Wayne Krantz

Guitarist Wayne Krantz is best known for his work as a solo artist. He has also graced the stage with such artists as Steely Dan,  Billy Cobham, and Michael Brecker. His tenth album Howie 61 offers up
blues inspired rock riffs that appeal to fans of both genres. Joining him on the album are such iconic artists as Vinnie Colaiuta (Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa, Sting), Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock), Pino Palladino (Jeff Beck, The Who, Eric Clapton), and Anton Fig of The Letterman Show’s “World’s Most Dangerous Band”, and many others (Keith Carlock, James Genus, Nate Wood, Henry Hey, Owen Biddle, Charley Drayton, John Patitucci, John Beasley, Jeremy Stacey, Paul Stacey, Yasushi Miura, David Binney, Kenny Wollesen and Gabriela Anders.

Maximum Ink: Can you tell us a little about your background? What were you like as child?
Wayne Krantz: Young, mostly. I hear when I was brought home from the hospital my dad cranked Beethoven on the stereo all day long. That basically never stopped.

MI: Who were some of your earliest influences?
WK: Early on it was Beatles, Monkeese, Debussy, Herb Alpert, Dionne Warwick, James Bond themes. Then came Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Santana, Sons of Champlin. Then Miles Davis, John Mclaughlin, George Benson, Joe Pass, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall. Then Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Prince. Finally, Hendrix. Then nobody. Well, this guy Yasushi Miura has been knocking me out lately. Not really an influence, but someone who confirms what I’m doing in some way.

MI: When did you first know that you wanted to be a musician?
WK: When I was 16. I was listening to a Sons record called “Follow Your Heart” and decided to take their advice.

MI: What was your very first guitar? Do you remember what was running through your head when you got it?
WK: I started on a Framus acoustic my Dad had in the attic. I was really intrigued by it for some reason, even though it only had two strings on it at the time.

Joshua Okeefe

Up and coming country singer/songwriter Joshua Okeefe delivers songs that stick in your head with a smoothness you’d expect to find on someone much older. At 20 the English native is set to take the country music world by storm with songs like No Doubts, Sunshine, and Taylor(written for Taylor Swift). It was an honor to have the chance to sit down with such a dedicated artist at the very beginning of his rise to the top.

Maximimum Ink: Can you tell us a little about yourself? What were you like as a child?
Joshua OKeefe: I am a workaholic, I find it hard to sit down and watch tv for 15 minutes to relax because I love working hard. I have been determined from an early age and always try to be the best I can possibly be in everything I do! I love to have fun and enjoy life

MI: When did you first know you wanted to be a musician and what do you think it was that drew you to the country genre?
JO: I fronted a touring pop band from the age of 13 and toured the UK 3 times over by the time I was 15. In every city we played we always had girls singing our songs.Being on stage always felt like home to me so that gave me the dream of doing it for a career. I grew up listening to country music. My dad would play it on the way to school. From that I developed a country voice.

MI: No Doubts is one of those songs that sticks in your head once you hear it even if you don’t like country music. What inspired that? Do you enjoy writing music that sticks?
JO: The idea for No Doubts came to me one night when I was thinking about how it would feel when I meet my Miss right. I can’t help writing melodies that stick in your head, I have done it from an early age and I think that is one of my strongest areas in writing music. I think it’s important because it can make a song memorable!

Dead Man’s Carnival

Combining the best of live music, classic vaudeville, and circus sideshows, Milwaukee-based DEAD MAN’S CARNIVAL is a unique theater experience for the Midwest They are a regular fixture at the city’s Miramar Theatre, but have been traveling around the country for the past several years. We talked to frontman and musician, Pinkerton Xyloma, about their upcoming appearance at the Majestic in Madison.

Grey Matter Mechanics

With several hundred songs in their repertoire ranging from jazz to hard rock, Janesville’s GREY MATTER MECHANICS, has a legitimate stake in claiming to be the most diverse musical trio in Wisconsin. Began in 2010 from the ashes of popular alt-rock/trip-hop outfit, SALVA ME, guitarist/vocalist Jestin Korleski and bassist Josh Dissmore begun their jazz trio to just play out and get some paying gigs, over time they started working to bring their original rock songs into the mix as well. They just released their first CD full of that original material called “Black and White”.

Randy Travis

Randy Travis has long been a respected name in country music as well as gospel. With 20 studio albums selling a combined total of 25 million copies and 22 number one hits he has proven it is respect well earned. Travis has an impressive amount of awards with 10 AMA’s, 9 ACM’s, 7 Dove awards, 6 Grammy’s,and 6 CMA awards. Randy has also worked as an actor, appearing on/in Frank & Jesse, Matlock, Hey Arnold, King of the Hill, Lost, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets as well as many others. To mark 25 years in the industry in he most recently released the album Anniversary Celebration featuring appearances by Carrie Underwood, John Anderson, Josh Turner, Gene Watson, Connie Smith and Joe Stampley.

Maximum Ink: Can you tell us a little about your early days? What where you like as a child?
Randy Travis: As a kid, I grew up on a horse. The first pony I had was at 3 years old. There’s one album cover that we did, I don’t remember which one it was, but I’m thinking I was 3 months old and my dad had a palomino kneeling with me sitting in the saddle. My mom may have taken that picture. I grew up as a cowboy. As a really young boy, I was helping my dad move cows, but I was also a brat and I probably had to be punished quite often by him. I’ve been up front and honest about this. We fought a lot and then into the teenage years, I got into a lot of drugs and alcohol.  So, I was not a good kid, not at all.

MI: Do you think you would be where you are now without the encouragement of your father? What would you say is the most important thing he taught you?
RT: No.The most important thing I got from him was that love of music and pursuing that as a career. He and my mom would take all six kids to what was called fiddlers conventions and we’d be playing in the VFW or Moose Lodges after being hired to play at square dances and all kinds of things like that. He would push us kids to continue learning to play instruments and learning music. I’d love to know how many songs I knew, at this point in life, because it would sure be a lot.That was the most important thing from him, and of course, he taught me a lot about horses.

Jane’s Addiction

In 1985, the Los Angeles music scene was mostly hair metal bands trying to make it to super stardom. But a little known underground scene was being born with original bands playing new alternative music. One of those bands was Jane’s Addiction. Today, over 25 years later, Jane’s is still pumping out great music with an L.A. vibe. With their new album The Great Escape Artist finally out, and tons of 2012 tour dates booked, I spoke with Jane’s Addiction’s drummer, Stephen Perkins, about the new CD and tour and other good stuff.

Maximum Ink: Hi Stephen, my name is EJ, I’m with Maximum Ink Music Magazine and Maxinkradio, how are you doing today?
Stephen Perkins: I feel great man, it’s been a really good day,  I’ve got a 2 year old son, so I’ve spent the whole day with him, and now I’m on my way to rehearsal with the boys.

MI: What is the meaning behind the title The Great Escape Artist?
SP: It’s a personal thing like everybody, it really, with all the bullshit, no matter what year you look at, 2012 or 1812 there is always bullshit in the way of enjoying yourself. And what are we here for, I think we are here for art and sex. Let Jane’s Addiction be your art and sex, escape with us. Get away from everything else you’re fucking dealing with, put on this record, just like when we used to put on Sgt Peppers record, or I used to put on Physical Graffiti, which I still do and just get away from it all, let the music take you. Don’t let it do it 30 seconds at a time, go away for a half hour.