Interview With Queen Cobra

So here we are back again for another Inside The Scene interview. hope everybody had a great weekend and Valentine's Day whether you spent it with loved ones, or by yourself surrounding yourself with great music. So this week I am joined by '80's rock inspired band from Vancouver that goes by the name Queen Cobra. Queen Cobra has a similar sound and style to Vancouver based Heart. QC consists currently of 4 members, Brianne Atkinson (Vocals), Brandon Taylor Gordon (Lead Guitar), Colin Budgell (Rhythm Guitar), Drew Carnegie (Bass Guitar). The band is currently in between drummers. so here we go lets get to the interview.


ITS - So Brianne how did Queen Cobra form together and where did the name come from?

Brianne: "I used to run a few open mic nights in Vancouver watching for new talent and supporting the arts. I remember there were these two crazy long haired guys that came in and asked me to sing paradise city acoustically with them! I thought they were nuts to do that song acoustically but then I was like, what the hell! We rocked out to some old school g'n'r and that's when I decided I found the lead guitar player for my next band! Brandon and I began writing some tunes and found Colin (rhythm guitar) off craigslist. I moved to kelowna for a few months and we were still writing over the internet. Brandon and Colin would send me a riff, I'd write lyrics and work out the vocal melody and BOOM! Some of our crowd favourites were born such as "heartsick hobo" and "gamblin' man".

I had the name "Queen Cobra" before I had the band! I don't have a great story for the name but after meeting the guys from steel panther and hanging out backstage with them, I realized that half of their awesomeness was in their name "Steel Panther" (don't get me wrong, they are awesome guys just to hang out with but man what a great 80's metal name) I started thinking that I need some sort of creature to be in the name of my next band, what kills? Of course! the longest venomous snake eating snake in the world... The "king cobra".  Since I'm a chick, I decided Queen Cobra would be more appropriate for a female fronted hard rock n roll band."

ITS - So who inspires you as individuals and as a band?

Band: "We each have our own unique influences. Brianne is a huge fan of Aerosmith and the vocal stylings of Steven Tyler. Brandon is highly influenced by Guns N Roses especially by Slash and his guitar solos. Drew looks up to John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and it really shows in his bass playing. Colin likes Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Our writing style is influenced by all of those bands mentioned above but also including The Rolling Stones, Queen and AC/DC."

ITS - So playing 80's style hard rock, do you think there is a big following nowadays for that style of music?

Brandon: "I think the demand for this kind of music is growing again. We see some awesome bands in Vancouver already into it. We've played shows with Aviator Shades and Dead City Scandal, who are all great guys and great musicians. We're also co-headlining with Mary's Gunns at Joe's Apartment on the 22nd, where we're releasing our EP. They're also a pretty big presence in Vancouver right now so it'll be a good show. We're all just taking our own unique spin on rock and roll."

ITS - What were some of your accomplishments in 2013?

Brianne: "-We placed 3rd in Ceilis battle of the bands in August
              -Mini okanagan tour in September
              -We made it into Vancouver's top 25 bands, put on by rednyne productions in
              November
              -We recorded our brand new EP at greenhouse studios in November"

ITS - What can the fans expect from you for the rest of 2014.

Drew: "We're going to be spending a lot of time pushing our new EP and promoting the band in general. We're hoping that with a solid image, a new website, and some weekend tours we can really expose everyone to some solid, kick-ass, home grown rock! We're going to be writing a lot too, so our shows will always bring something fresh to our fans. By the end of the year, or early 2015, we hope to have a really strong single that our fans can request on the radio to alleviate some of the stress that comes with being a commuter in Vancouver."

ITS - So a little fun question I like to throw in, what are some favorite foods that you guys like to enjoy before a show?

Band: "Well we normally play the usual spots on Granville street so you'll probably catch us at a pub eating burgers and drinking beer. Before show time we like to do a shot of Sailor Jerry's. Brandon doesn't drink much so he'll ask for "spicy rum". We normally don't let him order..."

ITS - And finally... If you got to set your own lineup for a show who would you have?

Band: "Celine Dion and Jewel! Nah I'm just kidding... We'd love to play with Aerosmith, Foo Fighters and any band that Jack White is in!"


If you want to follow Queen Cobra you can the following ways.


www.youtube.com/queencobravan
facebook.com/queencobraband
queencobraband@gmail.com
twitter.com/queencobraband


Also February 22 if you find yourself with some spare time head down to Joe's Apartment for Queen Cobra's EP release "Dirty On The Floor" and here is a little Exclusive sneak peak that you will get here first, called "Heartsick Hobo" listen to it here soundcloud.com/queen-cobra-vancouver