Ion - Interview [D1 Music]

Interview with Ion - a band partially produced by Orgy bassist Paige Haley.

Valdyr: Tell us a little about yourselves.
Todd: My name is Todd. I play guitar.
Nik: Well, Ion is the creation of the best players in Denver. We wanted to do something with a strong electronic drive. Everyone in the band was handpicked because of their talents and what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go.

Valdyr: What inspired you to get involved with music?
Todd: Watching MTV as a kid...and my dad use to play the "William Tell Overature" all the time, and that use to give me goosebumps and that's when I realized how much power music had.
Nik: My father. I grew up listening to stuff like Muddy Waters and Deep Purple. But then I found Metallica, and began playing a lot of metal instead of just blues.

Valdyr: What are some of your influences?
Todd: Rob Zombie, Deftones, Orgy, Staind, Steve Vai, and Randy Rhodes.
Nik: Kirk Hammett, Mike Enzinger, Bjork, Mike Mushok, Tab Benoit, Stephen Carpenter.

Valdyr: If I opened up your CD player right now, what would I find?
Todd: Skrape and System of a Down.
Nik: A Perfect Circle, Bjork's new boxset, and Ficherspooner.

Valdyr: I read that you've been collaborating with Paige Haley of Orgy and Mike Cox of Coal Chamber. How has it been working with those guys, and what kind of help have they been giving you?
Todd: They were great to work with. They were perfectionists and very encouraging about the band.
Nik: Working with Paige and Mike allowed us to come out with a lot of ammo. People took the project more seriously when they found out that big name people were supporting it.

Valdyr: Which do you find more fulfilling, playing live or working in the studio?
Nik: Playing live is my forte. I'm in it for the huge adrenaline rush. Plus I feel that playing live brings you closer to complete strangers. You can touch people emotionally who you may have never ran across without the show.
Todd: I love to play live, but I think the studio is my favorite and most fullfilling.

Valdyr: What's the most memorable moment you’ve had in your music career?
Nik: We where playing a sold-out show with Evanescence; it was the bridge to "Centerpiece". We had 4,000 people jumping. I got goosebumps.
Todd: Opening for Disturbed and Evanescence...and getting our first endorsement deal.

Valdyr: What's your favorite song to play?
Nik: My favorite song to play live would be Judas. That song is so emotionally important to me.
Todd: My favorite to play is "Femmes Night"...my favorite song is "Judas", "Lotus", or "Everchange".

Valdyr: Anything you'd like to tell us about your religious/moral/personal/political/etc. beliefs?
Todd: I believe in Karma.
Nik: "It is better to be thought of stupid, than to speak and remove any doubt."

Valdyr: What are some of your future goals?
Todd: To make a living at music and own a house...and catch a 700lb Black Marlin...I'd let it go; I just want to catch one.
Nik: I want to pay my bills playing music. That's it. I just want to tour with the people who have inspired me and touched my life.

Valdyr: How do you feel about the status of the music industry today?
Nik: Chaos...
Todd: It seems like it's picking back up, but last year wasn't very good for bands.

Valdyr: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would you want to work with?
Todd: Rob Zombie.
Nik: Bjork, Jay Gordon or Maynard; Chino would be awesome, too...

Valdyr: What would be your idea of an ideal tour?
Nik: Something like the first Family Values Tour, where everyone had a full stage setup and full sound. Not one band got shafted.
Todd: Play, play, play....make some money...and have a huge stage setup.

Valdyr: If you had to point to one song as being the most influential in your life, which one would you pick, and why?
Todd: "Thunderkiss '65"; the guitar riff in the beginning just freaked me out...it was so cool.
Nik: "Judas". I've been betrayed by some of the most important people in my life.

Valdyr: What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
Todd: Playing on a larger, more consistent level...and producing other bands.
Nik: I would love to be doing stadium tours, with HUGE stage setups and just changing how music is.

Valdyr: When can we expect an album?
Nik: Early 2004.
Todd: Hopefully by early spring.

Valdyr: I know I found your music through MP3.com, no doubt as one of many fans. How do you feel about the closing of mp3.com, and has it affected your ability to reach out to your potential internet fan base?
Todd: Well, I think it hurts...but there are still a lot of other means to get your music known over the internet.
Nik: We still have mp3.tv, but yes, it has. But as past has shown, when one door closes another one opens.

Valdyr: What kind of advice would you give to those who are just starting out in the industry?
Nik: Go back to school. *laughs* No, seriously, if you have the passion and the want and you believe your music, so will others.
Todd: Just keep pluggin' away...hard work will always pay off in one form or another.

Valdyr: If you could pick one hardship or difficulty that the band has had to overcome, what would it be, and how did you get through it? How did that affect the music?
Todd: Finding the right drummer.
Nik: Drummers; they affect the sound completely.

Valdyr: Had you guys heard about D1 before I contacted you? And now that I know you do know about us, what do you think about what D1’s doing for the industry?
Todd: I think it's great...we heard about it through a different website. It's cool and it can help a lot of other musicians see what the business is all about.
Nik: D1 is an awesome resource for both musicians and fans.

Valdyr: That's all the questions I had...is there anything else you'd like to add or say to your fans?
Nik: Thank you for believing us and giving us an opportunity to show you our emotions, triumphs and failures through music. Buy Ibanez guitars, Kepur guitarstraps and Magnum Cases. LOL, and make D1 your homepage!
Todd: Thanks for the support!!!

Valdyr: Thanks for your time!
Nik: Thank you.

You can find ION on the web at www.ion-music.com. And you can download some of their songs at their mp3.tv site.