Tim Brown – Guitars for Striker

1. In a music industry where hard rock and metal albums don’t sell much, how difficult is it to release music as a young band?

TIM: Well you know the music business has changed from the 80s, to the 90s, and in the 2000s digital age. Even in the last five years, I can record a song at my home on my computer with some really good software and sell it on Itunes, Spotify, etc. But then again the old industry was built on people paying for music. Now there are very few gate keepers, and with so much music out there because anyone can self release music online it’s hard to find what you might like. The main thing now is touring. If you are going to be successful you have to be on the road.

2. How has the digital platform worked in Striker’s favor?

TIM: It’s so easy now for someone to check your band out. We can post a link immediately online that sais to check out our latest album. We try to work it online, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you have a great strategy you can reach millions. We are just adding up the tour attendance for the American shows and thousands of people showed up. But online you can reach millions if it’s done the right way. There’s the online , and its really interesting to see what works for each band because every months its like a new social media format is available. You can make a few dollars maybe on Spotify, but that’s after a certain amount of streaming. We literally make our money on tour, and the album promotes the tour. The legacy acts are so successful today because back in their era there was a lot of money backing them, and they were able make investments and find a ways to build their business and brand where there was money in the industry from big labels. Now, the labels are much smaller and there are so many bands the money shrinks per band. The biggest bands, like Metallica, are still the most successful. Maiden too, multi million dollar acts. Ghost are one of the few exceptions who really blew up. We are also part of the Taco Bell “feed the beat” program, get those crunch wraps in you. Lol. Taco Bell basically supports us on the road and it helps us get our name out there.

3. How has Striker’s music evolved from the first two, to second two, and last two albums?

TIM: I think with the first two the music was very speed metal, when they first started, Dan and Ian (the other guitar player at the time), wanted to be like a Racer X. and it kind of evolved from there. “City of Gold” and “Stand In The Fire” when I joined, we started to grow and explore more sounds and styles, even some hardcore. The self titled and latest album I think we incorporated more AOR hard rock harmonies and melodies, hair metal stuff. It gets boring writing the same kind of thing, and it gets repetitive too, which we don’t want to be.

4. If I had to describe Striker’s music to someone I’d say its Metallica meets Gamma Ray, meets TNT and Pretty Maids. What do you think?

TIM: Yeah, that’s a pretty good lineup. I tell people we are Slayer vs Toto. Lol. We are certainly fans of those bands so a variety of hard rock and heavy metal influences us. I don’t see us going in any kind of prog direction, but I do like to write some weird shit. But when we select songs for Striker some of it just doesn’t fit. But I think there is the odd song that can have an odd time change or something. I think our complexity comes in our dueling guitar solos.

5. What extent did you work with producer Michael Wagner?

TIM: We worked with him in Nashville on the album “Armed to the Teeth”, recorded the whole thing with him. Our singer Dan on a whim figured I’ll just send him a message and he actually got back to us with a reasonable offer. I mean he has worked on some big multi- million dollar albums, so you know it’s a sign of the changing music industry. There is no reason to track at a million dollar studio with expensive equipment if you can just do it at home. He recorded, produced, mixed the album. I think he did a great job, he’s an old school guy the way its mixed and mastered. But there are some really good tricks and things that make the songs better. He also helped improving song structures too. But after working with him we wanted to go with a more modern brutal sound which is why we went to Frederick Nordstrum and Hendrik Udd from Sweden.

6. How is the music scene for yourselves, Cauldron, Enforcer, Night Demon, SkullFist, etc?

TIM: I know basically all those bands, played shows with them. Its great because we all support each other, going on tour with SkullFist in November in Europe. When we all started there wasn’t much of a scene for traditional heavy metal so its great to see us all sticking it out. It’d be nice if we get recognized as part of the next generation.

7. So the shows and crowds have been improving with each album?

TIM: The tour we just did with Unleash the Archers went really well over half the shows were sold out. So that’s not the sign of a dying genre.

8. Do you guys get any radio airplay in America?

TIM: Well college radio, yes, but mainstream it’s a whole big ball game you have to play that’s a whole big greasy slimy pit. Munsey from Skateboard Marketing is great and he has been working us on radio.

9. Touring plans?

TIM: We just out North American tour with Unleash the Archers, going to Europe in November. Taking a break for Christmas, and then making plans for 2019. We are hoping to open for a Judas Priest or someone. We will see.

10. Three legacy bands you’d like to tour with?

TIM: Well we already mentioned them earlier. . . Metallica, Iron Maiden, of course Priest. I mean they are the reasons why I picked up the guitar.“Painkiller” was my alarm clock when I had to wake up for high school, hahaha.

Official website: Official page: http://www.striker-metal.com/