For more than 20 years, Luke Easter could be found fronting the pioneering Christian thrash metal band, Tourniquet. However, after five studio albums, an EP, and a final vocal appearance on that band's 2014 album, Onward To Freedon, Luke Easter has stepped away from the metal madness and returned with his own excellent solo effort, The Pop Disaster. Now, Luke steps up to a mic of a different kind as he takes some time to chat with us here! Check out what Luke's been up to, where he comes from, how he got there, and what's next as we discuss metal, Morrisey, and the completely overrated stature of Klondike Bars!!
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PRR: Luke Easter, the former vocalist for Tourniquet, and no a budding solo artist, has been kind enough to join us to Talk some Trash! Luke, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I've been a fan for years! How have you been?
Luke: I'm well. Busy.
PRR: I can imagine! I just got your new CD, The Pop Disaster, and it is obvious that you have been busy....
Luke: Yeah, between finishing and releasing the record, and all of normal day-to-day stuff, there's not a ton of downtime.
PRR: Normal day-to-day stuff? Come on...you're a rock star!
Luke: I wish! I saw a bumper sticker once that said, "Working Musicians Have Day Jobs". That's very true in most cases, I think.
PRR: Well, if you aren't a rock star, you sure run with a crowd of guys who are in/have been in some signigicant groups. Josiah Prince from Disciple, Jesse Sprinkle from Poor Old Lu and Demon Hunter, David Back from Guardian...that's quite a collection of known artists in the Christian rock and metal world.
Luke: Don't forget Tim Gaines (ex-Stryper). I have been fortunate enough to have made connections with some very cool musicians over the years. Almost 23 years with my previous band gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of people, and some of them I am lucky enough to be able to call my friends.
PRR: I think there's a perception out there that all these Christian bands run in the same circles and all know each other. Is that necessarily the case? Or, is it like any other industry, music or otherwise, and its about networking and relationships?
Luke: It's networking and relationships, at least in my experience.
For instance, Tim, I've been a fan of since the first Stryper record came out. We'd met a couple of times in Southern California back in the day, so he was aware of us. We had a European date in 2008 and needed a bass player, so we called Tim. We've stayed in touch off and on since.
It's similar with David. I bought First Watch when I was 17 or 18, and I've been a fan of Guardian since. We played shows with them, and I've stayed in touch on and off with him and Jamie (Rowe) over the years. Actually, David heard demo versions, a long time ago, of a couple of songs that are on The Pop Disaster. He gave some good feedback, and in a lot of ways, helped me believe I could make this project a reality at some point.
Jesse, I've been a fan of since the Poor Old Lu days. He is one of the most versatile, creative drummers I know. I love what he brought to the table for this record.
Josiah is a newer friend. I actually had never met him until this past March. We'd only interacted online. Kevin Young (lead vocalist of Disciple) has been a good friend for a long time, and he pointed me toward Josiah early on when I was trying to figure out who was going to play on the record.
PRR: Even with all that experience and firepower backing you, the idea of venturing into the solo world had to be scary, didn't it?
Luke: The solo thing is something that's always kind of been in the back of my mind. Kris, my producer and guitar player, and I have talked about making a record together since high school. I didn't start out doing the metal thing; my tastes have always run more to the pop/rock/hard rock side of things, although I am a metal fan. I always wanted to showcase this other side of me, however. I'd brought it up in the past, but I was always asked to hold off on doing anything. So, the timing was perfect for doing it now. Yes, I would have loved to have done it sooner, but I don't think I was ready. I don't think I would have been able to assemble the talent and have the right songs ten years ago.
PRR: Okay, I promise not to dwell on the past, and we're going to definitely spend some time on The Pop Disaster, but I'd be slacking if we didn't talk some Tourniquet for a minute. How exactly did you end up in such an extreme...in a progressive way...thrash metal band?
Luke: I did the whole garage band thing with my friends in high school. I was the world's worst bass player! Then, I decided to go for it and try to be the singer, and I played with a local band for a couple years doing that. I figured out how to sing and not lose my voice, and I learned how to be a part of a band. I also started figuring out how to craft decent songs. That ran its course, and I wanted to go to the next level. I figured I'd either be good enough, or I'd find out quick that I wasn't and I'd cut my hair and go to school or something. Bryan Gray from The Blamed is a friend of mine, and back then he was in a band called Rocks In Pink Cement. We'd done shows together, and he is the one who told me to try out for Tourniquet. I honestly didn't know I could do any of the stuff I ended up doing with that band, but I went for it and sent them a tape. A couple of weeks later, I was in LA auditioning. A week after that I was back in LA rehearsing, and a week or so after that, we were kicking off the Pathogenic Tour in Oklahoma.
PRR: That had to be a daunting situation, stepping into the lead vocalist role to tour for an album you had no part in making (Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance). Were you at all afraid of how fans were going to accept you since your style is so different from Guy Ritter (original Tourniquet vocalist)?
Luke: I wasn't. I was excited to actually be in a working band doing a tour. I didn't sound like Guy and I didn't try to mimic him. I sang the songs my way, but tried to be as respectful of the originals as possible. But, I wasn't really too worried about folks liking me or not. I was more worried about remembering all the words!
PRR: How many songs did you have to learn? And did you have any background in medical terminology, since so many of those early Toruniquet songs used so much of that stuff? (Laughter)
Luke: (Laughs) I did not have a medical background! I had to learn about 12 or 14 songs, I think, and I only had a week or so to learn them before rehearsals started!
PRR: Holy "Gelatinous Tubercles of Purulent Ossification", Batman! (Laughter)
Luke: (Laughter) No pressure!
PRR: You mentioned buying the first Guardian record (First Watch), being a fan of early Stryper, and being friends with members of The Blamed. Did you come of age in that early Christian rock/metal scene of the 80s?
Luke: Not really as a part of it, but I was definitely aware of it. I grew up in church, and the early 80s were a great time, in a lot of ways, for new music in that world. So, I was aware of the new bands who were coming up, but I was just a music lover for a long time.
PRR: I was pretty similar. I was into all the LA bands, and eventually the thrash scene, as well, and just loved the harder music of the time. Then I had a friend who introduced me to Saint and Whitecross and Jerusalem, and I steered HARD into the Christian rock and metal scene. I discovered bands like Messiah Prophet and Bloodgood and Barren Cross and Neon Cross, and from there found the thrash scene, like Deliverance and Vengeance and Sacrament...and of course, Tourniquet...
Luke: Kris, whom I mentioned before, turned me on to Tourniquet right after STB (Stop The Bleeding) came out. He also played on the demo I sent when I was trying to get the audition. And now, all ths time later, he played guitar and produced my solo debut!
PRR: Did you grow up in a musical family?
Luke: Not really. My father sang at church occasionally, and my mother was a very average piano player. But, in terms of being serious about music, no, it was not a musical home. They didn't seem quite sure of what to do when I decided I needed to be in a band. I really don't think they were that supportive until I did my first album.
PRR: Getting back to Tourniquet for a minute, I always tell people that you are to Tourniquet what Jon Bush was to Anthrax...darker, grittier, angrier, heavier...as a singer, and that the band evolved due to that. Is that a fair assessment?
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| (Tourniquet...Luke, Ted, Aaron) |
PRR: Honestly, I prefer both you and Jon, although I love where both bands came from and, seemingly, are returning to.
Luke: Thanks!
PRR: Have you ever had any real contact with Guy Ritter?
Luke: The first time I met Guy was at a club in Santa Clara, California. The band played and some friends and I hung around after to meet them. I've hung out with him a few times at Gary's (Gary Lenaire) house back in the early days of my time with the band.
PRR: What about Gary then? Are you still friends?
Luke: Gary I recently reconnected with. Things weren't great between us by the time he left the band, and it kind of went downhill from there for a while. We reconnected over social media a year or two ago, and we hung out for a bit at the NAMM show in January. I did a vocal for a track he just released. (Check out "Vainglorious Hypocrisy" HERE) It's good to have him as a friend again. It was cool to do something with him. We were only on two songs together back in the day. I think folks will enjoy hearing the two of us together again in a totlly different context.
With the new song...people forget that Gary and Guy started that band (Tourniquet). They were a big part of initially defining that sound. When I heard this new track for the first time, it hit me how much Gary's style impacted the sound of those first few records. The stuff we did after his exit was good, but it sounds completely different.
Sometimes things are greater than the sum of their parts. I used to love Dream Theater, but since Portnoy left, they just don't do it for me. There's some kind of X-factor missing, at least for me. Having had a bit of time and distance, I'd say that we took a hit in some ways when Gary was out of the band. Like I said, we did some good stuff after, but it wasn't the same.
PRR: I have to ask, how does a guy go from those harsher, darker vocals I mentioned, to those you used on The Pop Disaster? I know I told you in a previous conversation that I hear some Sebastian Back in your voice on a couple of tracks, but I hear a lot of Mike Tramp from White Lion on about half the record.
Luke: I am a big fan of bands like Bon Jovi, Extreme, Stryper, Def Leppard...all the great 80s bands. I also love a good pop song. Melodically and structurally, my brain works more in those terms, and its really the way I tend to approach singing. If you listen close to a lot of the stuff I did previously, you can hear a lot of hints of that. The harsher, darker growls and such are what I ddin't know I could do prior to joining that band. I figured out how to do it on the road.
PRR: So with The Pop Disaster, were you making a Not-A-Tourniquet record, or were you
Luke: I'd say a Luke Easter record. I mean, left to my own devices, I'm not going to write a metal record, so it was never going to sound like that band anyway. I did toss out ideas if they reminded me of the past work, but I had already decided early on that I wanted to do a pop/rock record.
PRR: Okay, now the next question, which you know will be asked due to your history and your bandmates on this record...is this a Christian record?
Luke: What makes a record Christian?
I read a thing once where Bono stated that the Psalms are the original blues. I know a lot of people cherry pick the ones about how amazing God is, but there are also a lot that are complaints, and that are about how the writer's lot in life sucks. I know that to many people, a record falls into the Christian category if it's loaded up with sermonettes about salvation, and if it name-checks God or Jesus every other line. If people applied that same criteria to the Bible, the Bible wouldn't pass the test. There's history, genealogy, and poetry in there, along with a lot of killing and a lot of sex. And the Gospel! So, I don't know how to answer that question, really.
I wrote a handful of songs about life. Stuff I've experienced, stuff I've seen others go through, and stuff I think about. I am a believer. I self-identify as a Christian, and to whatever degree of success, I try to live that out. What you believe, what you value in life, will come through in you, whatever you do. So I guess it kind of is, but at the same time, maybe it isn't.
PRR: I was chatting with a friend about music one time, and he asked me about why Christians never sing about sex. He said, "you guys like sex, right?" I laughed at him and said, "Sure. And I'll bet atheists and satanists like ketchup, but I've never heard King Diamond sing about it..."
Luke: (Laughter) Tell him to read Song of Solomon...
PRR: The point of course being what you talked about...what you value in life.
Luke: Exactly...
PRR: As a father, I am very careful about what I deliberately expose my kids to, because there is so much out there I can't control. My kids listen to about 90% music that would be identified as Christian or "positive rock"...bands like Disciple, Skillet, TFK, 7eventh Time Down, Manafest...stuff like that...which I also listen to a lot of..
Luke: That's cool. That's your job as a parent, right? Set boundaries and prepare them to be able to make good choices when it's time.
I don't want to come off as unconcerned about the Gospel, but in reality, salvation is a starting point. It sets you on a path. I think that Christians, in general, but definitely a large chunk of the Christian music world, have turned it into the be-all/end-all final destination, and the culture is the worse for it, in my opinion.
PRR: I started a discussion on Facebook the other day about the fact that I just don't relate to most of the 80s bands I grew up with and felt way more connected lyrically to bands of the 90s and 2000s. It's not that they offend me or anything, I just don't feel as connected to it now, other than for nostalgic reasons. The grunge/post-grunge bands sang about emotions and things I can relate to. I don't relate to the party-all-the-time stuff. I think that's part of what drew me to Christian music at first...music I liked but not with messages I couldn't relate to. Same thing with the "positive rock" bands of today...great message about real emotions and relationships, and yes, sometimes God, but still great music. I get that on The Pop Disaster; real emotions, real experiences...
Luke: Exactly. I like Poison, but I don't spin them like I did back in the day because I'm more grown up. When you're a teenager, everything is about sex and partying and rebellion, at least for a lot of kids. So music like that is appealing, because it's about what's most on a young kid's mind. I think that's why Bon Jovi has had a longer shelf life. After New Jersey, the songs became more about life and less about girls and partying. The band grew up with their audience. I think that's why the Corabi album is my favorite Crue record; there's still sex and parties, but there are other more grown-up themes on there. That's always the goal when I write. I need it to be genuine. I don't want to waste my time making songs that don't really have more to them than just being catchy and singable.
Steve Taylor had a great line in one of his songs. "If music's saying nothing, save it for the dentist's chair." In other words, don't just be backround noise; say something worth listening to.
Luke: Yes! Totally! Even if it is just a pop song! Say what you want about Taylor Swift, but she's writing from the heart about real things that resonate with people. That's why she's so successful. It's pop, but at least it's got some depth.
PRR: Alright, you mentioned "pop", so that leads me to the new record...not the bunch of noise part, but what you were saying about writing about real things. I love "Life Goes On"...I can't stop playing it. Tell me about that song...
Luke: "Life Goes On" was the last song written and recorded. We had all of the others in various stages, and it occured to me that I couldn't imagine any of them opening the record. I needed a song with that feel to it tat had a more upbeat lyric. Then I couldn't come up with anything...for weeks! There were some time constraints we were working under, so Kris told me if I didn't have something by a certain point, it wasn't going to happen. No pressure!
PRR: (Laughter) No...none...
Luke: Kelly, my wife, and I were at the airport headed to Disneyland, and the whole song pretty much popped into my head while we were in line for boarding. I immediately emailed the lyric to Kris, and we had it basically arranged and in production within a week or so.
PRR: Disney IS a magical place!
Luke: Disneyland is one of my favorite places in the entire world.
"Life Goes On" is a different type of song for me. I've always tended to write from a more pessimistic/fatalistic point of view, which I suppose is fine in metal...or if you're Morrisey...
PRR: (Laughing at the Morrisey comment)
Luke: ...but I wanted to try to break out of that a bit. There's still some of that in there, but I think the relative positivity of the chorus saves it from being a lament. It gives it a lift so it's more of an acknowledgement of reality, but an exhortation to keep going because it'll get better.
PRR: Another track I absolutely love is "As Damaged As You Are". To me, it's really an anti-judgement song, that we are all struggling, all carrying our own baggage, and that no one is spared that human condition...even when we put on a smile or a mask or whatever...
Luke: When you're in a band, people think you know stuff, that you've got some special insight into things, purely by virtue of being on a record or on-stage. It's tempting to buy into it, but even if you don't, there's still pressure...real or imagined...to present a certain way so you can maintain that facade of having it all together and having all the answers. But really, we're all broken in some way or other. And it's not even just band people. Pastors, teachers, mentors, whatever...everyone has felt the need to put on a mask so they can hide their brokenness.
PRR: Tell me about "Sideways".
Luke: I started that song about eight years, or so, ago. All of verse one is still the same. I just made one tweak to a line in the bridge because it seemed to harsh to me, and verse two was written maybe two years ago. I had a couple of friends whose marriages imploded around the same time, and that is the genesis of that song.
PRR: I love the snarky attitude of "How To Die Broke And Alone..."
Luke: That's anothe one that took awhile to finish. Some people choose not to be good people. They take their loved ones for granted, they mistreat and abuse people, and eventually they wind up bitter and lonely. Usually with no grasp of why their choices did them in.
I'm happy with that one. It has a "Dizzy Up The Girl"-era Goo Goo Dolls meets "Left Of Self-Centered"-era Butch Walker vibe, at least the way I hear it. Kris was invaluable in giving that song its shape. It was too long. He hacked it down to size and really gave it shape.
PRR: Tell me about "Sleep". I love the arrangement and the strings on that one...
Luke: That one and "Misspent" are the oldest songs on the record. I wrote them and Kris and I did demos for them, and they sat for a long time. The original demo for "Sleep" was way more uptempo and had drums, electric guitar...the whole deal. When we decided to do it for The Pop Disaster, we were asking ourselves what we could possibly have been thinking when we originaly did it. So we slowed it down, stripped it down, and lowered the key a bit. The violin was Kris' idea. We originally were going to have a bass line, but it wasn't working, so we decided to go the cello route. That really made the song work.
Someone I'm really close wit was going through a really difficult time in their life. When we'd talk, they'd tell me how stressed they were in their life and how they couldn't seem to sleep anymore because things were so bad. "Sleep" came out of those conversations. I think it works well as a bookend with "Life Goes On". They're similar topically, but where "Life Goes On" is about not giving up, "Sleep" is about letting go and not getting dragged down.
PRR: I have to know...where did the album title come from?
Luke: A blend of insecurity and being aware of what I'm known for. Obviously whatever name I've made for myself, whatever reputation I've had up until now, has been because I sang in a metal band. This record is decided not metal, and I was concerned how it might be received. So. I decided to give it a tongue-in-cheek title. Thankfully, the respose has been very positive.
PRR: Well, to me, it's anything but a disaster. You pulled it off extremely well.
Luke: Thanks. I can't tell you how good it feels to hear that from people. I like the record. I'm proud of the work Kris and I did, and very pleased with everyone's contributions. It would have really been a bummer if it had ended up being a literal "pop disaster".
PRR: Alright...completely different tack. Let's say I was to pull up at the Easter house on a typical day. What is Luke probably doing?Luke: What time are we talking about?
PRR: (Laughter) Ummm...6:27 PM.
Luke: Finishing dinner whilst watching something on Netflix, most likely. How about you? What's going on at Casa de Arttie at 6:27 on an average evening?
PRR: Wow! Gotta respect anyone who "whilsts" you!
Luke: I like words. Especially semi-anachronistic ones.
PRR: (laughter) Who doesn't?! I like pulling out atypical words in typical scenarios. Anyway, let's see....6:27 PM at my house...I'm probably finishing up making supper, since my wife frequently works later than me. Being a teacher, my day is usually done by 4 or 4:30, at least in the classroom.
Luke: Cool. How old are your kids? Marie is your wife's name, right? How long have you been married?
PRR: Wait a minute! Who's doing the interview here?! (Laughter) My oldest is 11, and my youngest is 6. Marie and I have been together for 20 years, married for 13.
Luke: Nice!
PRR: And you?
Luke: No kids. Met my wife when I was 20, and we've been married 21 years in September.
PRR: Awesome!
Luke: She is...
PRR: Are you a sports guy?
Luke: No, I don't get it. I'm competitive, but not like that. And I don't understand the attraction of watching overpaid people playing games. I really, really don't understand folks using the word "we" when referring to the object of their fandom. I'm a Megadeth fan, but I've never seen them play and then told people how awesome "we" were last night...
PRR: (Laughter) I hear that a lot. I've always been a sports guy. Played baseball, football, wrestled, ran track...even played basketball in junior high and as a freshman. Competitive powerlifter, armwrestler, and bodybuilder for a time, also. Now I just lift for me, and I coach baseball, soccer, and wrestling for my kids.
Luke: That's awesome. What do I know? I geek out over Star Wars and Doctor Who and stuff like that. I imagine there are people who don't uinderstand that at all.
PRR: Quick...best Doctor Who?
Luke: New Who or Classic Who?
PRR: Classic.
Luke: Classic...I'm not as well versed, but I like Pertwee a great deal, but Tom Baker was the first Doctor I was ever aware of, so I have a soft spot for him.
PRR: Tom Baker, for sure! Loved him! See, I have what I like to call Life-ADHD. I'm into too many things for my own good. Sports, music, history, comics, movies...my wife needs to run into some kind of inheritance so I can retire and have more time! I need like 35 hour days!
Luke: I feel you! I just know I was supposed to be independently wealthy by now...
PRR: Well, I'm adopted, so I keep waiting for someone to show up and tell me I've inherited an island kingdom somewhere...
Luke: (Laughs) I survived by telling myself I was adopted, but I guess that's not the same thing...
G2G: So now that the new record is out there, what's next? Are you going to try to play out a bit, or maybe do a video or something?
Luke: I'd love to do shows. I'm trying to figure that out. I'd like to do a couple of lyric videos, also.
G2G: How can people get their hands on The Pop Disaster, because, honestly, they need to hear it...
Luke: iTunes, Amazon, all the various and sundry streaming services, or at my site, www.lukeeaster.com
G2G: Is there some Luke Easter merch out there yet?
Luke: Not yet, its in the works. Lame answer, I know, but I was focused on the record and didn't make sure my merch game was good to go. It will be remedied soon!
G2G: So, there's a possibility of more Luke Solo stuff in the future? Odd Star Wars pun intended...
Luke: (Laughs) Yes, definitely. I do not plan on this being a one-off thing. I already have ideas for the next one.
G2G: Well, I'll be in like for it, becaise I honestly really like The Pop Disaster. I have no doubts it will show up a time or two on our year-end best-of lists. It is truly an excellent effort and I hope that people go in with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is.
Luke: Wow! Thanks! That's awesome!
G2G: How can people best stay in touch with Luke Easter?
Luke: The website. It's a landing place for the release at the moment, but the full site will be up very soon. Also on Facebook and Twitter, obviously.
G2G: Luke, this has been awesome! We've "known" each other for some time through the internet world, but never really had the chance to chat like this. I hope you had some fun, as well...
Luke: This has been great! Thanks for all the kind words, and thanks for making time for me! I appreciate it more than I can say.
G2G: Best of luck with The Pop Disaster, and be sure to stay in touch! We'll do this again!
Luke: Definitely! Thank you.
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So there you have it. Great guy to talk to, and if you still haven't snagged The Pop Disaster, I can not overstate the importance of grabbing it. We'll have the review up soon, but go get it and hear it for yourself. It's not metal, but it is a great melodic rock record that most of you will likely find yourself falling in love with.
