KILL DEVIL HILL's REX BROWN: 'I've Never Illegally Downloaded A Song In My Life'

Jason Saulnier of the MusicLegends.ca web site recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA/DOWN and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

MusicLegends.ca: What's your take on the latest PANTERA promo video for the song "Piss" that was just recently released?

Rex: I really didn't have any input in that. It was just put together for a contest kind of a deal. They got people from L.A. to come in and send in a video of them jamming out or whatever and [the director] put it all out together and got them all in one room. Just kind of shows the energy and the punch in the mouth and all that kind of stuff of what "Vulgar Display Of Power" was about. But I had no input on that whatsoever, none of us did. We just let the director run with it and make a promo. Basically, videos these days are nothing but promotional clips. They're not videos anymore. A promotional item.

MusicLegends.ca: Where do you go shopping for your music today?

Rex: I really don't; I just listen to my old record collection. There's nothing really out there. If I do something like that, I will download a full record. I won't download just a single and usually it's through iTunes or Amazon, just like everyone else does. I've never illegally downloaded a song in my life. It just would kind of be hypocritical, wouldn't it? So as a musician, yes, I pay for my music.

MusicLegends.ca: With the release of KILL DEVIL HILL coming out soon, what's next in promotions?

Rex: We got four different singles going to four different radio formats off this record. One's going to one affiliate that has a different format. It's pretty cool, the way of dealing with it these days is a lot different. The way the industry is now, it's completely changed, so you have to really broaden your base and try to get as many people as you can. Instead of putting out the one single to the four different types of affiliates that play different brands of stuff, you can take an individual track and give it to these different affiliates of these. Say I give a track to Eddie Trunk or a track to Full Metal Jackie, a track to Jose (Mangin) at Sirius or give a track to all active rock radio, that's the key that's definitely going to work this next KILL DEVIL HILL. For sure.

MusicLegends.ca: So it seems to be a little more relaxed now for the artists?

Rex: I would not say relaxed. Everybody's just trying to squeak by and see what we can make out of it, you know, out of its destroyed industry. It's very much do it yourself these days and try to get it done, you know. Try to save a little bit of money in your pocket without having to spend everything you have into promotions, on stuff that is not needed, like extra listening parties and stuff like that. I think it is great for the fans but every night we go out and sign autographs regardless after we play. It's still a grassroots kind of movement; that foundation, I think, still will hold true for a long while. You're talking about social media and the whole online media. I think that's definitely a big plus, but going out and playing live and showing what your band can do is as important as everything you have, combined together. You got to put everything in the same basket, and if you have to sell stuff out of your cars, then that's what you have to do, especially for newer bands.

Read the entire interview from the MusicLegends.ca web site.