Lance King interview
by Christine Krusewitz via email
December 10, 2011
When was the idea for your first solo album “A Moment In Chiros” born?
I’ve been wanting to do one for a few years, but wasn’t quite sure what the “subject matter” would be. I kept getting caught up in my work at Nightmare and putting it off. Once I decided what it is I wanted to say, I went about getting it together most of the info I already had from experience on this one so the story wrote itself extremely easily. Realizing I had a wealth of musicians that I knew I decided the best way for me to get this idea out of my head and in musical form was for me to set a deadline and invite some people to join me. My deadline was obvious when I looked at the concept of the album the release date simply had to be 11/11/11. So I put my concept together in a three page email and sent it out to a bunch of my musical friends that I had not yet had the pleasure of creating music with. And I gave them the timeframe, not a lot of time considering the email went out on June 30th this year!
What do you want to express with your music, is there a message for the listener?
Absolutely there is for me, an extremely deep message, I think this message is layered in such a way as to unfold the more you hear this album, but regardless of if people get all the deeper aspects of it, I think it’s an enjoyable listen without any thought. This albums intent is expressed through both it’s music and lyrics so you don’t have to read the lyrics, because the intent of the entire album was created around the concept. You will feel it, and it should feel good, it’s that simple. If you want to think it as well, the lyrics are there, they may seem a bit poetic, vague or ambiguous to the listener in the beginning, but I believe that will change with more listens through the album.
What does the 11:11 phenomenon mean to you?
Well if I answered that question in real detail. it would likely be longer than people have time to read, so to answer it simply, to me… 11:11 was “A MOMENT IN KAIROS” ! Why the play on words with the spelling? Well the other spelling paints a physical picture, almost of a location in the middle East that for sure fit’s the style of many of the songs. Many people have no knowledge of the word Kairos and so it wouldn’t paint any picture but it has great meaning, if you’re curious, google “Kairos Moment”, I find the Wiki a bit cold and vague, but the listing under from Associated content I actually found after I completed the album and had named it, I was rather stunned with how much it stated so succinctly about the meaning of my album, and interestingly the album is not fiction but for me very real. I experienced it, and rather than write a book (which is certainly not my gift) I chose to write in in song, Although perhaps someday I’ll attempt it in a longer form because there is a lot of information and it is really very interesting )or at least I think so lol. But there is more to it really with something like this, I believe people in order to really get it, can’t just be given the answer, they need to figure out the puzzle for themselves, then it becomes relatable to their own lives, then it can have true or lasting meaning to them personally. And so, this album has mysteries yet to unlock for some, and the answers are given for others, depending on your interest, and info seeker skills or how tuned into the subject matter you may be already.
How did you get the idea for the track numbers…111, 222 etc.?
Well those are also number prompts within the 11:11 phenomena, each with it’s own specific meaning, essence and intent. It’s like a balanced ” ladder” of information, it’s flow, works very well for the album with it’s ups and downs of the albums flow. When I sent out the original email to all the musicians I invited to be a part of the project, I sent them these numbers and general meanings for each, then when I received and chose music from the contributors, I decided which piece of music would fit each number prompt, by the feel the music gave me with the general meanings of that prompt. Then when about writing what life’s experience best suited the concept for each track.Not all of these were experiences in the physical world for me, some were more internal and esoteric.
When did you start singing and what was your first band?
That would have been at about the age of three I’m told, I don’t exactly remember, just remember always singing to the radio and music my parents would play. My first band…. was one no-one would know, it was something that saw one or two shows (I think only one actually) but it was that band that introduced me to KISS in 10th grade in 1978-1979, the band was called AJA (pronounced ASIA) before ASIA came out a few years later).
Are you involved in other music projects at the moment?
This is the only one at present, I had to quit all the other things I was doing about a year ago, in order to build up the “creative juices for music” again. That element had been sucked dry from my being in what I was doing. I was just not happy with what I was doing musically anymore. And had let it go on too long, it had simply left me un-inspired. I personally can’t create good music when I’m un-inspired, I need the hunger to make it, and feel the hunger in the others I’m working with creatively to make something really special. Thankfully that has returned in a big way, but it always does when I’m away from playing or making music for any length of time, it’s like seeing your best friend again, and the really cool thing with this album, is that I made a bunch of new close friends making it.
What was the reason to found a label like Nightmare Records?
LOL, Well there were “several” reasons. The first was, I was a musician myself and I needed to get my music out….simple enough! Second…. I needed to make good connections in the music industry (as an artist myself, this I knew to be the most important, it’s not what you know but who you know. This seemed like a great way to immerse myself in learning the business, there is so much to learn and it changes all the time. Third was, it was a way for me to help my friends (other musicians and bands) get their music to the world, and the bonus is that would give me releases to work all year around so that my connections were solid and up to date when I did have something of my own to promote, I was looking down the road proactively knowing full well that the music business is a hard one, and that you need to be attacking it from many directions. And fourth was that I wanted it to develop into income in the industry of my choice so I didn’t have to be working for someone else doing something I couldn’t stand for someone else, isn’t in my genetic makeup, I’m sort of a rebel and I have a serious authority problem, I don’t take orders very well, but if you ask me nicely I will almost always go out of my way to help.
How do you see the future of Nightmare Records?
Honestly? When I started Nightmare, I thought it would just be a part time thing… never more than putting in 20-25 hours a week. Boy was I wrong! We’ll see, the industry is changing everyday, my company is small enough that I can ebb with the flow and go quickly in any direction that I see as a good one, testing the waters each day to see what works and what doesn’t with the trends (not musical trends) But rather social trends, the key IMO is finding where people of similar interests are gathering.
How do you see yourself…more as artist or more as business man with your label?
I see myself as an amalgamation of both, I’m neither more or less, and yet, I’m so much more than these two identities.The combination is a strength for each, because both allow me the freedom to go in either direction when the need is there.
Profits from “A Moment In Chiros” will go to the charity called “NOT FOR SALE”. How did you become involved with the charity and why is it so important to you?
I was made aware of this one during a couple of services at my church, this one really touched my heart and I just knew I needed to someone become involved, I didn’t have enough money that I could donate to make a dent, so I got creative with how I could make a difference.
How did you decide on the musicians who worked with you on the album?
This was both by invitation and by accepting, I invited people I knew, and really enjoyed listening to, they’re playing and their music. I wanted to work with new people that I hadn’t worked with before, it’s always exciting working with new people in this process, you just never know where the music will lead your creativity, and it’s that x-factor I was looking for. Those that rose to the occasion were for the most part included, there were a few artists tracks that didn’t make this album, but it’s not for lack of quality, it was simply that the tracks just were not for this album, their puzzle cut was different.
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with me. Is there something you want to add?
Absolutely, if you bothered reading this interview to this point, I encourage you to go a little farther, and go to my website, listen to the samples, download a free song, add my social links to your network and most importantly if you like the music, buy the album on CD or download. it’s a win/win/win for you, me and of course the people caught in slavery situations that that absolutely need to be freed. May The Force be with you!
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