Devon Graves, singer of legendary Californian progressive metallers Psychotic Waltz is coming to Greece for four solo acoustic shows on 5, 6, 7 & 8 December, starting his tour from beautiful Thessaloniki! Therefore, Rock Overdose conducted an interview with the charismatic frontman, which can be seen below.
Rockoverdose.gr: Hello and welcome to Rock Overdose. How are you?
Devon: Great, thanks.
Rockoverdose.gr: Let me start this conversation with your upcoming live shows in Greece. Tell us some things about it and about your feelings.
Devon: It started with a concert offer in Cologne, Germany, Dec 1st. I mentioned the gig on Facebook and a lady named Angelina from Greece asked when I will be coming to Greece. I answered "Book me and I will come." The next day I got an e-mail from one promoter, then another and we booked 4 concerts this December.
Rockoverdose.gr: What I see is a restless person that is always doing something. What's your inspiration of writing music?
Devon: Restless? Not exactly, but I do love to play. I love to create at home in my studio, and I love to play and sing. In a band, especially a rock-metal band, performing is one thing. And performing alone with an acoustic guitar and singing songs that sound good that way, is something very different. I just love the variety of doing both. Lately I have been completely redesigning my home studio and by the end of the year, I will be completely finished. It is looking so beautiful in there, begging to be used. Inviting only the finest musical ideas to be recorded. So the studio itself is my biggest inspiration at the moment. I cant wait!
Rockoverdose.gr: Psychotic Waltz has many fans in Greece. What are your feelings about that and what are your expectations after your reunion?
Devon: I think, especially after all this time, fifteen years apart, it is important not to have any expectations. First off, who knows what our fans from so long ago are into these days? Still into music? Gone country-western with cowboy hats? Grew up and got out of this kids stuff? Who knows? Also we are a strange band conventionally. Our music is not for everyone. There is a whole new generation of rock fans out there. It is always a question how we would be taken by newcomers. Oddly though. So far it went suprisingly well. The Greek fans take it to a whole new level, especially since they had never had the chance to see us live when we were together originally. So that was a bit emotional for everyone, us included. But I find, oddly enough, that newcomers take especially well to Psychotic Waltz much more, so than back in the day.
Rockoverdose.gr: It's a new era for Psychotic Waltz this reunion in your opinion?
Devon: Having said my last sentence, I looks like it could be the time for us. We will see.
Rockoverdose.gr: How easy was your come back with the original line up?
Devon: It was always just a matter of time. It was more waiting than work, so you cant say it was easy or hard.
Rockoverdose.gr: What information can you share with us about the upcoming album of Psychotic Waltz?
Devon: It has been dead slow up until now. My own hands were pretty tied up in moving to a new house last year to building the most awesome home studio anyone could want. But like I said. I am pretty much finished and I am SO ready to start writing. Once I put something on the table, you watch. It's gonna start things rolling and I think it will come together rather quickly after that.
Rockoverdose.gr: What are the next steps for your projects? What else we have to expect from you in the future?
Devon: I am going to just spend all the time I can in my studio creating whatever my heart longs to create. I want to take my work to the next level with my production quality and my song writing. I will offer everything to Psychotic Waltz. They take anything they want to play and the rest I will fully produce alone, with Deadsoul Tribe, with Demi from The Shadow Theory... Some acoustic instrumentation songs. 70 rock funk for a song? Why not? You name it. I am just going to write and record everything that inspires me and let it fall wherever it may. Anything not used by Psychotic Waltz I will just release on www.devon-graves.com
Rockoverdose.gr: If I ask you to give a title to Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe and your solo work nowadays, what would that be?
Devon: Rock. That works for me because back when it was called Rock, there were no limits to the direction an album or an artist could go. Sub categories just eliminate options in my opinion.
Rockoverdose.gr: Tell us about the experience of the last live shows after your reunion.
Devon: It is hard to describe. Everyone on both sides of the stage is very emotional about this and our music has a way of being that very emotion, so it feels intense and euphoric.
Rockoverdose.gr: If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Devon: I could make some wish, or I can do what is in my power to do. I can take posession of my own mind, and take the steps to a place that I choose to go. I can change my part of the world, and this is what I am doing with my website. This is my solution to the current state of the world, in so far as I can affect it.
For Rockoverdose.gr: Vivi Gkiouzi
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