Who are you and what is your role in the band?
Z: I’m Z and I am the lyricist, lead vocalist, and rhythm guitar player for the band. I also create our music videos and video marketing content.
Chris: I’m Chris and I’m the bass player and back up vocalist/screamer/growler for the band. I also have a hand in the writing/arranging/producing of new music.
Kurt: I’m Kurt Meier, and I bang all the things. Meaning I’m the drummer. Come on; get your minds out of the gutter, people.
JR: Hey, I’m JR and I’m the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for the band. I’m the song generator, music wise, and the recording engineer/editor for the band when in the studio.
How did the band get started?
Chris: JR, Kurt, and I were in a band together that the other members decided to take an extended break from. The 3 of us didn’t want to, so we decided to do our own thing. We had a guy come and audition for vocals and brought his friend Z with to audition for rhythm guitar. After a couple jam sessions, Z gave us a CD with some of his solo material and after we heard that, we realized our solution was right under our nose the whole time. With a little bit of coercing, our line up was intact.
Kurt: Three of us had a head start with band chemistry, having played together in a previous band that just kind of faded. When we auditioned Z as a second guitar player and then heard his vocals, it was like a light bulb was switched on. It just fit. And while some of our rehearsals tend to go downward in a spiral of stupidity and jokes, I feel like that chemistry absolutely comes through on our productive days when we’re actually focused, writing and practicing together. There are no egos here and I love that aspect.
JR: As they already said, the three of us were basically getting together just to jam and started writing some tunes. Wrote about 5 or 6 songs, needed a vocalist, so in steps my man Z! He’s the vocalist I’ve been looking for and hearing in my head since I was like 15 years old! No one else could fill that position in my mind.
Who are your influences and how do they play a role in your sound?
Z: I listen to all styles of music so I have a wide range of influences that all play a role in how I write my lyrics, vocalize, and how I play guitar. But if we were to just stick with metal influences I would have to say my biggest would be Metallica, King Diamond, Queensryche, Celtic Frost, and Opeth. All of these bands have a level of theatrical drama in their work and I really like that. But the biggest thing about these 5 are the role the vocals play in that drama and how unique each vocal style is. If you listen to me long enough, you’ll hear elements of all 5 of these vocal styles floating in and out.
Chris: Personally, I would say Jason Newstead and Duff McKagan. Solid foundation, with tasteful accents here and there. As a band, we come from colossally diverse musical backgrounds, so it’s kind of a hodge podge thrown into a blender. We try not to extend out too far into any one specific genre, but a discerning listener can catch bits and pieces, and inside a single song could say that kinda sounds like (enter some band’s name) multiple times and not mention the same band twice.
Kurt: Where do I begin? 90’s thrash metal like Pantera, Megadeth, Anthrax, etc. Love me some Vinnie, Nick, and Charlie. But I also dig a lot of newer stuff, like Chris Adler from Lamb of God, Jason Bittner from Shadows Fall. I tend to have a little more admiration for creativity and syncopation vs sheer speed (although that’s impressive too). When a drum part fits, it just fits, and I love that groove that some guys get into.
JR: I have quite a few, old and new. My main influences, I would have to say, are Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Andy LaRocque, and George Lynch, but I also dig guys like David Gilmore, that guys leads are so tasteful, you could just eat ‘em one note at a time! Then there are newer players like Mark Morton, Willie Adler, and of course, Synyster Gates.
What has been your most meaningful experience being in this band so far?
Z: We were opening for Puddle of Mudd at an all ages show and a small fight broke out during one of our songs because a patron was getting a bit rambunctious in his moshing. After Chris gave this guy some choice words and the rest of the audience helped to kick the dude out of the venue, we had a hard time finding the daughter or one of my good friends. We found her outside with another friend who had whisked her away quickly to keep her safe. After we found her we invited all the kids that wanted to come up on the stage with us to do so for the duration of our set and several of them did. We gave them our giant 3 Days From Dying foam fingers and those kids were just lit up with excitement. We received a lot of kudos from parents and non-parents alike for how we handled the whole situation. While the fight is not visible, there is video of the incident on our YouTube channel.
Chris: I would have to say it was when we were opening for a national act and things got a little out of hand in the crowd. It was an all ages show, so we got concerned about the kids in the audience, and stopped our song to regain some semblance of order. One of our roadies thought for sure I was going to jump in. After everything settled down, we invited all the kids up on stage to watch the rest of the show from the safest place in the building. It was pretty cool.
Kurt: Meaningful? Probably when we had the kids up on stage at Big Shots in Valparaiso after a younger fan was getting shoved around in a one man drunken mosh pit. Everyone else out in the crowd had her back. They surrounded and protected her. I love metal fans. But it scared her a bit, and we wanted to turn a negative experience into a positive one, so we brought her and a handful of other kids on the stage to make them a part of the show. Very cool stuff. We’ve always been very family oriented.
JR: There have been quite a few, but I have to say, when playing live with my brothers 3, when all four of us get in that “groove”, so to speak, and everything is just sounding perfect and the audience is really getting into our shit, that is the most amazing feeling you could ever have. Nothing compares to it!
Favorite memory from a show you’ve played or a place you’ve travelled?
Z: The first time we played at Bada Brew there was a group of diehard metal psychos affectionately known as the Illinois Chapter of the Georgia Metal Alliance in attendance. I credit them as the folks who officially popped my rock star cherry! They were so enthusiastic as we played our music that at one point I turned to JR with the “are these guys for real?” look on my face. But they WERE for real! Their rabid faces are etched in my memory forever because that was the first time I ever really felt cool doing this kind of thing.
Chris: Noticing the members of Otherwise bobbing their heads on the side of the stage to us playing, complimenting us backstage, and giving us a shout out during their set
Kurt: Memorable? Two kind of stand out. When we got off stage after opening for Puddle of Mudd last July and Mushroomhead in December, we were greeted at our merch table by a crowd of people looking to shake our hands and get CDs and shirts signed. That still just blows my mind to this day. I’m just up there to entertain people and have fun in the process. Kind of cool to feel like a rock star, even if for a brief moment, and I can’t thank our fans enough.
JR: I gotta go with Kurt on this one. Seeing our merch booth just literally get mobbed with people wanting to buy our shit and asking us to take pictures with them and sign our CDs and shirts, is just an amazing rush! Other bands are standing around going, “WTF?? Who are these buttmonkeys?”
What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
Z: I just want to continue to write music that sets us apart from other bands. Sure, we have influences but I don’t want to “sound” like those guys. I want 3 Days From Dying to only sound like 3 Days From Dying. I want to continue to write lyrics that actually say something and provoke thought.
Chris: Just to continue to make kick ass music that stands out from the herd. Oh and world domination.
Kurt: Simple. Have fun. Entertain as many people as possible. I love writing music. I love the rush up on stage. I wanna do it for as long as I can. Music can be very emotional. Very therapeutic. If we can get through to even just a few people, that’s powerful stuff, man.
JR: Play our music and have a blast doing it. Period. And hopefully have someone out there listening to our stuff having as much fun listening to it as we do writing and playing it.
Something about you that no one knows?
Z: If I told you that, then everyone would know. Cant’ give up those goods that easily. I’ll write lyrics about it, immerse it in metaphor, then see if anyone gets it. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
Chris: I am a FLUFFY BUNNY! Lol!
Kurt: I have two very distinct sides to me. I’m a TOTAL computer and video game nerd, but also a biker. I’ll give a random stranger the shirt off my back, but I also refuse to take any crap from anyone, regardless of who they are. Maybe I’m schizophrenic. No, I’m not. Yes, I am.
JR: Chris is a FLUFFY BUNNY! Whatever the hell that means! Just keep it six feet away from me!
What is next for the band?
Z: I am ready to get the new CD done and start shooting some bad ass music videos for us. The new material is so much more diverse and well rounded than our first CD both musically and lyrically, With the exception of a couple songs, Feed My Darkness was primarily a hodge podge of music that was written before I was part of the band coupled with lyrics I wrote to replace the ones someone else had written. This one is the complete opposite so this is the first “real” 3 Days From Dying CD in my mind. I also want to start playing larger stages where we’re not smashed up against each other all the time. I’d like to start creating a real SHOW! Not just 4 guys performing their songs in front of a crowd of folks. I want people to go home and REMEMBER what they saw and tell their friends “YOU GOTTA GO SEE THESE GUYS!” Marilyn Manson, KISS, Slipknot! While I don’t see us going the shock route, you get what I am talking about. Their appearance doesn’t change the fact that they are bad ass artists and musicians. But they still leave EVERYONE blown away by an awesome SHOW!
Chris: Finish our second CD soon, do a couple videos, and expand our footprint with a full frontal multimedia assault.
Kurt: Damn, I just wanna finish this second cd right now. The itch is getting stronger as we progress with it. Can’t wait for people to hear this new stuff. Junior, Chris and Z are always full of killer new ideas, like music videos and stuff, so they tend to kind of lead the way with that. I just try to give an assist here and there. I’m always really excited to see what they have in store next.
JR: Gonna sound like a broken record here, or CD in this case, but I am absolutely in love with our new CD! Can’t wait to get it done and get it out there and see people’s reactions to it. Oh, and playing more shows. We’re not trying to get signed or “make it big”, we are just four dudes that love to play music and have fun! Period! I’d like to continue to do just that, but I can’t image doing any of this without these guys. Wouldn’t want to either. By the way, this is where you insert a great big bro-hug between the four of us and we all start crying like 4 year old girls. (laughs) I do mean that whole-heartedly though, all joking aside.
Anything else you want to add?
Z: I never wanted to be in another band again. I play several instruments and write my own stuff. I’ve been burned many times and I am not a kid anymore. I have 4 amazing daughters that I spend as much time with as I possibly can and I run a video production company as well as work a regular job. I really didn’t have time to even consider being in a band. But I am so glad that I decided to come by with my friend the day he came for the auditions. I’ve had a lot of really bad things happen in my life and I have had some amazingly awesome things. Meeting my brothers 3 is among the awesome!
Chris: SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!!!!!!!!! Every single one of your favorite big name bands started out as a no name local. If you see or hear a band you like, go tell that band you enjoyed their music, we LOVE getting feedback, and then tell some friends.
JR: I just wanna say, look, this isn’t funny anymore guys. Where the hell have you guys hid the real presidential candidates???
Connect with 3 Days From Dying (click icons):
By Kinsey Blake Haynes, RockRevolt Journalist
