important. I wanted to do the best 00:14:26.139 --> 00:14:28.460 that I could do. I mean, I definitely pushed 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:30.240 myself and I'm really happy with the results 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:39.389 from it. Yeah. Okay. There's definitely a British 00:14:39.389 --> 00:14:44.649 heavy metal influence on the album, but there 00:14:44.649 --> 00:14:46.830 are other things instantly from listening to 00:14:46.830 --> 00:14:49.769 it. I instantly get a vibe of like old Halloween, 00:14:49.809 --> 00:14:56.889 for example. Yeah, you're smiling. But yeah, 00:14:57.009 --> 00:15:01.490 that obviously is an influence. If you're smiling 00:15:01.490 --> 00:15:04.509 back, I'm picking up, you know. Where you're 00:15:04.509 --> 00:15:08.049 coming from. Halloween are the reason why I started 00:15:08.049 --> 00:15:10.990 Tailgunner. Obviously, everyone thinks with the 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:13.889 name that it's Maiden. And of course, Maiden 00:15:13.889 --> 00:15:16.750 are huge for us as our priest, as are so many 00:15:16.750 --> 00:15:19.590 bands. But Halloween really changed everything 00:15:19.590 --> 00:15:21.629 for me. When I heard those first three albums, 00:15:21.789 --> 00:15:24.429 The Walls of Jericho and The Two Keepers, totally 00:15:24.429 --> 00:15:27.370 blew my mind. I went to see them live on the 00:15:27.370 --> 00:15:31.110 Pumpkins United tour. And, you know, I already... 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:33.860 wanted to be a musician and everything but that 00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:36.120 was the moment where i said god i need to put 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:39.620 together a band in this kind of style and you 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:42.159 know we're definitely a british heavy metal band 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:45.179 i think you know no one can be mistaken about 00:15:45.179 --> 00:15:48.620 that but halloween a huge influence for us and 00:15:48.620 --> 00:15:51.299 it's always nice when people recognize that through 00:15:51.299 --> 00:15:56.419 the music oh yeah those those first two keepers 00:15:56.419 --> 00:16:00.980 albums uh being someone that grew up in the states 00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:05.039 and would spend their summers in europe i mean 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.600 there was no coverage in the states at that point 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.519 for halloween and then coming over to europe 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:13.340 and then having a friend say you need to listen 00:16:13.340 --> 00:16:18.120 to this and just changing so many things and 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:21.860 a lot of times for me nowadays i listen to bands 00:16:21.860 --> 00:16:27.649 that try to do the same style And it just forces 00:16:27.649 --> 00:16:29.809 me to go back to listen to those Keepers albums 00:16:29.809 --> 00:16:33.629 to say, yeah, that's cool. But and and I think 00:16:33.629 --> 00:16:36.509 then the neat part about what you guys have done 00:16:36.509 --> 00:16:39.049 with Midnight Blitz is that, yes, you notice 00:16:39.049 --> 00:16:43.789 the influence, but it's not a direct copy. That 00:16:43.789 --> 00:16:46.850 was really important to us, actually, just from 00:16:46.850 --> 00:16:51.429 day one. And, you know, I think the thing with 00:16:51.429 --> 00:16:54.700 Halloween and the Keeper records. And why they're 00:16:54.700 --> 00:16:59.080 so incredible and why I love Halloween so much 00:16:59.080 --> 00:17:01.419 is that they're not just doing one thing. Those 00:17:01.419 --> 00:17:05.240 records really prove to me that you can play 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:10.079 epic power metal tracks of, you know, however 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:13.759 many minutes long. You can write commercial radio 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:18.640 kind of hits in metal. You can write the thrash 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.160 songs. You can write the ballads. You can be... 00:17:21.549 --> 00:17:25.609 so creative and it coexists and be one concise 00:17:25.609 --> 00:17:28.410 thing on one record like it is on the keepers 00:17:28.410 --> 00:17:31.509 albums and that was really a big like i say a 00:17:31.509 --> 00:17:34.470 huge moment for me and what we're about as well 00:17:34.470 --> 00:17:36.569 as a band is we can do whatever we want to do 00:17:36.569 --> 00:17:39.190 we can be whoever we want to be but at the heart 00:17:39.190 --> 00:17:41.329 of it it's always tail gunner and you know i 00:17:41.329 --> 00:17:45.569 have halloween to thank for that okay and You've 00:17:45.569 --> 00:17:47.869 been the catalyst to get all this together. You 00:17:47.869 --> 00:17:50.710 just mentioned it. How challenging was it for 00:17:50.710 --> 00:17:54.369 you to get four members that were going to see 00:17:54.369 --> 00:17:57.269 your vision that you were going to be able to 00:17:57.269 --> 00:18:00.230 get along with and to be able to put this music 00:18:00.230 --> 00:18:06.750 together? It was extremely challenging. Extremely 00:18:06.750 --> 00:18:09.690 challenging. It took two years to get the first 00:18:09.690 --> 00:18:15.849 lineup together. And, you know, I posted all 00:18:15.849 --> 00:18:19.390 over social media. I posted flyers in metal bars 00:18:19.390 --> 00:18:21.769 and guitar shops and spoke to people from the 00:18:21.769 --> 00:18:25.829 UK and all over Europe. And it took a long time 00:18:25.829 --> 00:18:28.990 to put it together. It's very difficult. And, 00:18:29.089 --> 00:18:31.390 you know, I knew what I wanted and I knew what 00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:34.049 this band had to be in terms of the ability of 00:18:34.049 --> 00:18:37.720 people, in terms of, you know. characteristics 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.319 and you know how we get along and how we operate 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.660 and and also you know people don't like to say 00:18:42.660 --> 00:18:45.460 it but the look of a band is important you know 00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:48.180 i wanted people that embodied what we're trying 00:18:48.180 --> 00:18:51.519 to do as a heavy metal band so took some time 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.400 okay ria how did you get involved with the band 00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:00.759 i supported tail gunner um on their uk tour with 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:02.920 my old band that i was in at the time in liverpool 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:06.359 in the uk and then i saw that they fired their 00:19:06.359 --> 00:19:08.299 old guitarists and they had a festival to play 00:19:08.299 --> 00:19:11.339 in like a matter of like three days so i messaged 00:19:11.339 --> 00:19:13.819 tom i reached out and i said that i'll be happy 00:19:13.819 --> 00:19:16.019 to learn the set and fill in for the festival 00:19:16.019 --> 00:19:19.559 um and so i did that and then i filled in for 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:21.960 a few more dates over the summer including this 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:25.940 steel mill gig with paul diano and kk and then 00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:29.440 they kept me long term Was there ever a doubt 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:32.640 at the beginning to keep her in the band or were 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.400 you still contemplating maybe other moves or 00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:38.059 did you know from the start that musically she 00:19:38.059 --> 00:19:40.319 could do it, but you wanted to make sure that 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:42.000 she was kind of going to fit the rest of the 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:47.819 band's vibe? I think we were in such a rush at 00:19:47.819 --> 00:19:51.819 the start. You know, when, like Ria said, we 00:19:51.819 --> 00:19:54.980 had to fire the first guitarist on a Monday and 00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:56.700 we played the festival with her on a Sunday. 00:19:58.119 --> 00:20:00.500 And then I said to Rhea, you know, we were going 00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:03.140 to hold auditions just because, you know, you 00:20:03.140 --> 00:20:06.480 don't marry the first person that you sleep with. 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:08.759 And it's the same in a band, you know, so we 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:11.640 had to see how does it sound with other people? 00:20:11.700 --> 00:20:13.720 And then we realized very quickly that Rhea was 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:16.119 quite far beyond anyone else that we auditioned. 00:20:16.140 --> 00:20:18.559 So once we played with a couple of other people, 00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:21.240 we knew very quick that she was definitely the 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:23.640 right choice. Okay. Rhea, how many years had 00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:30.039 you been playing out with? semi um serious bands 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:37.599 before joining tail gunner um i started i'm playing 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:45.880 in bands since i was around like 13 um and so 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:49.420 that's eight years eight years i've been in and 00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:52.339 out of bands i've been before tail gunner i've 00:20:52.339 --> 00:20:54.480 been in and out of a lot of a lot of different 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.920 bands have you found it challenging to be in 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.880 the metal scene being a female has that never 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:08.339 really mattered uh with bands no it doesn't it's 00:21:08.339 --> 00:21:11.519 not challenging um in the way that like i never 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:15.119 feel like i have to prove anything but it's challenging 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:20.000 sometimes people other people are challenging 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.720 um and how they can treat you um but in general 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:27.900 um i haven't have quite lucky i've not really 00:21:27.900 --> 00:21:31.880 had much of that um and to be fair ever since 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:33.859 i was growing up playing guitar i've always been 00:21:33.859 --> 00:21:36.359 in bands with men because you know it's a male 00:21:36.359 --> 00:21:39.400 it's a very male dominated area so it doesn't 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:41.079 feel weird for me and it's never felt weird to 00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:43.900 be in a band full of five men um it's just how 00:21:43.900 --> 00:21:47.420 it's just how it is a lot of the time and yeah 00:21:48.029 --> 00:21:50.849 that's it really and bones you were in and out 00:21:50.849 --> 00:21:55.349 of bands uh previous to tail gunner as well um 00:21:55.349 --> 00:22:00.950 how you know you mentioned that halloween show 00:22:00.950 --> 00:22:03.650 is kind of being the point that made you want 00:22:03.650 --> 00:22:07.410 to start this band uh previous to that were you 00:22:07.410 --> 00:22:09.730 still just kind of finding your way figuring 00:22:09.730 --> 00:22:13.170 out exactly what you wanted to do or did you 00:22:13.170 --> 00:22:14.950 already have like an idea in the back of your 00:22:14.950 --> 00:22:21.680 mind that this was a possibility. Tailgunner 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:24.200 is the band that I've always wanted to be in 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:29.019 since I was a kid, but it took years to get that 00:22:29.019 --> 00:22:31.960 together and to actually even realize that it 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:35.240 was possible. I think until it really came together, 00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:37.779 I didn't know if it was possible, but I got to 00:22:37.779 --> 00:22:39.339 the point where I thought, well, I might as well 00:22:39.339 --> 00:22:42.940 try because I played in different bands and all 00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:47.420 sorts of different styles. And yeah, like I say, 00:22:47.579 --> 00:22:50.579 after the band I was in before this one, well, 00:22:50.700 --> 00:22:52.940 I was going to say split up. They didn't split 00:22:52.940 --> 00:22:56.099 up. I left. I was really at a point where it's 00:22:56.099 --> 00:22:59.059 like, well, I might as well just try and do the 00:22:59.059 --> 00:23:01.819 thing that I've always wanted to do. And, you 00:23:01.819 --> 00:23:04.660 know, that's how this really came to be. So it's 00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:06.900 been in my mind since I was a little kid. But 00:23:06.900 --> 00:23:09.880 yeah, it took a long time to to realize that 00:23:09.880 --> 00:23:13.990 it was possible. OK. And you guys have done a 00:23:13.990 --> 00:23:17.130 bunch of shows with Hammerfall. You've been doing 00:23:17.130 --> 00:23:19.930 a bunch of shows. We mentioned before we started 00:23:19.930 --> 00:23:22.589 recording that you've got another date left. 00:23:23.630 --> 00:23:31.289 How has their audience treated you guys? Amazingly, 00:23:31.289 --> 00:23:34.809 the tour we've just done with them was... Probably 00:23:34.809 --> 00:23:38.089 the greatest tour we've been on in terms of the 00:23:38.089 --> 00:23:40.750 crowd reaction for us as a support band. I think 00:23:40.750 --> 00:23:42.970 being on the road with Hammerfall was a perfect 00:23:42.970 --> 00:23:45.609 fit for us. Their audiences were unbelievable, 00:23:46.089 --> 00:23:49.750 especially in Spain. Just amazing. Felt like 00:23:49.750 --> 00:23:51.690 we were headlining every night, which was really 00:23:51.690 --> 00:23:55.349 cool. Hammerfall as a band themselves and their 00:23:55.349 --> 00:23:59.170 crew, the bus driver, the tour manager, looked 00:23:59.170 --> 00:24:01.930 after us incredibly well, made us feel so welcome 00:24:01.930 --> 00:24:05.269 and helped us to be on the road. so much and 00:24:05.269 --> 00:24:07.349 you know we never felt like a support band it 00:24:07.349 --> 00:24:09.430 felt like there was two bands out there together 00:24:09.430 --> 00:24:11.490 to just go kill every night and to help each 00:24:11.490 --> 00:24:13.990 other in any way that we could so we love those 00:24:13.990 --> 00:24:16.470 guys and you know we hope to do that again very 00:24:16.470 --> 00:24:18.650 very soon yeah that's what i was going to ask 00:24:18.650 --> 00:24:22.369 you does this kind of help uh facilitate a future 00:24:22.369 --> 00:24:25.750 tour with them uh due to how well these shows 00:24:25.750 --> 00:24:30.529 went down definitely we spoke about it already 00:24:30.529 --> 00:24:34.039 so you know i can't say too much but let's wait 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:36.660 and see yeah hopefully we'll be back out on the 00:24:36.660 --> 00:24:38.819 road with them yeah because for a band like that 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:41.480 i mean if if you guys are going down like that 00:24:41.480 --> 00:24:46.519 with their crowd going over well and again when 00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:48.339 it comes down to personalities and everything 00:24:48.339 --> 00:24:51.539 else you guys are getting along there's nothing 00:24:51.539 --> 00:24:54.319 behind the scenes i mean those types of bands 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:55.720 are going to want to work with you because they're 00:24:55.720 --> 00:24:59.380 like all right well um we know them there's no 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:01.720 mysteries And they're going to bring it every 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:03.779 night. So we know that when we hit the stage, 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:06.819 our crowd is going to be hot for us because of 00:25:06.819 --> 00:25:10.920 them. Exactly. We definitely got those crowds 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:13.900 nice and warmed up every night. And we added 00:25:13.900 --> 00:25:16.480 something new to our set. Rhea wasn't actually 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:18.779 on the road with us, but she'll find out. But 00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:20.740 we've got them nice and boozy every night as 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:22.440 well in the last song. So it's a lot of fun. 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:27.500 Cool. You also have a bunch of festival dates 00:25:27.500 --> 00:25:32.759 this summer. You're playing a lot of pretty big 00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:36.440 festivals from Sweden Rock to Download and a 00:25:36.440 --> 00:25:38.619 bunch of others. And I know that followers of 00:25:38.619 --> 00:25:41.980 my podcast are going to be at some of these shows, 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:44.220 specifically Sweden Rock. And I know that a few 00:25:44.220 --> 00:25:47.400 of them tend to be at some of the UK festivals. 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:52.940 How different is it to see you guys on a big 00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:55.859 stage like that at a festival as opposed to seeing 00:25:55.859 --> 00:26:03.900 you at a club show? Well, for a start, with the 00:26:03.900 --> 00:26:05.900 big festivals, we can go a bit more all out with 00:26:05.900 --> 00:26:08.000 the production and we can have fire, which I'm 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:10.579 pretty sure we can't do with club shows, legally 00:26:10.579 --> 00:26:14.640 anyway. But with the club shows, for me, how 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:18.119 it feels for me is it's a lot more intimate, 00:26:18.140 --> 00:26:20.579 especially when there's no barrier. You know, 00:26:20.619 --> 00:26:22.400 you've got people jumping up on stage, you've 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:24.640 got people stage diving. It's a lot more chaotic. 00:26:24.660 --> 00:26:28.259 I prefer club shows for that reason. um it's 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:31.680 a lot more intimate with the fans and then festivals 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:34.740 especially open -air festivals feel a lot more 00:26:34.740 --> 00:26:37.579 like you can kind of sit back and watch the crowd 00:26:37.579 --> 00:26:41.299 and it doesn't feel as intimate it's not a bad 00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:43.900 thing it's cool and it looks really cool as well 00:26:43.900 --> 00:26:46.519 and it's nice to play outside and not be sweating 00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:50.700 um as the clubs are just like horrendously warm 00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:55.680 but i um i prefer the club shows okay yeah um 00:26:56.460 --> 00:26:59.319 Are there any of these festivals that you guys 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:03.500 have seen from the other side where before playing 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:06.619 in Tailgunner, you've been at them to see other 00:27:06.619 --> 00:27:09.599 bands and now you're kind of going to be on the 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:17.910 other side? i've no i've not actually been to 00:27:17.910 --> 00:27:20.869 many festivals i'm not really i didn't really 00:27:20.869 --> 00:27:24.029 go to much festivals at all really apart from 00:27:24.029 --> 00:27:25.849 i've been to download once when i was younger 00:27:25.849 --> 00:27:27.910 and i know we're playing that in june so that's 00:27:27.910 --> 00:27:29.529 going to be really really cool to play i'm looking 00:27:29.529 --> 00:27:36.250 forward to that one okay um you guys have after 00:27:36.250 --> 00:27:39.109 the festival you have the rest of the year to 00:27:39.109 --> 00:27:42.170 go so that's i mean just up until the summer 00:27:42.990 --> 00:27:45.930 If you guys could put any tour together where 00:27:45.930 --> 00:27:51.690 you guys could open for anyone, who would you 00:27:51.690 --> 00:27:57.130 want to go out with? Well, we have a big tour 00:27:57.130 --> 00:28:02.650 actually to announce for post -summer. So I'm 00:28:02.650 --> 00:28:04.930 looking forward to getting that out into the 00:28:04.930 --> 00:28:07.069 world. And it's definitely one of the bands on 00:28:07.069 --> 00:28:10.759 my bucket list, one of my favorite bands. i'll 00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:13.640 say them and you know it remains to be to be 00:28:13.640 --> 00:28:15.720 seen by everyone who who it is that i'm talking 00:28:15.720 --> 00:28:19.259 about but it'll be there pretty soon uh makes 00:28:19.259 --> 00:28:26.519 sense and uh so oh okay uh you guys covered metallica's 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.700 hit the lights on a recent compilation uh how 00:28:30.700 --> 00:28:36.619 did that come about and why that song That came 00:28:36.619 --> 00:28:40.039 about because we played, there's a legendary 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:43.359 club in London called The Underworld. And we 00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:45.880 virtually sold it out, touring the debut album. 00:28:46.039 --> 00:28:49.680 And to do that on a debut is pretty cool. And 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:52.079 people really paid attention to that, including 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:54.440 the label that put out that Metallica compilation. 00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:56.980 And it was really as simple as they just asked 00:28:56.980 --> 00:28:59.700 us if we wanted to be a part of it. Wanted to 00:28:59.700 --> 00:29:01.599 take the opening track, hit the lights. And of 00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:03.500 course, you know, to be on an album alongside 00:29:03.500 --> 00:29:07.000 the likes of Saxon and Diamondhead and Raven 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:10.299 and so many cool bands, you know, Motorhead as 00:29:10.299 --> 00:29:12.480 well, of course. And to have the opening song, 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:15.240 I mean, there's no way we could say no. And I 00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:17.500 think it's really cool that Metallica came up 00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:20.079 worshipping the new album and British heavy metal. 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:22.220 And now years later, you know, here's a British 00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:24.400 band covering Metallica and really paying it 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:26.539 back. And it's kind of like a full circle moment. 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:29.650 So it's really cool. Yeah, and it actually doesn't 00:29:29.650 --> 00:29:32.670 stray from what you guys do either. I mean, it's 00:29:32.670 --> 00:29:37.150 not as if you were going to throw that into your 00:29:37.150 --> 00:29:40.910 set list that it wouldn't fit right in because 00:29:40.910 --> 00:29:43.390 it's, as you're saying, the influences are all, 00:29:43.490 --> 00:29:47.450 you're all drinking from the same well. Yeah. 00:29:48.609 --> 00:29:52.990 Yeah. Cool. Where can people go to pick up the 00:29:52.990 --> 00:29:56.799 album and ensure? that the most amount of money 00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:01.940 goes back into the band's pockets oh from from 00:30:01.940 --> 00:30:03.759 anywhere that they usually buy their records 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:06.539 really i mean obviously we're with napalm and 00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:08.599 the distribution is great it was something really 00:30:08.599 --> 00:30:11.299 important to us so wherever people normally get 00:30:11.299 --> 00:30:13.920 records go feel free to pick it up from there 00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:16.579 and yeah i'm sure as long as it gets to them 00:30:16.579 --> 00:30:20.920 we're happy okay and where should people go to 00:30:20.920 --> 00:30:27.279 keep up with the band On social media and, you 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:29.740 know, Facebook, Instagram, or if you just Google 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:32.000 search tail gunner, you know, thank God we're 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.180 the first result. So we're pretty easy to find. 00:30:34.660 --> 00:30:40.160 Awesome. I appreciate your time today. Was a 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:43.680 lot of fun talking to you and wish you guys luck 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:48.579 with 2026 and tail gunner. The album does come 00:30:48.579 --> 00:30:54.009 out February 6th. So just. thanks again for joining 00:30:54.009 --> 00:30:57.670 me here on the show. Thank you very much. Cool. 00:30:57.750 --> 00:31:01.049 Thank you. Have a good one. Catch you later. 00:31:01.309 --> 00:31:16.660 Bye. And subscribe to the show on all your favorite 00:31:16.660 --> 00:31:19.799 podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:24.180 Google Podcasts, Amazon, and more. Go to signalsfrommars 00:31:24.180 --> 00:31:26.839 .com for more information. This concludes our 00:31:26.839 --> 00:31:27.059 show.