Madman’s Lullaby

IN SONIC OVERDRIVE WITH MADMAN’S LULLABY

Interview by Ken Morton

It’s time to head into sonic overdrive with Madman’s Lullaby! Hailing from San Jose, California and signed with MR Records of Australia, the almighty Madman’s Lullaby is ready to rock an entire world with their raging anthems. They’ve opened for the likes of Michael Schenker, Lynch Mob and WASP, and judging by the hard rocking goods heard within the grooves of their latest album Nocturnal Overdrive – Part 1, it won’t be long until Madman’s Lullaby serenade fans on their very own headlining tours.

Highwire Daze recently interviewed drummer Eric “EJ” Arbizu to find out more about the thrilling auditory reveries of Madman’s Lullaby. Read on...

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Madman’s Lullaby, and how long the band has been together.

What’s up? EJ here. I’m the drummer/back up vocalist in Madman’s Lullaby.

Madman’s Lullaby has been around since 2007. I joined the band in 2008. This line up has been in place since 2016.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?

Madman’s Lullaby (MML) is from San Jose California. The local music scene is a bit of a mixed bag. We have some of the most talented original and tribute bands here in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, the amount of quality Bay Area venues here has diminished con-

siderably over the years.

How did you wind up signing with MR Records and have you ever played in Australia?

I first met Andrew McNeice performing at Melodic Rock Fest. I was playing drums for Johnny Lima that year. I could tell right away that he is a quality individual. Andrew liked the new material we were writing for the “Sins of Greed” release and we decided it would it would be a great fit to be a part of his label. Fast forward to now… Peter Hoffmann and his team at MR Records have continued to bring all the qualities of a solid label making it a no brainer for us to release “Nocturnal Overdrive” with them.

We were actually booked to play Melodic Rock Fest in Melbourne AU in early 2020. Unfortunately for reasons beyond our control, we were unable to make the trip. We do hope to make it out there sooner than later.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Nocturnal Overdrive Part 1 album title?

Not so much of a concept or story behind the title. Mr Brett came up with the title and even though there is reasoning behind his idea, we like to leave this open for interpretation.

Select two songs from Nocturnal Overdrive Part 1 and what inspired the lyrics.

In Your Mind ~ This song was inspired by our brave men and women in the military. It touches on the daily internal battles whether deployed or finally back home. much time with them so there hasn’t been much interaction or communication. The packed house at The Whisky absolutely loved us though. The energy and interaction of that night was insane!

MML has played The Whisky 5 times supporting groups like Last in Line and Red Dragon Cartel Lots of appreciation goes to Jake and The Whisky staff for a great time every time.

Love Don’t Come Easy ~ This title is pretty self-explanatory and is definitely one of my favorites on the CD.

Who produced Nocturnal Overdrive Part 1 and what was it like working with them?

Eric Hill at Blue Room Studios in Discovery Bay, California not only produced but also recorded everything except the drum tracks, mixed, and mastered Nocturnal Overdrive pt.1 and pt2. Eric Hill was awesome to work with. His input and suggestions throughout the CD were well received and very much appreciated. We’d welcome working with Eric Hill again.

What was it like working on an album in the middle of a pandemic?

Well? It sucked…lol However, the worst part was not being able to play live.

What was it like opening for The Iron Maidens at the legendary Whisky and how many times have you played that venue in the past?

The Iron Maidens are a solid group. We haven’t spent

What was it like opening for Michael Schenker and did you get to meet or hang out with him or any and members in his band at all?

We’ve opened for MSG twice. Once in Campbell, CA and once in Sweden. Michael is such an amazing musician. Personally, I turn straight into fan boy so opening for Michael has been very special to me.

Mr Brett (also a huge fan) has met him on multiple occasions. At our show in Campbell, CA he accidentally walked into our dressing room on his way to the stage. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hang out. Probably would have pissed off the sold-out crowd waiting to see him. lol

If Madman’s Lullaby could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?

That’s a tough one. There are too many amazing bands to list. Personally, I can say either Van Halen or Iron Maiden. There is a ton of others but they are two of my favorite groups. To see Eddie play again and be their supporting act? There are no words as to how insanely cool that would be.

Are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of Madman’s Lullaby?

Well if Johnny Lima does anymore live shows, I’d probably be his drummer. I’m also Lead Vocalist for another Bay Area band called Swamphammer. Lastly, I’m currently working with some musicians as Lead Vocals and rhythm guitars to create a Styx tribute group.

What’s up next for Madman’s Lullaby and when could we expect Nocturnal Overdrive Part 2 to arrive?

Currently I’m still in recovery mode from being hospitalized with covid pneumonia. Unfortunately, I doubt I’ll be playing drums for a little while. We are looking forward to 2022 to ramp back up with live shows.

As for our next release, MML is working close with MR Records and Michael Brandvold Marketing to release Nocturnal Overdrive Part 2 later this year.

Any final words of wisdom?

Wisdom? Not sure I’m the guy for that! LOL On a serious note, remember that everyone’s favorite big bands were once local bands. Get out and discover live music again. If you like a band, support them. Buy the CD, Buy the shirt, and tell your friends. These bands put their blood sweat and tears (and a ton of money) to bring everyone their music.

Get out and support your local music scene!

Band Members:

Chris Michaels - Lead Vocals Mr. Brett - Lead Guitar Luis Barillas - Bass/Vocals Eric Arbizu - Drums/Vocals

http://mmlrocks.com

Promoting the all new full length album, "Down In Wuhan" out August 28, 2021. World-wide on all major platforms

2 NEW SHOWS! WHISKY A GO GO THURS. Sept. 30, 2021 8PM THURS. Dec. 1, 2021 8PM