SOUTH OF SALEM – AN INTERVIEW WITH JOEY DRAPER

What do you get when you cross ‘80s U.S. Hard Rock with British Heavy Metal? The answer is South Of Salem, a Bournemouth-based 5-piece that has rapidly risen since its inception to become one of New Wave of Classic Rock’s best loved bands. I talk to frontman Joey Draper about the highly anticipated follow up to their successful debut album, and discuss how the band are gearing up to play their biggest stage yet in 2023.

[Anne] Firstly, what’s the meaning behind the name, South Of Salem?

[SoS] We knew when we started the band we wanted something that sounded cool and gave those dark, occult vibes. We had Salem in mind due to the Salem Witch Trials and the sassy cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. We discussed ideas, threw a load of words into the pot and eventually South Of Salem was born!

[Anne] When and how did the band form?

[SoS] The idea of SoS came about in 2018. Over the years each of us had played in bands together but never all at the same time. We started jamming and it all just clicked. Buzzing to capture the sound, we headed into the studio and recorded our debut album before even ever playing a live show.

[Anne] How would you describe your specific style of music to somebody who’d never heard it before?

[SoS] Hard Rock with Horror undertones, I guess. Each band member has their list of influences, but I think ‘80s U.S. Hard Rock and British Heavy Metal have definitely helped shape our sound.

[Anne] You released your acclaimed debut album The Sinner Takes It All in 2020, which was followed this year by an extensive UK tour and run of festival appearances – what else has the band been up to?

[SoS] With the pandemic hitting a month after announcing the band, we’ve just been enjoying playing the songs live and getting to meet the fans. The support and love for this band from promoters and fans alike has been overwhelming.

[Anne] Do you have any new releases in the pipeline?

[SoS] Most definitely. We’ve been working hard on our follow up to The Sinner Takes It All. As with our debut, we’ll be recording with Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Amon Amarth, Sylosis and Behemoth) at Grindstone Studios. His hard work was invaluable last time, and we can’t wait to see what these new songs become. As for details, at this stage there’s not loads I can say but it’s gonna be killer and I’m sure we’ll be testing out some new songs on the road soon.

[Anne] What has been the highlight of your career so far?

[SoS] Getting booked for Bloodstock Festival for our third or fourth show was pretty damn awesome. I think it was the first time we truly realized we had made something special.

[Anne] You’ve got a headline ‘Nightmare Before Xmas’ hometown show happening on the 17th of December. Who will be supporting you and what can the audience expect to see on the night?

[SoS] Yes! We have the awesome James and the Cold Gun and our friends in Lightwave as our special guests. Both bands are incredible and will definitely push us to go even harder. With our hometown gigs we always like to give the fans the full stage show. It will all be going off. We’ll be playing our debut
album in its entirety, maybe a couple of covers and we’ll be debuting a song off the new album.

[Anne] Stonedead Festival 2023 will be your biggest show to date – what does it mean to you to be on the line-up and who are you most excited to be sharing the stage with?

[SoS] We attended Stonedead Fest this year as fans and the whole event was off the chart. Incredible people, awesome location and the perfect stage. We could not be more excited. The whole line-up is awesome for 2023. Obviously Blue Oyster Cult is a highlight. As fans of Kaiju movies we can’t wait to scream along to Godzilla.

[Anne] Where else can we see you perform in 2023?

[SoS] We still have so many shows to announce for the new year, but at the moment there’s a heap of great festivals; Roadrage, Primordial Radio’s General Mayhem, LoveRocks, RockWich, to name a few. South Of Salem will also be making its first trip across the pond for WildFest and Glam Slam in Belgium
which we are obviously stoked for.

[Anne] Ultimate Rock ‘n’ Roll dreams… what are yours?

[SoS] Obviously we’d love to support one of our idols; W.A.S.P., Guns ‘n’ Roses, Alice Cooper, someone like that. But simply being on the road as much as possible, playing music, seeing sights and meeting the fans. That’s the dream.

Band Members:
Joey Draper – Vocals
Kodi Kasper – Guitar
Fish MacDonald – Guitar
Dee Aldwell – Bass
James Clarke – Drums

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To learn more about South Of Salem, check out their website

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Stream music:  Spotify / Apple Music 

Purchase:  Amazon

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