Bad Blood, who’s debut record is set for July of 2019 has already been extremely successful in landing several major syncs with their music in commercials and video games with major brands such as Bentley, William Henry Jewelry, and Mutant Football League on Playstation 4 and Xbox. “It’s amazing the response we’ve gotten and the record isn’t even out yet. This is definitely great news for our future rights holders who own a piece of our record on Vezt. The record is already becoming quite valuable”, continued Clemence. “All the members in this band have already had big songs, #1s on the charts, so I’m really looking forward to getting this record out and having it be great not only for us but for our fans too. We owe it all to them at the end of the day.” “The new record slams on all cylinders. Theme music to rise above and conquer!” added vocalist Chad Cherry. Bad Blood Mini Documentary and first upcoming single “Drug That I Need”: https://youtu.be/FSY
Ahead of the band’s debut album release, I was afforded the opportunity to speak to both Chris Clemence and Chad Cherry from the band.
ANTIHERO: Describe to me the idea behind Vezt. How did you discover it? And what does it mean for both artists and also fans? How does it differ from other music apps already in existence?
Chris Clemence: Vezt is an amazing new platform that lets fans share in the ownership of the rights of their favorite songs. A friend of mine first approached me showing me the Beta version of it and I was blown away. I went by their office, checked it out even more and signed a deal with them. I really feel it’s the future of music. What it means for both the artists and fans is a closer bond and sharing of the music together. Artists and fans both rely on each other, the artist to create songs that inspire and mean something to the fans, and the fans to support the artist to continue to create the music that they love. Vezt lets the fans share in the profits of the songs so they are just like the band and profit every time the song is bought, streamed, performed…earns any kind of royalties. It’s like buying stock in a song. Imagine owning a piece of a huge hit song. It’s a win for everyone involved. The more popular the songs become the more we all benefit from it. There’s no other music app or company in the world doing what Vezt is doing right now. It’s truly revolutionary.
Chad Cherry: This will be the ultimate way to connect with our audience! Fans can make royalties from their favorite Bad Blood songs?!? This is beyond any benefit. This is the way of the future.
ANTIHERO: I have read that Chris had already secured licensing deals for commercials and video games. Does this mean that the songs on the album were already done and written and finished before the band originated or were additional tracks composed as a band?
Chris Clemence: Yes, we’ve already landed commercial spots with Bentley, William Henry Jewelry, and a video game placement with Mutant Football League on Playstation 4 and Xbox. We had just finished recording the album and I showed the tracks to these companies. Their response was awesome and they loved the songs so we were really excited when they wanted to include our music for these projects. In terms of Vezt, this is amazing for our fans and those buying in on our song rights. The record is already successful, landing big licensing deals, and won’t even be out until this Friday, July 26. This is huge because it shows the band has marketable, money-generating songs before even coming out of the gate. Just wait till we unleash this beast.
Chad Cherry: If this isn’t an incentive for everyone to want to join us on this journey, I don’t know what is?
ANTIHERO: Do you feel that because the individual band members have previously achieved a level of success with other bands that it brings with it increased pressure and expectation for Bad Blood?
Chris Clemence: I think all of us having been in previous big bands is a good thing. We know what works and what doesn’t. And when you all have that experience and bring all of your collective knowledge and talent together, it makes for one hell of a band. And that’s what Bad Blood is. Its a hybrid monster of all our previous acts packed into one, combined with all our years and successes it took to get us to this point. It’s the perfect storm.
Chad Cherry: I would have to say that Bad Blood wouldn’t be the band it is if it wasn’t for our experiences in dealing with the world of music. We all have lived this lifestyle basically forever. The road, the studio, the songwriting, the good and the bad, the ups and downs. We are all very familiar with this rollercoaster called rock-n-roll. It’s easy for us to rise above ridiculous situations and see the big picture of who we are and what we do.
ANTIHERO: The Youtube band intro video mentions that some band members are also currently in other bands as well as Bad Blood. How do you prioritize commitments? What’s the long term plan? Do you have hopes that Bad Blood will become the primary personal focus and sole job?
Chris Clemence: At the end of the day, we’re musicians. We love to create songs and perform and it’s what we do. I think it’s great that we have other musical outlets apart from Bad Blood. It keeps us fresh and inspired, it keeps the ideas flowing. Most famous rockstars have multiple bands or projects they do. Look at Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Tom Morello. They just create music. And that’s what we do.
Chad Cherry: Music is something that just comes out of us. I’m in The Last Vegas, The Claws, Razor Candy, Dreaming In Neon and Bad Blood. Music is obviously a huge part of my life. I make different styles of music with people I consider more family than friends. Variety is the spice of life and you make time for music because it IS your life. It’s a legacy.
ANTIHERO: Following on from the previous question, Chad you have also a clothing line and Chris a tattooing business. This makes it even more difficult with structuring your time. Do you feel that it’s essential for artists these days to have an additional source of income with reduced sources of revenue from the music itself?
Chris Clemence: I think today more than ever it’s about being a brand. And Bad Blood is a one-stop-shop for rock n roll. Chad has an absolutely amazing clothing line, Chad Cherry Clothing and the band loves wearing it. He also dresses the guys in Alice Cooper and Motley Crue and many other big rock acts cause his line is just epic. As for me, I just love creating art. I do lots of large scale paintings and tattooing is another medium I love to work in. I was very lucky to learn from one of the true masters, a very famous artist Greg James. He’s tattooed many rock stars like Nikki Sixx, Joan Jett, and Ozzy Osbourne. I think everything Chad and I are doing is just our lifestyle. It’s pure rock n roll all the time. Music, badass clothes, and tattoos. What more do you want? As for structuring time, yeah man, coffee! Haha!
Chad Cherry: I feel that anyone on this planet can do anything if they put their mind to it. Anything. If you want to be successful it’s a lot of hard work. Chris and I both have art flowing through us at all times and we sorta became partners in crime by accident. We combine all of our crazy ideas and actually make them a reality by working our asses off to get it. I think it’s smart for anyone, not even musicians, to have irons in the fire. I started my clothing line and I’m growing with it each day. It’s a lot of work. And as fun as it is being in a band, it’s extremely expensive and difficult on a lot of levels. You have to challenge yourself to make it and survive. It will show you what you’re made of.
ANTIHERO: Outside of “Drug That I Need” which all the band members singled out on the aforementioned Youtube video, can you each chose another track from the album and share your own personal memories of how the song was created /composition/recording process?
Chris Clemence: I think all the songs on the record are super strong. They were all originally created as singles which is kind of what today’s market is. Every song has to be a banger. For me, a few stand out tracks are “Light Em Up”, “I Am The Hero”, and “Own The Night”. The lyrics on these songs are meant to inspire and give the listener a reason to conquer whatever challenges are in their live and just rise above them. Its all about empowerment. We recorded these with producer Will Kennedy (U2, OAR, One Republic) and I think he took these songs sonically to a new level and just brought out the best in the band.
Chad Cherry: To me, this album is solid, front to back. All these songs are anthem driven, hard-hitting tunes that have a lot of hooks and are actually easy and fun to chant along to. I definitely had to find a mindset in the studio while recording Last One Standing. I tried to act out the emotions of the story via singing.
ANTIHERO: Do you have any videos planned from the album? If so what and what will the storyline/format be for those selections?
Chris Clemence: Yes, right after our big album release show we are shooting the official music video for Drug That I Need. No spoilers, just wait and see. But I will say it’s going to be over the top.
Chad Cherry: We’re gonna go bananas! Get ready, this is gonna be a blast!
ANTIHERO: What are your long term plans for the band in terms of a touring schedule?
Chris Clemence: We’re going to be posting all upcoming tour dates/ festivals on our site www.badblood.band so come hang with us and rock out when we are in a town near you!
Chad Cherry: With Bad Blood, you can expect more music, more videos, tours and then more music!
ANTIHERO: Pros and cons of trying to be a working musician in 2019 compared with how the music industry was when you first started out?
Chris Clemence: I think today it’s better than ever. You have way more outlets to be heard and gain new fans and there are so many cool things happening with tech, like Vezt that are just changing the game. I embrace all the changes and I’m excited about the future.
Chad Cherry: It can be quite easy nowadays. All you really have to do is write great music and it will happen. The platforms are all over now to connect and find your audience. All I really want to focus on is creating the best music I can create. I didn’t start playing music to be on a label or get record deals but I am blown away with Vezt and how they are handling everything. It’s just amazing.
ANTIHERO: Finally, if the roles were reversed and you could sit down with someone, a personal hero or someone who inspires you, who would you choose and why?
Chris Clemence: Freddy Mercury and Jimi Hendrix. King of the stadium and the King of cool. Both inspire me a lot even though they are very different, but I love that they created universal music that spans decades and continues to gain new fans every day. It’s amazing the legacy they’ve created.
Chad Cherry: I would love to shoot the shit with John Carpenter. He’s one of my favorite directors and musicians. Everything he’s done has inspired me.
