Brad Schechter is the face of the new rock band from LA called Face of Stone. They recently released a solid new single, Red Moon Sky, that highlights Schechter's innate ability to convey raw emotion through lyrics, as well as tying in prolific and well put together artistry through tight guitar riffs. We had a chance to talk with him about how he put the band together, the inspiration behind the single, and what the future holds for Rock & Roll in 2018.

Please tell me about your new project, Face of Stone, and who all is involved with it?
BS: Basically that came about when I was crewing for "The Whiskey" at Hollywood. It’s an ultimate jam night that features up and comers and seasoned musicians. One of the people that played was Mark Palmer with The Bus Boys, who were in town. I reached out to him, and a day later we were writing music. We lived across the street from each other and never knew it. Now I walk to his place to record. It was exactly what I was looking for. I had been in and out of bands and couldn’t find the right fit. The music has to be good. The people you’re playing with have to be on "that level", the same as you. Otherwise, It’s like putting lipstick on a pig. You end up saying, "What was I thinkin?" This felt really organic and resonated with me. His guitar tone was really original. It awakened something in me musically.

How did you go about recording Face of Stone’s single, Red Moon Sky?
BS: Mark has a home studio. He turned a closet into a vocal booth, and we recorded our single, "Red Moon Sky" right there. He had earlier sent me over some scratch tracks, and I wrote the lyrics in about 10 minutes. Sometimes that’s how it happens.

Tell me what was going through your head when you wrote it?
BS: I had a real strong vibe. Red symbolizes love, war, conflict, and sometimes those things are often intertwined. Can you resolve it, can you not? Through that conflict, that’s how you resolve it. You may not work it out or you may? It is to be determined. Inspiration - estranged relationship with my family member. You’re not capable of change... I write ambiguously, so people can read their own meaning into the song. Sometimes you have to get into the sorrow before you can get over it. Unleash the floodgates, let it fester, and then get out of it or embrace it. Until you fully accept it. It’s the grieving process. The key is to pick up afterward.

Do you enjoy songwriting?
BS: Lyrically, it’s always come easily to me. Or at least more easily than some people. I wrote poetry as a child. WHen i was 9 years old, I wrote a poem about autumn. I sent it to my father, but he didn’t believe that I was capable of writing something like that at that age. It continued, and I wrote short stories and poems. It helped with songwriting as well. The way I write is like the way I play music. I play guitar, drums and guitar. It gives different ways to view and write music.

What do you think about the future of rock and roll in today’s environment?
BS: I think it’s been sleeping and is starting to wake up now. We still have Foo Fighters, Muse, and Avenged 7 Fold. But, I have noticed about 2-3 years ago,the jams started again locally. Lucky Strike has a new jam. They keep hopping up, and there is still a need for live rock and roll. People want to hear instruments again. Some young people have never really heard instruments before in person. That’s what music sounds like without being auto-tuned. Many of our youth just haven’t been exposed to it. It’s ok to like more than one kind of music. You like more than one kind of food, right? Just pick out what you like and pick your own aesthetic. Music is cyclical, and here today, gone today. If you are making music and selling out arenas, you are still relevant.

What is one piece of gear that you have that is the most invaluable, and one that you’d recommend for every musician?
BS: If I had to narrow it down to one thing, I’d recommend a metronome. You still need to practice with that. Even if you have perfect pitch, the reality is nobody has perfect pitch. Even the best singer has to be tweaked a little bit. Everyone needs help with timing a little bit.

Follow Face of Stone:
www.faceofstone.com

• Tags:
• Interview