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Oliver Palotai
Sons Of Seasons
Interview at
Summers End Open Air
28.08.2010
Sons Of Seasons Homepage
Sons Of Seasons @ MySpace
Why did you start Sons Of Seasons during your work with Kamelot and Doro? What was the reason to start your own band?
My main reason was that I was in so many bands, like you say: Kamelot, Doro, Blaze Bayley, Circle II Circle. I was also participated in songwriting there. It is always within a certain frame - you know you have to fulfil the sound of the band and you have to stick to the visions of the artists, of the other band members. Sons Of Seasons is my playground. Now I can do whatever I want without any limits.
You´re working on your new album now. Can you tell us more about the title or guest singers?
The title is not sure yet. For guest singers is sure that Simone (Simone Simons/ Epica) will be on the album again. Because the point is: she´s hearing that songs as the very first person beside me. Because when I´m composing, she´s walking by and say: I like that, I like this. She´s singing to it and then I´m saying: wow, this part you have to sing on the album again, that´s perfect. With other guest singers we are not sure yet. For this album I don´t wanna have so many guests. It´s more than pure Sons Of Seasons.
Do you know something about a release date by now?
It´s gonna be in March we think. Because in May we have a releaseparty tour and so I think it will be in March, around March
Your first album Gods of Vermin got a lot very good critics. Was it easier for you to write songs after this positive reactions, to know that the people like the music?
I think many people expected another Kamelot album or something which they heard before. I was a little bit afraid that they are hear the new sound, maybe they don´t like it. I was really surprised how well the reviews were and what the people said about it. I was super happy about.
Well, I´m impressed because... you think okay, maybe it sounds like Kamelot, but I take pieces out I think that sounds like Helloween, that direction. You go totally different with your own style, your own music...
It was the best. What I really liked that so many reviews said: wow, it´s kind of a new sound. Of course you can not create... how do you say... don´t reinvent the wheel again. I think we have a new mixture and that make it also hard to get total to the people because they´re not sure: which category is it... But in the end I think it´s not important and not a problem for the fans.
All your members are from different bands or played in different bands. Do they all get their influence in writing or are you the man who says: this is the concept? Do you find sometimes a guitar part and refill the song around?
Yes, it´s a little bit like this... Our new guitarist Pepe Pierez - he is now for the first time on the second album - he delivered some great riffs and songs and so I said: wow, that´s really cool. I changed it a little bit so that it is Sons Of Seasons and now do the same with Henning´s vocal lines... It all has to go to the process. In the end I change always a lot and I call them: is that okay, I changed this part or that part. So then in the end it´s really Sons Of Seasons and does not sound like Pepe´s old band or Henning´s old band, there I have to be careful about. But they participated in songwriting too.
It´s good that you say okay I want to have your influence as well...
Because I want that every band member identified to the band and everybody´s happy. I know that from other bands, when you can not participating songwriting, it´s never like: that is also my band. I want them to be happy.
You give some clinics in America. Is it possible that you do some clinics in Europe as well and maybe also with Sons Of Seasons?
Many times because of Daniel Schild, our drummer. He´s in drum magazine, he´s one of the young star drummers in Europe. So I´m sure that´s gonna happen. The problem is at the moment that I don´t have time for it.
Because of recording the new Kamelot album?
In between I´m producing and orgastrating other bands. But I wanna do it one day.
Are you still full member of Doro? Sometimes I read you´re full member, sometimes they say you´re left out or do you keep that open?
I played this year on the 2.500 show and they asked me for some other stuff. The other, Bas Maas and Luca, they are great players. Of course I´m happy when they ask me from time to time.
If you have the free choice to cover one song - which one do you choose?
The point is I´m coming more from classical music and Jazz. It´s really heavy to decide. I really like the impressionists. I would like to take one of those around 19hundred and turn it into something someday. That would be maybe something different. Maybe for the third album I´m really thinking about to do something.
How many instruments can I find in your home, beside the keyboard and guitar?
You find electric bass, flutes, violin, mouth-organ. I played the flutes and mouth-organ in the past. Think that´s about it.
We saw one comment on MySpace that you are happy as a child because of your Fame 7 strings model. Did you already get it?
No, I just ordered it, because I needed half a year just to get the specifications. I was looking for every screw, for everything on the guitar. And now I ordered and it take half a year to build it. I hope it´s gonna be my favourite guitar for the rest of my life.
You got also the other Fame guitars. Most of the guitar players want to have a large scale of guitars for the sounds they want to create. You got an endorsement?
I got a lot of other offers also from a little bit more known companies. But Fame is right there in Cologne. I can talk to the people, we can meet. I like that, I like the personal connection to feel, more than if I have to call Japan or so.
You´re touring a lot in Europe. Do you think that someday you´ll go over the big ocean to America?
I think so... because I really like it
You already get requests to come over for a tour?
When I was in America with Kamelot last time, there were people in the signing-sessions with Sons Of Seasons records. That was a nice surprise. Not thousands yet but it´s slowly growing.
Maybe when you are support-act of your girlfriends Epica, you can go to South America. Is that something you´re thinking about, to tour as support of Epica?
Oh yeah, our last tour with Epica was really cool, really nice, everything went so smooth. I would like it very much but it´s always a question of when is it possible.
When your favourite band would ask you as support-act... which support-requests from bands would be a “dream”?
I really love Deep Purple, because I played with them a couple of times before at the same festivals. They are so cool and really great musicians. I think Deep Purple that would be really cool. Beside that I love Opeth, that´s one of my greatest bands of all times. So this two bands I would never say no.
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