KISS Frontman PAUL STANLEY - “I Think We’re Very Fortunate To Have Come Out When We Did, And To Not Be Relying Upon An Industry That Has Basically Committed Suicide"
April 30, 2015, 8 years ago
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) presented rock heavyweights KISS with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award at its 32nd annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 29th in Hollywood.
Paul Stanley, 62, and Gene Simmons, 65, are the only founding members who still tour as KISS, though they did reunite with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss for the band’s 2014 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. But in an interview with Billboard, the seemingly ageless rockers didn’t spend much time dwelling on the importance of certain trophies. Instead, they seemed genuinely grateful to be in the position of being a still-vital draw on the road that, Stanley says, can crank out some solid new tunes when the inspiration strikes.
An excerpt from the interview follows:
Billboard: Congrats on receiving the ASCAP Founders Award. Given all the attention paid to your live show, what does winning a songwriting-based award mean to you?
Paul Stanley: “I believe we come from a philosophy that really covets and looks up the source, whether it was the Brill Building and Goffin and King or Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, or the Gershwin Brothers or Lennon-McCartney, it really comes down to a great song. For us to be feted this way, join the company that have come before, it doesn’t suck.”
Billboard: It’s been just over a year since you received another distinct honour, being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. A year out, what does that recognition mean to you now?
Gene Simmons: “I’m not sure. When you’re busy doing your own stuff it’s like running a race. You try not to look over your shoulder to see who else is in the race, you do the best you can. I think there’s a decided difference between the pop songwriters who are magnificent in their own way. I could never do what they do, which is to sit down and write a song and figure out which artist is gonna sing the song. I can’t do that. I think what we’re best at is writing songs for who we are. It’s an individual sort of approach, it’s defined, it’s for the fans. I don’t know that you can be all things to everybody, which is why there are different kinds of music. There are balladeers and guitar slingers and so forth. If your songs connect with the fans and they pump their fists in the air and go, “Yeah!!” that’s when a song really works. That’s the electric church of it. The glory hallelujah of it.”
Billboard: How much time do you still spend these days writing new music? And has that process changed from when you first started out?
Paul Stanley: “I think at this point I write when there’s a reason to write. To sit down, there are so many outlets to be creative and certainly the recording industry or what’s left of it is really in shambles. The only reason to record at this point or write songs is to make a statement about the current band, and that we don’t only rely on our old catalog. I think we’re very fortunate to have come out when we did, and to not be relying upon an industry that has basically committed suicide.”
Read more at Billboard.com.
KISS is one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time, selling over 100 million albums worldwide in their 40-year career. Formed in the early 1970s, KISS has achieved staggering career milestones, boasting decades of record-breaking tours around the globe. Today, the KISS “brand” has infiltrated pop culture with its unforgettable personas Starchild, Demon, Spaceman and Cat. With hits like “Strutter”, “Shout it Out Loud”, “Detroit Rock City”, “Rock And Roll All Nite”, “Christine Sixteen”, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and “Beth,” KISS has 28 gold albums, the most of any American rock band, and in 2014 they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. As the band continues their 40th Anniversary World Tour with 2015 tours in Japan, South America and Australia — founding band members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons also celebrate 40 years as members of ASCAP.
KISS's tour schedule is currently as follows:
May
31 - Grune Hölle Festival - Nurburg, Germany
June
8 - O2 Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
10 - Hallenstadion - Zürich, Switzerland
11 - Arena di Verona - Verona, Italy
14 - Download Festival - Castle Donington, UK
16 - Le Zenith - Paris, France
18 - Ziggo Dome - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
21 - Saint Jordi - Barcelona, Spain
22 - Barclay Card Arena - Madrid, Spain
Go to this location for ticket links and information.
