Jeff Kendrick

Devildriver

I had the chance (with the kind help of the band's tour manager) to have a nice talk with DEVILDRIVER's guitarist Jeff Kendrick just before their excellent performance in the Pearl Room. So, don't waste time and read on!
By Dimitris Kontogeorgakos
April 11, 2008
Jeff Kendrick (Devildriver) interview
I've read on the internet that you are going to film today's concert at the Pearl Room for a future DVD release, is that right?

Well, we had some plans to do it here in Chicago but eventually it did not work out. So, we are going to do it in Los Angeles.

You have done a video clip shooting, I think...

Yes we did that on the 23rd of February and it was for the track Clouds Over California.

How did it go?

I went just great. I don't know when it will be released. We had the chance to see some footage and I say that it looks great with all the fans acting. It was very cool!

Can you give us some details of the DVD? What are your plans about it?

Well, apart from the live footage from the concert we will add footage from the past years and of course some behind the scenes stuff.

How did you choose the place to do the DVD shooting?

When you are making a live DVD you want to show things in the best way and have the band look great in a big stage and the proper lighting, so Los Angels seems to be the perfect choice; after all it is our town. So, this is the way to choose.

Do you feel additional stress and or anxious before the DVD shooting?

To be honest I don't know since this will be my first time. But yeah I think that it will be different. Of course you can always redo things that did not go very well and nowadays technology gives you that chance because you want everything to sound perfect.

How is the tour so far?

It is excellent! Especially the last two shows went really great.

I was wondering are you in anyway involved in deciding the bands to tour with?

Absolutely. Well, the first thing you do is to see who is available that time and then you decide. To be honest there is a business aspect to this process that is based in the concept of who knows who with favors and all these. So, it wasn't completely our choice but we had the final decision.

These bands were your on your top list?

Yes I can say that.

Is there any band that you'd like to tour with but for some reason you haven't yet.

In fact I would love to tour with SLAYER and CHILDREN OF BODOM; there are really great.

What did happen with the Guinness record?

Well, we wanted to set the record on the largest pit in one of our concert and we asked the Guinness judges to come. Eventually, they rejected our proposal because they think that it would be a chance of somebody to get hurt. It was actually stupid.

Ok, let's go to the last DEVILDRIVER album; what are the differences between this and your debut album from your point of view?

It's just better playing better song writing and definitely better production. In the last album we brought the guitars in the front. The music is more guitar oriented songs with some showmanship I guess. I think the next one will be even more better.

Did you have in your mind to take this guitar direction before start writing the new songs?

We did this intentionally but not in the sense of someone forcing us to do this. I mean you write music for the shake of writing music. You don't think that Ok I am gonna have this or that on the song and work your way up from there.

What about the lyrics?

Well, you have to ask Dez about this because it is his stuff. I consider that the lyrics is a personal matter so they come from your everyday life experience.

What are your plans after the US tour?

We are going to Europe for a couple of weeks and then return at the USA. There is a chance to go back to Europe sometime in June but I don't know that for sure.

Any plans to get in Greece?

I really don't know man. I want so bad to come to Greece. You know I have a friend who lives in Mykonos and he tells me that things are pretty wild there. Well, I know that it's a beautiful country so it would be great to go there. I don't know if we have a fanbase there though. Hopefully we do so we can come and play!

Do you have anything for the next album?

Actually we have some demos that we are working on.

Do you write music while on tour?

In fact we do; but its mainly guitar riffs here and there. The next album will be different in the way that The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand was compared to The Last Kind Words. We want to progress our music and make it sound better if it's possible.

Ok, thank you for your time I think I'll see on stage!

Well thank you man for the promotion. I hope this goes to everyone who listens to DEVILDRIVER

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