Interview with Stuck Mojo

When Stuck Mojo started to lay down demos for their next album, lead vocalist Rich Ward had one goal in mind ‘keep it different’. A prerogative that may seem a bit difficult as Rich confidently announces “I think we are one of the most unique bands in the world.” Whether you’ve heard it all before or not, in Stuck Mojo’s case it’s a very accurate statement. Their brand of Rap Rock fusion is a path few have ventured down. Despite their niche genre holding them back from excessive fame and fortune Stuck Mojo are having a Renaissance both in inspiration and band cohesion. So it’s no surprise Rich decided to call their latest release The Great Revival.

For a band with such a turbulent history the production of The Great Revival was a true breath of fresh air. “The album was really different. Everyone in the band was really excited as an organism. It was a revival of the spirit of when we first formed when it was just young musicians enjoying playing with each other.” One has to admire this dynamic in the band considering the conflict of interest experienced when heavy metal and rap are combined. As Rich gets on a roll his bursts of inspiration have to be curtailed to fit in the desires of other members.


The ‘keep it different’ mantra also influenced the content of The Great Revival’s lyrics. Stuck Mojo have left behind their political activism and explored more personal themes. “We were a band who loved to write about politics. We are passionate about it. I’m a news junkie so I love to do songs about it. But we live in a day in age when people are so sensitive you can’t talk about those issues anymore. I’ve had death threats. Its a freakin’ song! If you disagree is it worth killing me? I don’t want confrontation. This new record gave we an opportunity to talk about things that people can connect to. Things we all experience.”

Unfortunately the recording was not entirely positive. Rich had some seventy five minutes of music he wished to record for a double album but record company Napalm imposed a strict time limit for The Great Revival so that Stuck Mojo could meet newly establish tour dates. As a result Rich has his reservations about the album and the music industry. “I really like the songs on The Great Revival but it’s not a complete album. I will never let anyone force me to finish an album early again.”

Published @ www.onthebarrier.com
Link: http://www.onthebarrier.com/feature-interviews/stuck-mojo-release-the-great-revival.html