The pioneering guitarist discusses finding creative balance and how music continues to be a source of personal fulfillment decades into his career.
The Knotfest interview series welcomed the one and only Brian ‘Head’ Welch of KORN for a thorough discussion about his Love and Death project and their recent strides.
The creative union of Head, Breaking Benjamin’s Jasen Rauch, and proven musicians in JR Bareis and Isaiah Perez, the band is gearing up for their sophomore release on Earache Records entitled Perfectly Preserved. The outfit recently debuted the powerful visual for the single “Down” and announced plans of their first live-streaming event that will double as an epic LP release show, slated for February 2021.
As for the conversation, the ever-journalistic Beez pressed Head to find out some details about the creative process and what the dynamics within the band are like given the other projects the players are attached to.
Head would confide that the urge to continue to create didn’t get put on hold the same way touring did. While the pandemic has shuddered stages and place touring on an indefinite hold, it afforded plenty of time for the musicians to get to work on other outlets – this being Love and Death.
Head would also share that working with Love and Death allows a healthy level of experimentation that just isn’t feasible with an entity as established as Korn. Having another outlet like Love and Death gives the players in the collective the opportunity to try out different things and dabble in different styles, ultimately making them more complete artists that can scratch other creative itches.
In terms of the catharsis that goes into their craft, Head revisited what the band’s first record was like and how then, the dynamic was much more of a solo-effort than it is now. He discussed how that introduction coincided with a very transformative time in his life and how there was healthy degree of personal, emotional therapy involved in getting that first Love and Death record out.
No less personal, the sophomore album manages to tap into the turbulence happening on a greater, societal level in a way that works through the madness and makes sense of such uncertain times. In much the same way Love and Death allows the participants the ability to express different aspects of their creative influence, it also allows the band to work through the emotional strife that looms heavy on a human level.
Head would also make it a point to express just how fulfilled he is at this stage in his career. Between the unparalleled legacy that Korn continues to build and the opportunity to explore other outlets like Love and Death, Head shared that turning 50 and still being able to pause his passion is piece of mind that matters very to him.
Sharing an energetic optimism about the forecast of 2021, both for Love and Death and for Korn, the veteran musician expressed the kind of sincerity that can only come from someone that truly is doing what they were born to do.
Perfectly Preserved is out February 12th, 2021 on Earache Records. Pre-orders for the album are available now – HERE
Tickets for the Perfectly Preserved Album Release Stream are currently available – HERE
Check the complete interview with Head of KORN and Love and Death below.
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