Saint Asonia

Blossom Music Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
July 13, 2016

What happens when two Canadians and two Americans – all four extremely talented and experienced musicians – come together to head in a new and powerfully rockin’ direction? A killer group like Saint Asonia is formed. Find out more when Nici Lucas of Adventure Music Life chats with Guitarist Mike Mushok and Bassist Corey Lowery.

Mike Mushok and Corey Lowery of Saint Asonia

The Music
With a self-titled first album, Saint Asonia is emerging as a dynamic new hard rock band that is boldly here to stay. The band’s songs combine some of the elements of the members’ former bands, but with entirely new recipes. The guys’ combined experience creates a refreshingly great sound. Hits like Let Me Live My Life and Better Place are the types of songs you will want to play over and over again. Seriously, download the Saint Asonia album and their amazing Phil Collins remake of I Don’t Care Anymore. These songs will not disappoint.

Saint Asonia at Blossom Music Center

Rich Beddoe of Saint Asonia at Blossom Music Center

The Concert
Aside from the absolutely fantastic music, Saint Asonia is a group that must be seen in concert. All four members of the band bring an entertaining ingredient that mixes to create a superbly live sound and visual appeal. Arriving on stage first, Rich Beddoe encourages and conducts the crowd to get pumped for the show, and then furiously plays the drums for the remainder of the gig. Lead Singer Adam Gontier sings in his usual, powerful manner, while commanding attention with lots of stage action and communication with the audience. Mike Mushok wildly plays the guitar with fervor and high energy; he is a true talent. Bassist Corey Lower rocks the house, is captivating to watch, and connects with the audience throughout the show. This band possesses and exudes exceptional live quality that should not be missed. Check out the band’s tour schedule and get to a concert this summer!

Adam Gontier of Saint Asonia at Blossom Music Center

The Chat
I was very fortunate to catch up with Guitarist Mike Mushok and Bassist Corey Lowery prior to a recent concert at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Mike and Corey were very welcoming, open, and down-to-earth. Take a few minutes to read this entertaining interview with two super cool guys!

How did you get started playing music?
Mike: My uncle played acoustic as a singer/songwriter. I was always just drawn to it, so I started playing when I was about 6. I’ve been playing ever since.

Corey: Both of my parents play music. There were a lot of musical instruments around the house and I guess just watching them play… I was drawn to it.

A Chat with Mike and Corey of Saint Asonia

In a recent Adventure Music Life interview with Adam Gontier, Adam explained that you, Mike, had been working on a few songs a couple of years ago, and called Adam in to help out a little bit… which then evolved into Saint Asonia. Why did you think to call Adam?
Mike: Staind [Mike’s former band] and Three Days Grace [Adam’s former band] had done a lot of touring together previously. I was always a big fan of Adam… his voice, stage presence, song writing. Stained was on a break because Aaron [Lewis of Staind] has pursued a country career. I was actually talking to a bunch of different singers and just trying to write with a bunch of different people. When Adam got out of Three Days Grace, I reached out to him. [We both happened to be in Toronto], so I stayed for a couple of days. We hung out, I played him some music, and that’s how it started.

I’m always interested and intrigued by the song writing process and how songs get started. Adam said that you kind of have a thing where sometimes you start writing music or he starts writing, and then you are all collaborating together. Share some words on that because this is fascinating to us non-songwriters that have no idea about how it all comes about.
Mike: I just sit around and write, and come up with stuff that I like. I go back and listen to it, weed through it, and change it until I have it at a point where I want to play it for somebody and see if they like it. Even with Staind, I always thought my job was to come up with something that Aaron wanted to sing over or that got him excited. So, same thing here with Adam. I have to like, but they have to like it. Adam has to sing over it, and be inspired to come up with lyrics.

Mike and Corey, have the two of you worked together in the past? How did you two connect?
Corey: We knew each other from the past from touring. I remember from before I put Eye Empire together, I gave Mike a call because I loved his playing. And, if that window ever opened, I wanted to let him know that I would definitely love to do some jamming. He gave me a call when Saint Asonia was being put together. He said, the door is open, and I said I would love to be a part of it. You want to play with guys whose music you like. Playing with everyone in the band, it inspires you to be a better player yourself.

Regarding today’s show, have either of you played here at Blossom Music Center?
Mike: I’ve played here a bunch of times.

This is one of my favorite venues. I live down the street, and actually used to work here as a kid.
Mike: Oh cool. You have to drive through a neighborhood to get here!

Corey Lowery at Blossom Music Center

You do! My very first concert was here. What was your first concert?
Corey: Judas Priest. The Screaming for Vengeance Tour.

Who did you to the concert with?
Corey: I went by myself. I had two tickets, but I didn’t want to look after my brother because I was 11 years old. He was 10 or 9 and I didn’t want to bring him. I always feel bad about that now… denying my brother Judas Priest. But, I’ll never forget Rob Halford up there, and I swear he pointed at me. I thought, I’m definitely going to be jamming some metal in my life.

What about your first concert, Mike?
Mike: Ah… polar opposite. James Taylor.

Corey: That’s awesome, man.

Did you go with your parents?
Mike: Yes. [Laughter]

So, you guys are on tour for about eight weeks. How many of you actually sleep on the bus?
Mike: It’s eight altogether.

Who snores the loudest? 🙂
Mike: If you’d ask my wife, she’d say I do, but I don’t know.

Corey: I don’t know, because the bus makes noise, and everybody has headphones on. In other words, we don’t want to hear it. [Laughter]

Regarding traveling, let’s say there’s a long drive on the bus one day. What do you do? Are you guys talking, playing cards, or?
Mike: Try to avoid each other.

Corey: Day driving is the worst. We hate it because we can’t get outside. But, it’s cool sometimes to look out and see the America.

Mike: I don’t think there are a lot of day drives on this tour because we drive at night. You leave after the gig and you usually wake up where you’re supposed to be. And, even if it’s a long drive, we’re pretty much breaking them up.

For me, being on tour for eight weeks would be exceptionally challenging in terms of eating. What do you guys do?
Corey: We try to eat healthy. Everybody is kind of on a health kick.

Mike: There’s catering for the shows. This tour is actually really good. Some tours travel with catering, and this is one of them.

Side point, I’m leaving this area in August, and I’ll be driving out West to visit my sister in Seattle. So, I’ll see you guys and the other bands again on August 21^st at the Pain in the Grass show in Auburn, WA.
Both: Cool! Excellent.

What is it like touring with Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, and Alter Bridge?
Corey: There again, we’ve known those guys a lot of years. I was with Disturbed’s management when Stereomud [Corey’s former band] first got signed, so we did the first Music as a Weapon Tour. At the same time we toured with Breaking Benjamin, as well. We were talking about that the other night… 14 years ago this was. They’re all good people.

Mike Mushok at Blossom Music Center

Mike: We were opening for Korn in Chicago in ‘99 and [the Disturbed guys] came to our dressing room before their record came out and gave us copies of it. They brought us Disturbed hockey jerseys, and we hung out with them. So, it goes back a long way… we’ve known those guys a long time. And, we used to play with Creed in the early 2000s, so I’ve known Mark [Tremonti of Alter Bridge] for a long time… and Brian [Marshall of Alter Bridge] and Flip [Scott Phillips of Alter Bridge]. And, I’ve done a lot of tours with Ben [Benjamin Burnley of Breaking Benjamin] over the years.

Mike: We’ve known all these guys for a long time. It’s really cool when you’re out with a bunch of bands you really like – which is all of them. It’s fun!

Corey: It’s a fun tour to be on, especially being away from your family. You want to around cool people. It’s awesome.

Interesting side point, this past week, Akron, Ohio is celebrating punk week. Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders says that punk rock started in Akron. She said it; I believe it.
Corey: I like her!

I love her. I saw her speak along with Jill Furmanovsky, a famous British rock photographer. It was fascinating. Anyway, I was very interested to learn Chrissie’s discomfort around photographers, or people with camera phones, during her performances. She said they were very distracting. How do you feel?
Corey: I don’t pay attention, honestly.

Mike: I don’t care.

Corey: I focus on the people that are into it. I don’t care what anyone else is doing. The only time I stop is if a fight breaks out, or if somebody’s messing with somebody that shouldn’t. Other than that, you get into the song… lose yourself in the song. Yeah, I wish that people wouldn’t lose themselves into their camera phones, but that’s their choice. What are you gonna do? Tell 12,000 people not to bring their phones?
I think it’s cool for people to take pictures here and there, but I’ve noticed the latest trend is that some audience members record the entire show and miss the performance because they’re too busy recording.

Corey: My wife appreciates it because then she sees it on Youtube. [Laughter] But, it’s a long, long debate on how to handle that. But, I don’t think any band really cares. The people pay for a show and that’s their choice to do it, I guess.

Good point! So, outside of music, I’ve learned a lot of interesting things lately. I know that Adam Gontier likes baseball and BC Kochmit is a coin collector. What about you? What is an interest outside of music?
Mike: [Being a] father. Also, I have an acoustic guitar shop, so I spend a lot of time there when I’m home in Connecticut. Building handmade acoustic guitars… K Michael Clark Guitars. It’s a lot of fun and another thing that I do.

Corey: CrossFit is my new thing. We did it today in the parking lot.

After the tour, what happens next? What happens for the rest of 2016?
Mike: Mostly working on music, and trying to get back into the studio. That’s the plan.

Anything else you want to share about the band, the tour, or what do you want people to know?
Corey: Go to our social sites and follow us. We are a new band and we’re building. We’re still supporting this record, and we’re looking forward to doing a lot of records. So, help us build it and if you like Saint Asonia, spread it around.

Thanks Mike and Corey!

Left to Right: Jodi, Mike, Corey, and Nici in the guys’ incredibly clean tour bus!