Discover the fascinating journey of metal musician turned family-friendly rockstar in our interview with Shred Rogers. Dive into the inspiration behind his transformation from cyber-metal guitarist to the creator of brutally heavy nursery rhymes, and learn how his passion for music and family harmony fuels his innovative compositions.
From reimagined classics like “Baa Baa Black Sheep” to the theatrical storytelling of his alter ego, Shred Rogers invites you to experience The Circle, a musical adventure that blends traditional heavy metal elements with a family-friendly twist.
ATN: What inspired you to create Shred Rogers and shift towards a more family-friendly approach to metal music?
SR: I’ve been playing metal music for about 30 years; most notably as a rhythm guitarist of the cyber-metal band A Dark Halo. When we were on hiatus from 2006 to 2018, I worked in a different field while also fostering/adopting my children. I still wanted to create heavy music but do so in a way where I could jam along with my kids.
ATN: How did your experience as a parent influence the direction and themes of your music?
SR: I wrote/recorded a demo of my reimagining of “Wheels On The Bus” and put it on YouTube over ten years ago and when I noticed it racked up over 50k views, I was inspired to do more. This demo, and the subsequent songs that make up my album are partly reimagined children’s songs as it’s a lot of fun to make brutally heavy nursery rhymes. Plus I haven’t seen too many folks do this, at least in the way I wanted to hear it.
ATN: Could you tell us more about the creative process behind your new album, The Circle, and how it evolved over the years?
SR: When A Dark Halo came back in 2018, the various band members built home recording studio environments which made it easy for me to also record Shred Rogers music. Over the last two years, I’ve written/recorded a song, and sent it to Tommie Bonajo of Tomster Studios in the Netherlands where he’s masterfully mixed/mastered each piece. I completed each song as they were fresh until all eleven tracks were completed.
ATN: What motivated you to include reimaginings of nursery rhymes like “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and “Wheels On The Bus” on the album?
SR: My children were the inspiration, as well as other metalhead parents I know or have talked to that want to hear more authentically heavy music that kids can enjoy. Plus, I must be honest…I LOVE Dimmu Borgir and Abbath and I wanted to hear “Baa Baa Black Sheep” in a form as heavy as something those bands would put out. I’m very pleased with this single on how it turned out.
ATN: “An Ode To Cats” seems like a unique addition to a metal album. How many cats do you own and will there be “An Ode to Dogs”?
SR: I wrote this song many years ago in honor of my wife’s late cat Sam. The original version’s second half was a metal cover of the Meow Mix theme. When it came time to add music to The Circle, I wanted this to be included as it’s my homage to grind core and fast death metal, but also adds a touch of humor, which is a big part of my life. I also chose to create my own meow-along theme for the eventual live setting. Sorry…y’all can’t scream along to Meow Mix anymore, hahaha! There are no plans for “An Ode To Dogs” at the moment, but there’s already some great dog-centric metal and rock out there: check out “Dogs Like Socks” by Psychostick, and “Seamus” by Pink Floyd. Or heck, even one of my favorites (but in a sci-fi way): “By-Tor and The Snow Dog” by Rush!
ATN: How do you balance the heaviness of metal music with the family-friendly aspect in your compositions?
SR: Because the songs I write come from a place of love and respect for life, emotions and the human experience, it’s easy for me to balance the at-time brutal heaviness with my family-friendly intentions.
ATN: Can you elaborate on the theatrical storytelling aspect of your music, and how it contributes to the overall experience for listeners?
SR: I plan to release a lot of video content of myself in makeup as Shred Rogers. At the time of this writing, I’ve released my first Shred Talks video on YouTube which is an inspirational vid very much inspired by part of my project’s namesake, Mr. Rogers. I loved how his positive intentions and presence helped me grow into my unique self and likely many others. I want Shred Rogers to be a safe and fun project that parents, kids and everyone know they can safely come and headbang along to to heavy music as crazy and heavy as the darkest metal out there.
ATN: What challenges did you face in blending traditional heavy metal elements with family-friendly themes, and how did you overcome them?
SR: I haven’t had any challenges as of yet and maybe it’s because I’m naturally a kid-trapped-in-a-man’s body, hahaha! I love entertaining my kids, love reading comics and playing imaginative play with my kids with action figures and such. And having folks like Devin Townsend as an influence over the years has helped me see what’s possible.
ATN: What do your own children think of The Circle? Do they listen to metal?
SR: My kids like “I’m A Nut” and how fast some of the music is. I find that because I’m their dad, they find most of my music silly, ha! They like “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and like to Baa along with that, plus meowing along with “An Ode To Cats.” They don’t listen to metal yet outside of my music.
ATN: Lastly, what message or emotions do you hope listeners take away from The Circle when they hear it for the first time?
SR: I hope that The Circle surprises people and gives them excitement and hope. I live by my motto as Shred Rogers and hope others will find inspiration from it: “To Achieve Your Dreams, Wear your Heart on your Sleeve. Do Your Best and Be Brave…The Shred Rogers Way!”
SAME 3 QUESTIONS WE ALWAYS ASK
ATN: Artist / band that you feel is the most underrated and why?
SR: The cyber-metal band MECHINA is an incredible experience. The amount of detail in the lyrics and music created by Joe Tiberi, Melrose and others is otherworldly. MECHINA’s music and themes could fill many graphic novels or films and I wish more people could experience them.
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to collaborate with and why?
SR: I would adore collaborating with Leo Moracchioli (Frog Leap Studios) as I think he comes from a very similar heart/soul space as what I’m attempting with Shred Rogers. He’s super-talented and I’d love to jam with him on something!
ATN: Artist / band that you would like to tour with and why?
SR: I’d like to tour with Frog Leap and Psychostick, as they’re both heavy projects that have a sense of humor and variety.
