Dave's On Tour.com has issued an in-depth interview with KING'S X vocalist DUG PINNICK in which he mostly discusses his latest solo CD, Strum Sum Up. The following is an excerpt:

Q: When a lot of people think of dUg Pinnick, it's bass, bass, bass. I agree, but I also think you're an incredible singer.

A: "Thank you Dave!"

Q: Strum Sum Up showcases your vocal range and at the same time it lets you work with other vocalists. When you first compose a song, what's your bigger concern: how you want it sang or how you want it played?

A: "Actually it's how it grooves. I always do the drums first. Do I feel like dancing or do I feel like walking? Then I start screwing around until I come up with something. I can always add another drum part until I have four or five. Then, I pretty much have a song."

Q: Historically, a lot has been written about the influence of religion in your songwriting and on your band, King's X. Looking at your religious background from a different viewpoint, how did your participation in your church's choir and your exposure to gospel music influence and shape you as a vocalist?

A: "Those things changed my whole life. I grew up with my great-grandmother, and she was into gospel music but we didn't go to a church that had a big choir until I moved in with my mother when I was 14. I lived with her for six years, and I went to her church. It had one of the best choirs in the world as far as I'm concerned. That choir had five soloists who were just amazing. It was in the era of Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. Singers emulated those people. One lady sounded just like Mavis Staples. I learned so much. I was in the choir for a little while, but I couldn't get a solo like those people because I wasn't good enough. I learned to push myself vocally. Those people could get up, do one solo, and get the whole church so emotional. One time, half the church was out in the street screaming and yelling because the solo was so moving. That taught me how to sing emotionally and to let it all out. The emotional side of what I do has been my trademark ever since. I don't even try or realize that I'm doing it. It was a learned behavior, and it's a very important thing for me. The Motown era was also influential at a point in my life where I was honing in on my singing as a teenager."

Read the full interview at Dave's On Tour.com.