ALLIED ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL, INC. • ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP 655 N. Central Ave • 17th Floor • Glendale • California • 91203

455 Park Ave • 9th Floor • New York • New York • 10022 L.A. Tel: 626.330.0600 • N.Y. Tel: 646.350.0009 • Fax: 626.961.0411

Website: www.alliedartists.com • Email: publicrelations@alliedartists.net

ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP An Allied Artists Int'l Company

OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

A Viking Rocker Emerges! Hailing from the Scandinavian Peninsula country of Norway, Rocky Kramer is truly a modern day Viking, poised to take no prisoners as he conquers the hearts, minds and souls of rockers around the world! Armed with a guitar, this graduate of Metal 101 constitutes a triple threat as a composer, vocalist and formidable musician. Born in the 1990's to musician parents, few could have known that Rocky would inherit his parents' passion for music, ultimately transforming into Norway's ambassador of rock. While some homes have a piano, Rocky's home had two – one for the upstairs and another for the downstairs. Although Rocky's father was a first violinist for the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, his mother was an accomplished pianist in her own right. At the age of four, young Rocky began exploring this massive instrument. Rocky recalls "I was fascinated when I discovered I could play a melody!" Filled with musical curiosity, the four year old began banging out rudimentary melodies that foreshadowed the composer he would become. At the age of five, tragedy struck when Rocky's mother succumbed to cancer, leaving Rocky, his older brother and their father to fend for themselves. Rocky laments that "my father immediately took on the responsibility of raising two unruly boys by himself." Shortly after his wife's passing, the professional violinist was attempting to teach Rocky's brother how to play the violin. As the older sibling unsuccessfully attempted to follow his father's instruction, young Rocky volunteered to give it a go. To his father's astonishment, five year old Rocky demonstrated incredible skill as he traversed the smallest stringed instrument, with its horsehair bow. Little did Rocky know that his adept performance would one day lead to conflict and turmoil, haunting him for years, while developing him into one of the most prolific composers and profound guitarists to hit the rock scene in decades. With a budding virtuoso on his hands, Rocky's father encouraged violin lessons and even supplemented those lessons with private tutoring from the master himself. On one hand Rocky knew he was lucky to have such an accomplished violinist teaching him to master his instrument – but – there was one problem. Rocky yearned to play more

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contemporary instruments, such as the drums and guitar. To a virtuoso violinist, such tools of the rock world were simply blasphemous. For years the prodigal son played violin by day and rocked out at night on friends' guitars and drums. Requests for such trite instruments for birthdays and Christmas were met with a resounding "NO!" Soon the ember became a burning desire. Being an ardent fan of Ace Frehley, Rocky Saved his allowance, birthday offerings and all other earnings, eventually buying his first guitar – "a Les Paul Double Cut knock-off," recalls Rocky. It didn't take long before Rocky discovered he was "a Fender® man;" a religion validated by his other lifelong influence, Yngwie Malmsteen – himself a Fender® worshipper. When asked what made the guitar standout, Rocky remembers falling "in love with the guitar because of its freedom; the sounds [he] could make with an electric guitar just weren't possible given the inherent limitations of a violin." Although he is also an accomplished pianist, the eighty-eights just seemed "too traditional" for his rocker tastes. But there was one other instrument that caught Rocky's eye – the drums. Unsurprisingly, Rocky managed to find drum sets at school and rehearsal halls to quench his thirst for percussion, ultimately becoming an incredibly agile drummer. The deadlock between drums and guitar was finally broken when Rocky assembled his first band. It seems there was someone else amongst his friends who could play drums, while Rocky was the only one capable of manhandling an axe. Rocky's instrument of choice was then settled. Although guitar became Rocky's weapon of choice, the clash between father and son over that choice intensified. But it was too late, the admiration Rocky felt for guitar was inescapable as the fire burned deeper with every passing day. To his credit, Rocky's father finally capitulated to his son's mania, embracing the overall love for music over his own desire to see a son follow in his footsteps. Throughout a couple of years, Rocky put together a number of bands, including Svidd Rock, Psycho Soldiers, Black Magic, Dark Symphony and finally Armed Science. By the age of 16, Rocky's bands had become legendary amongst local audiences, even racking up top honors with Armed Science at the UKM Regional Music Competition, just short of the national championship. Having begun writing songs on the family piano at age four, Rocky literally wrote his first album at the age of 13, his second album followed a year later, with yet a third album emerging a year after that. At the age of 17 Rocky completed his fourth album. Amazingly, each are concept albums that speak to the maelstrom that often challenge youth during their formative years, as experienced by this adroit and poignant raconteur. By the time Rocky reached high school, he and his many bands had become well known throughout Trondheim, with recognition coming in from around the country. Feeling a level of dedication that transcended that of his fellow band members, Rocky

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decided to focus on developing his skills as a singer / songwriter, making a number of appearances as a solo artist. Picking up a keyboard and learning to record his own music enabled Rocky to begin creating music demos for his four completed albums. With the strong background in classical music imparted on him by his father, Rocky began combining the genres of music to create his own unique sound. What emerged might be properly classified as metal symphonies for the rock enthusiast! After spending a year in university studying film, Rocky left for the United States to augment his already impressive English language skills. Although Norwegian is his native language, Rocky felt from a very early age that he could best convey music in the English language. Consequently, he now speaks English and Norwegian interchangeably. While attending school in the United States, Rocky caught the attention of the Allied Artists Music Group, who soon inked a deal with this inimitable musician. The late Stephan Bauer, then President of Allied Artists Music Group (Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones) commented that "Rocky is the essence of modern metal, mixed with a tenacity that makes for rock legends" adding that "those of us at Allied Artists are proud to have him on the label and look forward to introducing him to today's audiences who will find his music invigorating and his message captivating." Rocky's debut album, "FIRESTORM" was released by Allied Artists Music Group in 2019, to immediate chart success, physical and online sales and streaming victory, as well as racking up awards nominations, Rocky has been voted Best New Male Rock Musician by the editors of Rock Over America Magazine and was recently welcomed as a new voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences ("The Grammys"). Rocky proudly plays and endorses Fender® Guitars, ENGL Amplifiers, ClearTone Strings,® Jim Dunlop® Jazz III Guitar Picks & Cry Baby® Wah Wah and DigiTech® / DOD Effects Pedals. Indeed, Rocky only endorses products he truly enjoys playing. Visit Rocky on the web at RockyKramer.com.

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Contact: Jerry Sifuentes, Office of Public Relations at (626) 330-0600 x8150 from Los Angeles, (646) 350-0009 x8150 from New York or via Email at: publicrelations@alliedartists.net.

ALLIED ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL, INC. ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP

655 N. Central Ave 17th Floor Glendale California 91203

455 Park Ave 9th Floor New York New York 10022

L.A. Tel: 626.330.0600 N.Y. Tel: 646.350.0009 Fax: 626.961.0411

Website: www.alliedartists.com Email: publicrelations@alliedartists.net

ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP An Allied Artists Int'l Company

OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Alejandro Mercado Precision thrashing from one unique drummer!

Unless he was practicing his rudiments in the womb, Alejandro Mercado's mother and father could not have imagined that their youngest son was destined to become one of rock's premier drummers. Although born and raised on the tough streets of Chicago, Alejandro's thirst for rhythm may well be genetic, given his Latin heritage. Thanks to an early introduction to drumming by an aunt who performed with a marching band, Alejandro's thirst for percussion became an obsession by his sixth birthday. Fortunately, supportive parents encouraged their son's passion for percussion, and official lessons from Greg Kulma and renowned Chicago native Paul Wertico (Pat Metheny Group) ensued. By the time Alejandro entered middle school, he had combined an interest in martial arts and gymnastics with his devotion to drumming, becoming a sought after drummer for many local bands, such as cover group "A Snapshot In Time," metal/shred contingent "Slay Asylum," party rockers "Snowblind" and experimental/progressive bevy "Sot-W." Despite being the "go-to" drummer in Chicago, Alejandro yearned for more of a challenge by the time he graduated high school. Hearing a voice in his head say "go west young man," Alejandro set his sights high, auditioning for and being accepted by the highly acclaimed Musician's Institute, in sunny California. As a student in M.I.'s accredited two-year degree program, Alejandro excelled beyond anyone's expectations. Despite lackluster high school grades, Alejandro proudly proclaims that he "got the best grades of his life" at M.I. Then again, with teachers like Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper; Six: A.M.) and Jeff Bowders (George Lynch; Paul Gilbert), he was rapidly being welcomed into the world of professional recording artists. In September of 2012, Alejandro auditioned for the Rocky Kramer Band. In addition to Rocky and several label executives, present for the audition was music industry alum

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Kim Richards (Pink Floyd; Queen; Renegade; Andy Gibb) who is producing Rocky's upcoming "Firestorm" album. Richards says of Alejandro "I could see he was a great guy with a great smile and great personality, but I didn't expect him to literally manhandle those drums the way he did. Alejandro is reminiscent of Bonzo himself, but there's such humility there that I rarely see in this business." Having worked with the likes of Nick Mason, Roger Taylor and Luis Cardenas, Richards went on to say "I knew he was the one from the moment he began moving air!" Alejandro is a student of 70's and 80's music, holding Journey as his all-time favorite band, and counting Dean Castronovo, Steve Smith and Paul Wertico amongst his influences. Alejandro is a singer and songwriter as well, and when not keeping the beat for the Rocky Kramer Band, he actively performs with Street Beat and Rhythm Monks, and endorses KickPort and Drum Tacs. Alejandro appears in the upcoming Paul Gervasi feature film, Cherri Future, aptly cast as the drummer in a rock band that struggles through adversity, ultimately realizing their dreams. Visit Alejandro and The Rocky Kramer Band on the web at RockyKramer.com.

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Contact: Jerry Sifuentes, Office of Public Relations at (626) 330-0600 x8150 from Los Angeles, (646) 350-0009 x8150 from New York or via Email at: publicrelations@alliedartists.net.

ALLIED ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL, INC. ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP

655 N. Central Ave 17th Floor Glendale California 91203

455 Park Ave 9th Floor New York New York 10022

L.A. Tel: 626.330.0600 N.Y. Tel: 646.350.0009 Fax: 626.961.0411

Website: www.alliedartists.com Email: publicrelations@alliedartists.net

ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP An Allied Artists Int'l Company

OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Michael Dwyer One boundless bass player!

If you see a tall biker with a bass guitar strapped on his back, it just may be Michael Dwyer on his way to a gig. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native traversed the convoluted world of rock and metal by way of the classics, Sesame Street and The Beatles. In Michael's own words, Paul McCartney and Sesame Street caught his attention at an early age, because "the chords are more pronounced" in their music. Growing up the son of a clarinet playing mother and a father with a thirst for drums, it was no surprise that he soon developed a keen interest in music. By the age of six, Michael began tickling the ivories, adding the trumpet to his arsenal by the time he was thirteen. Despite the diverse methods of making music at Michael's disposal, he eventually adopted bass guitar as the instrument he chose to give a voice. About the same time, he discovered bands like Metallica, developing a writing style that combines his classical training with heavy metal. Michael joined Lucid Entendre, a punk rock band by the time he was fourteen. Performances at his church, battles of the bands and his high school were quite different than the recitals he had grown accustomed to. Leary of Michael's musical direction, his parents nevertheless remained supportive, allowing him to hone his craft, becoming one of the most dynamic bass players to emerge in decades. Following high school, Michael attended J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, where he received his associates in music recording by the age of twenty. Although Michael possessed the skills to begin a career in music recording, he yearned to be on the other side of the microphone. Indeed, he wanted to attend the prestigious Musician's Institute in Los Angeles. He certainly had the skills to apply, but a school of that stature commanded a high tuition, prompting Michael to save his money for the next year and a half. Following a successful audition, Michael became a student at M.I. The school was so impressed with his playing, they actually hired him to play for their

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drum and guitar classes. Following graduation, Michael was tapped to teach the intro to bass class at M.I. In 2013, Michael auditioned for The Rocky Kramer Band, and was immediately selected amongst a multitude of other applicants. Music industry alum Kim Richards (Pink Floyd; Queen; Renegade; Andy Gibb) who is producing the upcoming Rocky Kramer album "Firestorm," comments that "Rocky's music finds its genesis in classics, and having the right bass player is essential. Michael's musical instinct is perfect; always mixing melody with dynamics and never allowing the song to lose foundation. On bass he's a monster with incredible control of his instrument, yet he's unassuming, humble and gracious in person – a real pleasure to work with!" In addition to his duties as bass player and backup vocalist for The Rocky Kramer Band, Michael continues to teach at M.I. Michael counts amongst his musical influences Bach and bass players Cliff Burton, Roger Waters and Chris Squire. His hobbies include golf and of course – motorcycles. Michael proudly uses and endorses D'Addario, Planet Waves. Visit Michael and The Rocky Kramer Band on the web at RockyKramer.com.

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Contact: Jerry Sifuentes, Office of Public Relations at (626) 330-0600 x8150 from Los Angeles, (646) 350-0009 x8150 from New York or via Email at: publicrelations@alliedartists.net.

ALLIED ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL, INC. • ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP 655 N. Central Ave • 17th Floor • Glendale • California • 91203

455 Park Ave • 9th Floor • New York • New York • 10022 L.A. Tel: 626.330.0600 • N.Y. Tel: 646.350.0009 • Fax: 626.961.0411

Website: www.alliedartists.com • Email: publicrelations@alliedartists.net

ALLIED ARTISTS MUSIC GROUP An Allied Artists Int'l Company

OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Matt Grossman One Prodigious Piano Player!

An unmistakable musical inclination caught the attention of Matt Grossman's parents at the early age of three. Mom and Dad – music lovers themselves – ignited the spark by placing a violin in their young son's arms. Although the future music maven seemed to crave the sounds of the instrument, he instinctively gravitated toward the family piano. Perhaps it was genetics flowing from Matt's gifted piano playing grandfather or simply the first signs of a keyboard prodigy. Either way, three-year-old Matt took to classical piano lessons the way most youngsters savor cookies and ice cream! Although born in Phoenix, Arizona, the family moved to Colorado when Matt was just five. The move didn't deter the child's musical drive for one moment. Indeed, as soon as movers could place the piano in their new home, Matt's lessons resumed. By the age of sixteen, the piano wunderkind began to apply his classical background to more contemporary music. Perhaps going to what some might deem an extreme, Matt joined a punk band, where he employed his formidable skills to an unlikely pastiche of music revelry. While many parents might have viewed the choice with furrowed brow, Matt's parents encouraged him to honestly express his musical prowess wherever it took him. While punk was exhilarating for the ever-burgeoning musical connoisseur, he developed an appreciation for rock, where he began combining his classical training with the sounds of the day. What emerged was a personal challenge, touching on progressive rock, while celebrating a confluence of sounds that require perfect timing and a solid understanding of music theory. Perhaps the yearning for knowledge prompted Matt to broaden his horizons, learning guitar, bass guitar and working to hone impressive lead vocal skills. Unwavering, Matt's parents where always there supporting him without fail. During his high school years, Matt performed in multiple concert and jazz bands, ultimately forming an original pop-rock band that released two albums, for which he co-wrote, sang lead and back-up vocals, as well as playing bass. After high school, Matt carefully selected Portland State University (PSU) as a result of their acclaimed classical music program, graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. While at PSU, Matt studied under master teachers Lisa Marsh, Harold

MATT GROSSMAN - Biography _______________ Page 2

Gray and Paul Roberts, among others; with emphasis on 19th Century and early 20th Century repertoire. Indeed, during his time at PSU, Matt won the Oregon State Young Artist Award, bestowed on him by the Music Teacher's National Association (MTNA) and placed third in a prestigious concerto competition. With a degree in hand, Matt put his skills to work in Portland’s musical theater community, as both a pit orchestra musician and eventually Music Director of multiple offerings by Pixie Dust Productions, Triangle Productions, Lakewood Theater, Oregon Children’s Theater, and several others – finishing runs of approximately 30 different musicals. In addition to his duties as a Music Director, Matt collaborated as a classical musician with Columbia Symphony Orchestra and performed as a freelance accompanist. Although in demand, Matt never for a moment stopped writing and producing original compositions, along with his electronic music. Having stayed in Oregon longer than originally planned, Matt began looking for a graduate school to pursue even higher education. His choices were limitless, but Boston not only offered incredible opportunities for education, but his brother lived there, making a transition relatively seamless. Matt arrived in Boston, as planned. However, a classically trained, progressive rock player, with a bold vocal and interchangeable instrumental skills, was well sought after in the home of Aerosmith, Boston & Godsmack. Shortly after his arrival, Matt joined a staple of Boston's music community, Hot Mess, performing literally hundreds of shows over just a few years. Eventually, Matt decided to focus on writing, producing and collaborating at a high level – a professional level – with session musicians of his caliber. Such ambition required a move to Los Angeles; arguably the capitol of the music business. Accordingly, Matt moved to Los Angeles in 2018, and shortly thereafter joined The Rocky Kramer Band, where he offers up his formidable skills as a premier keyboardist and vocalist. This dynamic musician is a driving force behind the concept album approach Rocky brings to the world of progressive metal; a sound you must experience to believe. Catch Matt in concert as he and his bandmates tour the world performing Rocky's recently released debut album, Firestorm! Visit Matt and The Rocky Kramer Band on the web at RockyKramer.com.

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Contact: Jerry Sifuentes, Office of Public Relations at (626) 330-0600 x8150 from Los Angeles, (646) 350-0009 x8150 from New York or via Email at: publicrelations@alliedartists.net.

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couple of great albums if we have the possibility to work on together." Badhoven produced 'All The World’s A Fake' together with Reinhard Brunner at ATS-Records in Molln, Austria. "We have been producing together since 1996. It's quite a long time, isn't it? Well, we started recordings of eleven songs with the basic tracks (drums, bass and ground guitars) in June 2018. Then the keyboards and a part of the lead guitars in July. We finished the recordings with some lead guitars and all the lead and backing vocals in September 2019. For the plan was to bring out this album in May 2019 the songs were mixed and mastered in spring 2019," he explains to me.

"Meanwhile we made two recording sessions for the 'ParkinSong Duets' project in January and February 2019. It is a non-profit album including Austrian artists singing songs with Parkinson's Diseased singers. The old songs 'How Will It Be' and 'Break All Chains' from our very first album named 'Black Rose' (1996) were recorded again at ATS Records studio together with Gerald Ganglbauer the producer of this project. He presented this 'ParkinSong Duets' album at the Parkinson World Congress in Kyoto, Japan in May 2019. In March 2019 we decided to make our version of these two songs to release them as bonus tracks on our new album. At that time we did also the video of the title track to promote the new

album." For the future Badhoven plan more gigs, more fun, more Rock'n'Roll. "The line-up of the band is fantastic so we should play so much shows as we can. It is so important to get musical experience on, before and behind the stage. We should grow with new options every second of this life is giving to us. We also should dare to walk new ways. To step further is the motto. In the end it is a progress for every part of our lives. Then we want to produce our next video in autumn of this year. We are making plans about this project in the upcoming weeks. And about further recordings there are different possibilities. As Reinhard Brunner found out there is unpublished Badhoven material at ATS-Records we could and should release in the future. And of course the focus should be to think about our next album with new songs. I'm extremely curious about our next meetings. And I'm sure we will find the right way for our common Badhoven future. But as everyone knows you can make plans as much as you can for life will always lead you to a different shore. So we are open for everything what future wants to do with us," concludes Kurt , bringing an end to our conversation. The album is out now on CD, and you will also find the album on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, youTube, Amazon and similar portals. Check Badhoven out at www.badhoven.com / https://www.facebook.com/badhoven ROCKY KRAMER, is an impressive progressive glam/neo-classical/symphonic rock solo artist from Los Angeles. He has a new fourteen track album out now called

'Firestorm' which runs in at around an hour long and it is his debut album. Rocky Kramer are:

Rocky Kramer - guitars, lead vocals; Alejandro Mercado - drums, vocals; Michael Dwyer - bass, vocals; Matt Grossman - keyboards, vocals. It’s almost lunchtime on a typical California day. It' sunny, no clouds and eighty degrees Fahrenheit, which is about twenty-six degrees Celsius. "It is expected to reach ninety-six degrees (thirty-five C) in a few hours. I don’t remember exactly the last time it rained here, probably a month or two ago," singer and guitarist Rocky Kramer tells me. Kramer comes from a musical family, and his dad is a violinist. "He retired a few years ago, after being a first violinist in the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra for over forty years. My mom, who passed away when I was five, was a piano teacher and choir singer. I started playing violin shortly after my mom passed away, guitar a bit later, and I started writing music not long after that. I quit playing violin at about fifteen to focus on the guitar and rock and roll. I was in a lot of bands as a teenager, and even though I only wanted to be a lead guitarist, I always ended up being the singer, because no one else wanted to sing," he explains to me. Kramer always wrote the music for the bands that he played in, and the music was more classic rock, like Kiss and AC/DC. "The band that made the biggest impact was Armed Science, and we

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wore make-up on stage, like a teenage-KISS. In addition to writing classic rock songs, I would write more progressive, symphonic music on my computer. I kept most of that type of music secret until I moved to the United States, but that was the music that made me want to move to Los Angeles. When I did move, I came across guitar player Mike Pinera, who introduced me to Kim Richards, CEO of Allied Artists International, parent of Allied Artists Film & Music Groups. This led to Stephan Bauer of Allied Artists Music Group signing me, and Kim producing the album. Kim is essentially responsible for me being in this crazy world of music. For someone who never wears hats, he sure wears a lot of them, when it comes to me," he adds. Kramer wrote an incredible amount of songs as a teenager, and he is very excited to release my first album worldwide, which is called ‘Firestorm’ through Allied Artists Music Group.

"Mike Pinera introduced me to Kim Richards, who listened to the whole album and wanted to produce it. The first thing we did after I got signed was to find a band. We started out with drummers, and out of all of the drummers who auditioned, Alejandro Mercado from Chicago was the perfect match. A powerful drummer with a great sense of humour. Alejandro Mercado, a student

at Musician’s Institute, recommended Michael Dwyer, who was teaching there. He auditioned and got the job. Michael is from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and is an excellent bass player with a friendly, mellow personality. It was hard to find the right keyboard player, but we ended up with an Australian fellow named Jon Dunmore with a wicked sense of humour, who recorded the album with us. With a full band, we started rehearsing the songs. The band added their personal touches to the songs, so it matured quite a bit before we entered the studio," he explains to me. Kramer actively started working on ‘Firestorm’ when he was sixteen. "I had written little parts before that, including the intros to ‘Can You Feel It’ and ‘Attitude’. By the age of fifteen, I had already written three albums. I initially decided to not write another album until I had a recording contract, but my brain happens to be a songwriting machine. Most of the songs were written on my blue Fender Stratocaster. If I came up with something cool, I would record it with my MP3 player (no, I did not keep those recordings, unfortunately.) As soon as I had about twenty, thirty ideas, I would listen to all of them and see which ones could work together and repeat the process," he expresses. "Then, I would write everything down on my computer, using Guitar Pro, so that I could hear every instrument. These were essentially demos, without vocals. When the music was done, I wrote the lyrics, and recorded demos at home in Norway, before moving to the United States. ‘Firestorm’ is arguably the most personal album I’ve ever written, and touches on many of my concerns as a sixteen-year-old boy in Norway, including

making my dreams come true and becoming a rock star in America, depression, apathy, loneliness and my love and passion for music. I was originally planning on releasing my first album first, but I thought Firestorm was a better introduction to Rocky Kramer. A better introduction, not a better album. It’s like Star Wars. George Lucas introduced the world to Darth Vader first, not Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker is far more interesting, when you know that he becomes Darth Vader. ‘Firestorm’ is not exactly a 'sequel,' but it is the continuation of my mental process as a human being. Humans evolve, as does the mind, and therefore the music."

What’s unique about 'Firestorm' is the writing process. The first three albums were written mostly on Kramer's computer, where he was actively, consciously writing the music, several hours every night. ‘Firestorm’ was more subconscious, less thinking, just Kramer improvising on the guitar, not actively trying to write a song. "The ideas would just appear out of nowhere. ‘Firestorm’ is also more retrospective and personal than the first three, which are more fictional and experimental. I tend to write albums more than songs, so all of my albums have some sort of a unified theme," he tells me. "The first three albums were more inspired by Yngwie Malmsteen than this one, because when I was writing those albums, I was completely obsessed with him, and wrote several

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instrumental guitar songs. ‘Firestorm’ doesn’t really have much of that influence, other than ‘Invocation.’ ‘Firestorm’ was originally very poor on guitar solos, because I was watching the documentary of Metallica recording the St. Anger album at the time of writing it, which famously did not feature many guitar solos. Can you imagine ‘Rock Star’ without those guitar solos? When Kim Richards got involved with producing, he wanted more guitar solos because “it’s hard to market a guitar hero who never plays a guitar solo!” He also wanted me to create a track that was just a guitar solo. I played around with a few ideas, and ended up with ‘Invocation.’ The solo was a little too naked by itself, so I added the cathedral pipe organ, which created a sound I hadn’t heard before. That also led to the introduction by the rock n' roll priest." Kramer's biggest musical inspirations for ‘Firestorm’ and his other solo albums are definitely Pink Floyd, Queen, Yngwie Malmsteen, AC/DC, KISS, Helloween, Metallica and Dream Theater. "Coming from a classical background, I love combining the sounds of classical music with rock and roll. The first bands I ever heard playing rock with a classical influence was Ozzy Osbourne with Randy Rhoads, Deep Purple with Ritchie Blackmore and Queen with Brian May," he enthuses. "My life changed when I heard Yngwie Malmsteen for the first time, and it wasn’t just his incredible guitar playing, it was the epic music, double kick drum, harpsichords and choirs. He’s an excellent songwriter. Even though I was already writing rock music inspired by classical music, hearing Yngwie took it to another level. ‘Firestorm’ was in many ways inspired by

Metallica, both The Black Album and St. Anger were big influences, thanks to the documentaries for each album. Even though ‘Firestorm’ doesn’t necessarily sound like those albums, the mentality that Metallica had when making them did have an effect. ‘Sick and Tired’ started out as a tribute to Pink Floyd, but developed into its own thing, the Entr’actes were inspired by ‘The Wall ‘and ‘Dark Side of the Moon’. ‘Attitude’ was inspired by Norwegian black metal and ‘The Outsider’ was inspired by Supertramp’s ‘Fool’s Overture’." Even though Kramer spends most of his day, focusing on music in one way or another, when he needs a break, he tend to switch focus to video games. "I wasn’t all that interested in video games as a child. I never had a video game console growing up. We did have a computer, but I was very causal about video games. I got my first console at age 19, trading an electric guitar for an Xbox 360. I started out playing the racing game Forza Motorsport 3 and Guitar Hero/Rock Band, but became hooked on first-person shooters when my brother came home one day with ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’. Since then I’ve upgraded to both an Xbox One X and a PS4, and I play a variety of games.

Everyone in the band seems to have some interest in video games. Michael is also a fan of Call of Duty, particularly Black Ops 4, a game we even play together. Alejandro and Matt are more

interested in retro games, and there’s a few retro games I enjoy as well, Lunar Lander for example. I also love sit-coms, so I'm a fan of and watch Netflix and Hulu; I’m currently watching Brooklyn 99. I also exercise a lot, and try to stay healthy. I enjoy my occasional glass of wine, but I don’t do drugs," he points out. Rocky wanted to create the artist that he always wanted to see. "Without sounding arrogant, you want to be your own biggest fan. What kind of music do I want to hear, what kind of stage show do I want to see, what kind of image do I think is cool? I have tremendous amounts of respect for the people that I was influenced by, but I don’t want to be them. I want to be me. I learned from them, both what to do, and what not to do," he says with spirit. "As a songwriter, I always try to write the songs I never heard but wanted to hear. When your goal is not to be the next Michael Jackson, The Beatles or Pink Floyd, it opens up a world of possibilities. The day that all of my music is released, and someone has to pinpoint what kind of genre my music is, or what kind of artists are similar to me, there will be so many different answers, because when I write, there’s no template, no rules. It’s all about what gets me excited." ‘Firestorm’ has many highlights, and being a concept album, listening to it from start to finish is one hell of an experience. "When you hear the end of ‘Black and Brown’, hopefully you say “Holy shit! What was that?!” It’s like being taken on a journey. Some of my favourite tracks on the album include ‘Rock Star’, ‘Alcohol’ and ‘Can You Feel It’, but it’s hard to pick a song I don’t like. They’re like children to me. I enjoy the twists and turns on ‘The Firestorm

MUSIC IS OUT THERE 18 FREE WITH FIREWORKS #88

Symphony’, and I will probably never write a song like ‘Go To Hell’ ever again, but who knows," he says. Kramer's band just got back from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. "We played three nights there for a whole bunch of bikers. We also just performed at the Firestorm Release Party here in Los Angeles, which was the first performance with our new keyboard player, Matt Grossman. The band is sounding really tight right now, and we can’t wait to go to the U.K. in November with Buckcherry. I have a feeling that the U.K. audience is going to enjoy the album very much. We also want to tour other parts of Europe, particularly Scandinavia since I’m from Norway. We would love to play in Germany as well, because it’s a very good market for metal. South America also," he tells me.

The album was recorded at 17 Hertz in North Hollywood. 17 Hertz is most famous for being the studio where Metallica recorded ‘… And Justice For All’ and ‘The Black Album’ when it was One on One. "It was pretty much the only studio I was aware of in Los Angeles when I moved here, because of the Metallica documentary ‘A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica’ depicting the recording of ‘The Black Album’. It was one of the few opportunities I had to see what it was like to be in a rock band, recording an album. The studio became private after Metallica left,

and wasn’t open to the public until just before we were getting ready to record. We were rehearsing with my band next door at Amp Rehearsal, and one day, Kim and I walked by the studio, the door was open, Kim asked the person inside if the studio was still there, and it was," he explains to me. "We took a tour of the studio shortly after, and began recording in August 2014. We spent a long time there, before we went to Paramount Recording Studios in Hollywood to edit the album. We mixed the album at Sphere Studios in September 2016. We spent 2017 planning the music video for ‘Rock Star’ and filmed it in early 2018. It took a long time to get all of the special effects and animation just right, so the music video was completed in March 2019. Then we mastered the album with the legendary Bernie Grundman shortly after. He also personally mastered the vinyl version." ‘Firestorm’ is only the beginning for Rocky Kramer. "We want to play ‘Firestorm’ for as many people in the world as possible, but when we feel that we’ve let the world know all there is to know about ‘Firestorm’, the time for a new album will come. I’ve already mentioned the three albums I wrote before ‘Firestorm’, which are already in demo form and pretty much ready to be recorded. After ‘Firestorm’, I wrote another three albums before moving to the United States. While being here, I’ve written another two. I also have two albums worth of songs that are from the various bands I performed with as a teenager, including Armed Science. They’re more classic rock, so they may not be released as a Rocky Kramer project per se. I have so much music I want to share with the world, so like I

said, this is only the beginning," concludes Rocky, bringing an end to our conversation. ‘Firestorm' is now available on CD and limited Vinyl, and you can also purchase it digitally through all major music services. Check Rocky Kramer out at www.rockykramer.com

SILVER REVOLVER, are a fabulous melodic hard rock duo from Strasbourg, France. They have a new ten track album out now called No Place To Hide' which runs in at just over forty minutes long and is the band’s debut album.

Silver Revolver are: Fernando Rios – lead guitar, Eduardo Carrasco – guitars,–The album also features guest spots from the wonderful Diego Zaraboso – vocals. It is a warm August weekend in Ciudad de Mexico, and lead guitarist Fernando Rios has been out walking his dogs. It is Sunday and he has just had a very light fruit with yogurt or a cereal with orange juice. "Afterwards I am going out to play soccer, and later on I will make a slightly stronger meal," he tells me. Fernando

M A G A Z I N E

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VOLUME 10 ISSUE 237

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Kim Richards35

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ON THE COVER: Kim Richards, CEO of Allied Artists invited us in to the famous Studio A of Paramount Recording Studios to interview him along with the emerging rock musician, Rocky Kramer. Read pages 26-29. Related story on page 34-35.

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THOMICLINTON

ANEK

A BR

OWN

A Vi

king

Roc

ker E

mer

ges!

ALLI

ED A

RTI

STS

MU

SIC

GR

OU

P An

Allie

d Ar

tists

Int’l

Com

pany

Hai

ling

from

the

Scan

dina

vian

Pen

insu

la c

ount

ry o

f Nor

way

, Roc

ky

Kram

er is

trul

y a

mod

ern

day

Viki

ng, p

oise

d to

take

no

pris

oner

s as

he

con

quer

s th

e he

arts

, min

ds a

nd s

ouls

of r

ocke

rs a

roun

d th

e w

orld

! Ar

med

with

a g

uita

r, th

is g

radu

ate

of M

etal

101

con

stitu

tes

a tri

ple

thre

at

as a

com

pose

r, vo

calis

t and

form

idab

le m

usic

ian.

Born

in th

e 19

90’s

to m

usic

ian

pare

nts,

few

cou

ld h

ave

know

n th

at R

ocky

w

ould

inhe

rit h

is p

aren

ts’ p

assi

on fo

r mus

ic, u

ltim

atel

y tra

nsfo

rmin

g in

to

Nor

way

’s a

mba

ssad

or o

f roc

k. W

hile

som

e ho

mes

hav

e a

pian

o, R

ocky

’s

hom

e ha

d tw

o –

one

for t

he u

psta

irs a

nd a

noth

er fo

r the

dow

nsta

irs.

Orc

hest

ra, h

is m

othe

r was

an

acco

mpl

ishe

d pi

anis

t in

her o

wn

right

. At

th

e ag

e of

four

, you

ng R

ocky

beg

an e

xplo

ring

this

mas

sive

inst

rum

ent.

Roc

ky re

calls

“I w

as fa

scin

ated

whe

n I d

isco

vere

d I c

ould

pla

y a

mel

ody!

” Fi

lled

with

mus

ical

cur

iosi

ty, t

he fo

ur y

ear o

ld b

egan

ban

ging

out

rudi

men

-ta

ry m

elod

ies

that

fore

shad

owed

the

com

pose

r he

wou

ld b

ecom

e.

canc

er, l

eavi

ng R

ocky

, his

old

er b

roth

er a

nd th

eir f

athe

r to

fend

for t

hem

-se

lves

. R

ocky

lam

ents

that

“my

fath

er im

med

iate

ly to

ok o

n th

e re

spon

si-

bilit

y of

rais

ing

two

unru

ly b

oys

by h

imse

lf.”

Shor

tly a

fter h

is w

ife’s

pas

s-in

g, th

e pr

ofes

sion

al v

iolin

ist w

as a

ttem

ptin

g to

teac

h R

ocky

’s b

roth

er

how

to p

lay

the

viol

in.

As th

e ol

der s

iblin

g un

succ

essf

ully

atte

mpt

ed to

fo

llow

his

fath

er’s

inst

ruct

ion,

you

ng R

ocky

vol

unte

ered

to g

ive

it a

go. -

ible

ski

ll as

he

trave

rsed

the

smal

lest

stri

nged

inst

rum

ent,

with

its

hors

e-ha

ir bo

w. L

ittle

did

Roc

ky k

now

that

his

ade

pt p

erfo

rman

ce th

at o

ne d

ay

guita

rists

to h

it th

e ro

ck s

cene

in d

ecad

es.

With

a b

uddi

ng v

irtuo

so o

n hi

s ha

nds,

Roc

ky’s

fath

er e

ncou

rage

d vi

olin

le

sson

s an

d ev

en s

uppl

emen

ted

thos

e le

sson

s w

ith p

rivat

e tu

torin

g fro

m

the

mas

ter h

imse

lf. O

n on

e ha

nd R

ocky

kne

w th

at h

e w

as lu

cky

to h

ave

such

an

acco

mpl

ishe

d vi

olin

ist t

each

ing

him

to m

aste

r his

inst

rum

ent –

bu

t – th

ere

was

one

pro

blem

. R

ocky

yea

rned

to p

lay

mor

e co

ntem

pora

ry

inst

rum

ents

, suc

h as

the

drum

s an

d gu

itar.

To

a vi

rtuos

o vi

olin

ist,

such

to

ols

of th

e ro

ck w

orld

wer

e si

mpl

y bl

asph

emou

s. F

or y

ears

the

prod

igal

so

n pl

ayed

vio

lin b

y da

y an

d ro

cked

out

at n

ight

on

frien

ds’ g

uita

rs a

nd

drum

s. R

eque

sts

for s

uch

trite

inst

rum

ents

for b

irthd

ays

and

Chr

istm

as

wer

e m

et w

ith a

reso

undi

ng “N

O!”

Soo

n th

e em

ber b

ecam

e a

burn

ing

desi

re.

Bein

g an

ard

ent f

an o

f Ace

Fre

hley

, Roc

ky S

aved

his

allo

wan

ce,

-ta

r – “a

Les

Pau

l Dou

ble

Cut

kno

ck-o

ff,” r

ecal

ls R

ocky

. It

didn

’t ta

ke lo

ng

befo

re R

ocky

dis

cove

red

he w

as “a

Fen

der®

man

;” a

relig

ion

valid

ated

by -

ship

per.

Whe

n as

ked

wha

t mad

e th

e gu

itar s

tand

out,

Roc

ky re

mem

bers

fa

lling

“in lo

ve w

ith th

e gu

itar b

ecau

se o

f its

free

dom

; the

sou

nds

[he]

co

uld

mak

e w

ith a

n el

ectri

c gu

itar j

ust w

eren

’t po

ssib

le g

iven

the

inhe

rent

lim

itatio

ns o

f a v

iolin

.” A

lthou

gh h

e is

als

o an

acc

ompl

ishe

d pi

anis

t, th

e ei

ghty

-eig

hts

just

see

med

“too

trad

ition

al” f

or h

is ro

cker

tast

es.

But t

here

w

as o

ne o

ther

inst

rum

ent t

hat c

augh

t Roc

ky’s

eye

– th

e dr

ums.

Uns

ur-

to q

uenc

h hi

s th

irst f

or p

ercu

ssio

n, u

ltim

atel

y be

com

ing

an in

cred

ibly

ag-

amon

gst h

is fr

iend

s w

ho c

ould

pla

y dr

ums,

whi

le R

ocky

was

the

only

one

ca

pabl

e of

man

hand

ling

an a

xe.

Roc

ky’s

inst

rum

ent o

f cho

ice

was

then

se

ttled

.

Alth

ough

gui

tar b

ecam

e R

ocky

’s w

eapo

n of

cho

ice,

the

clas

h be

twee

n -

son’

s m

ania

, em

brac

ing

the

over

all l

ove

for m

usic

ove

r his

ow

n de

sire

to

see

a so

n fo

llow

in h

is fo

otst

eps.

Thr

ough

out a

cou

ple

of y

ears

, Roc

ky

put t

oget

her a

num

ber o

f ban

ds, i

nclu

ding

Svi

dd R

ock,

Psy

cho

Sold

iers

,

16, R

ocky

’s b

ands

had

bec

ome

lege

ndar

y am

ongs

t loc

al a

udie

nces

, eve

n ra

ckin

g up

top

hono

rs w

ith A

rmed

Sci

ence

at t

he U

KM R

egio

nal M

usic

C

ompe

titio

n, ju

st s

hort

of th

e na

tiona

l cha

mpi

onsh

ip.

Hav

ing

begu

n w

ritin

g so

ngs

on th

e fa

mily

pia

no a

t age

four

, Roc

ky li

tera

l-

late

r, w

ith y

et a

third

alb

um e

mer

ging

a y

ear a

fter t

hat.

At t

he a

ge o

f 17

Roc

ky c

ompl

eted

his

four

th a

lbum

. Am

azin

gly,

eac

h ar

e co

ncep

t alb

ums

that

spe

ak to

the

mae

lstro

m th

at o

ften

chal

leng

e yo

uth

durin

g th

eir f

orm

a-tiv

e ye

ars,

as

expe

rienc

ed b

y th

is a

droi

t and

poi

gnan

t rac

onte

ur.

By th

e tim

e R

ocky

reac

hed

high

sch

ool,

he a

nd h

is m

any

band

s ha

d be

com

e w

ell k

now

n th

roug

hout

Tro

ndhe

im, w

ith re

cogn

ition

com

ing

in

from

aro

und

the

coun

try.

Feel

ing

a le

vel o

f ded

icat

ion

that

tran

scen

ded

that

of h

is fe

llow

ban

d m

embe

rs, R

ocky

dec

ided

to fo

cus

on d

evel

opin

g hi

s sk

ills a

s a

sing

er /

song

writ

er, m

akin

g a

num

ber o

f app

eara

nces

as

a so

lo a

rtist

. Pi

ckin

g up

a k

eybo

ard

and

lear

ning

to re

cord

his

ow

n m

usic

en

able

d R

ocky

to b

egin

cre

atin

g m

usic

dem

os fo

r his

four

com

plet

ed a

l-bu

ms.

With

the

stro

ng b

ackg

roun

d in

cla

ssic

al m

usic

impa

rted

on h

im b

y hi

s fa

ther

, Roc

ky b

egan

com

bini

ng th

e ge

nres

of m

usic

to c

reat

e hi

s ow

n

-ph

onie

s fo

r the

rock

ent

husi

ast!

Afte

r spe

ndin

g a

year

in u

nive

rsity

stu

dy-

-si

ve E

nglis

h la

ngua

ge s

kills

. Al

thou

gh N

orw

egia

n is

his

nat

ive

lang

uage

, R

ocky

felt

from

a v

ery

early

age

that

he

coul

d be

st c

onve

y m

usic

in th

e

Whi

le a

ttend

ing

scho

ol in

the

Uni

ted

Stat

es, R

ocky

cau

ght t

he a

ttent

ion

of

the

Allie

d Ar

tists

Mus

ic G

roup

, who

soo

n in

ked

a de

al w

ith th

is in

imita

ble

mus

icia

n. S

teph

an B

auer

, Pre

side

nt o

f Allie

d Ar

tists

Mus

ic G

roup

(Led

Ze

ppel

in a

nd T

he R

ollin

g St

ones

) co

mm

ents

that

“Roc

ky is

the

esse

nce

of m

oder

n m

etal

, mix

ed w

ith a

tena

city

that

mak

es fo

r roc

k le

gend

s” a

dd-

ing

that

“tho

se o

f us

at A

llied

Artis

ts a

re p

roud

to h

ave

him

on

the

labe

l

mus

ic in

vigo

ratin

g an

d hi

s m

essa

ge c

aptiv

atin

g.”

Perh

aps

as a

por

tent

of

thin

gs to

com

e, R

ocky

was

vot

ed 2

012’

s Be

st N

ew M

ale

Roc

k M

usic

ian

by th

e ed

itors

of R

ock

Ove

r Am

eric

a M

agaz

ine

and

was

rece

ntly

wel

-co

med

as

a ne

w m

embe

r of t

he N

atio

nal A

cade

my

of R

ecor

ding

Arts

&

Scie

nces

(“Th

e G

ram

mys

”).

Roc

ky p

roud

ly p

lays

and

end

orse

s Fe

nder

® G

uita

rs, D

igiT

ech®

/ D

OD

Ef

fect

s Pe

dals

, Cle

arTo

ne S

tring

s® a

nd J

im D

unlo

p® J

azz

III G

uita

r Pi

cks

& C

ry B

aby®

Wah

Wah

. In

deed

, Roc

ky o

nly

endo

rses

pro

duct

s he

tru

ly e

njoy

s pl

ayin

g.

Visi

t Roc

ky o

n th

e w

eb a

t ww

w.R

ocky

Kram

er.c

om

LIV

EM

AG

AZ

INE

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Kim

Ric

hard

sCE

O A

llied

Art

ists

Rock

y Kr

amer

Mus

icia

n

Audi

o En

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lmon

Para

mou

nt R

ecor

ding

Stu

dios

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io A

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lyw

ood,

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INE

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the

V

ideo

Int

ervi

ew

at t

he w

ebsi

te

belo

w

ROCK

YKR

AMER

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R

OC

KY

KR

AM

ER

Levv

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arrik

er ta

ping

at P

aram

ount

Rec

ordi

ng S

tudi

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in H

olly

woo

d w

hile

Kim

Ric

hard

s an

d R

ocky

Kra

mer

di

scus

s th

e va

ried

area

s of

Roc

ky’s

sty

le.

Find

out

ab

out t

his

mul

ti-ta

lent

ed a

rtis

ts b

y w

atch

ing

the

vide

o at

ww

w.L

IVEm

agaz

ine.

TV

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9/1/2018 From Norway, with Love: Rocky Kramer’s passion for playing metal and saving the environment

http://www.northwestmusicscene.net/from-norway-with-love-rocky-kramers-passion-for-playing-metal-and-saving-the-environment/ 1/6

Boise-based Trio Jonathan Warren & The Billy Goats celebrate new album with West Coast Tour

Interviews  

From Norway, with Love: RockyKramer’s passion for playingmetal and saving theenvironment August 18, 2018 Su Ring

Listen to Rocky Kramer’s music, and you’re treated to an edgy metalsound with classical undertones that belie his traditional upbringing(his father was First Violinist in the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra).Chat with Rocky, and you’re treated to a young man on a mission tomake the world more environmentally sustainable.

Rocky moved from Norway to Los Angeles to advance his musicalcareer and is making his second trip to Seattle. He visited last year tosee one of his favorite bands, Metallica, headline an epic concert at

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9/1/2018 From Norway, with Love: Rocky Kramer’s passion for playing metal and saving the environment

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CenturyLink Field. This year, he’s back for a headlining gig of his own –tonight at HempFest.

Photo by Hector Ramos

 

Rocky chatted with Northwest Music Scene about his musicalupbringing and his love of 80’s heavy metal. He also shared why hesupports hemp as a key weapon in the future of our planet’ssustainability, even though he does not use cannabis recreationally.

NWMS: You have a classical music upbringing. How and when did you�rst hear a metal band?

RK: My �rst experience seeing a live band was a sound check. Myfather was the First Violinist in the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.They were doing a New Year’s Eve special that was going to betelevised nationally and he took us with him to the sound check. TNTwere performing one of their new singles and they had the smoke

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9/1/2018 From Norway, with Love: Rocky Kramer’s passion for playing metal and saving the environment

http://www.northwestmusicscene.net/from-norway-with-love-rocky-kramers-passion-for-playing-metal-and-saving-the-environment/ 3/6

machines! It was my �rst experience seeing a rock band live and itwas very in�uential. It went from that to KISS. There was a neighborwho had a few KISS cassettes. KISS was my �rst metal band, if youwant to call them metal. Some people call them heavy metal. I thinkthey’re on the “nicer” end of the spectrum  – more on the commercialside. So, it went from KISS to Iron Maiden to Metallica to all kinds ofbands. It was a slow progression. You start out with one band andpeople say, “if you like that then you might like this.”

NWMS: Who else introduced new music to you?

RK: It’s always someone you know. For me, it was my brother, who’stwo years older than me. His friends would listen to something, thenhe’d listen to it, then I would listen to it. I discovered a lot ofwonderful music that way.

NWMS: When did you begin playing guitar?

RK: I started playing the violin when I was seven. About the sametime, my brother got an acoustic guitar. He’s the one in the familywho started with guitar. I picked it up when I was nine, but it wasn’tthe right time yet. When I was eleven, I decided I really wanted to playthe guitar and that was when I took over my brother’s guitar and itwas pretty much always in my room because I loved playing it somuch. I would play for hours. Eventually, I saved up enough money tobuy my own guitar and it just snowballed into… this (laughs).

When I started playing guitar, I was into Ozzy Osbourne, particularlybecause of Randy Rhoads. When I was thirteen, after I bought my �rstelectric guitar, I fell o� my bike and broke my collarbone. And mydoctor said, “you can’t move your left arm for a week.”  So, I said, if Ican’t play guitar, I’m going to study guitar. And that’s when I startedstudying the shredders of the 80’s, like Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai,Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, and so on. Because I couldn’t play, I wantedto learn something new and that’s when I discovered all these newways of playing. Hearing Yngwie Malmsteen combining metal withclassical music completely changed my world.

NWMS: Describe your early songwriting process.

RK: I started writing my own songs on Guitar Pro (started with GP 4,then 5 and still uses 6). It’s kind of the simple way of doing it (inputtingnotes). I take it from that and I move on to Logic and make more

9/1/2018 From Norway, with Love: Rocky Kramer’s passion for playing metal and saving the environment

http://www.northwestmusicscene.net/from-norway-with-love-rocky-kramers-passion-for-playing-metal-and-saving-the-environment/ 4/6

professional demos, which is something I’ve done more in the last tenyears.

About the songwriting process: I think, for the most part, I never reallydecide to write a song. It just happens. Generally, it’s the melody thatcomes �rst. It’s really kind of an e�ortless thing. It’s either there or itisn’t. I’m not the type to write one note and say, okay – what shouldbe the next note? It’s either there or it isn’t. I might be playing guitarand I’m playing something and it’s all just random things then all of asudden, out of nowhere, I’m playing this ri� and I’m like “oh my god,this is great.” I would just record it immediately. The process of doingthis when I was sixteen is what became the album I’m performing (atHemp Fest), called Firestorm. It was compiling all these audio clipsand seeing what �ts.

NWMS: How did your band come together?

RK: First, I moved from Norway to LA, then found musicians (MichaelDwyer: bass/vocals, Alejandro Mercado: drums/vocals, andAlessandro Bertoni: keyboards/vocals). We started playing and thingsfell into place.

NWMS: You don’t use cannabis, but you’re headlining at HempFest.Tell me about your passion for promoting hemp as a resource to helpmake our planet more environmentally sustainable.

RK: I’m from Norway. Norway’s not necessarily a country thatembraces hemp, but it is a country that embraces sustainability andthe future of our grandchildren and everything. When I came here, Ididn’t know much about hemp, other than it being used for smokingit to get high. When you actually look into the plant, it’s a lot morethan that. That’s something we want to talk about more because Ithink a lot of people forget about the fact that when you have theCBD oils, you can reduce somebody’s blood sugar tremendously andthat’s almost a matter of life and death if you have diabetes.Medically, it has a lot of bene�ts. On the other hand, the classic formof plastic is not a renewable resource because it’s made out of oil.With hemp, you can make a type of bio-plastic that is not only asstrong as regular plastic, if you do it the right way, it can be strongerthan steel. When you think about the strength of hemp, in that sense,when you use it in the right way, industrially, all of a sudden you havethis whole market, this whole industry of products that are more

9/1/2018 From Norway, with Love: Rocky Kramer’s passion for playing metal and saving the environment

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sustainable, that’s not bad for the environment, because hemp isbiodegradable.  All of a sudden, we’re seeing more of a future, morethan destroying the future, as we �nd more plastic and garbage insidethe stomachs of dead �sh and whales. The whole point of promotinghemp is that we want a sustainable future and we believe that hemphas so many purposes.

 

Rocky and his band will perform tonight (Saturday, August 18) at 7:00pm on the Share Parker Memorial Main Stage at Myrtle Edwards Park.More information about Hempfest: www.hempfest.org

 

Connect with Rocky:

Website: www.rockykramer.com

Facebook: Rocky Kramer

Twitter:  @RockyKramer

 

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9/1/2018 From Norway, with Love: Rocky Kramer’s passion for playing metal and saving the environment

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Su Ring

Su has worked in and around the music scene since the tender age of19, when she formed her �rst heavy metal band on the Jersey Shore.Since then, she's hosted a radio show, worked at several major recordlabels in New York City, written for a now-defunct rock periodical, andself-published a novel set amid the 80s metal music scene in the BigApple. She spends her time now singing anthems, hosting a hockeypodcast, and producing segments for a daytime TV talk show. Andenjoying rock and heavy metal shows, of course.

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8/16/2016 Supergitarist Rocky Kramer fra Trondheim gjør suksess i Los Angeles -adressa.no

http://www.adressa.no/pluss/kultur/2016/08/16/Supergitarist-Rocky-Kramer-fra-Trondheim-gj%C3%B8r-suksess-i-Los-Angeles-13168843.ece 1/7

PUBLISERT: 16 AUGUST 2016 07:47 SIST OPPDATERT: 16 AUGUST 2016 10:37FORSIDEN / SUPERGITARIST ROCKY KRAMER FRA TRONDHEIM GJØR SUKSESS I LOS ANGELES

Supergitarist RockyKramer fra Trondheimgjør suksess i Los AngelesSindre Langhelle (26) fra Tiller i Trondheim skjønte at han måtte bort fraNorge for å få rockestjerne-drømmen oppfylt. Nå lanseres han som artistenRocky Kramer i USA.

Langhelle fikk platekontrakt med

Universal-baserte Allied Artists i

2012. I 2014 begynte han å spille

inn albumet «Firestorm» i

samme studio som Metallica spilte

BLI ABONNENT Hei, SøkNYHETER SPORT KULTUR ØKONOMI MENINGER PLUSS +Pluss + EADRESSA UKEADRESSA

MARENELVIG MELSTVEITMobil: 938 77 157

1

Aktuell med plate: Sindre tok sjansen og flyttet til Los Angeles for å prøve seg som artist. Etter elleve måneder fikk han platekontrakt medAllied Artists, og snart er han aktuell med sin første plateutgivelse. FOTO: ROCKY KRAMER/ALLIED ARTISTS

8/16/2016 Supergitarist Rocky Kramer fra Trondheim gjør suksess i Los Angeles -adressa.no

http://www.adressa.no/pluss/kultur/2016/08/16/Supergitarist-Rocky-Kramer-fra-Trondheim-gj%C3%B8r-suksess-i-Los-Angeles-13168843.ece 2/7

Leses nå:

Rita Ottervik satte endeligpunktum forstorhalldebatten

Reagerer sterkt motSverige-stjernen: - Hun kanikke mene det!

Kapteinen forlenger til2021: - RBK i ferd med åbygge opp noe skikkelig

Det ble som Bakenga håpet

inn «The Black Album». Sangene

skrev han for ti år siden.

- Dagen jeg fikk platekontrakt

kommer jeg aldri til å glemme.

Det var en helt fantastisk følelse å

få en av mine største drømmer

oppfylt.

Nå oppfylles snart nok en drøm

når albumet kommer ut i løpet av året.

- Det blir en viktig dag i mitt liv som artist, låtskriver og

gitarist. Kanskje også som menneske. Jeg prøver å holde

nervene i sjakk, men dette er en «big deal». Det er mange

artister på markedet for tiden, så jeg håper å finne gull i

enden av regnbuen.

LES OGSÅ: Kliss lik Kiss +

Aldri ferdig utlært

Samme år som han fikk platekontrakt startet arbeidet

med å utvikle Sindre til en ekte amerikansk artist. Det

nordiske blonde håret ble farget svart som natten, han

startet å bruke artistaliaset Rocky Kramer, og gikk

gjennom en toårig prosess for å utvikle seg som sanger.

- Jeg er hovedsakelig låtskriver og gitarist, og hadde aldri

planlagt å bli sanger. Først hadde jeg litt problemer med

sangstemmen, men utviklet etter hvert en bra teknikk

gjennom de to årene. Som musiker er man alltid student,

man blir aldri ferdig utlært.

Saken fortsetter etter annonsen.

8/16/2016 Supergitarist Rocky Kramer fra Trondheim gjør suksess i Los Angeles -adressa.no

http://www.adressa.no/pluss/kultur/2016/08/16/Supergitarist-Rocky-Kramer-fra-Trondheim-gj%C3%B8r-suksess-i-Los-Angeles-13168843.ece 3/7

LES OGSÅ: Rock for rollens skyld

Klassisk og elektrisk musikk

Langhelle vokste opp i en musikalsk familie på Tiller i Trondheim. Faren var

førstefiolinist i Trondheim Symfoniorkester og spilte mye klassisk musikk for han

og søsknene under oppveksten. Han begynte sin musikalske karriere med å spille

fiolin, før han gikk over til gitar etter å ha hørt på Kiss og AC/DC. Det var også på

denne tiden at han begynte å skrive sine egne låter, en slags krysning mellom

klassisk musikk og elektrisk gitar ifølge ham selv.

- I ungdommen var jeg med i et band med navn Armed Science. Vi var et slags

tenårings-Kiss, bare med litt enklere sminke. Vi var bare 16 år da vi gjorde dette,

og kom til fylkesfinalen i Bjugn.

Tenåringsdrømmen var alltid å dra til USA for å bli rockestjerne.

- Etter å ha skrevet musikken var neste steg å få den ut, da fant jeg ut at jeg måtte

forlate Norge til fordel for USA og Los Angeles. Jeg tenkte at musikken hadde

potensial, og at jeg ikke måtte kaste bort dette, forteller han.

Men selv om han lever ut drømmen i Los Angeles, savner han fortsatt

barndomshjemmet på Tiller.

- Jeg vil gjerne bruke mer av tiden min der sammen med familie og venner, noe

jeg kommer til å gjøre når jeg blir mer etablert som artist og blir mer selvstendig.

Mellom turneene selvfølgelig.

LES OGSÅ: Ble overrasket av åtte gitarister på scenen

FOTO: ROCKY KRAMER/ALLIED ARTISTS

8/16/2016 Supergitarist Rocky Kramer fra Trondheim gjør suksess i Los Angeles -adressa.no

http://www.adressa.no/pluss/kultur/2016/08/16/Supergitarist-Rocky-Kramer-fra-Trondheim-gj%C3%B8r-suksess-i-Los-Angeles-13168843.ece 4/7

Fikk visumhjelp av Hillary Clinton

Han hadde ikke søkt om arbeidsvisum før han dro til USA, fordi han visste at han

ikke var kvalifisert. Derfor ble løsningen å søke studentvisum. Han tok noen fag

på universitetet mens han bodde hos en eldre dame i 80-årene. Hun hjalp ham å

få kontakter innen plateindustrien, og arbeidsvisumet ble søkt om da han fikk

platekontrakt.

- Søknaden ble godkjent av USCIS i USA, men dama i ambassaden i Oslo mente

at kun Mick Jagger var kvalifisert til et slikt visum, sier han.

Da tok plateprodusenten affære og ringte Hillary Clinton, som igjen ringte

ambassadøren.

- Da ble visumet takk og lov godkjent.

LES OGSÅ: Det er for lite rock i Rockheim

Gikk glipp av åttitallet

I dag er det lite med Sindre som minner om

en moderne artist. Med sort, voluminøst

hår ned til skuldrene, kullsvarte bukser og

trang skinnjakke er han som tatt ut fra

rockens storhetstid.

- Jeg ble født på nittitallet og gikk dessverre

glipp av åttitallet. Under oppveksten var jeg

ikke glad i å høre moderne musikk på

radio, jeg ville heller høre på sanger fra

tiåret før jeg ble født. Jeg ble inspirert av

musikere med langt, svart hår og ville bli en

del av dem, forteller han.

Er du redd å bli oppfattet som harry på

grunn av imaget ditt?

- Det er et godt spørsmål. Stilen min

fungerer godt i USA, når folk treffer meg for

første gang spør de om hvilket band jeg

tilhører. Folk forstår at jeg er rockeartist ut i

fra imaget mitt, sier han.

LES OGSÅ: - Flaks at Rockheim er i

Trondheim +

Et navn som er enkelt å uttale

Musikkstilen er inspirert av Pink Floyd, AC/DC og Michael Jackson. Langhelle har

tro på at musikken også kan slå gjennom i Europa.

Musikalsk: Han vokste opp i en musikalsk familie som hørtemye på klassisk musikk. Selv ble han etterhvert mer opptattav elektrisk gitar, og i tenårene begynte han å skrive sineegne låter. FOTO: ROCKY KRAMER/ALLIED ARTISTS

8/16/2016 Supergitarist Rocky Kramer fra Trondheim gjør suksess i Los Angeles -adressa.no

http://www.adressa.no/pluss/kultur/2016/08/16/Supergitarist-Rocky-Kramer-fra-Trondheim-gj%C3%B8r-suksess-i-Los-Angeles-13168843.ece 5/7

Fikk du med deg disse?

Fikk rollen på timen

Orkdal-brødrene hartrikset i sju år. Nå gårde for VM-gull

Snart kommer enendring som blir dyrfor elbiler iTrondheim

| hovedsakene nå:

- Alle disse har album som er de mest solgte i verden. Musikken jeg liker og er

inspirert av er populær, og jeg har fått god respons på albumet mitt fra mange i

bransjen som tror at det kan bli stort. Den har ikke bare potensial som album,

men også som soundtrack til film. Musikken er veldig intens, forteller han.

Hva med artistnavnet ditt?

- Egentlig ville jeg bruke mitt eget navn, men da jeg flyttet til USA skjønte jeg at

det kunne bli et problem å uttale det. Jeg bestemte meg for å velge et navn som

amerikanerne allerede kan. «Rocky» fordi det er en av mine favorittfilmer,

Kramer fordi «alle» kjenner Cosmo Kramer fra Seinfield. Fordelen med navnet

er at alle husker det, og sånn sett er det et smart valg.

LES OGSÅ: Bruce satte Granåsen på verdens rockekart

VIS DEBATT 1

+ - Det er en tabbe det Rita sier nå. Dette er Ap-arroganse på sitt verste21:41

Disse kineserne fikk seg en overraskelse da de kom til Nor-Fishing21:41

Nå er det vinn eller forsvinn for Norge21:39

- Angrepene har gjort franskmenn lukket. I Trondheim er folk mer åpne21:30

Orkdal-brødrene har trikset i sju år. Nå går de for VM-gull21:11

-Jeg blir dagligkjeftet på ogutskjelt

Snart kommer enendring som blirdyr for elbiler iTrondheim

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