Generations change, bands end and bands begin but Rock and Roll still holds strong. It’s heartening to think that after more than fifty years the music that we know as Hard Rock is still going strong and that there is more new music today then there ever has been. The question these days is how much of that will we be listening to in another 50 years time?
Listening to a band like Amber Wild and their first two singles it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that these guys might one day be one of those bands. Led by the son of Rock’s biggest stars Evan Stanley and his band Amber Wild sound like real contenders and we for one can’t wait to hear more. We caught up with Evan just before Christmas to find out more about the band and their plans for 2024.
Evan: Hey, hey! How’s it going man?
Mark: It’s going good thank you Evan, how are you?
Evan: I’m going good.
Mark: It’d great to see you
Evan: Great to see you too Mark. Thanks for having me.
Mark: It’s great to get to talk to you at this point in the journey. I’ve heard the double A-side single and I just can’t wait for what comes next.
Evan: Thank you so much.
Mark: We’ll get to those songs a little later, but first I have to say it must have been a crazy year for the band!
Evan: It was a crazy first year! We played our first show as a band in January, that was me Marsh and Thomas and then Jake came on in April. So we really didn’t come together fully as a band till April, but we tried our best to pack in what we could and keep going!
Mark: It sounds like a great year and one that ended very well. The feedback I got from a couple of fellow Australians that attended those final two shows that you played in that rather large stadium in New York was very positive. One of them used the word ‘sensational’ they loved the singles but you were even better live!
Evan: Thank you so much. That makes me happy to hear. When we do the live show we always try and capture what we do on record, so that’s awesome.
Mark: So let’s get a little background. What came fist for you? Was it the vocals or the guitar?
Evan: The guitar by a lot of years. I started playing guitar when I was about eleven! So I was the guitar player for a long time and it just got to a point where I fell in love with songs. I was deep into British Blues and I still love that stuff, that gets me going, but when I was like 15, 16, 17 I started listening to a lot of Laurel Canyon, The Byrds, Crosby Stills and Nash, James Taylor and that sort of stuff. And all my favourite British Blues stuff, like the best of it killer songs. Like I love, love, love Derek and the Dominoes – that record just has ridiculous songs, and Zeppelin – I mean it’s hook after hook! Humble Pie has great songs! Even early Fleetwood Mac ‘Then Play On’ has such great songs. So I started falling more in love with songs than playing. I thought ‘I need to figure out how to write’ and to do that I had to sing so I didn’t really get into singing until I was 20 and I was in Nashville for a minute.
Mark: I think you have a great voice, that fits your music well and it’s interesting to hear where your influences come from. Is that how it progressed from British Blues to take in all those West Coast influences?
Evan: Well I grew up in the West here in L.A. so it was always around, and I moved to New York when I turned 18 – but I got into stuff as it came. I fell in love with Green Day and The Killers when I was like 11, because those records came out around that time. Green Day was the first band that I fell in love with that had nothing to do with my parents! (laughs) At all! And the Killers – Dad said “Hey there’s this new band that I think you’d like” and I just loved the from the off – ‘Hot Fuss’ I played endlessly. And it was after that I started playing guitar and I got into British Blues and British Rock stuff, then I got into the Laurel Canyon stuff, then I got into Motown. I think anyone as you grow and go through different periods of life you get attacked to that soundtrack. Whether it was something your friends played, or you girl played, or was on radio for a second. Different moments in your life are marked with different songs, then you listen to that genre, and it broadens your horizons. So I kind of had a bit of everything.
Mark: It’s great to hear that, especially when you mentioned Motown, I grew up with my parents playing Motown in the background, then discovered my Dad’s Led Zeppelin collection. I sounds like we have pretty similar tastes which is wonderful as you’re so much younger than me! (laughs)
Evan: It sounds like it! There’s great stuff in every era. Music is timeless. There’s great stuff coming out now and there’s horrible stuff too! It’s really easy to romanticise the past and I know a lot of guys who are maybe more rock, guitar guys who are always saying “Back in the good old day!” But dude you can dig up a lot of horrible music from back then too! It’s just that 50 years later we forgot about it! You know? (laughs) Don’t get me wrong a lot of my heroes are from back in the day but it’s so easy to get caught up on what was and what might be but just listen to what there is now because there is a lot of great stuff, you’ve just got to find it.
Mark: I think you’re exactly right. Nostalgia is a very powerful force, and you’ll always have that – you’ll always have certain songs that remind you of certain moments in life and certain people, but there’s still great stuff out there. And it’s band like yours that are hopefully going to be leading the way and some of that West Coast music by bands like Dirty Honey who have a clear love of the music you do and yet who can still add something fresh and new to it. I have a snaking suspicion that you will have more than a few songs to join ‘Breakout’ and ‘Silver’ that will have more than a hint of that in there.
Evan: Thank you Mark, we’ve got a lot of stuff coming and very soon, so I’m really stoked for the New Year.
Mark: So what are the plans? Will there be a full-length album?
Evan: At some pint. I mean all of us love full lengths, there’s nothing like settling in… I mean I love vinyl. At the moment I’m in a little 1 bedroom apartments so I don’t have a huge set up here but being able to take a record out of a sleeve and hold the cover and look at it and listen to the whole thing cover to cover – I love that! And all of us love that, all of us love records and especially albums. But with the way music is now I just don’t think it makes sense. We’re all dying to put one out, but we’ll do that when the time is right. But first with all the care and attention and love and time that goes into making music you need to make sure that people are ready for it and are waiting to listen. So I think for now we’re gonna build up that audience and release single after single after single ‘cos we’re not short on stuff. And I’d rather build up that audience and that love and keep them waiting and then we’ll serve up a record when it’s time.
Mark: That sounds like a pretty good plan. You mentioned that the band has only really been around for this year and that you’ve played club dates in L.A. What was it like moving from those clubs to a Festival like Aftershock?
Evan: It was amazing! We did a few months of club dates, and any musician will tell you they played a million show to no people, but quickly with this band, not that we were selling hundreds of tickets or anything, but we never really played any empty shows! We played our first show and a bunch of people came out and a bunch of people were posting about it. And I thought “That’s amazing! Awesome!” But then you always wonder – it’s the first show, everyone’s telling all their people, but what’s gonna happen next? And the next show there were still people there! So I thought “OK, sick!” and then the third and the forth, and it felt really good to see that a lot of people were coming back and bringing people. And a lot of times when we’d share the bill with someone people would tell us after “We loved you, we’ll see you at the next show” and then they’d be there. So it was really cool to see that kind of growth. And then, October really, we went from playing all these little clubs to play Aftershock, which was amazing! We were like the first band up, we played at noon I think, and I thought we’d have like nobody there, but it was crazy! When we started there were like a couple of hundred people and then with each song more and more people kept coming but no one was leaving. We had a couple of thousand people there for sure by the end. And they were watching! That was sick! That was so cool! And then we came back and we opened for Wolfmother in L.A. and then after that we flew out and we started with Kiss. So from a little basement bar with no monitors a month before to then Aftershock, then Wolfmother then Kiss! It was a huge shock to the system – of like “Whoa, these are very different shows.” But it’s been unbelievable, so incredible, and we’re so grateful for the opportunities that we’ve had to be able to play shows like that, especially being so new.
Mark: What is it like playing Madison Square Garden?
Evan: Oh it’s incredible, it’s insane! And they were a very special two nights because that was something I got to share with my Dad. For everyone else it’s “Kiss is not playing live any more”, it’s all Kiss, the Starchild and Paul Stanley, but for me it’s just my Dad. It’s a huge moment in music history, but a really huge moment for us and my family and for him. So to get to share that was really, really cool. So that was really special, but also having seen so many shows at The Garden and then to get up on stage and play there was mind-boggling. It was wild!
Mark: I know you’ve seen a fair few Kiss shows over the years, can you remember the first show you ever saw?
Evan: I have no idea! (laughs) That was a long time ago! But I can tell you what the last one was!
Mark: (laughs)
Evan: Getting to play there was amazing and seeing people react was something I won’t forget. It was Kiss’ last shows in New York and our first shows in New York. And then the night after we played a headline show and we sold that out – that was incredible even though it was a little club. You’re going from 20,000 to like 250, but it’s packed out and they’re there for you. Everyone there bought a ticket and gave us their time and their money to see us. That was really, really cool, a really fun, really great night.
Mark: That would have been incredible. We have a little segment we save for radio now and we ask everyone the first time we speak, I’ve never asked your Dad sadly, but I have asked Gene, and Ace, and Peter and Eric, and Bruce. So based on what you’ve already told me about the music you love I’d love to hear your answer to this. If you could have been a ‘fly on the wall’ to witness the creation of any album in the history or Rock and Roll – what would have loved to have seen and heard being made?
Evan: Oh that’s so hard! Umm…. Either Zeppelin III or Sergeant Peppers. I mean it’s impossible to choose. Part of me wants to say Zeppelin I, because you’d get to see the beginning the start of it all, but to me Zeppelin III is my personal favourite. That’s that one that really got me into Zeppelin. I’d heard a lot of Zeppelin before when I was young but a cousin of mine gave me a CD of Zeppelin III and I was like “What the fuck is this!? Oh my God! ‘Immigrant Song’, ‘Celebration Day’, ‘Out on the Tiles’! And then ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ – I still think that is the best guitar track ever recorded! So part of me would say Zeppelin I to be there from the start but Zeppelin II is extra special for me, and Sergeant Peppers, I mean, I have nothing to add to that! (laughs)
Mark: And how difficult and different it must have been in those days to produce that music.
Evan: Oh man yes. Now you take it for granted and throw whatever series of plug-ins you want, and you can throw as many as you want, you can reorder them, you can twist all the knobs and save that and try other things. It didn’t work like that back then (laughs). They got the craziest results from extreme limitations, and I think there’s something to be said for that.
Mark: I always thought it forced a creativity on a band, that is lost on so many bands these days. As far as your production is concerned the singles sound fantastic – who do we have to credit for that?
Evan: It’s funny. ‘Silver’ we did at our buddy Clay’s. He’s a great engineer and ripping guitar player, writer, producer – you know a little bit of everything. We were over there and we weren’t even supposed to track it but we kinda finished that one up quick and we played it at a show and Tommy and I were in the studio, Tommy our drummer, a ridiculous player and great musician. So that day there was just us two and I was just like “Dude we should track ‘Silver’” There was just something about it, ad Clay heard it and he thought it was really cool. So we just threw down the basic and the next day we got Marsh on there playing guitar and everything – it just came together real quick. So that was a mix. I had a lot of ideas for that – that was one I could clearly hear in my head what it should sound like. And then between me and Clay and Marsh and T we figured it out fast and that was that. And then ‘Breakout’ it was funny – I sent my Dad a voice note of that song. Both the songs were last minute ones – both singles that weren’t supposed to be tracked came out! But this one there was just something that wasn’t vibing right – there was too much that wasn’t right. So we thought “Fuck it, let’s just track ‘Silver’ today.” So we banged it out quick and thought “Yeah, this is it.” And ‘Breakout’ we wrote at the last minute because we wanted a set opener. I had most of it but I was stuck on a couple of parts and I went over to Tommy’s with Marsh, another ridiculous musician. And we just banged it out real quick and finished it up but I wasn’t happy so I sent the voice note to me Dad. He called back and said “This is real cool but I have some ideas do you want to go in the studio?” and I thought “Fuck yeah” so we finished that one and it was really cool. Again it was a super last minute thing – just a month before the tour was supposed to start. So we had the set opener. Then we all went into rehearsals and Jake came in, the bass player, it was ripping and great, great vibe and he came in and we brought it all to life.
Mark: You sound great as a band and very cohesive live so I’m told. How did you all meet? Have you known each other for a long time?
Evan: No, when we were on the road we found this old video, well not that old, it was exactly a year ago to the day of our L.A. headline show the first time. Tommy and I met in maybe November of 2022. I was at a show with a buddy, he was there with a mutual friend and we all went to a diner after. I’d heard him play before, I knew he was killer but we just hit it off. We jammed and then he knew Marsh and we played a little bit and then we were playing with a bass player who was a good guy but now quite working, so I was talking to friends as we still had a bunch of shows on the books. So I got a call from my buddy Frank who said “Hey, you have to hear this guy Jay” So he came over and it all just clicked. So it’s really only been the band since April when it really came together: that’s when we got Jake and it became what it is now.
Mark: That’s crazy because the chemistry is there – it just works.
Evan: Thank you so much. We’re certainly grateful for that. As soon as T and I played together we knew there was something there so we were like “OK there’s something here we need to keep going” and then Marsh came in and we thought “Oh shit” – with each subsequent piece of the puzzle we knew it all made sense.
Mark: Are you expecting, or have you had any adverse feedback, purely because of who your Dad is?
Evan: For sure! But the more people that like you, the more that will hate you so…
Mark: (laughs)
Evan: We really love what we do, so bring it! We’ll keep working at it and every day we’ll try to do a little better than the day before, we just want to improve all the time on the last show, the last song, everything. That’s all we can do. If everyone likes something you’re probably in trouble because music has to be at least kinda polarising.
Mark: At least you’ll get heard and that’s enough for a band these days – one of the hardest things is to get heard.
Evan: Yeah, and if you hate us enough to be typing comments in the comments section that’s something! You’re dedicating time and energy to us! I’ll take it! But honestly, we’ve been lucky in that we’ve gotten so much positive feedback and so much support from so many interesting places. It’s been really awesome.
Mark: Well you’re always welcome Down under.
Evan: Thank you. I’ve never been there I’m dying to go.
Mark: Dad and his band always liked paying us a visit.
Evan: We’re dying to, everybody loves Australia. Dad and the whole band raves about Australia, but none of us have been so we’re dying to go.
Mark: And a final question “What is the meaning of life?”
Evan: Oh man! Have as much fun as you can and leave things slightly better than before you came into it. Simple!
Mark: I’ve tried to avoid Kiss questions and to be honest when I posted that I was going to be talking to you this morning the vast majority of questions that came in were about your band which is great!
Evan: Wow!
Mark: I thought that was pretty cool. But there were a couple of questions that are sort of Kiss related that I thought we could close with: one I though was quite funny and the other I think people will be interested to hear.
Evan: OK. I’m ready!
Mark: If you could cover one Kiss song what would you cover?
Evan: I wouldn’t, and I love so many Kiss songs and I know the guys in the band love a ton of Kiss songs too. But there wouldn’t be a point to it you know, Kiss is Kiss and I don’t really have any interest in trying to be that, so I’m going to leave Kiss to Kiss and keep doing Amber Wild.
Mark: That’s the prefect answer Evan and the one I was hoping you would give us. But you must have a favourite Kiss album over the 50 years of Kiss, tell us what that is?
Evan: That’s hard so my answer will be a little longer on this one. I grew up so in the middle of it that for a very long time for me it didn’t even register that it was a band. It was Dad’s work. They were cool songs, but I heard them so much that it wasn’t that I liked them or disliked them it was just that it wasn’t a matter of like or dislike, it didn’t even register the way that a lot of other music did. That was because I’d heard the songs so much since I was so young. But by the time that I was 16 I had heard enough musicians that I really loved and looked up to raving about Kiss. So I thought ‘Alright. I’ve got to do my absolute best to really sit back and listen to Kiss the way I listen to any other band.’ So I tried, and of course I never really could or can, but I did my best. And I’d never actually listened to a Kiss record up until then: I’d seen countless shows but I’d never really listened to any of the deep cuts, I’d never listened to an album from cover to cover. So I thought I better start with ‘Alive’ and I put ‘Alive’ on and did my absolute best to listen, not as my Dad’s son, but just ‘I’m putting a record on’. And it’s killer! I was like OK I get this! That makes sense (laughs) it’s wild! And from there I started going into everything else and got a good taste of it all. So ‘Alive’ like for a lot of people was kind of the gateway but my personal favourite is probably ‘Rock and Roll Over’ tied with ‘Destroyer’. It’s really hard to say. I think ‘Hotter than Hell is really sick too. There’s so much great stuff but I think as an album over all either ‘Rock and Roll Over’ or ‘Destroyer.’
Mark: I think I’m with you there. I heard them when I was very young and Kiss was my third ever concert, but it was always ‘Rock and Roll Over’ for me I think.
Evan: We agree.
Mark: It’s been an absolute pleasure to speak with you this morning Evan. I can see great things ahead for the band based on the feedback I have from some very ardent Kiss fans who saw those last two shows. Thank you so much for taking the time.
Evan: That makes me so happy to hear. I really appreciate the support and thank you for talking to me Mark. Have a great one and hopefully I’ll get to see you in your part of the world soon.
Mark: Now that would be cool!