âAmerican Idolâ finalist James Durbin (and powerhouse rock vocalist) and multifaceted Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi have experienced a truly explosive start to 2017. In late 2016, the duo joined forces to create an ambitious new project titled Maps to the Hollywood Scars. Rock fans were given their first taste of the project in the form of the hi-octane five-song EP âVolume One,â which is being released worldwide via New Ocean Media. The first single, âTill Death,â is now getting radio play around the country and serves as just a taste of the greatness to come. Recorded at Desert Moon Productions in Las Vegas, (a state of the art studio owned by Danny “The Count” Koker, star and creator of the History Channel’s hit show “Counting Cars”), Maps to the Hollywood Scars showcases the darker side of Hollywood and the music industry as experienced by two people who have taken two different paths, yet ultimately found common themes throughout their respective journeys. âVolume Oneâ features a guest appearance by longtime Guns Nâ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed, as well as programming and engineering by A.J. St. James (The Big 4, MTV).
In early March of 2017, James Durbin was announced as the new frontman for legendary rock band Quiet Riot. Durbin jumped into the band after the abrupt departure of short-lived vocalist Seann Nicols, who had handled the vocals on Quiet Riot’s forthcoming album, ‘Road Rage,’ which is currently scheduled for an April 21st, 2017 release via Frontiers Music Srl. Famously known as the first heavy metal band to top the pop charts, the Los Angeles quartet became a global sensation thanks to their monstrous smash hit 1983 album, “Metal Health.” The band now continues their historic journey in 2017 with founding member of the 1983 ‘Metal Health’ era of Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali who, on this new release is joined by veteran bassist Chuck Wright (who has been in and out of Quiet Riot  since 1982) and guitarist Alex Grossi (who has been handling his duties since 2004). A fan of hard rock and heavy metal since birth, Durbin is a natural fit for the band and will hit the road with them in the coming days.Â
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently caught up with guitarist Alex Grossi to discuss his creative connection with James Durbin, breathing life into Maps To The Hollywood Scars, their process for making music and what the future might hold for Quiet Riot.
James Durbin and yourself have been busy lately with both Maps To The Hollywood Scars and Quiet Riot. How did you cross paths and what intrigued you about him as an artist?
I met James about six years ago out here in Hollywood, through a mutual acquaintance. What intrigued me the most was, at the time he was 23 years old, how big a fan of metal and how knowledgeable he was of the genre. It was very cool and very organic. We reconnected this past fall in Las Vegas. We started trading demos back and forth. The next thing you know, we had a record basically in the can!
Maps To The Hollywood Scars recently released the âVolume Oneâ EP with âVolume 2â slated to drop this spring. Tell us about the songwriting process for the project and what was it like working with James Durbin in that capacity.
It was great! I was demoing songs out in my home city of Las Vegas and sending him just instrumentals. There were three-and-a-half or four-minute rock ânâ roll songs, nothing crazy! He would dump them into his computer at home, sing along, make up melodies and come up with lyrical ideas and themes and send them back to me. Basically, when he sent them back to me, they were almost done! After about eight or nine songs, I said, âWhy donât I fly you out here and book some studio time!â Thatâs how Maps To The Hollywood Scars came to be! We just made the record and, so far, we have released five songs. We have another five songs in the can ready to come out in a month or so. The songwriting process was very organic. There was no, âYou do this, you do that. No, you canât do this ⌠â It was very cool and a very smooth process! There was very little change from the demo to the finals. Let me put it to you this way, I booked five days, 12 hours days, to do five songs. James finished his vocals, from top to bottom, in a day-and-a-half! I had three-and-a-half days to mix and do everything. I didnât expect that but thatâs how natural it flowed!
How do the songs on âVolume 1â compare and contrast to the songs on the forthcoming âVolume 2?â
There is a common theme. I tried to split them up equally so that one would not be heavier than the other. They have a common theme of the music industry and Hollywood. There is no true contrast per se; it could easily be one record. Letâs put it like that. We just decided to put them out in incremental fives because peopleâs attention spans these days are so small. People donât listen to entire records these days; they only buy one or two songs and move on. So, I figured, âLetâs space it out and let people really digest what we are doing.â
James has become a bigger part of your life in recent days with him taking over the duties as frontman for Quiet Riot. Before we speak to that, what did he bring out of you creatively?
He brings a more youthful vibe but also has allowed me to write with a vocalist in mind, as opposed to just writing guitar riffs. Some of the best songs that we have done, if you break them down, are just three or four chords. Thatâs it! There is no major guitar riff. Itâs not riff-driven music, itâs more just straight ahead rock. Itâs more about the song than the riff. Thatâs what he brought out in me because a lot of the singers I have worked with havenât been able to write unless you spoonfeed them every little thing. With James, I can give him three chords and he can sing 10 different melodies over our work. He has simplified my guitar playing process as far as songwriting goes.
Which of the songs you created together resonates with you the most?
My favorite song is âTill Death,â which is a ballad. It was our first single that came out a couple of weeks ago. It really encompasses everything the band is about; itâs heavy and itâs dark. We had Dizzy Reed from Guns Nâ Roses play piano on it, so it has that âNovember Rainâ type of vibe. Itâs the kind of song that anyone who has ever lost someone can relate to but itâs not the typically, cheesy love ballad. Itâs actually got some depth to it, which is really nice.
Will we see you hitting the road in support of these EPs?
You know, we have a lot of offers on the table but given your current situation with Quiet Riot ⌠who knows? We will probably do it once or twice but itâs more of a side project than a full band. Weâve gotten some late-night TV offers and some tour offers but weâre just going to see what tomorrow brings and go from there.
Obviously, some of the biggest news out of your camp lately is James Durbin joining the band after the dismissal of Seann Nicols. What can you tell us about that situation and was James the obvious person to bring in at this point?
James was their first choice to begin with. Basically, we had had to be let go right away. It very clear he wasnât going to work out, so we cut it off at the knees knowing that it wasnât going to work. When we were initially looking for a singer, James wasnât available but when we had to get rid of our most recent singer he was and he fell into place.
You will hit the road with James in the coming weeks for a tour. How does this situation impact the upcoming release of Quiet Riotâs new album, âRoad Rage?â
Thatâs a good question. We will find out; weâll see what happens. Itâs really not up to us. Itâs up to the label. Either way, we are already working on new music with James, so it doesnât really matter. I mean, records come and go but bands stay forever, you know?
Yeah, especially in the case of Quiet Riot!
Yeah, itâs another chapter! Itâs always a work in progress, so we will keep doing what we do! I always tell people that if Kevin DuBrow passing away couldnât stop this band, nothing will! Take your best shot! I tell everyone on the Internet who says we should hang it up, âDude, weâre still going. I donât know what you are doing for a living but Iâm playing music!â
You mentioned working on new Quiet Riot music with James Durbin. What does he bring to the mix?
He has a genuine love and knowledge of classic hard rock and heavy metal. With that comes an understanding of what we do. Given his age, you think he would want to sound like Green Day but heâs a fan of Humble Pie and a lot of the stuff Kevin DuBrow was a fan of. He also knows it and can sing it! A lot of guys talk a big game and, in the end, canât deliver the goods but James can, which is nice! I think heâs the first singer we have had since Kevin that can actually deliver the goods on every level. Heâs the first guy we have had thatâs the real thing. I will say that Jizzy Pearl was the real thing but he was a different kind of singer as far as what weâre looking for. As far as what we needed, James delivers the goods right off the bat! Jizzy is definitely the real thing and we are all huge Love/Hate fans but he is a different kind of singer.
You played professionally for years and been successful along the way. What are the keys to longevity in the music business?
Just being able to roll with the punches because everything changes so fast, if you know what I mean. Since I first started playing, everything in the industry has changed 10 times over with things like Napster, people illegally downloading music and so on. You have to be able to roll with the punches and just keep going with it. You canât just stick around and wait for things to come to you. You have to go get them! You have to learn to evolve and adapt. That is the key to longevity!
Itâs inspiring to see all you have going on and everything you created. Whatâs the best lesson we can take from your journey?
Donât ever stop. People are going to tell you canât do this or canât do that but donât ever give up. When people say things like that, itâs simply not true. The best advice I can give is to keep doing what youâre doing. If you believe in it, donât ever stop. If it is your dream, youâre talented enough and work hard enough you can make it happen. If you believe in yourself, other people will believe in you. Just keep doing it and donât ever let anyone tell you not to. I had 1 million people telling me I was crazy when I said I want to be a rockstar when I was 17 years old. Iâm not calling myself a rockstar but I donât have a day job and I play guitar for a living, so Iâm doing something right!
Truer words have never been spoken! Thanks for your time today, my friend! Keep your nose to the grindstone and we will catch up with you again very soon!
Thank you so much, my friend! I really appreciate your time and Iâll talk to you soon!
Follow the continuing of Alex Grossi at www.alexgrossimusic.com. Connect with him on social media via Facebook and Twitter. For the latest dates from Quiet Riot, visit www.quietriot.band.Â
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
