Heavy Paradise : First of all, I want to welcome you to Heavy Paradise for this interview!
Alina: Thank you very much for having us!
Heavy Paradise : I want to start this interview by saying that
your last album, “Reflections”, was a great album all the way. And as I said, in
my review “after the first spin, all my expectations were fulfilled in a very
positive way!! It's a damn fine rock album that keeps you awake from start to
finish”. So, after, almost a year since the release of “Reflections”, how do
you feel about this record and are you satisfied from the feedback so far?
Alina: It's
an honour to hear that from you! It always feels good to hear positive things
about our work! The feedback couldn’t be any better, it has exceeded our
expectations.
Of course, there are a few things which we would
make different now, but it’s good to never be satisfied. Oliver Cromwell once
said “if you
stop getting better, you stop being good".
Heavy Paradise : Harry Hess, from Harem Scarem, was responsible
for the production of “Reflections”. Do you believe that Hess gave an extra
‘push’ regarding the final result? I mean did he give a more edgy and at the
same time more melodic approach?
Alina: Yes, he definitely gave the perfect melodic sound and his
personal style into the album. Harry did a great job. We are honoured and more
than pleased that he produced “Reflections”.
Michael: My personal goal was, to top our
former album “Somewhere in America”, and I guess, we’ve reached that goal.
We’ve matured as persons and also as musicians since, and I guess you can hear
that in the music. Of course, we’re always trying out things on our albums,
also on “Reflections”: for example, “Whatever” is an orchestra-piano-ladden
ballad, which could be played in every Lovesong-show on BBC Radio 2, same with
“Sooner Or Later”, which has some Sixties-influence. It was fun, but also
because of Harry’s production, the spectrum of the whole album became a bit
more focused, and I mean that in an absolutely positive way. Harry also worked
with Billy Talent, Muse and Simple Plan, and he made the album acceptable for both
a commerical AND and a Melodic Rock audience.
Heavy Paradise : My favorite tracks out of your last opus are “Heart On Fire”, “Whatever” and “Last Night”. If you had to pick a favorite tune out of
“Reflections”, which would that be and why?
Alina: My favorite tracks are “Nothing To Lose” and “True Confessions”.
Nothing To Lose is a typical rock song and I love to sing it. The lyric is
quite good and it is the best opener for a concert! I can’t really tell you why
I love True Confessions, so I can’t put it in words. I just get a good feeling
whenever I listen to it.
Michael: I’d opt for “True Confessions” as well,
because the arrangement is nearly perfect, and it’s probably the most personal
song, lyricwise. “Heart On Fire” is also a favourite of mine… purest AOR, and I
love Steve’s solo, so this is a great song, too!
Heavy Paradise : Do you consider Cornerstone as an AOR band or
just a rock band in general?
Michael: Looking back into the history of
the band, it developed from an Indie-/Alternativeband into an AOR-band. Our
first effort, “Head Over Heels” was an Alternative-album with a bit of AOR in
it. At “Somewhere in America” we’ve turned that combination around, and with
“Reflections” we’ve done a pure AOR-album. It wasn’t a planned thing, I guess
this is quite natural, you’re getting older, and it isn’t that interesting
anymore, to play four chords with a kind of “Fuck You!”-attitude, like we did
on our first album. Now we’ve dressed this “Fuck-You!”-attitude into a well
produced, keyboard-oriented arrangement *laughing*. If it would just be me,
Cornerstone would probably be more Eighties, but because of Steve and Alina,
we‘re sounding a bit more modern, which is great. It keeps the interest from
commercial radio on Cornerstone.
Heavy Paradise : What are your influences as a band?
Michael: I pretty much come from the AOR-side of the street... Toto,
Alan Parsons, Queen, Journey... those are the bands I grew up with. Steve
listened to some harder edged music – Metallica, Gun’s Roses, Bodycount, this
stuff. Of course our own music is influenced by those artists, but we’re always
try to keep an unique sound, we’re no copycats – at least we’re trying not to
be some *laughing* With “Reflections” I wanted to create something keyboard-orientated, a
heavier version of Savage Garden. Steve wanted to create something that sounds
like Gun’s Roses. At the end of the day, Harry turned up the guitars and the
drums and created something, that neither sounds like “Affirmation” nor
“Appetite For Destruction” – Reflections sounds completely unique, and this is,
what I like on this album: love it or hate it, it’s Cornerstone. Alina is the
one who explores new music... I do more researching of old bands, that I don’t
know – so at least they are “new” for me *laughing*
Heavy Paradise : If you had to choose your personal favorite all
time Top 5 albums, which would that be?
Michael: oh, the dark secrets *laughing*. I’d take
those five albums to a lonely island in no particular order:
1.
R.E.M.
– Fables Of The Reconstruction
2.
The
Cure – Disintegration
3.
Alanis
Morrisette – Jagged Little Pill
4.
Alan
Parsons Project – Vulture Culture
5.
Cornerstone
- Reflections
Heavy Paradise : Are there plans for some live performances in
the near future and, of course, are you planning to release a new album?
Alina: Of course, there are a few live performances
already set. We play a lot of gigs in Austria and Germany this year and next
year we will be back in the UK or maybe USA, we don’t know for sure yet.
Heavy Paradise : How do you see today’s melodic rock scene, in
general? Is there any ‘new’ band that you like the most?
Heavy Paradise : So, closing, is there something that you want to
say to your fans?
Alina: Thank you for taking the time and reading
our interview. If you want more information about cornerstone or listen to our
albums check in on facebook: www.facebook.com/cornerstoneaustria , visit our website: www.cornerstone.co.at and check us out on youtube! Our album is available on amazon and
Itunes! Stay tuned!
Heavy Paradise: I want to thank you for this interview and to wish
you all the best for your future plans.
*****Videos:
LAST NIGHT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLF65gepK64
NORTHERN LIGHT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFauXMNlfjA
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