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| The Exclusive Interview With Todd Sucherman! |
| Already a veteran of many studio sessions with such artists as John Wetton, Steve Cole, Peter Cetera, and legendary Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Todd Sucherman decided to sink his teeth deep into one of America's most flamboyant Rock Art acts and fill the drum chair for Styx in 1996. When original Styx drummer John Panozzo sadly passed away in the summer of that year, Todd was immediately solidified as their full time drummer. With an impeccable fluent technique and machine-gun like speed and power, Todd has quickly paved his way as one of rock's premier drummers. Todd was gracious enough to sit in for some Q & A for Me and was a lot of fun to talk to. I hope you enjoy the interview! |
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| Q: Styx is very clearly rejuvenated over the last couple of years and it shows on stage. The energy seems to be at maximum level and you guys seem to be having a lot of fun! How do the "old warhorses" of the band (Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo, James Young) feel about the renewed enthusiasm? Yourself, Glenn Burtnik and Lawrence Gowan seem to be rubbing off on them! A: Thanks! Yes it definitely is. These Guys are thrilled with what's going on. They've been copped up for years, unable to tour due to the whims of an ex-band member. Now the band is free to do whatever it wants. We've done maybe 360 shows or so in the last three years. The amazing thing is that there is never a bad night. Some may be better than others, but there is never an off-night with these guys. Q: I thought that "Brave New World" was a very fresh sounding and energetic record and I really loved the title track especially, which I thought really translated well to stage. Despite this, it seems that the crowd had a little bit of trouble warming up to the new tracks. Does it frustrate the band when the crowd expects only the classics in concert? After all, this is a very different band now. A: Yes, but we have to be realistic. We've never gotten frustrated. The reality is that people come to hear the hits. If you give them new stuff in bulk, everyone gets up to go pee or to get a beer. We could record Sgt. Pepper, and if people don't know it, they'll get anxious until they hear something they recognize. We have a few things in the set that we will rotate to keep interesting, though. Q: Do you remember where the band was when you heard about John Panozzo passing away? A: We were in New York City in the middle of the 1996 Summer tour. Q: Did You ever get a chance to meet John? A: No, I never did. Q: What is the status on the newest Styx album? A: We are in the process of writing at this moment. We got together as a band (imagine that concept!) to work on things. I think we'll end up with a large pile of material to sift through for this new one. It'll be tough to choose. I'd imagine we will start working on the new record this fall. We want to be prepared and not have a lengthy laborious process. We should bang out the tracks rather quickly. We'll see! Q: Working with Brian Wilson I know was a rather awe inspiring thing for You. How did you get that gig? A: I had worked with the producer of the "Imagination" record, Joe Thomas before. That's pretty much how anyone gets a call for something. I did my two tracks in one evening and shortly after, was asked to do Brian's 1999 tour. It was an amazing experience musically and personally. I hooked up with my would-be-fiancee' Taylor on that gig. It was a magical time. She was singing with Brian and still does. Q: I thought Brian's "Imagination" album was quite good and I was surprised when I saw your name in the credits at that time. I know you have said that you really admire his songwriting and his command of the stage. How does such a presence like a Brian Wilson affect or inspire Yourself and the rest of the band? A: His songwriting is arguably unparalleled. He's one of the all time greats. I'm not really sure of his command of the stage. He's pop music's most reluctant frontman. He just kind of sits there! But that's not the point. It's really a celebration of the Man and his music. As far as how he inspires the badn, well really, who wouldn't be inspired? Did You ever have a teacher in school that you liked, and you really wanted to do good in his class? It's kind of the same thing. You know, you're playing "God Only Knows" and you really want to give it the same love that he did. |