Interview with KEEL frontman Ron Keel

The Eighties were filled with dime a dozen commercial hard rock bands that pretty much seemed to blend together. Very few bands stood out enough to garner the attention of the music listener. Keel was NOT one of those bands. The first time I heard “Right To Rock” I was sold hook line and sinker; it became the soundtrack to my younger, formative years. Twenty-five years later, I find myself once again listening to Keel and just as in the past, I cannot get enough of them. Their new disc Streets Of Rock ‘N’ Roll is a phenomenal collection of commercial hard rock songs that fans of the band or the genre in general will absolutely dig. Needless to say as a longtime fan of the band I was quite stoked to speak with Ron Keel about the newly reformed band and their brand new release Streets Of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

How have you been Ron?
Ron: I am doing great man. I am excited about all of the newest developments in my life and my career, especially with the new Keel album.

Well before we get started, I just want to say it is great having you guys back in the saddle again. Keel was pretty much the soundtrack to my younger years so it is very cool to see you guys releasing a new CD today.
Ron: Cool man, thanks.

How did you stay busy during Keel’s extended absence from the music scene?
Ron: I have never done anything but music in my life. I have continued to record and release over fifteen albums. I have been performing, touring writing songs and doing a lot of TV and film work. For six years I had a band called Iron Horse.

What made you guys decide to put the band back together?
Ron: We always wanted to do it but we just needed to find the time to do it when it was right and make sure we could do it the way we intended it to be done. We wanted to do it on the big stage and get it out there. We stayed friends, we stayed tight and we continued to work together on other projects. There was no bad blood or any axe to grind or anything like that. We just felt that our twenty-fifth anniversary was like do or die, now or never. After our first rehearsals and our first bookings we started creating songs and that was the inspiration to record and release a new album which is out now and is called Streets Of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

How does it feel to be back on stage with the old band?
Ron:It feels great for me to be on any stage, that is where I belong and it is where I feel most at home and I love being on stage with these guys. There is a reason I did not go back out as Keel in the last twenty-years even though that is my last name. I believe in the band. Growing up as a kid being in a band meant something and that is what Keel was to me. It was more than just my last name it was a combination of those guys and that chemistry that made it special. We felt that with the first rehearsal and I am sure that the band felt it when we hit the road last summer and we will continue as long as it is there.

What was the fan reaction? Was it pretty good?
Ron: It was better than good. It was overwhelming. We wanted to give these fans what they have waited for all these years and also to turn on a whole new generation of fans, some of whom weren’t even alive in eighties when we played our last shows. A lot of these kids are getting turned on to this style of music by their parents who grew up listening to our music. Now they are grown and they are turning their kids onto the real true classic rock and roll and Keel is one of those bands.

You mentioned your brand new CD, Streets Of Rock ‘N’ Roll, which came out today.
Ron: Today, (Feb 9th) is the official release date in the United States. It has been out in Europe and Japan for a couple of weeks and we are very excited that this day is finally here. It has been a long time coming but well worth the wait. This record is something that we can really be proud of it is a very special collection of good classic eighties rock style songs with a great modern production behind it. The response has been great to the album so far. We have been getting emails, messages and reviews that have all been really positive. Our goal is to capture that same style of music that we always played. There is a certain element that goes into a Keel song, whether it is the screaming aggressive vocals, the twin guitar solos or the big anthems and choruses, this is our style. We didn’t’ want to reinvent the wheel we just wanted to record it properly using modern recording techniques and kind of blend the old school philosophy with the state of the art modern technology and I think we have done a god job at doing that.

It seems you are very happy with the outcome then?
Ron: I am extremely happy with the outcome. I could not be happier. We exceeded my expectations. I am not only a singer, songwriter and a musician; I am a Keel fan as well and I cannot stop listening to this record. I crank it up when I am driving around town in my truck just so I can hear this record. It is everything that I always wanted to hear in a true commercial hard rock release and I hope the fans enjoy it as much as I do.

Streets Of Rock ‘N’ Roll was released through Frontiers Records. What was it like working with them?
Ron: There is a whole new set of standards these days in terms of how to market and promote a release. Frontiers is the best in the business they have worked with bands like Journey and Styx and the list goes on. They have a great roster of top-level acts and they are at the forefront of this style of music. We could not be happier about the situation. Not only did they believe in us and let us stay true to our roots and our style, they also gave us the money to do it right, which is important. You don’t make a record like this in somebody’s garage. This was a pretty expensive operation and they were able to come up with the funds to make it happen and to promote it. We can’t thank them enough.

What do your touring plans look like for 2010?
Ron: We are close to confirming some major festival appearances. We like to play the big stage you know. There is nothing wrong with playing the clubs and small venues but this is arena rock and is better suited for the big stage and a larger crowd. We have our first trip to Europe in twenty-four years, which is happening in a couple of months. We are going to be one of the headliners at the Stockholm Rock Out in Stockholm, Sweden. We would also like to go back to Japan as well. We are trying to get back out there on the stage where we belong long and play this music for the fans who have been waiting to hear it.

In a hundred years from now what will the music history books say about Keel?
Ron: The World is going to end in 2012 so who really gives a shit?

Obviously you will be playing some old stuff as well?
Ron: The Keel set is full of all the classics, “Right To Rock”, “Somebody’s Waiting”. The Keel set will always be full of those songs. We will be including a few songs off the new album as well because we are excited to play the new music, of course. We are going to give the fans what they came to hear.

Is “Cherry Lane” in the set at all?
Ron: We did it last year.

That is one of my all time favorite Keel songs.
Ron: We are not sure if it is going to be in the set this year. It depends on the set length we will be playing. It is tough when you have to tailor the set to a general time slot but it has always been a fan favorite and it is a fun song to do so we will see.

Any closing words?
Ron: I just want to thank you for the interview. There has been a great response from the Keel Nation. I want to make sure everyone stays in touch with us online at our brand new website www.keelnation.com.  [ END ]