Brian \”Head\” Welch talks new music and the future

by Reggie Edwards October 4 saw the much anticipated release of Brian “Head” Welch’s new single, “Paralyzed,” the first single off his upcoming EP to be released next year. Welch says the song has a much darker theme than songs off his debut, Save Me From Myself. “You know what, life sucks sometimes, and it’s about just being stuck in a place where you need to get out but you can’t and you’re just begging for help,” Welch says. “I’ve been in seasons like that my whole life, you know, life is just disaster sometimes. That’s what it’s about and the song, with the heavy riffs and everything, it gets the real seriousness of it and the pain I think you’ll feel in the song. “We wanted a really heavy type of song and just going back to the riffs, I wanted to really concentrate on guitar riffs, so Jason Morales just getting’ us to focus on that.” After the release, the song became very popular, at one point it was number 19 on iTunes, above Crazy Train and not too far behind Welch’s old band, Korn, a feeling Welch says is very rewarding and shows signs of some very good days ahead. “It’s really cool, it’s exciting because as a band,” Welch says, “we’ve struggled a lot the last couple of years and we just feel like it’s a new season and we’re gonna see some better days, I think, so it’s pretty cool to see that. We got a video coming out for “Paralyzed” in like a week, so we’re really pleased with the video and stoked about the future, man.” Of the upcoming EP, Welch says fans can expect a step up from his debut in virtually every way. “It’s just gonna be better quality,” Welch says. “Better songs, better lyrics and I think it can reach more people, like more people will connect with it. My first album, it was cool and I like it and it was experimental and I went through a lot of changes and I was trying to do something totally different. “We’re writing with different people and I got a good producer on this new stuff, so that makes a big difference to have someone that can really tell you what’s good or not, just to make it the best possible product.” Not only is the future looking bright on the musical side but the crowds have started to grow as well, which is evident from their last trip to Europe. “The last trip to Europe,” Welch says, “it was really good because we played a festival in Amsterdam, there was a lot of kids, it was really cool. Then we went to the Czech Republic. We headlined a festival there and there was like 10,000 people there, it was crazy. But a year before that we were in Europe and we were playing clubs where there was like 100 people there. It’s up and down, man, this life, especially being in the Christian type of deal, I wouldn’t call us like Christian rock, we’re Christians and we’re doing our music, but you just never know what you’re gonna get. It’s like you get humbled sometimes and you get exalted other times, it’s pretty crazy.” The future looks really bright for Welch and the band and they show no signs of stopping any time soon, with 2012 looking like a very busy year for them. “Were gonna partner with a record label,” Welch says, “even for the EP we may do that. But if not were gonna do that and put out a full-length, just keep touring and doing what we do and make a difference in the world.”