Kilkenny guitar abusers Kerbdog have been drafted in to remix one of the tracks on House of Pain's "Same As It Ever Was" EP.
"The guys were given the master of "Running Up On Ya" and told to do basically anything they wanted to do with it", explains manager Merc Mercuriadis. "They took them at their word and more or less ditched everything apart from the vocal track. Possibly I'm biased but with the guitars and drums added, I think it's a far better version then the original. I know the guys are dead chuffed because it's the first time they've been asked to do this sort of thing and it's turned out so well."
Mercuriadis - who as part of the Sanctuary Music team also looks after Bruce Dickinson and Iron Maiden - admits that they were a bit reticent about getting involved with the L.A. rappers.
"None of us are particularly keen of their politics," he admits. "I'll always remember Everlast going on about the IRA being 'freedom fighters', and when the interviewer suggested maybe that's how the UDA see themselves too, saying who?" I think what attracted them to Kerbdog in the first place is that they both use the same Fighting Irish logo. On a personal level, though, their great fun and really nice people to deal with."
As the second most new-played act on American rock radio last year, Kerbdog have established a core audience that Mercuriadis is confident will help take their new album into the mainsteam Billboard chart.
"Put it this way," he continues. "Kerbdog are in a better position at this stage of their careers then Iron Maiden were in theirs. Their back in Kilkennny doing pre-production and writing a few songs and this week Garth Richardson, the producer who did the Rage Against The Machine album, is meeting with the guys and just seeing if they click. The feedback I've had is that their getting on like a house on fire, so the plan is to start recording in Los Angeles on July 1st. They actually wanted to stay here and do it but Garth's daughter has a serious illness and he can't be away from home too long."
"The new stuff Cormac's been writing is still heavy but perhaps it's a touch more melodic which I think won't do them any harm."
Meanwhile, Kerbdog's battle royale with House of Pain emerges through XL records on
June 19th. The other tracks on the various formats of "Same As It Ever Was"
include "Over There (I Don't Care)", "Jump Around", "Top O' The Morning To
Ya", and "Shamrocks and Shenanigans".
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