KR: It's been a long time since you and Richard Warner founded Kamelot in Florida way back in 1991. What did you do before you were musicians, how did you guys meet, and what led to the inception of the band?

TY: My friend David Alvarez and I worked together, he was also a guitar player. He told me he knew a drummer (R. Warner)that was into metal. So we jammed and that started things. We had a different name for a while but it didn't matter because we never played any shows, only rehearsed and rehearsed, 4-5 times a day. It was only a hobby then, so we recorded our demos with our own money and that led to Noise Records hearing the demo and signing us in 1994. I used to work in the apparel business for Vanity Fair and later for Kappa as a product manager. 

KR: Did you have a clear musical direction you wanted to follow?

TY: I grew up listening to the big Metal bands like Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Judas Priest and also seeing local bands like Savatage, Crimson Glory, Saigon Kick etc..so we knew we wanted to do some form of metal. Our personal styles and influences would eventually find their way into our sound. I think around Siege Perilous you can hear a change and a unique approach to writing and arranging. 

KR: There must have been alot of hard work and late nights went into the making of your debut album Eternity. Did you ever think back then you would reach the kind of international fan base Kamelot now enjoy?

TY: We used to rehearse all the time, 5 days a week. When we went into
Morrisound for our demo we were ready for sure. Of course looking back now
I hear and think about things I would do different. We hoped Kamelot would
grow into something we could be proud of and also grow to become a full time
profession. That has happened now, but we are still growing and still hungry to
achieve the next step. Although we are very happy with the level we are at we are not resting on our laurels so speak.

KR: I see that original bass guitarist Sean Tibbetts has rejoined. There have been one or two lineup changes over the years. What impact do you think this has had on the Kamelot sound?

TY: Well I think as long as the core songwriting part of any band remains then
the sound will likely not change too much. Of course sometimes having a new member that is more technically proficient may open the door for new ideas in the songwriting. It was hard to see Glenn leave, he has been with us really since the beginning and we have had some awesome times together on and off stage. We let him finally decide on leaving, the demands of Kamelot have grown to more than he can handle.

KR: Why did you first pick up a guitar?

TY: I think around 14 or 15, I got one for Christmas one year. It was an
acoustic guitar and I immediately took some classical lessons. Before that
I play saxophone and some drums. I am really a closet drummer, on the last tour 
we did a jam session and I played drums, Casey played bass, and Oliver guitar. Sean was on the mic doing some serious screamo vocals. It was a lot fun!




KR: What other players do you admire?

TY: In the early days I liked players like Michael Schenker, Criss Oliva,
Malmsteen and Alex Lifeson. Some of my friends that are great players are
Gus G and Sascha Paeth, both of them can play amazing, with taste and are also very humble and cool people. 

KR: Which is your favourite guitar that you own and why?

TY: My new ESP Eclipse Vintage is really awesome, I played it in the “Rule The
World” video. I saw one in Japan when we were there last year and told ESP
I have to have one...please! Haha, so they sent it over and it has replaced my Custom Horizon as my fave.

KR: How do you approach the writing process?

TY: It usually starts with some kind of riff or melodic figure. Then that idea
branches out into a verse, chorus etc...sometimes it comes from an idea from noodling around on the keyboards. I just got a new Korg and it has some very cool sounds and my limited knowledge of the piano is just enough to come up with some ideas for songs.

KR: The one song by Kamelot that simply refuses to stop playing over and over in my head is Soul Society. Tell me how you came to write that song and the album it comes from The Black Halo?

TY: Cool, thanks! That song I believe start from an idea Khan had, he had the
opening on his sequencer if my memory is right. The verse part came from
me and then the rest we worked on together. The riff in the solo was
something I had for a year before but never found the right song for it.

KR: Kahn's voice is dark, moody and incredibly operatic, one of the most expressive I have heard. How did he come to join Kamelot?

TY: I first heard Khan in the band Conception, they were on the same label (Noise) and we had a compilation or something from the label and we were listening to the different bands. His voice stuck out of all the bands on that compilation. When our first singer couldn't tour and we didn't see his situation changing we started auditioning singers. During that process I heard Conception had split up, so I got Khan's contact number from Noise and the rest is history. The funny part was I called and told him “Hi, I'm Thomas from the band Kamelot from Tampa”. He thought I said “Tampax” the tampon company. After a little clarification he was in Tampa a few weeks later to record Siege Perious. Originally he was only going to do the album as a guest singer, but one thing led to another and now we are 10 years later.

KR: I first heard of Kamelot when my friend showed me the One Cold Winters Night DVD and I have to admit that I was blown away. What do you think lies at the heart of the depth and power in Kamelot's material?

TY: Thanks again! Well I don't know, maybe the fans can tell you better but we
try to put a lot of emotion into every thing we do. On stage we also are
giving 100% to the audience and our band mates. That DVD was a blast to make, I remember every minute of that night like it was yesterday.

KR: The on stage imagery used on that DVD was amazing. Can we expect a similarly dramatic stage presentation during the upcoming tour?

TY: Well since that tour we have a bigger stage show and usually pyros etc...so yes the next tour is our biggest in production, lighting, pyros and theatrics. Not all countries or venues allow pyros but whenever we can and the stage is big enough we like to light up the sky.




 
KR: What other players do you admire?

TY: In the early days I liked players like Michael Schenker, Criss Oliva,
Malmsteen and Alex Lifeson. Some of my friends that are great players are
Gus G and Sascha Paeth, both of them can play amazing, with taste and are also very humble and cool people. 

KR: Which is your favourite guitar that you own and why?

TY: My new ESP Eclipse Vintage is really awesome, I played it in the “Rule The
World” video. I saw one in Japan when we were there last year and told ESP
I have to have one...please! Haha, so they sent it over and it has replaced my Custom Horizon as my fave.

KR: How do you approach the writing process?

TY: It usually starts with some kind of riff or melodic figure. Then that idea
branches out into a verse, chorus etc...sometimes it comes from an idea from noodling around on the keyboards. I just got a new Korg and it has some very cool sounds and my limited knowledge of the piano is just enough to come up with some ideas for songs.

KR: The one song by Kamelot that simply refuses to stop playing over and over in my head is Soul Society. Tell me how you came to write that song and the album it comes from The Black Halo?

TY: Cool, thanks! That song I believe start from an idea Khan had, he had the
opening on his sequencer if my memory is right. The verse part came from
me and then the rest we worked on together. The riff in the solo was
something I had for a year before but never found the right song for it.

KR: Kahn's voice is dark, moody and incredibly operatic, one of the most expressive I have heard. How did he come to join Kamelot?

TY: I first heard Khan in the band Conception, they were on the same label (Noise) and we had a compilation or something from the label and we were listening to the different bands. His voice stuck out of all the bands on that compilation. When our first singer couldn't tour and we didn't see his situation changing we started auditioning singers. During that process I heard Conception had split up, so I got Khan's contact number from Noise and the rest is history. The funny part was I called and told him “Hi, I'm Thomas from the band Kamelot from Tampa”. He thought I said “Tampax” the tampon company. After a little clarification he was in Tampa a few weeks later to record Siege Perious. Originally he was only going to do the album as a guest singer, but one thing led to another and now we are 10 years later.

KR: I first heard of Kamelot when my friend showed me the One Cold Winters Night DVD and I have to admit that I was blown away. What do you think lies at the heart of the depth and power in Kamelot's material?

TY: Thanks again! Well I don't know, maybe the fans can tell you better but we
try to put a lot of emotion into every thing we do. On stage we also are
giving 100% to the audience and our band mates. That DVD was a blast to make, I remember every minute of that night like it was yesterday.

KR: The on stage imagery used on that DVD was amazing. Can we expect a similarly dramatic stage presentation during the upcoming tour?

TY: Well since that tour we have a bigger stage show and usually pyros etc...so yes the next tour is our biggest in production, lighting, pyros and theatrics. Not all countries or venues allow pyros but whenever we can and the stage is big enough we like to light up the sky. 

KR: Rumour has it that you will be performing material from your new album. Can you tell us any more about that, any concept behind it, and when it will be released?

TY: Yes, the new tour is for the next album. So the backdrop and stage design is all themed around the new album. We are still looking at the title we want to use and we are hoping for a release in mid March. Of course there are sometimes delays from production and things but we will definitely play new songs on the tour and some previous fan favorites. We also have a new  female backup singer name Elise, she is from Sweden and is really good. 

KR: I know the tour takes you back to Spain, for the Madrid Easter Metal Fest. Where are you most looking forward to playing and why?

TY: I don't have a favorite to be honest, every stop on that tour is going to be awesome. Maybe Finland since we haven't been there as a headliner in a while, only festivals...I look forward to meeting new fans that have never seen Kamelot
and also seeing familiar faces on the tour. I'm not good at remembering names but I rarely forget a face.

KR: You are doing one date in London which is bound to be a sell out. Are there any plans to come back and do more shows in the UK later this year perhaps?

TY: The support acts for London are Leaves Eyes and Adagio. Both bands are the support on the tour until we get to Scandinavia. The past 3 shows in London have been sold out, so we are hoping for another sold out London show. If we can get a full house then we will start discussing more UK shows for 2011. My wish is to come back asap.

KR: Do you have any message for the fans?

Thanks for all your support. Get ready for a Monster 2010 and beyond! We have taken a little break to rest and record, but starting this March the mayhem begins! Come along with us!

Many thanks to Thomas for giving us his time. For more information about Kamelot's 2010 European tour dates and to watch their promotional trailer, please follow the links below.




http://www.kamelot.com/2010tour.html




http://www.vimeo.com/7970241