Currently building a new life for himself as a producer (although still keeping his hand in on the drumming front, as his performance on House Of Lords' 'The Power And The Myth' proves), Ken recently took time out from shopping his latest protégés, Shelbey, to talk about his career with Reyno-Roxx.Com.

I first met Ken in the mid 80s when he was in London doing press for the first Fifth Angel album. Thanks to his involvement with House Of Lords and the superb Soul Shock Remedy (a band he actually fronted, leaving the drum-kit to one Randi Scott) we've kept in touch ever since, so it was nice to catch up with him again to look back on his accomplishments as well as finding out what his future plans are on the production front. But the first question was a little too obvious.....

What inspired you to take up the drums?

"It was really one of those things that was just inside of me from when I was a child. I was always banging around with pots and pans, and teachers had to take away my pencils sometimes since I was always tapping them.

" When I got to junior high and they asked what instrument you were interested in, it wasn't even a second thought. Drums, of course . . . "

Your first recording band was Strike. How did that band form?

"It was really just a recording project, not really a band. I just did the recording for them (a track on the 'Northwestmetalfest' compilation as well as a full album) and I am not sure what they did after that."

You also worked with the Randy Hansen Band as well. Was that after or during your tenure with Strike?

"Randy was after Strike, and was my first real experience touring and playing some bigger venues. We played theatres and large clubs, and toured around the US. I have very fond memories of working with Randy, and he is perhaps the best showman-guitar player I ever worked with. The guy is an amazing performer; doing backflips onto the stage, playing with his teeth and on top of that he's an excellent guitar player as well."

How did you end up in TKO?

"I don't remember exactly who called me. It may have been bassist Scott Earl who rang me up after seeing me play with Randy. I had always liked previous versions of TKO and loved their music and they were reforming, so I felt it was going to be a great band once again.

"I was trying to get Randy Hansen into TKO as well, but Randy was so big on his own that the other members of TKO felt it would overshadow the band having it's own vibe."

Did you do much touring with them?

"We didn't tour all that much, although we did do some touring in the US. The label was Relativity/Combat, which at that point in time was an international label, but still a small company.

"There wasn't much tour support, but they did what they could and we tried to get out on the road as much as we could afford at that time. Relativity went on to become quite a successful company a few years down the road."

You were also involved in both Fifth Angel and Chastain. This was a very busy period. How did you juggle both jobs?

"Chastain was more of a recording project once again, so really once the records were done, it didn't require any time on my part. David Chastain is a great guy to work with, so I think we did 3 or 4 albums together over a span of about 3 or 4 years.

"Fifth Angel was basically my high school rock band that got signed to Epic Records in 1986. I was deeply interested in making Fifth Angel a success, so when I was touring with Alice Cooper, I would also be doing press promoting Fifth Angel. (This jumps ahead of your next question, but the Alice gig and Fifth Angel were pretty much simultaneous.)

"Fifth Angel was on a very powerful record company, but for whatever reason the band did not seem to be much of a priority at the label. We gained a pretty big cult following, but never really achieved what I thought the band could or should have achieved with proper label support."

You then joined Alice Cooper. Did your reputation go before you, or did you have to audition?

"I had to audition like everyone else. They auditioned drummers for over 3 days, so it was a pretty big cattle call. I felt very confident I was going to get the gig when I went in. I thought the audition went very well and was pretty sure I would get the gig, but they had another full day of auditions already scheduled that they had to go through. That was a little stressful waiting for word after that last day . . . but I did get the gig and the next thing I knew I was playing stadiums in front of 20,000 people a night. It was a very exciting time for me."

Are there any anecdotes you'd care to share about life on the road at this point?

" Well, I could go on for pages and pages about life on the road. There were so many great stories, and so many great experiences, but I will just give you a short one. One of my favourite memories was after joining Alice for the first tour, we were playing Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. It was our fifth show together as a band, and it was going to be broadcast live on MTV to 20 million people. Another 22,000 would be in the sold out arena. It was very exciting as well as a little nerve wracking because we were still a really new band.

"I was looking out of my hotel window onto this very large dome that was Joe Louis Arena. Four months earlier I was playing theatres and clubs, and now I was playing this huge dome with the headlining band and it was SOLD OUT! We would be broadcast live on MTV and I had friends and family watching at home in Seattle.

"My sister came up from Texas to attend the show. It was the most exciting and fun time I think I ever had. There were other shows that were more important to me later on, and perhaps bigger shows, but this show; my first really big concert, was the most fun that it ever was for me. "

Your next stop was with House Of Lords. How did you land that gig?

"I think Chuck Wright and Gregg Giuffria saw me play with Alice at Long Beach Arena in L.A.. I auditioned for that gig as well, and it came down to Matt Sorum and myself. Lanny Cordola wanted Matt and Chuck wanted me. Matt, of course, went on to be in Guns N' Roses, so it worked out very well for him, wouldn't you say? I wonder if he would trade . . . hmmm."

Did you have any influence over the music?

"I wasn't really a member of the band when we tracked the first record, so I didn't have too much input on the first go round. We did the record very quickly and immediately ended up on tour. By the time the second album rolled around, I had a great deal of influence in the songs as well as overall direction. We definitely became a full-fledged band as time went on."

I seem to recall the tour with Nelson wasn't popular with Gregg. Something about not liking the screaming teenage girl audience they attracted. He felt the band should be on a 'proper' tour. Or was this just jealousy???

"I don't think it was jealousy. We went over very well on that tour, but I do think we were pretty heavy and musically quite a bit different from Nelson. I think we felt there may have been better matches for a tour musically more than anything else.

"We all liked each other (HOL-Nelson) as people, and we got along great. It just would have been nice to be on a little heavier tour that matched us musically a bit better."

Was it easy or difficult being in that band?

"I think it was pretty easy, although each member was very talented and also had definite ideas. I think anyone of us could have been the leader of their own band, so it got a little crazy sometimes with 5 chiefs and no Indians.

"Looking back, though, we did do a very good job of working with each other and respecting each others abilities. Every member of the band has gone on to do substantial work in the music industry, so I think that speaks for the talent involved."

Why did you decide to go 'solo', especially as a frontman, with Soul Shock Remedy?

"I just felt it was time to step out and do some music that I was personally passionate about. I had some things I wanted to say, and it is a little easier when you are singing as opposed to just playing drums.

"I had a great time fronting, and felt that I did a good job at that as well, so I put the band together and started playing."

I guess Randi Scott must've been one hell of a drummer to get the gig!!!!

"Randi was not only picked for his drumming, but he's extremely funny and a great guy to be around. We still stay in touch and talk regularly even though he lives in Chicago. I can always count on laughing pretty hard whenever we talk."

 In retrospect, I find SSR were very much ahead of their time,? Do you think so?

"Yes, I think there is a great deal of music now that sounds like we did, and lyrically is along the same lines, so yes, I feel like we were originators in a sense.

"We went for more of a retro feel at a time when everyone was doing the opposite. I don't mean that in any egotistical sense, like we were even aware of that at the time we did the record, but looking back I think we were a few steps ahead . . . either that or really far behind. (laughs)"

Despite rumours of a HOL reunion going on for years, you got more involved in production. Why? Could you also have sustained SSR too?

"I have always been involved in production from the time I was a teenager, and at a certain point I wanted to start helping new artists get ahead of the game. A few bands came to me and asked me to produce their albums, and so I put my abilities into making the best record they could. I enjoyed the process a great deal, so the next thing I knew I was a "producer" instead of an "artist" . . .

"I may have been able to keep SSR going as well, and perhaps I should have. Looking back, I wish I had continued putting out SSR records. But it does take a great deal of time and effort to create something you get excited about in your being, and I would not want to put out anything I don' t feel deeply about."

With the bands you've been working with in recent years, are there any that look likely to break through in a big way in the next year or so?

"There is a band called Shelbey that I produced and co-wrote for that is also sort of retro, but with modern production. The singer is definitely a star and the songs are really cool, so I have high hopes for them.

"A very prominent label recently flew us out to New York City for meetings, so I hope things go well. Also, I am working with a band called Trik Turner, a heavy rock band whose last album sold over 350,000 units worldwide in 2002. I do have high hopes for them as well."

What attracted you to the HOL reunion?

" Well, just to work with my friends again is reason enough. We are all still very good friends, and I felt the material was strong enough not to denigrate what the band was in the past. Regardless of what anyone says or feels about HOL, I don't think the talent of the players can ever be denied."

What are your feelings on the record?

"I feel overall, it is a really strong album. I feel like we can be proud about having done it and not just slopping it together as happens with so many reunion albums.

"Perhaps I would have gone for a few more really aggressive songs if it was just me involved, but you have to work with what the label wants you to do as well. Other than that, I think it is some fine work."

Was Gregg's departure a blow?

"I would say more of a disappointment. I had been talking with him and was sure he was going to do the record. He changed his mind for whatever reason, and I was disappointed because I was looking forward to working with him again, but I would not call it a blow. I am sure I will be speaking with him again soon, and I plan to stay in touch with him, so who knows . . . perhaps he will be on the next one?"

Are there likely to be HOL gigs?

"Not sure yet. I think we are all up for it . . . at least I know I am ready to slam some skins . . . "

Any news on another Soul Shock Remedy album?

"I think Randi would be keen on doing one. I would really like to do one. I do have some songs I've been writing, so who knows? I wish I could tell you either way for sure, but I guess I can't say at this point."

What are you listening to lately?

"I have been listening to a rather bizarre collection of stuff, all the way from classical music to old school 70's rock to some of the hip-hop/rap icons like 50 Cent and Outkast, and bands like Jet and Incubus, (which I really like a lot because of the musical abilities of the band). I really like a wide variety of stuff, so when I hear something that is good, I don't really care about what style it is. It just has to move me on an emotional level."

What does the immediate future hold for you musically?

"I think moving to England to become the next Mutt Lange would be a good move, don't you? Seriously, I hope to do some work overseas producing. I still will be playing and writing, but I believe my future is in production, so that is where I will be concentrating my efforts."

Visit Ken's website at www.kenmary.com