melodylane

MELODY LANE: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES are performing live again. How is that going? Tell us something about audience reactions and feelings of the band.
KENNY KWEENS: Yes, we are back and it feels good. It's been a while, but it felt good to play the songs again and reconnect with the band. We are all friends and that is a really important part of it this time around. To spend quality time with each other makes it work. Beautiful Creatures has always felt like a family within the band and with the fans. I'm glad to see that still exists. We have fans telling us how important this band is to them and that is always nice to hear.

MELODY LANE: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES will be releasing a new video for the bonus track "GET YOU HIGH" included in the DEUCE DELUXE EDITION. Can you tell us something about it?
KENNY KWEENS: Sure, it has been an exciting and great experience working with the guys again and reconnecting. First of all, it was the first time that all 5 of us were finally in a room together since we got back together, so that was really cool and made it even more special. The video is being shot and edited by Fabio Jafet and myself. Fabio has won 9 Emmys and is a very talented and creative artist. I love imagery and making videos. The video will be shots of us playing, mixed with some very beautiful creatures. This would be the perfect time to thank all the girls that were in it. They were divine to watch and capture on film, it was a night I will always remember.

MELODY LANE: A remastered deluxe edition of DEUCE, the second album of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, has been released. Will you bring the album on tour in the next months? Any chance to see BEAUTIFUL CREATURES on tour here in Europe and in Italy?
KENNY KWEENS: We are going to play select dates. That was the idea from the beginning. Everyone involved has other projects going on at the moment, so this will be something that we want to keep special. As for Europe or Italy or any other place on the planet, I wouldn't rule out the idea.

MELODY LANE: Apart from the new version of DEUCE, are BEAUTIFUL CREATURES working on new material? Are you planning to release a new full length in the future?
KENNY KWEENS: We recorded some songs earlier in the year and plan to record more. I'm not sure if we will do a full length record or an EP. I kinda like the idea of keeping it simple and raw with an EP, but we shall see how things unfold. We are always writing ideas, so by then who knows.

MELODY LANE:  Tell us something about the creative process of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES music. Is there a main composer or is it team work? Do the songs come from ideas of a single member and then the band works on these ideas in the studio jamming together or are your songs written in the studio and all the members compose together?
KENNY KWEENS: It has come in all different ways. There really isn't a formula. I really like team work and creating synergy, it's more fun rather than when egos get in the way and one person is trying write or claim everything. I feel if a bandmate is in the room and devoted their time and are not being paid for their time, they deserve at least some credit. If more bands thought this way and left out the greed, more bands would get along a lot better. I always look at a band as a brotherhood, a gang and a family. It's a lot more fun when you know someone has your back and are looking out for your best interest and well being and you have their back.

MELODY LANE: In BEAUTIFUL CREATURES you played with two very famous and accomplished guitarists: DJ ASHBA and ALEX GROSSI. Can you tell us the differences in working with these two musicians and in which way, their different working method has influenced BEAUTIFUL CREATURES albums?
KENNY KWEENS: Yes, both are very accomplished guitarist and both were awesome to work with. Both are kinda similar in the way that they both come up with really good riffs, guitar melodies or can rip it up if need be or play with a lot of feeling. And they can play any style and aren't afraid to step out of the box and into another musical style. We have created a lot of good music together and had some really great times doing so, which is what I remember and cherish the most. To be honest, it all came pretty natural working with both, the chemistry was great. It was a pleasure and an honor working with both. 

MELODY LANE: Talking about your past bands, you played in the cult band SHAKE THE FAITH with the current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer. The album that you released in 1994 “America the Violent” was really really good and now it’s very expensive on the web…We would like to know something about the roots of the SHAKE THE FAITH (how the line-up was built), what happened to SHAKE THE FAITH and why a second album wasn’t ever released?
KENNY KWEENS: Well, this is kind of a long story, but I'll try to keep it short. First of all, Tommy Thayer is a great guy, he's like my older brother and probably my favorite guitarist I have ever worked with. He really guided me and taught me a lot. I had just got to Los Angeles, so that was my first record deal. I am very proud of that record and I agree it is really good, but that's not why it is so expensive. Hunter S. Thompson did the cover artwork for that record. We were in the studio looking through a Playboy magazine when we saw a full page pictorial he had done with Ronald Reagan, so we contacted his people and they said Hunter would do our cover only if he liked our music, so we sent him the music and he liked it. As for how the band was built, I was actually the last member to join Shake The Faith, so I can't comment on how the band was built, but I can comment on how it destructed. Tommy was older and more mature, the rest of us were reckless kids. Shake The Faith started to get banned from venues because we would smash old television sets on stage leaving glass everywhere and sometimes get into fights or whatever, so once the reputation got to be so bad, we had to change the name of the band to No. 9. The band got signed to Hi/Fi Sire and we recorded a record that was so good we were about to get bought out by Geffen Records, but by this time the band truly hated each other to the point that no record deal could keep us together. The No. 9 record never came out, which is sad, because it was or is really good. The funny thing is we were going to name the No. 9 record "Greatest Hits" because first of all, we were that snotty and we thought it was that good, but mostly because we knew there wouldn't be a second record.

MELODY LANE: Talking about your huge career, a very important band you played in is of course L.A.GUNS. You played for years with them, touring all over the world, also here in Italy multiple times. Can you tell us how did you get the job as their bass guitarist and why you have not been involved in the new reunion line-up?
KENNY KWEENS: They asked me to join when I was still in Beautiful Creatures and I had just started writing and recording the Villains Of Vaudeville music when they contacted me. At first I turned them down, because I didn't think I could do it all, but they were persistent and contacted me a couple more times, so I meet them and it felt right, so I joined. I'm glad I did. We had so many really great times. As for the Reunion between Phil Lewis and Tracy Guns, it was a confusing situation. Phil was trying to do both bands at once [L.A. Guns and Tracy's band] Steve Riley didn't want to continue with the confusion, so Phil joined Tracy's band. They already had a bass guitarist. However, I am involved in a small way. Micheal Grant, myself and Lonny Paul wrote "The Devil Made Me Do It" back in January 2016 and it will be on the new record.

MELODY LANE: Talking about singers, you played and are playing with two legendary singers: Phil Lewis and Joe Lestè.  What can you say about their way of working? Can you tell us qualities and flaws of these two important frontmen?
KENNY KWEENS: Phil is an awesome singer. I have always like the sound of his voice. While I was in the band I think I can only recall once that he had a problem with his voice, but he still pulled it off without anyone noticing. I wish we would have written and recorded more while we were working together. I miss Phil and mocking his British accent. As for flaws or negativity, I'm not into that sort of stuff. Who am I to judge? As for Joe, he has the ability to do more than one style or one sounding voice which is good because I like to write different styles. Anything I seem to throw at Joe he hits it and gets it. Joe has had his struggles with alcohol, but he has been clean of it for a year now and that is the main reason why Beautiful Creatures got back together again. I am very proud of Joe.

MELODY LANE: Your project VILLAINS OF VAUDEVILLE: is this band still active? Can we expect any music in the future?
KENNY KWEENS: Yes, I have recorded some stuff and I do plan to release it at some point when the time is right. VOV is a special creative outlet for me and I enjoy doing it, so stay tuned.

MELODY LANE: In the end…A message to all MELODY LANE followers and readers
KENNY KWEENS: Yes, I would like to thank all the Melody Lane followers and readers for their support over the years, not only for my bands and projects, but all music. Music is a dying art that needs the support to keep it alive.

 

 

Facebook.com/BeautifulCreaturesMusic/