AN INTERVIEW WITH KING'S X DRUMMER JERRY GASKILL

There is metal and there is funk and there is prog rock and there is R&B, and somewhere where these genres intersect, there is King’s X. The legendary band has been performing together for close to 35 years now, and they’re going just as strong as ever. With a slew of classic albums under their belt, a penchant for hard-rocking live shows, and a reputation as one of the best hard rock acts of all time, they find themselves this September in, where else, Binghamton. Carousel recently touched base with drummer Jerry Gaskill for an interview. Here’s how it went:

You just announced last week that your new solo album is complete. What’s the process been like, recording solo versus recording with King’s X? I feel more like me recording my own stuff. I feel free-er. It feels closer to me- not that King’s X doesn’t, but it’s different. It’s me and only me, so it feels a bit free-er.

Any special guests on the new record? Basically I did the whole record with my friend DA Karkos, and we wrote everything together and recorded the entire album together. He played a lot of guitar and bass, some backing vocals. And Billy Sheehan (Talas, Steve Vai) played on a couple of tunes, Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon) played on a few tunes, Phil Keaggy played on a few tunes.

Do you have a release date yet? Very, very soon. I don’t know the exact date, but I’m thinking maybe October sometime.

King’s X has been playing together for the better part of 35 years. How has the dynamic of the band changed over time? Are you closer as a band? I think in some ways we’re closer, because that’s just how relationships go. I really don’t feel that much different with the guys than I did even in the beginning. The relationship’s been a strong one since the start, and that bond’s always been there. I think we still hate each other as much as we ever have (laughs).

You’ve had two heart attacks in the past four years. Are you surprised to find yourself touring again? When I was in the hospital, I was thinking I might never do that again. I might not even want to do that again. I knew I would get well, but I didn’t know if I wanted to ever play again. But now, I feel so good and I’m working really hard to be well and be healthy, that I look forward to playing, and I feel like I’m even stronger in a lot of ways than I was before the heart attacks, so it’s an incredible thing. I think the heart attacks have done me well.

Heart attack aside, how different is touring in your 50s versus touring in your 20s? Well, I guess in your 20s, you’re on fire, ready to go. Nothing’s going to stop you, you’re not afraid of anything, and you’ve got all the energy in the world. You don’t think ‘I want to rest.’ As you get older- I can’t be doing that as much. I don’t care to be in a bus for six, eight months out of the year, you know? Travelling all over the world… I like just staying home. We tour differently these days. We’ve been doing weekends for the most part: flying in, doing three shows, flying out, doing another run a few weeks later. I personally really love that. It really works for an older guy like me.

What was it like, that first time back onstage after the heart attacks? It was actually pretty incredible, like ‘wow, I can really do this.’ And I felt really, really good. Like I said, better than before. I was really ready to do it, and I’ve been doing it ever since.

Can you talk about some of your influences? I can! If I had to make a combination of the greatest drumming in the world, I’d have to say Buddy Rich and John Bonham. That to me is perfect drumming. There’s a lot of other stuff- Ringo is great on drums, just because he does what he does and nobody has done it like him. People have copied him and tried to emulate him, but he did it. And Don Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) is a big influence. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge) is a big influence. Carmine’s a great friend of mine now, which is pretty cool. Those guys were the big influences in my life.

Early on, King’s X was labeled as a Christian Rock band, a label you guys seem to have fought. How much of a role did/does spirituality play in your music? We all did come from a Christian background, so that had a part in what we were doing, especially in the early days. We realized early on that that’s not where we were, that’s not what we were, and that’s not what we believed anymore. We’ve never considered ourselves a Christian band by any stretch of the imagination. Well, there may be a time when we did, but that time is far gone. Doug and I were in the Christian world- playing with Phil Keaggy, on top of the Christian world- and we realized ‘this is not right, this isn’t who we are, this isn’t where we belong.’ So we had this band, and we just did what we did. Because of all that, because I guess of what we had done for those years, the music would come out somewhat spiritual, or whatever you want to call it, and we just got labeled that. So that’s that. But we’ve never been a Christian band, never called ourselves a Christian band, and never will call ourselves a Christian band.

Do you feel there’s any irony in the idea of Christian heavy metal? Well, I think there’s irony any time you put the goddamn word ‘Christian’ in front of anything. Because if it’s truly Christian, it would include everything- it wouldn’t have all that separation. To put ‘Christian’ in front of any one thing and label it… seems like total hack.

Playing in a 3-piece band, do you have to work harder than if you were in an ensemble? I don’t know. I’ve done both. It’s all a lot of work. It just depends on what you’re doing. I’ve never really thought that much about it. I just get on stage and get behind the drums. I give everything I have no matter what I’m doing. I don’t really think like that.

Any up and comers in the music scene that you’re interested in? I don’t know who’s up and coming. I kind of dig the Rival Sons, but they’ve been around for a while. And Blackberry Smoke, yeah. I love them! I saw them on Sunday- love those guys. And I love the Deftones.

They’ve got a bit of King’s X influence in their sound, wouldn’t you say? Well, that’s what they say. (laughs)

If you could pick one standout moment, one particular point in your career where you realized you had ‘made it,’ what would that be? That’s a hard one. VH1 Classic did the, I think 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists of All Time, and we were on that list. I think we were #83. And when I saw that, it made me feel like, ‘wow, maybe we really are a valid band.’ It’s not really something you can think about… you’re always in the moment, trying to improve what you do and continue on, so I don’t really think about moments like that. You get glimpses here and there. The rest of the time, you’re just thinking ‘I’m worthless,’ or trying to become the greatest in the world.

Jerry, thanks for sitting down and talking. I can’t wait for the show next month! I’ll be there!

Kings X plays Binghamton’s Eclipse Returns Nightclub (65 Front St.) on Friday, September 18th, with special guests Kings of Spade and Falling From One. Tickets start at $25. For more info, check out Eclipse Returns on Facebook or kingsxrocks.com.