To kick it off, tell us a bit about your background, who you are and where you’ve come from…

I was born in Denver, Colorado and was adopted as an infant.  I had always known that I was adopted and that my father was a musician and my mother was an immigrant from Germany.  My first word that I remember saying was music.  I was always different, felt out of place and that no one saw what I saw.  The family I grew up in, wasn’t a musical family and since I was the oldest, it was up to me to discover music for myself.  My first records that I bought were Van Halen I and Cheap Trick – Live at Budokan.  I was playing the drums then and that music really lit me up.  When I was 17, I joined my first band as a singer and I have been doing it ever since.  There was a time though, when I gave up music all together.  The style of music that I play wasn’t big anymore, my band at the time was falling apart and I had let some of the negative things that can happen, really get to me.  I felt like all of my support was gone.  Once again, even in my band, I felt abandoned.  About 5 years would pass before I picked it up again.  Music is a part of my soul and it just kept tugging at me.  At this point I don’t see how I could ever stop playing and writing.  Music is in my blood, it’s what makes me tick.  I’m a stronger person for my experiences and I absolutely LOVE playing live!  I so can’t wait to get on stage and just  go off!!!

You’ve just released your first solo album ‘Dreamer’ available via your website, how long was this in the making and why was now the right time to do it?

Dreamer took longer than I thought it would to make. About 2 and a half years.  As far as the timing, it just felt right.  And it came together, musically, exactly the way I pictured it would.  This wasn’t a project that was forced or contrived, it has always been inside of me and the time for it to come out is now.  I also feel that my kind of music is making a return in popularity.  I know that I’m tired of hearing a bunch of  wining about how hard your childhood was or how dark you’re feeling.  I mean that stuff is real and I get having an outlet, in 1 or 2 songs, but I also get that people want to go to a show sometimes to have fun, ya know?  I, for one, love to see a killer band with great sound and lights and music that just lifts you up to a place you’d forgotten about.  To me, that’s Rock N’ Roll!  No need to whine or bitch, just get up and let the music move ya’!

For those that haven’t heard your songs, how would you describe your sound to our readers?

I call my music retro-futurist.  Like Van Halen  meets Journey.  Lyric driven songs with big choruses and smoking leads.

Tell us how the songs came together, was it a lengthy process in getting them the way they turned out?

This was a very lengthy process.  I had a certain presumption of how the recording process worked based on my earlier efforts in Colorado, but when I decided to become a solo artist and be solely responsible for the music and all that comes with it, it turned out to be a much bigger task than what I was used to. That said, I loved it and can’t wait for the next time I get into the studio. Overall, it took a little over 2 years to complete.  A lot of that time was spent raising money, since I’m self-funded and have a family to feed, that took a lot of extra effort. 

But in retrospect, that extra time was a blessing because it gave my wife Sabrina and I the space to live with the music, in it’s early stages and helped to create solid ideas for the most important part which is the mix.  Sabrina was a big part of this process.  She co-produced the songs with me and co-wrote on a few of them as well.  As far as the songs coming together, that is and always has been a pretty smooth process for me.  I was very fortunate to work with some amazing musicians that were able to take my ideas as well as my rough demos and interpret them just about perfectly.

You have a message that states ‘Dream Big, Live Free’ explain how this came to you and just what it means to you

Well, to me, Dream Big, Live Free means to do that which fulfills you, that makes you feel right with the world.  Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else, what matters is that what you do is truly what you feel and that it helps you to be a better you.  Don’t be concerned if it seems too far out there, just go for it man!  And I believe that when you go after that which makes you whole, you will truly be free.  It’s kind of like that old saying “If you love your job, you won’t work a day in your life.”

Who are some of your favourite bands or artists that may have influenced you and your sound?

Well, my all time favorite band is Mötley Crüe.  No doubt about it.  I still remember when I first heard Shout at the Devil.  Life changing.  I really like Jane’s Addiction, Godsmack and Marilyn Manson.  As far as Influences go; again, Mötley tops the list for overall vision of what a band should be as entertainers.  Musically my influences are Dio, Maiden, Priest, Cheap Trick, Van Halen and of course the Beatles.  All bands with great melodies and strong vocals. 

If there was one song that you wish you could’ve written, what would it be and why?

The song I wish I had written would probably be ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.  Pretty much sums up my view of the world inside of a great melody.

You’ve said you’re ready to play some shows but you at that point had no band.  Have you managed to find the musicians who will help pass on the message of the Dreamer?

At this time, I am still working on building a band.  Living in Nashville, there are countless professional musicians here that I could enlist and they would be killer.   But for now, the hunt is still on.

What can we expect in 2010 and beyond from you?

2010 will hopefully see me hitting some big stages.  I feel something is in the works right now that will change a lot of things.  I am an entertainer and I look forward to getting back on stage.  Beginning work on a new studio album would be awesome too!

Lastly, you have free reign, anything you want to add, plug or share, now is your chance.

I would encourage people who are into melodic rock to go to my website http://kennidenile.com download my record ‘Dreamer’, share it with their friends and sign up for my mailing list so that I can keep them in the loop. 

Being a dreamer, or someone who goes out on their own, is not an easy task and honestly, isn’t for everyone.  But if you feel like you are being pulled in a direction that you can’t explain, you just know it feels right, then you need to go in that direction and see where it takes you.  I am still searching, learning and sometimes wandering, but I know who I am and what I love to do.  I would hope that my music reaches people and inspires them to go out and kick some ass at whatever it is that they do.  I don’t claim to have all the answers, but there is one creed that I do try to live by;  “To follow your dreams is to follow your heart and to be set free.”  I can’t wait to see you all out there, somewhere, in the world on the road.  I love playing rock n roll and I love singing for people!  I hope that you’ll let me be your Dreamer.

I want to thank MTRBWY for giving me the opportunity to share my story and thoughts with you.

Peace.

Kenni DeNile

Thanks Kenni, May the Rock be with You!