We had the extreme pleasure of sitting down for a conversation with legendary rocker, Tom Keifer. While touring wall to wall, he and his band have a deluxe edition of their album, The Way Life Goes, releasing soon. Tune in to read more about life on the road, life at home with his wife and their son, and what exactly keeps him heading back to the stage again and again…
Why did you decide to re-release a deluxe version of your solo record?
I remember looking at it and thinking that a lot of cool things have happened since the release of this record. And a lot of special people have come into my life, starting with the band, who are depicted in this picture. And I thought, “This is what the album cover would look like if it were released today.” So, my wheels started turning, and there have been a lot of things that we have wanted to do in the course of the years we have been touring: we want to record the new band; there are a couple songs we want to record, and we’ve been wanting to do a documentary of the band. And, Tammy Vega, who travels with us a lot, was sitting next to me when I opened this gift. I thought, “Now we can do that documentary because she had so much great footage of us. So, we decided to do a commemorative special deluxe edition, including all of those elements. This new amazing artist whose done a twenty page book, completely different from the original package, with unique illustrations to bring each song to life; it’s very cool stuff. And, we hired Vance Powell, a producer who has worked with Jack White and Chris Stapleton. He’s worked with Ebb King, so he’s a very versatile producer. So we brought him in about a month ago to Nashville, and we went to Southern Ground Studio and recorded some new tracks with the new band and with Vance producing. And we brought Tammy in, and she had cameras sitting all around the studio. So, part of the documentary is going to be a very inside look at the creation of those tracks as we are recording them. Literally, Tammy was in the vocal booth with me; it was all very cool. So, the package will include the new artwork, the new tracks recorded with the new band, the documentary, and that DVD will also include all of the music videos and a bunch of extra footage that Tammy shot along the way. She’s considered the eighth member of our band because she’s with us so much on the road. So, that’s what the deluxe set is all about. And it will be above and beyond what most deluxe sets are, since we’re including a lot more things that normally aren’t, and we’re going to lengths that are not normally gone to. But, we feel that it’s been a very special couple of years that this group of people has come through together. The songs we recorded – we are not announcing what they are yet. It’s kind of the same way that the band, with the release of the record, brought the band into our world, brought Tammy into our world. The songs are kind of the same thing. They have been inspired by and been a part of the release of The Way Life Goes. We will be announcing what those are soon.
You mention a couple of the new tracks that have been recorded. These are with the band you’ve been touring with for a while, as opposed to, say, the session musicians you had when you recorded the original working album. So, how was the experience different with this band in the studio with you?
Well, it was, let me mention one other thing. The original record is included with this set. And it’s been remastered. (laughs) By Richard Dodd, so that sounds cool. The difference was the original record was made over a very long period of time. And it started out not even being a record. There was no label involved; there was no timeframe. Savannah and I were writing some songs, and recording some tracks with some friends of ours who all happened to be big session players. Savannah knew them from her time at Sony, so she introduced me to these amazing musicians who actually played on the record. So, that record was done more piece-meal, no schedule. We’d go in, and we’d cut a track, and then we’d get away from it and then overdub. So it was done very much however we felt like working. We’d take six months off, and it went over a ten-year period. It eventually evolved into something that had the feel of a record. We went in after the fact to record these songs, so it’s not like they’re just songs that didn’t make the record the first time. A lot of times, deluxe sets are that, and fortunately, these were the ones we chose specially. They were considered for the record originally. And the difference in the experience was this was done much quicker, and the band’s been on the road for a couple years now, and this one really has the chemistry to it. We wanted to capture that feeling in the studio for it. When I talked to Vance Powell, I said, “Look. Everyone in this band sings. We’ve been playing together live for three years now. We’ve been on the road. We want to go and set up live and capture this live; can we do that?” And he said, “I can do that.” So, it was different in that sense in that it was the whole band in the room, set up life, everything baffled off so there was no separation and all that stuff. Apparently, he does that kind of recording a lot. He did it with Jack White, and some others, so I know he does it a lot. They’re very much what you hear on the final tracks, are very much straight off the floor. Even the vocals. I mean, obviously, we went back and did some overdubs, but for the most part it’s dead, straight off the floor. So, it’s a bit different than the way we made the original record. And it went the way I thought it would because the band has such a chemistry, and we’ve been through so much together, that we figured that we’d just be able to roll tape, and it wouldn’t be a real problem. This was one of the easiest recording sessions I have ever had in my life. (laughs) It was great, the band is amazing, and like I said, Tammy was everywhere, so everyone will get a good look of what all that was like.
What do you think of the current state of rock music today?
Well, you know, I get asked this from time to time, and it’s always the infamous question of, “Well, is rock dead?” and that sort of thing. And I don’t think rock will ever be dead as long as there are kids in a garage playing rock and roll, ya know, rock and roll is a spirit. It’s a rebellion thing that you can’t stop people from wanting to play or listen to. I think that, sadly, from the industry standpoint, you don’t hear a lot of diversity in rock anymore. I think that rock formats are very narrow in sonics and dynamics. I remember when we put our records out in the 80s, and with Cinderella, you could take a song like “Coming Home” to rock radio, and it would be a ballad. Or you could take a screaming rock song, and it would play. It was more diverse. Now it seems more like it has to be this sound, and I don’t like the narrowness of it. I grew up in the 70s, and rock stations in Philadelphia that I grew up listening to played all kinds of rock: country rock, like Linda Rondstadt and the Eagles next to Black Sabbath and everything in between on the same station. And I just think that’s a healthier place for music and radio and formats to be so that people get more diversity and turned on to things. As a result of that, I had a lot of ingredients to put into my soup when I became a writer and an artist, because I had everything to listen to and was exposed to. I love all of the bands from the 70s, like Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, and all of them. It was an incredible time in music. We had progressive bands like Kansas, Rush, and Yes. You’d hear all of them on the same station, and I don’t think it’s a healthy state right now that rock is in. It’s too narrow. I listen to Top 40 radio because I don’t like everything I hear on Top 40, but I like the diversity on Top 40. You’ll go from Mumford and Sons to Taylor Swift to Bruno Mars, so you hear more of a variety, which to me, is more inspiring, and then I get hit from left field with a band like Imagine Dragons, who I love. Elle King is another one I love, and on “Exes and Oh’s”, her voice is so great, and Vance actually mixed that track for her. So, when we were talking about working with him, I listened to some of the tracks he had worked on, and I put on the headphones and was like, “Oh, man, I love this track.” I like diversity. I don’t think rock is dead, I think that some of the formats and components of the industry are trying real hard to kill it, but they’ll never stop people from writing it, playing it, and wanting to listen to it.
Sure, sure. How come you’re not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet?
(laughs) I don’t know that I’m deserving of that, so we’ll leave it at that.
But, you’re eligible now, right?
Oh, I don’t know. I don’t really follow all of that stuff, and I don’t really care. If it happened, it’d be great. It’d be cool.
Are you a Prince fan?
Prince? Loved Prince. I feel Prince, to me, we’re about the same age, and so I considered him the King of my generation. We grew up at the same time in the 80s, around the same age, and of all the artists, hard rock to pop, to me, he was ten steps above everybody. He was the King of that generation, and nobody touched him. It was a very sad day to me, particularly him being so young. We’ve lost a lot of greats lately, but I don’t think anyone saw that coming, and it’s hard to imagine a world without Prince for me, personally, because I just loved him. I really did.
Do you find it challenging to make a living in music today as opposed to back in the 80s?
Certainly, record sales are a little different, so that’s something that we’re all getting used to. I think that touring, fortunately, I came up in a time with Cinderella, and those records were released in a time where we did not have the internet problems and downloading. So, we were able to have the record companies who made money off of album sales, the sale of music, so they would reinvest in their artists, and stick with them for three or four records to make sure they had the best producers, best mixers, best studios, and develop them. It was called artist development. I don’t find it hard to make a living because with the touring and all, with all that, there are so many fans that still come out every night to hear the songs and sing the songs, that hasn’t changed very much. The differences are in the record sales because of streaming and illegal pirating. The saddest thing about all of it is that I think it’s very difficult for young artists to not only make a living, but to even get a shot at being developed and having a company really stay with them for record after record. So, in some ways, with the release of The Way Life Goes, I saw that coming, which is why, when these songs started to develop as a record, we really buckled down and finished the record ourselves to deliver a finished product, because that’s what labels want now. The days of “here’s a crappy demo, use your imagination, and spend $300,000 with us not knowing how it is going to turn out…” (laughs) That window is closed now for young artists coming up. I am not saying it doesn’t happen, but literally, that’s how it happened for Cinderella. We had the worst demos in the world coming out, and people had to use their imagination and risk half a million dollars on us, bring in a producer, roll the dice, and hopefully it comes out good. And, now, more and more, technology allows people to make pretty good quality records on their own with Pro Tools and the like, but I think the mindset now is that a lot of labels just want a finished record coming in. And that’s what we did with the last one, so in many ways I have a foot in the old world and kind of stepped into the new world, too. We had to put up our own money to make the record, finish it and deliver it finished. So, I think the saddest thing about it, and people who are borrowing music out there, don’t realize that it really affects artist development. And that pains me a lot because I feel fortunate to have come up in a time where that was available to everyone. You know, and the decade before that, the 70s. If you’ve ever seen the Kansas documentary, their management stuck with that band and poured so much money into that band until “Dust in the Wind” broke. Now, it would be like, “Bye, see ya.” And the 80s were like that, too. We had the benefit of that. And it makes me sad for new artists because they’re barely making ends meet, hoping not to get dropped if their record doesn’t blow up. And that’s the fucked up part of it today.
You mentioned that The Way Life Goes was remastered in this edition. What led the decision to remaster, and why was that done?
Well, since it was released, levels of records have gotten a little bit hotter, and Richard Dodd is very good at making records very loud without compressing them too much. We wanted to get the level up a little hotter. He’s a master of EQ. He fattened it up a bit, and it sounds a little better and is a little louder. We call it fatter and louder. (laughs)
Anything coming new with Cinderella? I’ve got to ask that. Do you guys still communicate?
No, no. Not at the moment. We are on extended hiatus, my friend.
Do you guys talk at all?
Not a whole lot, no.
You mentioned there are a couple new tracks coming out with the deluxe edition of The Way Life Goes. What was the songwriting process for that like? Was it all collectively with the new band, or how did that work?
That’s a question I can’t answer right now. You’ll understand, but I can’t say what they are right now. (laughs)
(laughs) Okay.
It’s a difficult question to answer right now; it’s complicated.
Okay, so Tom Keifer off-tour. What are you doing? Are you a sports guy? Family guy?
Family. We tour so much, and now with Savannah being a part of it all, for the last few years. When we are home, we spend a lot of time with our son, who is twelve. And he plays a lot of sports, so for us, we are so overstimulated with all the traveling that when we get home, we’re a very close-knit family, just the three of us. And he comes on the road with us, and we give him that choice. He plays a couple different sports any given season, so once he’s out of school, when we tour, we go, “Okay, we’re going out for a week run. Do you want to come with us? Or do you want to stay and play your games?” And his first question is always, “Well, where are you going?” (laughs) “Any festivals where there are games and rides? “Okay, I’ll skip my games and come with you guys.” (laughs) And then if he thinks we’re going somewhere lame, he stays home. Most of the time, he really just wants to stay loyal to his own teams, which is the right thing to do, so he won’t go with us out on the road all the time. When we’re not on the road, we hang out with him, follow him out on the road, and his schedule is busier than ours, ya know? He keeps us jumping.
Speaking of festivals, how does it feel to be back here at the M3 Festival?
We had such a great time here last year, and it’s going to be a good time tonight. We heard the place was packed last night, so we’re looking forward to getting out there.
From a fan standpoint, whenever I hear “With a Little Help From My Friends”, you guys really make it your own. What was the decision to start playing that as a group? Was it because of who wrote it?
Actually, that was Savannah’s idea. When the record was getting ready to be released and we were just forming the touring band, which by the way, I will say, the band that is on stage with me, when we were getting ready to release the record and find those guys, I was like, “This is going to take me forever to find the right guys for this.” I wanted it to be a band that could play all of our stuff collectively and still be guys I wanted to hang around with and tour with. These guys you will see on the stage tonight were the first guys to walk into that audition room. So, we call them the band that was meant to be. I couldn’t believe my ears when I walked into the room the first night. I was like, “You’re all fucking hired.” (laughs) And here we are. And not only do we have good musical chemistry on stage, but offstage, too. I think we’re the only band where, when we get home, we’re calling each other to go out to dinner. So, we spend as much time offstage together as we do onstage and on tour, and we’re really just a family. We picked great people, and incredible musicians and singers, too. So, when that band came together, Savannah said, “You know, I think it would be really cool for us to do ‘Help From My Friends’, the Joe Cocker version.” And I was like, “Wait a minute. That’s Joe Cocker.” (laughs) “I don’t want to do that, no. It’s sacred ground. I love Joe.” My feeling on covers is that if you cannot take it somewhere else and make it your own, then it isn’t cool. You don’t want to do it verbatim. You want to have a nod to the older version, but you want to do something with it to make it your own. So, she kept saying we needed to do it with this band, and we could find our own with the vocals. So, at one of the first rehearsals, we tried it, and it felt really good. Its arrangement was similar to the Cocker version, but we have a lot more energy, it’s very guitar-driven. Cocker meets ACDC and the Stones, ya know? But, it felt really good, and so I gave in and said we could do it, and that’s the way it went. You don’t know until you try, so if it didn’t feel right, we wouldn’t do it. But, it felt good. And you know, the way it’s been received live has shown me we made a good decision to do it. The fans seem to like it. So, it worked. Arrangement wise, we don’t do the third verse and kind of condensed it, but we brought a hard rock intensity. Ours isn’t as laid back as his. His version is still the best, but we made it our own.
And you always thank the fans when you play that, which is nice to hear.
Well, I really do. I never get tired of walking onto that stage and sharing that moment and playing for those people. I am appreciative for their support and friendship these last thirty years now. Thirty years ago, they changed my life. And I don’t forget that. And I want to give them everything on the stage that I can. And they continue to change me. Every time that I walk onto that stage feels like the first time for me. Because of them. Singing in the rehearsal room is a very different feel than singing on stage. People always ask me if I get tired of singing those older songs, and I always tell them, “Not on stage I don’t.” The energy of the crowd makes it feel new every time, so I will never be one of those artists who has a “No Hits” tour. I like playing the hits. I know they like to hear it, and they sing it back, and that energy and exchange is what it’s all about. Sometimes in rehearsal, it gets old, but the second I walk on stage, it’s like the first time. And I can’t get enough of that feeling.
You have a second album coming out with the band?
Yeah, the writing process has started. I don’t like to rush that. There are periods where you’re out filling the well and being inspired, and I’ve been doing that on the road and living life the last few years. A lot of times you get into these spots where you think, “Gosh am I ever going to write another song again? It’s been two years…” and that’s the period where you’re living life and getting inspiration, and then it starts falling out. And then songs and ideas just suddenly start coming, so we’re hoping that the follow up to The Way Life Goes goes into the studio next year. Because, my God, we’ve got to come in off the road some time. Next year it’s going to be time for that to come off the road.
What everyone wants to know is, is Cinderella done?
Well, the truth of the matter is, there have been some issues with Cinderella within the ranks of Cinderella for years now. Going back decades. They came to a head in 2012. We took some pretty extreme measures to right the ship and fix things, and we made a pact as a band in 2012 that we would not do anything as a band until the issues were resolved. That’s how much it came to a head. The issues are unresolved, so that’s all I can say about that.
If you weren’t playing rock and roll, what would you be doing?
Trying to play rock and roll…
And, I don’t know about anyone else, but I for one am glad he is playing rock and roll…
Thank you, so much, Tom Keifer for your time, your energy, and for keeping us rocking all these years. We appreciate you and all you do for music.
