Hopefully we can start our tour in february: Interview with James Christian (House of Lords)

It’s difficult times for a lot of people around the world and for musicians it’s awful right now. The Covid-19 virus has in all sorts of way made it hard for bands with postponed tours and record releases. I talked to James Christian in House of Lords about the Covid-19 along with some other interesting stuff. The band is here with the brand new album ”New World – New Eyes”.

Hello there James and welcome back with the new album.

-Thank you very much.

Are you pleased with the result?

-I’m very pleased. The record company (Frontiers Records) have released a couple of singles and our fans have been extremely positive after they listened to the singles. I’m very happy right now.

It’s been three years since the release of ”Saint Of The Lost Souls”. How much of that time took it to write this new album ”New World – New Eyes”?

-I would say six months from the start of the writing until we were done in the studio. It took one and a half month to record the album and  it was pretty fast I think, mostly because I know how I wanted to sing and the rest of the members knows how they wanted to play when we reached the studio.

House Of Lords – New World New Eyes

And what’s happening now? The Corona virus are not very kind to the people around the world right now.

-The tour will start in february 2021 and it will last for the rest of the year, if the world have been open up. We really don’t know right now and hopefully we will, for every day, get a step closer to create a vaccin. Right now it’s extremely stressful but we must be comfortable going out before we can even think of touring again. For myself it’s no big deal stay at home. I have my studio and it’s not so much different comparing to what I do in a normal stage of my life.

You have the situation in the states right now with police brutality, demonstrations, plunder and so on. How do you react when you read about this stuff?

-I’m very sad about it and we must remember that this is actions from one man creating this mess. I understand why people are protesting and I support that kind of protest.  I don’t support those people who’s killing, stealing and destroy other mans property or business, we are not that kind of people, that is not America.

The president are not the person who’s calling the shots at this time. We have governors in each state and right now some of them are doing a terrible job. I’m not a political person and I always support the president of the United States. The chaos has to stop right now.

I was reading something interesting in Sweden Rock Magazine. It was about your wife Robin Beck and if we can expect a duet with the two of you in the future. I was giving this a thought and for me House Of Lords is so much better if I compare you with Robin Beck, BUT she had that hit ”First Time” back in 1989 and House Of Lords have never had that kind of hit. So I have to ask if a duet with you and Robin would benefit House Of Lords?

-It definitely wouldn’t hurt. She’s helping out with background vocals if I need some help and our voices are completing each other. Hopefully in the future we can come up with something because the fans wants it as well.

Robin Beck

How long could House of Lords last?

-That’s a good question. Four albums ago we got the same question and we’re still here. For myself I can say that I can last until I can’t write or sing my music anymore. But of course I need to stay healthy and the fans has to be there as well, and we also needs a record company that wants us. So I guess my answer is I don’t know.

Gregg Giuffria? What is he doing these days?

-He is doing his stuff in Las Vegas (I read that he was CEO for a company that designed and built gaming machines) but you really don’t know what happens in the future. We have offers to put the original band together and if you ask me I say yes. I know people out there want it to happen but is has to be right and the other members in House of Lords has to say OK. But when the time is right, who knows.

”Demons Down” is celebrating 30 years in 2022. Any plans on playing the entire album on a tour?

-Yes, there are plans and it’s definitely a tour I wanna do. But in that case it has to be with a keyboard player on stage as well as background singers. I hope it will be for real and hopefully in the next couple of years.

With that answer I believe that ”Demons Down” is your favourite album with House of Lords?

-We have a new album out in june and of course I’m supposed to say that the best album from House of Lords its the new one BUT that’s not true, because ”Demons Down” is the best album. Unfortunately the music business changed and if that has not happened I believe that ”Demons Down” would have make it on the charts. You know it’s still selling.

I saw you in Sala at a little place named Rockland a couple of years ago. Is there any plans coming back to Sweden when this Corona crap is over?

-Oh, I remember Rockland. A small, small place in the middle of nowhere. I really love that place even if it’s small. We got a great contact with the audience. We will be back in Sweden when this is over, that I can promise you.

Ok James, I wish you good luck with the new album and hope to see you in Sweden soon.

-Thank you. We’ll be back.