DC4 (Eng.)
– Hello, first off thanks for taking the time. What are you guys currently up to?
JEFF:Right now we’re looking forward to the release of “Electric Ministry”,playing shows in Los angeles and also looking forward to tking DC4 to other countries as soon as possible.
– Before getting into you upcoming album, I would like to first know how and why was the band formed, how did you all get together, etc.
JEFF:The band formed originally back in around 1995.The reason was that I had written a lot of songs and wanted an outlet for them.My brothers and I decided to form a band and our original guitarist,Hyland Church came on board.We did one E.P.(“Mood Swings”) and one full length album(“Volume One”)with that lineup.Rowan Robertson joined DC4 in 2007 and we recorded our album “Explode” ;and then,of course,our latest album “Electric Ministry.
– And what were back then your goals with DC 4?
JEFF:Same as they are now;to make the best rock music we can,make albums, play live and have a great time doing all of it.
– I’m also curious about the band’s name… What does it mean and how did you come up with it?
JEFF:It originally stood for Duncan/Church four.When Rowan joined we asked him if we should change the name and he said he thought the name was great for a rock band,so we kept it.Usually we tell people it stands for Duncan Clan Four,but we’re just DC4 and we play DC4 music.
– Your new «Electric Ministry» will come out really soon. What are your expectations?
JEFF:I’ve been doing this too long to rely on expectations.I just hope people enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed creating it.
– And how could you describe the sound on the new album?
JEFF:Heavy Rock .
– How was the songwriting process for this new record?
JEFF:I will usually write and record songs at my little home studio,make cd’s for the band then we go into rehearsal and work on the songs;make changes and get the whole band’s input.We work out all of the songs together,but I’m the main songwriter.Matt Duncan and Rowan Robertson bring in some great musical ideas and Shawn Duncan is fantastic at arrangement ideas.DC4 is a group effort all around.
– Personally, I think the mix between a modern Rock sound (with an overall heavy sound and huge distorted guitars) and some «classical» influences is one of the most important things for DC 4. How important is this balance between a classic and 
modern sound?
JEFF:Believe it or not,it’s really not intentional.We have many influences;from Black Sabbath to The Beatles to a band like Foo Fighters.The “classic” element with us is inevitable because that’s where we come from.What we do try to accomplish is to not sound dated.
– You all come from an «old school» Hard Rock/Heavy Metal background; did this have something to do with wanting to play something more updated to date?
JEFF:Again,we really don’t ry to sound updated.We just do what we do and write music that is where we are now.
– And because of this, I wonder what are the main musical influences for the band…
JEFF:We all really love Black Sabbath;both the Ozzy and Dio eras.We love early Van halen,Led Zeppelin,Iron maiden etc..at the same time,I’m a huge Beatles freak and am highly influenced by them.
– Have been 4 years between your previous «Explode» and this new one. Why did it take you that time? What were you up to during that time?
JEFF:”Explode” had a surprisingly long life for a self-released album.Also,we didn’t have a label so we were uncertain about how we were going to go about making a new album.Fortunately,Bill Metoyer offered to bring us into his studio and we began work on “Electric Ministry”.
– Curiously, you have recently signed with Metal Blade. Curiously as it’s a label that doesn’t have many bands from your style in their rooster actually. How did everything start? I mean how did you hook up with them. etc.
JEFF:Because of being a member of Armored Saint I’ve been a part of the Metal Blade family for over 20 years.I sent 3 songs from “Electric Ministry” to Andreas at Metal Blade Europe and he was interested.Brian Slagel,Mike Faley and Tracy Vera at Metal Blade U.S. heard the songs and they agreed to do a deal.It all happened very quickly.
– And are you pleased with this relationship so far?
JEFF:Very much so.It’s great to have DC4 with a label I’ve been a part of for so many years.
– You are a 4-piece band and 3 of you are brotheres; does this make things easier or the opposite?
JEFF:I love playing music with my brothers;it’s the best.I’m very lucky.
– We could say you are an «allstar band», do you see yourself as so or are you just musicians with an urge to play?
JEFF:No.We’re just four guys who love to play rock n’ roll.
– And does it bother you the fact some people can make an idea of the quality in your music just because of you line-up?
JEFF:No..we make the best music we can and we’re our own critics.We are DC4 and this is the best we have to offer right now.We love it and would love for people to enjoy the music for the music;not ncessarily for who’s in the band.
– Finally, what are the band’s near-future plans? Will you tour to support the album live?
JEFF:Yes,we will support the album live.We are currently sorting out the logistics to make it happen.
– That has been all, thanks again for your time. If you now want to add some final thoughts before we wrap this interview, feel free to do it.
JEFF:Thanks for your support,we really appreciate it! Spread the word of DC4 and visit us at www.DC4rocks.com …and don’t forget to check out DC4’s new album “Electric Ministry”.Thank you so much for the interview Queens of Steel!
