Interview with Ivan Gunn (Faithealer, Pride, Balance Of Power)

Ivan Gunn is well known for his work with the AOR band PRIDE but also with the melodic hard rock act BALANCE OF POWER. This year he teamed up with singer Jason Marks and with some of his all band mates in PRIDE and the result of this collaboration is a very good AOR band which called FAITHEALER. Below you are going to read the interview that Ivan Gunn gave to Heavy Paradise and talked about Pride, Faithhealer and his future plans. Enjoy...

Heavy Paradise:  Hello Ivan! I would like to welcome you here in Heavy Paradise for this interview!  Firstly, I'd like to say that your debut album with FAITHEALER really impressed me! Would you like to introduce to our readers your band members and tell us some things about the creation of the band?

I.G. : FAITHEALER IS MYSELF AND JASON MARKS,WE BOTH WRITE AND RECORD ALL THE MUSIC AND VOCALS AND HAVE SPECIAL GUESTS COME IN AND DO SOLOS DUETS AND ACOUSTICS,ON THIS ALBUM THE GUESTS WERE CHRIS GREEN (EX PRIDE AND NOW FURYON) LEAD GUITAR,MATT MITCHELL (EX PRIDE AND NOW FURYON) DUET ON HEAVEN FROM HERE AND ACOUSTICS. FAITHEALER WAS A FUN WEEKLY THING WHERE ME AND JASON WROTE SONGS FOR FUN BUT THE SONGS WERE SO GOOD WE DECIDED TO DO A RECORD.

Heavy Paradise:  You are known from your works with PRIDE and BALANCE OF POWER. About the PRIDE you have released two superb albums. Are we ever going to see a new PRIDE album? Or this chapter of your life is closed?

I.G. : PRIDE MAY DO SOMETHING RECORD WISE ONE DAY MAYBE A REISSUE WITH SOME EXTRA SONGS OR SOMETHING BUT RIGHT NOW THAT CHAPTER OF MY LIFE IS CLOSED

Heavy Paradise: - So, let's get back to your new album "Welcome to the edge of the world". How can you describe the sound of the album?

I.G. : THE SOUND OF THE ALBUM IS A MORE DRAMATIC AND EMOTIONAL PRIDE BUT A MORE SONG BASED SOUND THAN BALANCE OF POWER,HUGE CHORUSES BIG SOLOS AND GREAT MELODIES.

Heavy Paradise: Jason Marks is the FAITHEALER's lead singer. I think he was the lead singer of S.I.N.? How did you came up with Jason Marks?

I.G. :  HAVE KNOWN JASON FOR YEARS,HE WAS IN A BAND WITH ME CALLED HEAVEN AND EARTH YEARS BACK THAT BAND TURNED INTO BALANCE OF POWER,WAS A CHANCE MEETING A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK THAT MADE THE FAITHEALER THING HAPPEN.

Heavy Paradise: Is the songwritting the result of a team work or are you the main songwritter?

I.G. : DEFINETLY TEAM WORK IT JUST WORKS SO WELL AND EASILY WITH MYSLEF AND JASON.

Heavy Paradise:  I have to say that there are some songs from "Welcome to the edge of the world" that are superb pieces of melodic rock stuff! "Last tear drop falls", "Just give me tonight", "They Say" and "Still Alive" are my personal favorites! If you had to pick your three favorite tunes from "Welcome to the edge of the world", which will that be and why?

I.G. : STRONGER-LOVE THE POWER AND MELODY AND DRAMA IN THE SONG THE SOLO IS KILLER AS IS THE CHORUS REALLY POSITIVE LYRICS I LOVE IT
SECOND SIGHT-ITS THE TRACK THATS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE REST ITS VERY ATMOSPHERIC AGAIN GREAT VOCAL PERFORMANCE,KILLER MELODY AND GUITAR SOLO AND THE SUBJECT MATTER O THE SONG IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT ITS ALL ABOUT REINCARNATION
LAST TEARDROP FALLS-LOVE THE DRAMA IN THE MUSIC AGAIN!! EMOIONAL MELODY AND LYRICS AND AN AWESOME VOCAL PERFORMANCE AND GUITAR SOLO AND CHORUS TO DIE FOR

Heavy Paradise:  Do you think that FAITHEALER is a more mature album than any other album you have made?

I.G. : I THINK ITS THE MOST CONSISTENT SONGWISE I HAVE DONE EVERY SONG IS A KILLER AND ITS THE START OF SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING


Heavy Paradise: So, bottom line is that FAITHEALER is a band or a project?

I.G. : ITS A PROJECT THAT COULD TURN INTO A BAND.THE IDEA IS TO WRITE THE BEST SONGS HAVE THE COOL GUESTS ON IT AND OVER ALL HAVE FUN AND ALL THE TIME ITS FUN THERE WILL BE A FAITHEALER

Heavy Paradise: Are you going to perform live just to promote "Welcome to the edge of the world"?

I.G. : WE SHALL SEE..............

Heavy Paradise:  Nowadays, is it hard for a band to get a good record deal?

I.G. : ITS IMPOSSIBLE FOR MOST BANDS,IM LUCK IN THAT I HAVE WORKED GETTING DEALS FOR BANDS FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND HAVE GOOD TRACK RECORDS AS REGARDS SALES AND QUALITY OF MUSIC SO IN JAPAN AT LEAST I HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET US A DEAL THIS TIME WITH KING RECORDS
BUT IN THE REST OF THE WORLD DO BANDS REALLY NEED LABELS?


Heavy Paradise: What are your future plans?

I.G. : FUTURE PLANS ARE TO WITE AND RECORD MANY MORE FAITHEALER RECORDS,AND PERSONALLY IM GOING TO WRITE RECORD WITH EVERYONE THERE ARE PLANS FOR ME TO WRITE WITH SOME VERY VERY COOL PEOPLE THIS NEXT YEAR SO KEEP YA EARS OPEN FOR THESE COS ITS GOIN TO BE GREAT


Heavy Paradise: Thanx for the interview Ivan! I wish you all the luck with your future plans and with FAITHEALER!

I.G. : THANX FOR THE INTERVIEW AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

http://www.myspace.com/faithealerocks