Heavy metal rockers MISERY LANE have had two album's released thus far, with the band already writing material for the next album. Some shows have been planned out as well, just getting word out about their music and themselves. The band chats of this all below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Misery Lane started in October 2020 with an idea of something different in the Michigan metal scene. We wanted to be different than the other cookie cutter chugging and screaming bands that overwhelm the area. We wanted to challenge the listener with not only fast and aggressive music but also with slow and melodic tones. With a combination of influences from the members and years of playing it makes the band something unique in and of itself.
Currently in the band we have Ken C Keller Jr. He’s the vocalis and main songwriter. He is what we would call the “James Hetfield” of the band and he influences most of the tone and tempo of the songs. There is Joshua Bougourd on rhythm guitar. He’s Ken’s oldest son and mimics his father’s style and ideas nicely. We have K.D. Murray on drums. K.D. is an old school thrash/punk style drummer but brings a groove to the band that matches but also contradicts Ken’s style of writing nicely. Lastly, we have Mike Munoz on bass. Mike is an old school tone man, and his heavy melodic tones fill in beautifully with Ken and Josh’s hard and gritty guitar tones.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
When we were trying to come up with a name for the band Ken was driving in upper Michigan on some back dirt roads and saw a sign that just said “Misery” and he threw lane on the end and the name was born. The name itself implies giving up but also the need to fight back. We have all spent time on Misery Lane at one time or another.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We are currently based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the scene here is a tight knit group of guys and gals just trying to play good music and be entertaining. Some of the bands here we would recommend would be some of the bands we play with quite frequently like “Dropped at Birth”, “19 til Dawn”, “Dead Fruit”, “Distant Decend”, “Mesa Mantra”, I could go on and on.
4. How would you describe your style?
Our style we like to say is right where hard rock meets metal. We like to have singing verses with scream back ups and choruses. If you ask Ken and since he writes most of the music, he will say he plays metal riffs with blues solos. So, wherever that falls in the music spectrum.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your work?
We have released two albums so far. The first one “Frozen Summer” was our attempt to show just how different we intended our sound to be. There are fast and aggressive songs to drive the wild side and there are also some slow and melodic songs with a clear message every listener can relate to. Our second album “Red Balloon” which was released in March of this year is a completely new sound entirely. We parted ways with our original singer and now the vocals are much clearer, and the music continues to grip and move the listener and just like the first album there is something for everyone whether you want a hard and abrasive in your face kind of song or a slow and melodic piano melody to enjoy while you’re trying to relax, and every song has a clear and pertinent message. you up.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Ken is always writing, and he’s already started on music for the third album. He has one song done and ideas for several others. One thing we never have a shortage of is new music to play. Ken believes that it is just as important to keep putting out new music as it is to put on an excellent live performance. Nobody wants to come to a show and watch four guys stare at their instruments like nobody wants to keep hearing the same songs over and over for years and years. If you don’t keep the crowds interested, they will move on to the next band and there are enough out there to be forgotten as easily as you were found.
7. How about putting on shows and touring, has anything planned out?
We are currently booked with shows through September, and we are constantly being asked to perform all over the area. We don’t like to limit ourselves to just playing the same bar over and over for the same crowd. We like to venture all over and have played shows in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
I think the plan for any band is to be able to make money while playing music, but that goal is getting harder and harder in today’s music industry. So, for now we want to just keep playing killer shows, making new friends, networking, and putting out new music. The money part will come but if you only play music for money then you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons. We do it because we love to play, and we hope our love of music can be translated into songs people can like and appreciate.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Our music is available wherever you stream music. Places like spotify, itunes, pandora, youtube, etc. We have an online store on our website miserylane.com. You can pick up a variety of products and we appreciate the support.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
I think the most important thing to remember would be that we aren’t trying to emulate or sound like anyone else. There may be hints of influence in the music but overall, it is our sound, and it is unique to us. Each song is different from the last and each has its own message but, in the end, we just want people to enjoy the music.
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