Tom Keifer interview

The 80s are now three decades years ago, grunge came and took everything by a storm, but some emblematic figures that enjoyed immense success during the last years of that decade are still here and active. One of them is Tom Keifer, the leader of the glam-but-not-quite-glam band, Cinderella. This year, he released new music after nineteen (!) years, through his first solo record. A record that was not made by the usual standards, since it's been in the making for several years. Read below what Tom says about that, if it was finally worth it, if he was ready for all the sudden success of Cinderella, check out also his opinion about... Bruno Mars and read about the rough times he had working his way through his incurable vocal condition.

Hi, Tom, how are you?
I’m doing quite well, how about you?

I’m fine. Where do we find you right now? At what point of your current tour?
I’m on a break right now. We toured quite a bit earlier in the year. We came off the road at the end of June and we’ve been on a break since then. We’re just doing one-off dates here and there, but we’re looking to head back out in the fall and through the next year.

Is really touring still as fun as it was at the first years of your career?
Yes, sure it is. It’s still probably my favorite aspect of this business and what I do. There’s nothing like that moment, when you’re sharing music with your fans.

Well let’s discuss “The Way Life Goes”. Knowing that it was in the making for several years, when did you first start planning and writing about it? What were the circumstances that led to its release this year?
Yeah, it has been in the works for a long time. Coming out this year, it was no grand plan, it was just the way it was produced; working without a record label, with the idea that we didn’t want any deadlines or release dates. When we felt that the record was done, then we looked for a company to sign a deal. So, that’s how it came about. We spent years on the record and when it felt right that’s when we decided to release it. As I said there was really no grand scheme or plan, it just happened as it happened.

Around what year did you start writing for this album?
I’ve been writing with the idea of a solo record in mind since the mid-‘90s, but we actually started recording tracks in 2003. We continued the recording and the production until 2008. That’s when we finished the final editing, mastering and all that. That’s when the album was done.

Has everything fallen into place the way you originally imagined it? What are your feelings and thoughts now that it’s finally out there?
I’m very happy with how the record came out. We worked so long on it and we spent so much time to get the songs just right. The energy of them, the performances and how to get them adequately on tape, you know. Now that it’s released, it feels kinda like a relief, ‘cause we’ve been working on it for so long and so far the reaction of the fans and everyone out there has been great, so it feels really good.

Since most of the tracks, as you told me, were written some time ago, what criteria did you use to choose the ones that made the final cut? Was selecting the tracks that sounded more up to date a priority or not?
I don’t know, it’s hard to say why you pick songs. There’s a lot of songs to pick from and at the end it’s just, to put it the simplest way, the ones you like the best, I guess.

Simple, but it makes sense.
Yes, it’s really simple but that’s the way I’ve always approached it.

This being your first solo album, how was it writing and recording without being a member of a band?
Well, I was used to being the main writer, since I wrote almost all the stuff in Cinderella. So, the writing process wasn’t a lot different, other than the fact that on this solo record I brought in co-writers, like my wife and some other people. This made it different. Now, the recording process is a love/hate relationship. Both when I recorded with Cinderella and with this album, it was the same thing. You know, you have this thing in your head, this song and you’ve got an idea of what you want it to sound like when it’s gonna come through the speakers. It’s the creation process; you’re trying to find that thing. Sometimes it is very easy to find and sometimes it’s challenging, so it can drive you a little crazy every now and then. That’s why I prefer the feeling of a live show. Once you’ve created it and you just go out and re-create it by playing every night to an audience, it’s a little more enjoyable.

Which do you believe are the elements that separate your record from your work with Cinderella and which are the ones that may be similar?
The whole feeling is certainly different from Cinderella. But, starting with similarities I think the biggest and most obvious one is of course me being the lead singer and songwriter and doing most of the guitar work. So, that brings some of the same style. Generally speaking, this album represents a lot of the same dynamics and colors that we did with Cinderella. For example, “Flower Song” is reminiscent of “Coming Home”; it’s got a little bit of this country, acoustic strumming feel. And then we’ve got the polar opposite of that, the more hard-driving stuff, like “Mood Elevator” which is in my mind very reminiscent of some of the really heavy Cinderella stuff. I think in a lot of ways it’s kinda similar but there are few tracks that stand out and are quite different from Cinderella’s style. “A Different Light” and “Fools Paradise” would be good examples, as I don’t think they sound like something that Cinderella would have done.

One of the things that someone notices straight off the bat about “The Way Life Goes” is the personal tone of the lyrics. What role do they play generally for you as a songwriter and particularly here on this record?
Well, I always write from life experience and I try to search for real inspiration. When I come up with some lyrics, I almost immediately hear a melody along with them and then I kinda ease in the guitar, the chord progression and all this stuff around it. You know, writing is a slice of life to me and these things that I’ve experienced and what I’ve gone through or seen other people go through, is pretty much what it’s always been about for me.

As you mentioned, you shared with you your wife, Savannah, writing and producing duties. Did the dynamic between you two affect the record? And if yes, in what way?
The truth is we work really well together. She’s an incredibly talented songwriter, singer and producer, so she brought a lot to the table in terms of several aspects. Songwriting is the real strength of hers but she also did a little bit of background of vocals on the record. We approach songwriting the same way, based on the real life, use things and make them inspirational. So, we’re very comfortable working together and it’s very easy.

Another thing that affected the record and in a very positive way, may I add, are your great vocals. And that’s no small feat, bearing in mind the problems you’ve been experiencing with your voice. How did you manage to overcome them and what did it take to get to where you are now, vocally?
It’s been years since I was diagnosed with a medical problem on my vocal chords. It’s something that there really is no cure for. It was the early nineties and they told me that I have partial paralysis on the one side of my vocal chords. I just had to work over the years with vocal coaches, trying to figure out how to trick myself back into working, possibly the way I’m supposed to and constantly trying to strengthen that emotion.  I mean, it’s not an exact science. People don’t recover from this. It’s just daily work, trying to reach as far as I can. There have been many years of a lot of struggle but I feel really strong and confident right now, so I’m really grateful that I found a way around it.

So, basically, it’s constant struggle to keep yourself in the vocal level you are?
Yeah, it’s still somewhat like that. Fortunately, it’s more stable now. The last 3-4 years I’m controlling it.

I’m glad to hear that.
Thank you. I mean, I still have to work at it every day but things seem to be alright.

From what you’re telling me, it seems you’ve put a lot of effort throughout the last years in making “The Way Life Goes”. Were you ever discouraged by the way the music business has morphed these days? It seems that singles have overtaken full albums, so what motivated you to work this hard to get your record out there?
I guess it’s that I grew up on old records. This thing, being a journey from beginning to end, whether it’s 8, 10, 12 or whatever songs. Feeling this dynamic, all those different emotions and different feelings is what I grew up with. I can’t imagine going into the studio and doing anything else other than creating a body of music that all fits together and kinda tells a story. Singles are of course always a part of it.

Yeah, but you’re saying that a single can’t stand on its own.
Yeah, it’s gotta be a part of a bigger thing. An album.

While we’re on the topic of today’s music business, what do you think about today’s rock & roll? It’s evident that technology plays an important role in shaping the music. Do you think that it takes away a little bit of the magic?
Using technology in good measure is the key. It‘s certainly a taste thing. I mean, obviously people who love dance music like electronic stuff and technology and that’s cool. I personally believe rock & roll should be a little more organic but it’s cool when you can incorporate a bit of technology in the production. Whatever works for you.

So, I take it that you’re all for experimenting whenever you find the room to do so.
Yeah! Actually we’ve experimented a lot on this album. There are things like “A Different Light”, which are away from the stuff I used to do with Cinderella. We had a lot of time to play around with that sort of stuff and that was a nice part of making this record.

Are there any current bands you think are worth noticing?
Imagine Dragons’ album has caught my ear. They’re very cool. Halestorm is also a band I really dig a lot. Their latest record is killer. Lzzy (Hale) is awesome behind the mic. We actually just got to do some shows with them and they’re a great band. Adding a different flavor in the mix, I also like Bruno Mars. He’s so classy and I love his voice.

There’s some of this old school soul feel to his stuff.
Yes. And I love that! You know, I’m drawn to singers. Particularly after knowing about my condition, I really feel the need to listen to great singers. So, when I listen Bruno Mars sing, that’s inspirational. When I hear Lzzy Hale sing; she’s got a great voice. That’s inspirational to me. I wanna try to do better. That piano ballad that Bruno Mars has for example, “When I Was Your Man”, I hear that and it inspires me.

Considering that when you started your career there was no internet around, what’s your take on that? Is there a way for a musician to make it work to his advantage?
Well, it’s something I’m learning about so I can’t say much. I’ve never been a big internet guy, you know, social media and any of that stuff. I’ve gotten into it recently in the last year, year and a half and I’m learning about it. Facebook, Twitter… I think it’s cool. It’s a great way to interact with the fans but I’m constantly learning how to control it. It’s been fun, I’ve really been enjoying it.

Let’s talk a little bit now about the beginning of your career. Cinderella emerged in the rock scene with a bang, with an album that sold several million copies. How was it having such a successful debut record? Were you ready for all that followed or were you taken by surprise?
You hope for it and you imagine what is like to have all that success but I don’t think anyone can be ready for something like that. But it was awesome and it still is. What happened with this early Cinderella record changed all of our lives forever. Ι’ll be eternally grateful for the success that we had with that band, all the great tours and all that and it’s something that continues to this day. We’ve had such incredible fans that supported us over the years and that was all built back then with those early albums. And it’s cool, you know. This is the reason we’re still able to go out and tour and put out records, the foundation that we built with our fans. We’re really appreciative of all that.

I’ve always admired the fact that after the success of “Night Songs” you didn’t hesitate to take a left turn with “Long Cold Winter”. What caused the shift towards a more clearly bluesy territory? Did it ever cross your mind back then that it might push away the audience that your debut attracted?
No, because in reality “Night Songs” was all blues-paced. It is presented a little bit different but the melodies and the lyrics in “Night Songs” were all coming from the same place. It’s all real. Take the title song for example, it’s real stuff. I mean, “workin' this job ain't payin' the bills, sick and tired rat race takin' my thrills, kickin' down the road not a dime in my pocket” is a blues lyric and that’s always where I’ve always written from. The production and the instrumentation might change throughout the years on the records but the heart and soul of the songwriting was still coming from the same place. So, it never dawned on me that the shift you mentioned was gonna turn off some people, but even if it did, it brought in other people. You’re always gonna have that. So, we always just tried to grow, with the production and instrumentation, ‘cause you risk losing people if you don’t grow too. In the end, I think you just gotta do what feels right to you. We always did that. I always felt that the emotions of the songs, the melodies and the lyrics on all the Cinderella stuff and through to my solo record, are all coming from the same place. Ultimately, I think that’s what people connect to.

That’s true. Now, through the direction you took back then I believe you found the silver lining between a modern and relevant, for its time, sound and a sound that expressed your influences. So, what were those influences and how did they shape Cinderella’s identity and you personally, as a musician?
My very first influences were from ‘70s rock. It was Led Zeppelin, it was Janis Joplin… and some late ‘60s, Rod Stewart, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac… I could go on and on. I mean, it was a great time to grow up and learn how to be a musician. It was a very inspirational time, you know, with all that stuff happening for the first time. It was very real. That was a great time to learn how to play songs and how to play the guitar. Then, the moment came that I finally realized that my heroes had influences too and that’s when I started looking back into the blues, as a teenager. I discovered artists like Muddy Waters, Elmore James -that’s where the slide influence comes from- and Johnny Winter. I think it’s cool when you’re able to go back and listen to what the people who influenced you listened to and what their influences were. It gives you a little bit more depth.

Do you have any regrets about the past? Do you wish you could go back and change anything in your career?
I wouldn’t change anything. Everything is a learning process. You surely make mistakes along the way but you try to learn from them; at least half of them anyway. That’s life, you know, you move on and you try not to live in the past and you just try to learn from it.

Considering the great shape that you seem to be in “The Way Life Goes”, can we expect any new music from Cinderella as well or do you feel like exploring the solo path you created?
I’m still caught up with the solo record but we’ll see. Cinderella’s on a break ‘cause the last 3 years have been pretty hard and heavy, so we’ll have to see what the future holds.

Thank you for your time. I wish you all the best!
Thank you my friend and thank you for this conversation.