The Blind Rebels talk Rock the World Revisited, including reader questions

I’ve had the pleasure of exclusive interviews with the Blind Rebels since they were a hungry band, living together in a small apartment near Sunset here in Los Angeles, at least one of its members found outside of clubs nightly handing out stickers and CDs.

R&MRU has seen them through the days when they were working up to becoming household names, through their rock ‘n’ roll cliché days when we’d be reporting incidents of them throwing furniture off the balcony of their hotel all in the name of rock n’ roll decadence. 

Let me paint you a picture of the Blind Rebels that walked into the conference room for media today. They walk in quietly together. Mav and Callum first. Callum has a giggly Gibson on his shoulders. Sammy and Killian come in behind them. Killian has one of those infant carriers strapped to his chest with a black blanket with skulls on it over what must be his son Fender. There are no loud curse words, no flipping each other or us off. No wrapping each other in headlocks and wrestling to the ground. 

Instead Callum sets up his son at a nearby table with crayons and paper as his twin Killian coddles his son as Sammy peeks at the baby under the blanket. Any rumored skirmish between band members can be put aside. They are ever the band and the family they’ve always been. Sure they have their differences but they have a strong bond outside of the music.

Speaking of the music, today we talked about their new, upcoming release Rock The World Revisited, and as always I threw in some of your reader questions.

Carla: Thank you all for agreeing to sit with me and interview like we used to when you were first starting out. This new album, Rock The World Revisited, is a departure from your normal, gritty Rebels rock n’ roll we are used to. Can you just talk a little about this new album for our readers?

Mav: Thanks Carla. This album is exactly what the title insinuates. It revisits our most popular album, Rock The World, from five…

Cal (interrupting Mav): Seven. It was seven years ago, Mav.

Mav (who gives Callum a look as if to say ‘it’s really been that long’ and makes a whistling sound before he corrects himself): Seven years ago, I guess it’s been that long. Some of the original songs have been slowed down and turned into ballads. Others are done acoustically. Each song is reimagined in some manner.  And we’ve added a second album’s worth of new music that we’ve written that we think follows the Rock The World album well. So if you buy it in CD- you’ll get two discs. 

Carla: Is there anything else different about this album that listeners would like to know?

Sammy: Yeah, we all wrote on this one. On a lot of our previous albums Mav and Callum did most of the writing, but this time Killian and I wrote a few of the songs too. It’s probably not a surprise, but Killian is quite the songwriter. Right, Kill?

At this point Killian looks up from peeking under the blanket again and shrugs.

Killian: I mean, I guess. Sometimes it’s easier for me to express things through music. Most of those don’t get brought to the band. But a few do.

Cal: Don’t let my brother’s humility fool you, he’s an amazing songwriter. I just wish he’d shared it earlier in our journey as a band.

Killian: I mean I did…

Cal: I just wish you’d have been more insistent Bubs.

Carla: Bubs?

Killian: Childhood familial nickname. You’ll edit that part out, right?

Carla: Sure. Speaking of songwriting, what is your key inspiration? Is it purely your own life/experiences, or about other people?

Mav: I think it’s different for each of us. When I’m writing it’s usually something I’ve seen or heard. A lot of times, at least lately, it’s based off something Kady’s said to me.

Cal: For me it can be anything, from seeing Ari with our children, maybe something Gibson has said, to hearing a random snippet of something in a restaurant or airport.

At his name Gibson looks up from the table where he’s contently coloring, and tilts his head.

Gibson: You write songs about my words?

Cal chuckles before answering: Yep buddy sometimes.

Gibson: I write songs too!

Cal: Yeah, you do. Finish your picture for mom, while we talk to Carla, okay?

Gibson returns to his drawing.

Sammy: For me it’s primal- I don’t do much songwriting to be honest. I’ve written or co-written a few here or there but for me it’s always about the rhythm before anything. But for this album I wrote two songs on the extended part.

Kill: Why are you all looking at me? (he looks around at his fellow band members who just shrug) I guess for me, when I’m writing, it usually comes from a place of emotion. Like something I’m experiencing that I’m having trouble putting into actual words. I use the music to say it for me.

Cal: That’s what makes him an amazing songwriter. We only found out about Kill’s songs about a year or two ago.

Carla: I’ve compiled a list of things my readers want to know about The Blind Rebels. So I’m going to give you the question and if you’d all just give me your answers for each.

Carla: Favorite Cereal?

Mav: I don’t eat cereal. I’m more of an eggs or avocado toast kind of guy.

Cal: Special K or oatmeal.

Sammy: Cap’n Crunch.

Killian: Whatever Harmony’s eating. This week I think it’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Carla: Favorite Drink?

Mav: If we’re talking alcohol, mine’s whiskey and coke.

Cal: Beer…or water.

Sammy: Gatorade. I’ll have a beer sometimes, but I don’t drink much.

Killian: I don’t drink much either…I’ll have a beer to be sociable.

Carla: What do you drink in the morning?

Mav: Coffee. The darker the roast the better.

Cal: Coffee.

Sammy: Usually Gatorade. Sometimes I’ll sneak one of Mel’s Monster Ultras.

Killian: If I’m home, I’ll have coffee with Vi. Other than that, just water.

Carla: Hot dogs or cheeseburgers?

Mav: Steak, or cheeseburger, but I’d rather have steak.

Cal: Cheeseburger.

Sammy: Both!

Killian: Um, probably cheeseburger.

Carla: Last food related one, what’s your favorite type of food?

Mav, Cal, and Killian all answer at once: Mexican.

Sammy: All of it.

Carla: Can you swim?

Mav: I can answer this for all of us. Yes, we all swim. We all surf. All our wives and children can swim, most can surf or are learning to surf. There are a few of the Rebel kids that don’t love water, especially my son Brio, but everyone can swim because we all have pools, and we all do water-based activities together.

Carla: A few of our readers wanted to know if any of you can do one hundred push-ups?

Cal: I can and often do as part of my daily fitness routine. I’m pretty sure Sammy could probably do it if we dared him. I don’t think the other guys care to even find out.

Mav: Hey, I workout! 

Cal: You wanna try it? Let’s go right here. 

Cal gets up and assumes a push-up position.

Cal: Come on Mav, put your money where your mouth is. 

Mav: I’m wearing leather pants dude. There’s no way. 

Cal, answering with a cocky half-smile: Sure Mav. Blame it on your pants. What about you Kill? You wanna try me?

Killian shakes his head at his brother as he adjusts his hold on his baby: No thanks, push-ups aren’t my bag. 

Carla: Okay, let’s move on to something a little less competitive. What’s your favorite tattoo?

Mav: Probably my first- the microphone on my bicep that says Blind Rebels under it. It represents us as a band. But these knuckleheads are also my family, so the tat means a lot to me. But then again- I have the fewest tats of the band.

Cal: I’m working with my tattoo artist now on one that will include my kids. That’s my favorite and I don’t even have it yet.

Sammy: I have a wave on my back shoulder that has Melody’s name written in the foam.

Killian: I have three favorites and I won’t pick from them. The paintbrushes over my heart that represent my wife, the mermaid on my thigh that my daughter Harmony drew and designed, and the word Fender on my back that represents this little guy here.

I have to mention here that the way Killian looks down at the bundle on his chest would melt the heart of anyone. Of all the members, I get the idea that Killian is the most changed. He’s certainly more open to talking to me this time. As my regular Roundup readers may remember, Killian’s usually pretty tight lipped during interviews.

Carla: Okay, one last fan one. Do you believe in ghosts?

Mav: No.

Cal: Not really, no.

Sammy: Yes.

Killian: I’m not sure.

Carla: And one last one from me- what’s up next for the Rebels?

Mav: A tour. More writing I’m sure. We do a lot of that on the road. 

Killian, heaving a big sigh: I’m not sure about being gone so long guys.

Killian looks over at his brother while he runs a hand up and down the small child in the infant carrier.

Cal: We’ll bring them all with us. We’ll probably need another bus, but we’ll figure it out. We always do. 

Sammy: Yeah, we’ll bring them with us. All the wives get along and the kids too. It’ll be fun. 

Cal: That’s seven kids out on the road. We’re going to have to hire extra security.

Sammy: Eight kids. 

Cal, flicking up a finger on each hand: No it’s seven: Brio, Gibs, Taylor and Daisy, Seven, Harmony and Fender. 

Sammy: Mel thinks she’s pregnant again. 

A round of ruckus happens between the guys, high fiving and congratulating Sammy. Even Gibson comes over to see what’s going on. Fender starts to whine in his carrier, so Killian stands and bounces him around our group in the media room. Once the band settles back in they look at me. 

Carla: Well congratulations Sammy. That’s all I have.

Mav: Those were some awesome questions your readers came up with. Please thank them for coming up with them!

Carla: Will do! I love including them in interviews as much as possible.

Now you’ve heard about their upcoming release right from the Blind Rebels themselves and maybe even learned a little about the guys that they are. I know that they are one of the more popular bands with my readers and I’m so glad that they agreed to be featured again for you all. 

Keep rockin’ and reading the latest music news here at Rock & Metal Round-up.