Cutter's RockCast

Once in awhile a conversation happens with someone you've never met and you just connect. Understanding music and the musicians who make music is something that has always been my goal. I'm a musician myself and music is everything. Alex and I got into a conversation that just goes deeper than most. On top of that The Native Howl is one of the most original bands on the planet. They call themselves thrash grass, it's a mixture of thrash metal and bluegrass. It's as crazy as it sounds, but it's better than you'd ever expect. One last time we're backstage at Louder Than Life, and our final conversation is with the lead singer and guitarist for The Native Howl.

Pop Evil absolutely brought it to Louisville at Louder Than Life. Chris Laplant was filling in on guitar so I asked frontman Leigh Kakaty backstage what happened to Nick. Once we start talking though, we just talk, like old friends do.

In 2011 it looked like Red Light King were about to become huge after having two singles that did very well, one of them peaking at number 3 on the rock charts. Then, it didn't happen. It's not that they went away, it's more of a business thing. It was awesome to catch up backstage at Louder Than Life with Red Light King and to see them back on the mainstage and doing their groove rock thing.

All Good Things jumped onto the scene and immediately scored a number one song with the song For the Glory featuring Hollywood Undead. Now they are finally out on the road and I caught up with lead singer Dan Murphy backstage at Louder Than Life. We also got a chance to talk about their new song with Lacey Sturm that benefits mental health and their work with the To Write Love On Her Arms Foundation.

This is the most awkward interview I've ever done. Listen I know my GWAR history, but with the mask on, while standing in a backstage area where you can hardly hear yourself, he had no idea what I was saying and I had no idea what he was saying. Since GWAR are our masters I will publish this very short interview anyway knowing that if I don't I may not be safe any longer.

Their new album 'The New Dark Ages' rules though! There's even a song on the new album called "The Cutter" featuring Lzzy Hale

You have a set to play that's 13-15 songs, but your band has had 19 number-one singles and 25 top 10s. How do you pick which songs to play live when you're that popular? I had to ask my old friend Barry Kerch that exact question.

I started hearing the name Ego Kill Talent at the last festival I covered, three years ago at Aftershock in California. Why? Because they were this newer band from Brazil that was already turning heads, they were booked to go on tour with Metallica and play all the American rock festivals in 2020. Obviously, that didn't happen due to the pandemic, finally, they are here! I'm proud to say that this was their first show on U.S. soil and I was their first interview in the states.

The beauty of having music conversations at music festivals is sometimes you get to a band or two or on the rise who you immediately connect with. That's the case with Mike's Dead. He's a rapper, a metal artist and so much more. He has everything in place to become very popular very soon and has already taken over social media including TikTok.

Joining me backstage at the Louder Than Life Music Festival in Louisville, KY is drummer Will Hunt from Evanescence, but also from Slaughter, and also from the band where I first heard of Will, Skrape!

The four girls that make up the rock band Plush joined me for a few minutes at the Louder Than Life Music Festival in Louisville, KY