WRIF Virtual Rock Room with TEMPT's Zach Allen & Harrison Marcello
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00:00Thank you so much for watching Riff TV.
00:02Now, this interview is obviously with video, but I don't interview everybody on Zoom.
00:07That's why I put it on my Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast.
00:10We talk to rock artists from all over the genre.
00:13So check out Talkin' Rock with Meltdown wherever you get your podcasts.
00:16And now, to today's video interview.
00:20Well, here with Zach and Harrison from the band Temp.
00:23How are you guys doing?
00:25Great. Thanks for having us.
00:26All right. Now, Zach, you're the singer, and Harrison, you're the guitar player.
00:29Is that correct?
00:30Yes.
00:32That would be correct.
00:33All right. So give us a little bit of info about the band.
00:36Give some people, in case they haven't heard about you, you know, what's going on with the band?
00:41Well, you know, we signed our record deal.
00:45We signed with Better Noise Music, Alan Kovac's label, which has been great.
00:50But we signed right before the pandemic start, and we finished our record right when the pandemic started.
00:55So we made the decision to not put it out and hold on until we could put some touring behind it.
01:01So we have this amazing record that was co-produced with Chris Lord-Alge, who mixed the record.
01:08And it sounds amazing, and we cannot wait to get it out.
01:11And it'll be coming out summertime fully.
01:13And we'll be releasing singles up to then, and then we'll be touring in the summer.
01:19Yeah. So things are finally going to start kicking off after two years of sitting around for COVID.
01:24Yeah. Yeah. You guys aren't the only ones that are in that boat for sure.
01:27So, Zach, where are you guys from?
01:28So we're from New York, born and raised.
01:31Our drummer is from Canada, but we consider him a true New Yorker because he's lived here for at least 10 years.
01:38So we're all from New York. Harrison and I are from Manhattan.
01:41Our bassist Chris is from the Bronx.
01:43And like I mentioned, Nick is a transplant New Yorker from Canada.
01:47Now, I spent the first 27 years of my life in Buffalo, and people always say,
01:51you don't sound like you're from New York.
01:52Yeah, I know. It's funny. It's like when you mention what sports teams are from New York,
01:59like Buffalo always gets left out. And it's like, I mean, the Bills are really the ones worth watching right now.
02:05And the Bills are the only team that actually play in New York.
02:10That's true. Very true. I know. It should be the New Jersey Giants, the New Jersey Jets.
02:15Yeah, that's right. So, Harrison, you're over in England right now, huh? That's pretty cool.
02:19Yes, I'm just visiting family out here.
02:21So we actually just did it. It's weird to be back because we just did a tour out here over the summer.
02:26We played all the big festivals. We did Download Fest.
02:30We played a show with Iron Maiden at Belfast. We played in France at Health Fest.
02:36It was crazy. What are the other big ones? We did Rock'em Park, Rock'em Ring.
02:40So that was really phenomenal. But now I'm back over here, and I'm just wishing I was back here with the band.
02:46I know. I'm jealous, man.
02:47Zach, what were the experiences like playing over there at some of those European festivals?
02:52Man, it was incredible. The response was so overwhelming.
02:56We always talk about the first proper show we did over there.
02:59We did a warm-up show in London.
03:01But when we did Rock'em Park in Germany, we had a circle pit going.
03:06And we hadn't, at that point, we'd only released one song at that point, really.
03:12So to see the response people were giving us to the way we were treated at the festivals
03:17and just how the food we got and just meeting all the other artists and everything.
03:22And, you know, we got to play shows with Shinedown and Iron Maiden and Airborne
03:26and just getting to pick their brains and Tremonti, of course, in Theory of a Dead Man.
03:32It was just such an incredible time.
03:36The fan reaction, they were just so appreciative of our music.
03:41And I remember when we went out into the crowd after one of the shows,
03:45some of the German fans were saying, no one ever does this.
03:47And we just appreciated it so much.
03:49It was the least we could do just to talk with them and express our gratitude
03:54for them bringing the energy every night.
03:57So do you guys have anything lined up for 2023 or can't you talk about it yet?
04:01A lot of bands are kind of like a mum on what they're doing.
04:05Nothing we can really talk about yet, but we're definitely going to be –
04:092023 is going to be the big year for us, finally.
04:13Yeah, I mean, we do have the Christmas single that just came out.
04:17Christmas is the time to say I love you.
04:19And then we do have another single coming out, our version of We Will Rock You.
04:23It will be coming out.
04:24The video is on January 13th.
04:26I'm really excited for that video because it shows the highlights from our tour in Europe.
04:31And then the actual single comes out on all streaming services and everything on January 27th.
04:36So things are happening.
04:37All right, we'll talk about the Christmas song here in a couple minutes.
04:40But first I want to talk about – you guys did that song for the Retaliators,
04:43which I still haven't been able to watch.
04:45I don't even know where it is.
04:47It's like there's about 18,000 streaming services.
04:49I've tried to find it to watch it, and I can't find it.
04:52I think I know half the guys in the movie, but I don't even know where it is.
04:57I'm not sure either.
04:58I think it's on some horror site.
05:01There's like a horror-only streaming site.
05:05Is it Shudder?
05:06Shudder, I think, right?
05:07I think it's Shudder, yeah.
05:09Well, that's no good.
05:09I don't have it.
05:10So I don't want to watch this movie.
05:12Have you guys seen it?
05:13That question is a little bit above our pay grade on how you find the Retaliator.
05:20Have you watched it, Zach, or no?
05:23I actually haven't seen the full thing.
05:25But it's definitely on my list.
05:27I love horror movies and any sort of slasher stuff and vampires and all that good stuff is fun.
05:33So it's on my list, but I haven't actually gotten to see the whole thing.
05:36We were supposed to see it because we actually went to the premiere and met up with everyone that was in the film.
05:42It was really fun.
05:43But I can't remember what we had, but we had some already previously scheduled session or something that just happened upon it.
05:51So we just showed up to the premiere, said, hey, hey, how's it going?
05:55I had a couple of drinks with people.
05:57And then as soon as everyone started walking to their seats, we kind of all slipped out.
06:00We just slipped out, yeah.
06:02Yeah, and you probably would have thought by the middle of December you would have seen it somewhere.
06:05But you guys are the second band, at least the second band I've talked to, that has music on that movie and hasn't seen the movie.
06:12I can't remember who the first was, to be quite honest with you.
06:14But anyway, slasher movies, by the way, Zach, you know, I just saw Violent Night for the second time.
06:20That's an awesome movie to see.
06:21Oh, really?
06:22Yeah.
06:23I've seen it for you.
06:24Is that the David Harper one?
06:25Yeah.
06:26Oh, that looks fun.
06:27Yeah, I'll check that out.
06:28Yeah, I watched Bones and All.
06:31I saw Smile.
06:34That was pretty good.
06:35Have you seen Barbarian?
06:37I did, which takes place not too far from where I am right here in Detroit.
06:42That's right.
06:43Yeah, so that was a surprising one to find out that it took place, you know, in Brightmoor, Michigan, which is right outside of Detroit.
06:52But Halloween Ends, by the way, was awful.
06:55Really?
06:56You didn't see it?
06:57This is embarrassing to say.
06:59I've never even seen the original.
07:00It's very embarrassing to say that.
07:02So, no, I feel like seeing this one now without seeing the original is just kind of sacrilegious.
07:07Yeah.
07:07Black is much more of like a modern horror guy.
07:10Okay.
07:10True.
07:11This is true.
07:12You gotta go back and see the classics.
07:14I mean, after all, you guys, you know, you covered this.
07:17How old is that Billy Squire song?
07:19It's gotta be almost 40 years old now, right?
07:22It's early 80s.
07:23I can't remember the exact year.
07:24It's like 82 or something.
07:2681 or 82, I think.
07:27Yeah, so it's 40 years.
07:28You guys weren't even going to twinkle in your daddy's eye when that song came out.
07:32Nope.
07:35So, I mean, you know, there's all sorts of Christmas songs.
07:38I just talked.
07:38Oh, it was the guys from Ashes to New.
07:40They have a song in the Retaliers movie.
07:42Yes.
07:42They hadn't seen it either.
07:44So, they just covered that Mariah Carey song.
07:47So, Zach, I'll put this one out to you.
07:48What made you decide, you know what?
07:50We've got to revamp this Billy Squire song.
07:52Well, it's actually something Harrison showed us, because Billy Squire is Harrison's godfather.
07:58And I know he grew up listening to that song and the video from MTV.
08:03And he played it for all of us.
08:05And we were instantly like, yeah, this is the one that we have to do.
08:08Because it's such a good song.
08:09And I think a song that not as many people knew about.
08:13So, we loved the song as it was.
08:16We wanted to raise the tempo a little bit and shot the video showcasing New York in the holiday times.
08:23Because it's just such a fun time.
08:25We had a great time shooting that video, running around in our Santa outfits.
08:28Radio City Music Hall, Hudson Yards.
08:31Hitting all the places and, you know, getting to play with people's dogs and everything.
08:35So, when there's a camera, people let you do things that they don't normally let you do.
08:40But, yeah, as soon as Harrison played it for us, we knew it had to be this one.
08:45So, now Harrison, I saw you ripping through, I think, the guitar solo and stuff.
08:50And, of course, you're playing it on this pink guitar.
08:52That's not Billy's, is it?
08:55No.
08:55So, that's actually Jeff Gollum's guitar, who was my other godfather.
09:01Yeah, so many godfathers.
09:02Who was a guitarist in Billy Squire's band.
09:05Yeah, how many godfathers are you allowed to have?
09:07I don't even know.
09:07But, anyways, go ahead.
09:08I'm sorry.
09:09Well, he was a guitar player in Billy Squire's band during the height of Billy's career.
09:14And then he was, he played with Rod Stewart.
09:17He became a big jazz and blues guitarist.
09:19He's a great guitarist.
09:20He unfortunately passed away not too long ago.
09:23But, so that was, so that, it wasn't Billy Squire's guitar, but it was his lead guitar player's guitar.
09:32So, all right.
09:33You know, you guys just opened up this whole Pandora's box here.
09:36So, Harrison, you've told this story a million times, I'm sure.
09:40But how do you become Billy Squire's godson?
09:42It's really not that interesting of a story.
09:47Basically, you know, my parents were both musicians and involved in music.
09:51And both, my dad was born and raised in New York.
09:54And my mom moved to New York.
09:55And they just were in a friend group in the 80s that just so happened to include Billy Squire.
10:01And there you go.
10:02I was thinking for a second you were going to say that Billy doesn't really know he's my godfather.
10:07But the godfather is one you have to know.
10:12I told you guys earlier, I just talked to John Waite earlier today.
10:15I got to be honest with you.
10:16I never thought I'd be talking.
10:17Well, I guess I will be talking about Billy Squire since you guys covered one of the songs.
10:20But that name hasn't been brought up to me in quite a while.
10:23Do you, are you in contact with him?
10:25What is he doing?
10:25Yeah, we are in contact with him.
10:28You know, for one, he had to approve of using the song.
10:32Okay.
10:34But, you know, he, you know, he's kind of basically just retired, living his life out, hanging out at his beach house.
10:43And so, you know, obviously, I had to have a few email exchanges with him with the song.
10:48And he loves the version that we did.
10:50And he's really excited about it.
10:51So it's all good in his camp.
10:53Now, Zach, knowing that Billy was going to hear this, I mean, does it add any pressure to you and what you do?
11:01To be honest, not really.
11:04We're just going to do our thing regardless.
11:06I obviously hoped that he would like it.
11:08And I'm glad to hear that he does.
11:10But we were going to put our spin on it regardless.
11:14And if he didn't like it, it would have been disappointing and probably harder for Harrison than it is for me.
11:18But, but, but no, I think it was just such a good song.
11:24I love the melodies in it and it fit right into my range.
11:28So I wasn't too concerned.
11:29And I'm glad that I'm glad that he liked our version.
11:32Now, people don't know, Zach, but Ronnie James Dio is your godfather, right?
11:36Is that correct?
11:37That's absolutely not correct.
11:39I don't have any famous godfathers.
11:42I leave that to Harrison.
11:44Harrison's, the limit does not exist on Harrison's famous godfathers.
11:48So now we're putting the pieces together as to why you covered this song.
11:51Because I'm thinking to myself, this song is a lot older than you guys are.
11:54And I can't remember hearing it as a kid when I was just growing up outside of Buffalo, like I said.
11:59But, and of course, it's actually, to be honest with you, it's one of my favorite Christmas songs.
12:03It's pretty cool.
12:04And every time you hear it, it's, you know, that time of year.
12:06That's right.
12:07Yeah, it's the time to say I love you.
12:09It's just a great message.
12:11Yeah, it really is a great song.
12:13And to me, it's as a rock Christmas song.
12:15I think it really has the potential to be up there with like the Mariah Carey's of the world.
12:20Because it's just, it's upbeat, it's uptempo, it's fun.
12:23And I think it really is one of the best rock Christmas songs, like original, originally composed Christmas songs.
12:30Yeah.
12:30Now, Harrison, you say your parents were in music and stuff.
12:33What kind of advice they give you?
12:37Um, well, they still do anything in music or no?
12:40Uh, my dad, my dad is, but more on kind of the corporate side of music, but, um, and not in the band space.
12:49It's more, you know, advertisement and that type of thing.
12:51But, um, you know, they've given me lots of advice, obviously, as one could imagine.
12:58But I think the most important thing is this concept, you know, that we really champion in the band, which is having a vision of what you want to accomplish.
13:06And pursuing that vision and understanding what the end goal is that you see for yourself and making sure all the guys agree that here's how we see the band.
13:16Here's the type of music we want to create.
13:18And to not sway from that vision and not be discouraged by people who might not like it or people who say, oh, you guys should do this.
13:25Because the biggest problem you see with a lot of, you know, baby bands and bands that are starting out is they go at it for a year or two, get a little bit of success.
13:34But then, you know, someone comes along and says, oh, actually, you'd be more famous if you did this.
13:38And then they completely switch tactics.
13:40And now they're kind of just lost in this, you know, uh, nebulous thing of where they're, you know, they're a rock band one year, then they're a heavy metal band, then they're a pop band, you know.
13:52So this idea of have coming up with this, sticking to your guns and just following through on what you set out to do.
13:59Now, Zach, what was it like to sing with Dorothy?
14:01That was a lot of fun.
14:05We, I, we only, when we shot the video, we'd only met her like a bit earlier that week for the fitting.
14:12First of all, her outfit was fantastic.
14:14I got to give a shout out there.
14:15And also, I've never seen her wear a bad outfit, but go ahead.
14:19That's very true.
14:21It was, we had natural chemistry.
14:23I mean, we were, and she was great because she, we shot most of that video after midnight, like at least until about three in the morning.
14:31And she was there for the whole thing.
14:33Even when, even when we were shooting our parts without her, she was there rocking with us and just having a good time.
14:38So it was, she made it easy.
14:40It was seamless.
14:41Like I always, I always tell the story when, um, when I first heard the mix of living dangerous with her on it.
14:47Um, and she started singing the second verse.
14:49I thought it was still me singing just because she perfectly laid into the song.
14:55She added some really cool parts.
14:57Um, and she, she just captured it.
15:00I mean, some of the runs that she did were really great.
15:02And then meeting her in person and being able to, to do the video with her was, was a treat.
15:08She's just a pro.
15:09And, um, I was glad that she had us play with her and the Gramercy theater.
15:13Cause that was a lot of fun.
15:14And, uh, she's always been a good friend to us.
15:17Yeah.
15:17She's the best.
15:18So, um, what do, uh, what do people, um, uh, compare your, your, your guys band to Harrison?
15:23I'll start with you.
15:24What do people say you sound like?
15:25Well, I'm actually going to kind of give a bad answer on that and skirt around it a little
15:32because, you know, people hear us play live and they hear a lot of our music, but they've
15:37never actually heard our record yet because it's not out.
15:41Right.
15:41And I think, I think a lot of people, you know, we get comparisons, you know, obviously
15:46we have this kind of new modern take on a lot of what we like about, um, rock music
15:51and, and infusing that with our influences from, you know, modern music and, and R&B
15:56and pop and EDM and that type of thing.
15:58But, um, I think once people hear this record, I think a lot of people are going to be blown
16:04away by it and by where we're taking rock music and they're not really going to be able to
16:09make, um, a direct comparison to what we're doing because, because this, so much on this
16:14record is just really new.
16:16So I'm really excited for people to hear that.
16:18Zach, what do you say?
16:20Same thing.
16:20You know, it's, yeah, the, the, the hardest, it's one of the hardest questions to answer
16:25is when people ask, so what do you guys sound like?
16:27It's like, well, I mean, we, uh, I guess a lot of things like, you know, we take influence
16:32from like, like Harrison was saying, the greats, like I'm a huge Steven Tyler fan.
16:36He's my guy.
16:37Like that's like his style and his lyricism and everything.
16:40And I love Aerosmith.
16:41Um, but you know, we're also listening to everything today from Bruno Mars to Lizzo to, to ghost.
16:50And I just, everything in between there, that's a kind of a weird three artists, but, um,
16:54it's, it's, it's a, it's a tough, it's just a tough thing.
16:58I just think we, it's so cliche and it's, we just sound like us.
17:02I, I don't, I don't think we really sound like anybody.
17:06We have, I, we incorporate elements.
17:09I mean, guitar solos that have been around, you know, forever and, and, um, big vocal
17:14hooks, but I think we're in this kind of weird sweet spot.
17:18It's, it's always a question I have trouble with, especially when friends ask me, I'm like,
17:22I don't know, just come to our show and you make the decision.
17:26So when, when does the record drop?
17:29We don't have an exact date, but it's definitely going to be the summertime.
17:33The summertime.
17:33And we will have once Zach mentioned the 13th and the 27th, we're releasing the video
17:40and then the single for cover of, we will rock you after that singles release.
17:44The next step is we will start releasing new music and singles leading up to the record,
17:50which will be fully released in the summer.
17:53Okay.
17:54Gotcha.
17:55All right.
17:56Well, I'll tell you what, you guys have a great Christmas.
17:57And of course, uh, you know, good luck on this, uh, on this Billy Squire, uh, Christmas
18:01is a time to say, I love you track.
18:03And, uh, the queen song that you're saying and the new record as well.
18:06And, uh, we'll see you on tour.
18:07And when you guys come through the motor city, uh, Zach, I'll take you to where they, where
18:11barbarian took place.
18:13And, uh, you don't want to go to a tiger's game.
18:16Let's go to a tiger's game.
18:17I'm a huge baseball fan.
18:18So let's go to tiger's game.
18:19Well, it usually can, you can find tiger's tickets, uh, pretty cheap and let's do it.
18:26All right, guys.
18:26Thanks so much.
18:27Have a great Christmas and everything.
18:28Okay.
18:31You too.
18:31Thanks for having us.