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Interview by: Chelsey Goraczkowski
Edited by: Joshua Koloski
SCARLET HAZE IS A SENSATIONAL GROUP OF TALENT DESTINED TO BECOME THE
NEXT BIG THING TO COME OUT OF MINNESOTA. LEAD BY THE POWERFUL VOCALS OF
FRONT WOMAN KAT PERKINS SCARLET HAZE BRINGS NEW ENERGY AND A BRILLIANT
ARRAY OF SONG WRITING AND CREATIVITY TO A MUSIC WORLD THAT IS READY TO
EXPERIENCE THE NEXT LEVEL OF GREAT SOUND AND ENTERTAINMENT. SHANE
SPELTZ IS SIMPLY AMAZING ON THE DRUMS WHICH LEADS TO A HIGH PERFORMANCE
LEVEL THAT WILL SIMPLY BE HARD TO MATCH. CASEY SMITH SEEMS TO BE FLAWLESS
ON LEAD GUITAR AND VERY WELL DISCIPLINED AS IF HE HAS BEEN DOING THIS HIS
ENTIRE LIFE. TONY WILSON COULD POSSIBLY BE ONE OF TODAYS GREAT BASSIST,
WHICH TO ME IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS GOOD VOCALS. WHEN YOU PUT THIS GREAT
CREATIVE MIX TOGETHER YOU GET A UNTOUCHABLE SOUND THAT WILL SURELY
KEEP ANYONE ROCKING OUT FOR HOURS. COMING TOGETHER IN 2004 THE GROUP
RELEASED THERE FIRST FULL LENGTH ALBUM ENTITLED "OUT OF THE DARK" IN 2005
FEATURING THE TITLE TRACK "OUT OF THE DARK" AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS ONE
OF MY FAVORITES ON THE ALBUM "SUFFOCATING" WHICH IN ITSELF IS A
MASTERPIECE ALL ALONE. THE ALBUM WENT ON TO WIN THE BEST HARD ROCK
RECORDING AWARD FROM THE MINNESOTA MUSIC ACADEMY IN 2006. 2007 MARKED
THE RELEASE OF "THE BOOTLEG EP" FEATURING "COME UNDONE" (WHICH IS
CURRENTLY PLAYING ON THE PAGE) ALONG WITH A NEW VERSION OF "PROMISES"
WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY ON THERE FIRST ALBUM. BOTTOM LINE IS WE ALL BETTER
GET TO KNOW THIS GROUP BECAUSE THEY ARE GONNA BE IN OUR FACES AND
BRINGING THE ROCK FOR YEARS TO COME! -Joshua Koloski
NEXT BIG THING TO COME OUT OF MINNESOTA. LEAD BY THE POWERFUL VOCALS OF
FRONT WOMAN KAT PERKINS SCARLET HAZE BRINGS NEW ENERGY AND A BRILLIANT
ARRAY OF SONG WRITING AND CREATIVITY TO A MUSIC WORLD THAT IS READY TO
EXPERIENCE THE NEXT LEVEL OF GREAT SOUND AND ENTERTAINMENT. SHANE
SPELTZ IS SIMPLY AMAZING ON THE DRUMS WHICH LEADS TO A HIGH PERFORMANCE
LEVEL THAT WILL SIMPLY BE HARD TO MATCH. CASEY SMITH SEEMS TO BE FLAWLESS
ON LEAD GUITAR AND VERY WELL DISCIPLINED AS IF HE HAS BEEN DOING THIS HIS
ENTIRE LIFE. TONY WILSON COULD POSSIBLY BE ONE OF TODAYS GREAT BASSIST,
WHICH TO ME IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS GOOD VOCALS. WHEN YOU PUT THIS GREAT
CREATIVE MIX TOGETHER YOU GET A UNTOUCHABLE SOUND THAT WILL SURELY
KEEP ANYONE ROCKING OUT FOR HOURS. COMING TOGETHER IN 2004 THE GROUP
RELEASED THERE FIRST FULL LENGTH ALBUM ENTITLED "OUT OF THE DARK" IN 2005
FEATURING THE TITLE TRACK "OUT OF THE DARK" AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS ONE
OF MY FAVORITES ON THE ALBUM "SUFFOCATING" WHICH IN ITSELF IS A
MASTERPIECE ALL ALONE. THE ALBUM WENT ON TO WIN THE BEST HARD ROCK
RECORDING AWARD FROM THE MINNESOTA MUSIC ACADEMY IN 2006. 2007 MARKED
THE RELEASE OF "THE BOOTLEG EP" FEATURING "COME UNDONE" (WHICH IS
CURRENTLY PLAYING ON THE PAGE) ALONG WITH A NEW VERSION OF "PROMISES"
WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY ON THERE FIRST ALBUM. BOTTOM LINE IS WE ALL BETTER
GET TO KNOW THIS GROUP BECAUSE THEY ARE GONNA BE IN OUR FACES AND
BRINGING THE ROCK FOR YEARS TO COME! -Joshua Koloski
M4M: YOU GUYS JUST RELEASED A NEW WEBSITE, WHEN DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT?
KAT: YEA WE JUST LAUNCHED OUR WEBSITE ON CHRISTMAS EVE BUT WE’VE HAD A WEBSITE SINCE WE STARTED
THE BAND. WE’VE BEEN A BAND FOR 3 YEARS AND WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER A MORE SOPHISTICATED, MORE
INFORMATION WEBSITE.
M4M: NOW YOU GUYS WERE VOTED BEST FEMALE FRONTED ROCK BAND, HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GETTING
THAT AWARD?
KAT: YEA, ACTUALLY NOWADAYS IT’S KIND OF COOL AND UNIQUE BECAUSE THERE’S NOT MANY GIRL FRONTED
BANDS OUT THERE. SO TO GET AN AWARD LIKE THAT, FROM A RADIO STATION IN IOWA, IT WAS REALLY COOL. THERE
WERE SOME REALLY RESPECTABLE GIRL FRONTED BANDS IN THE NOMINATED CATEGORY AS WELL. I FELT REALLY
GOOD ABOUT BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE ANYWAYS AND IM A BIG FAN OF GIRL FRONTED
BANDS. IT WAS REALLY COOL AND A HUGE HONOR.
M4M: YOU GUYS WON A MINNESOTA MUSIC AWARD FOR OUT OF THE DARK AS “BEST HARD ROCK RECORDING OF
THE YEAR”
KAT: TO BE NOMINATED FOR THAT FELT AMAZING BECAUSE IT’S MINNESOTA AND WHERE WE’RE BASED AND TO BE
RECOGNIZED AMONGST YOUR PEERS AND FELLOW MUSICIANS, IT’S JUST AMAZING. IT’S SUCH A RESPECTABLE
GROUP TO BE IN, I WAS ASTONISHED.
M4M: YOU HAD TRAVELLED TO NEW YORK AND NASHVILLE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER, HOW HAS THAT
INFLUENCED WHAT YOU DO NOW IN THIS BAND?
KAT: MY BACKGROUND IS REALLY DIVERSE IN MUSIC AND AT THAT TIME I WAS PURSUING THEATRE SO I GET MONEY
TO CONTINUE IN MUSIC. I'M FROM NORTH DAKOTA AND I MOVED TO MINNEAPOLIS FOR AWHILE THEN MOVED OUT TO
NEW YORK. IT WAS REALLY COOL, I LEARNED A LOT, MET A LOT OF REALLY COOL PEOPLE AND I WOULDN'T BE
WHERE I’M AT WITHOUT THESE EXPERIENCES FROM WHILE I WAS OUT THERE. I PURSUED MY SOLO CAREER AND
RECORDED MY DEMO THAT GOT ME WHERE I WENT TO WORK IN NASHVILLE. FROM THAT EXPERIENCE I LEARNED
THAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO ROCK AND DIDN’T WANT TO DO COUNTRY SO IT WAS THIS BIG THING THAT GOT ME TO
WHERE I AM NOW AND WHO I AM NOW WITH THOSE EXPERIENCES.
M4M: YOU GUYS OPENED UP FOR BON JOVI WHEN THEY PLAYED AT THE TARGET
CENTER IN MINNEAPOLIS. YOU GUYS DID A BATTLE OF THE BANDS TO GET THAT
OPPORTUNITY, WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
KAT: THAT WAS INSANE! BECAUSE WE HAD GONE THROUGH THIS VOTING PROCESS
THROUGH KQRS WHERE THEY PICK 3 BANDS OUT OF THE 85 FROM THE
MINNEAPOLIS AREA THAT SENT IN THEIR DEMOS. WE HAPPENED TO BE CHOSEN
AND WERE PUT UP ON THEIR WEBSITE AND PEOPLE WENT TO VOTE. WE WENT
THROUGH 2 WEEKS OF VOTING AND WE WERE CONTACTING EVERYONE TO VOTE.
WE WERE ON THE ROAD WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING. WHEN WE GOT HOME,
WE FOUND OUT IN A BACKWARDS PROCESS. I FOUND OUT FROM THE WEST COAST
EARLIER THAN I DID FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ADVISING US THROUGH ALL OF
THIS FROM HERE. THE GUY FROM LA WAS LIKE “CONGRATS…” I WAS LIKE WHAT?! WHEN?! TWO SECONDS LATER I
GOT THE CALL FROM THE REP FROM MINNEAPOLIS SAYING WE HAD WON! THE GUYS WERE WAITING FOR ME AT MY
APARTMENT WHEN I FOUND OUT. SO I CALLED THEM AND THEY WERE SCREAMING AND EVERYONE WAS EXCITED.
WE WERE ON THE NEWS LIKE 10 MINUTES AFTER WE FOUND OUT. WE FOUND OUT ON A MONDAY AND THE SHOW
WAS ON THAT FRIDAY AND WE HAD 4 DAYS TO PREPARE, IT WAS INSANE. I HADN’T BEEN SO EXCITED IN MY ENTIRE
LIFE. WE DID A BUNCH OF MEDIA PRESS THAT WEEK TOO AND I WAS SO NERVOUS TO DO THAT SHOW AND I NEVER
GET NERVOUS. THAT WHOLE DAY I WAS SO NERVOUS AND I WAS ALMOST IN TEARS AND HAD TO CALL MY SISTER IN
TO HELP ME OUT. (LAUGHING) OUR FAMILY HAD TO BUY TICKETS ON EBAY BECAUSE THE SHOW WAS SOLD OUT AND
THAT REALLY HELPED. IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
M4M: THAT’S AWESOME! NOW YOU GUYS ALSO HAVE AN HONORED DRUMMER AND GUITARIST IN THE BAND, SHANE
AND CASEY. SHANE WAS FEATURED IN THE MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE WHILE CASEY WAS NAMED BEST ROCK
GUITARIST OF THE YEAR IN 2003. BRINGING THAT ALL TOGETHER WITH YOUR BACKGROUND HOW HAS THAT HELPED
THE BAND WHEN PROMOTING THE BAND?
KAT: YEA, IT WAS A HUGE THING FOR SHANE AND CASEY TO BE FEATURED IN THE MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE
AND GET THAT AWARD; IT WAS REALLY COOL FOR THEM. IT’S COOL TO BE ABLE TO ADD THAT ON A RESUME SO TO
SPEAK. WHILE BEING IN THE METRO AREA AND ALREADY IN THE SCENE AND GETTING THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
SO THE FACT THAT IT HELPED OUR NATIONAL STATUS AND OUR REGIONAL REACH WAS GOOD.
M4M: INSPIRATION FOR WRITING CAN BE ANYTHING, WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS YOU’VE WRITTEN ABOUT IN
SOME OF THE SONGS YOU HAVE?
KAT: WE WRITE ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS. I’D BE LYING IF I SAID I DIDN’T WRITE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES. IF I SEE
SOMETHING AND IT GETS ME, I WRITE ABOUT IT. WE’RE TRYING SOMETHING NEW WHERE EVERY TUES NIGHT WE GET
TOGETHER WITH WHOSE AVAILABLE AND WRITE. I EVEN WRITE WITH FRIENDS AND THEY GIVE ME SCENARIOS AND
WE GO OFF OF THAT. WE JUST RECENTLY WROTE A SONG ABOUT GETTING HIT ON IN A BAR (LAUGHS) AND IT WAS A
COLLABORATION OF ALL THE EXPERIENCES I’VE HAD WITH THAT. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN TO DO THAT. WE HAVE A
SONG THAT IS ACTUALLY ABOUT QUITTING SMOKING BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A RELATIONSHIP. SO I LIKE THAT TYPE OF
SPIN ON THINGS AS WELL. I LIKE FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS ON WHAT THE SONGS
ARE REALLY ABOUT SOMETIMES.
M4M: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PLACES THAT YOU’VE TOURED/PLAYED AT
THAT HAVE MADE A BIG IMPRESSION ON YOU SINCE YOU GUYS STARTED
PLAYING AND THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO TOUR MORE OF THE US?
KAT: WE ACTUALLY JUST GOT DONE DOING A WEST COAST TOUR IN NOVEMBER
AND DECEMBER. THAT WAS ONE OF THE TOURS THAT ALLOWED US TO HIT A
LOT MORE PLACES TO PLAY. DENVER; MONTANA WHICH IS REALLY A RANDOM
MARKET BUT WE SEEM TO DO WELL IN THOSE, KANSAS CITY WAS ALSO A HUGE
RESPONSE WHEN WE WENT DOWN THERE AND DID A SHOW. I THINK IT’S JUST RANDOM REALLY. IT SURPRISES ME
EVERY TIME.
M4M: NOW THE GOALS THAT YOU GUYS HAD WHEN YOU STARTED THE BAND, HAVE THEY CHANGED TO WHAT THEY
ARE NOW?
KAT: NOT AT ALL. WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING AND ITS STILL THERE AND HAVE GOTTEN BIGGER. WE ALL WANT
TO BE SUCCESSFUL BUT ITS HARD TO DEFINE BEING SUCCESSFUL YOU KNOW? DOES IT MEAN MAKING MONEY,
ETC? WELL, WE DO THAT. WE WANT TO DO WHAT WE DO BEST IN THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD. IT’S LIKE STARTING
A BUSINESS, THINGS CHANGE BUT WE STILL THERE AT THIS POINT OF WHERE WE WERE WHEN WE STARTED THIS
BAND.
