We caught up with Rod Morgenstein, Winger’s drummer before they played Download.
You release your sixth album earlier this year, what’s it like to making hard rock in 2014? There seems to be a real resurgence in the genre of late.
Hard Rock has always been part of the music landscape. Maybe, at times, it temporarily gets eclipsed by one passing trend or another. But the reality is, die-hard fans will forever be pushing musicians to keep the music coming. So, in answer to your question, creating hard rock feels like it always feels – primal, raw, inspiring, Great!!!
You incorporate so much more into your records, how hard is that to translate live?
The four musicians in Winger have very interesting backgrounds in music, ranging from classical and orchestral training, to jazz and fusion, with a collective love of rock. And in the rock genre, we try to bring elements from these other musical backgrounds into the mix. Songs like Headed For A Heartbreak, Rainbow In The Rose, and Tin Soldier from the new cd, Better Days Comin’, tap into these elements and add a progressive slant to the hard rock sound. Pulling it off live has a very natural feel to it, as it is part and parcel of who we are as musicians.
Winger are known for performing with other artists from your era, who would you like to perform with from the current crop of young musicians?
Jamming with other musicians is a highlight of being a musician, as it can bring out the best in you. You are not totally in your comfort zone, since you are reacting to things in the moment.
Is there anybody at Download you’d like to call up on stage to perform with you?
There are so many awesome bands playing this year. It would be cool to jam with any number of them, including Joe Bonamassa, Zack Wilde, Dillinger Escape Plan, or Opeth to name just a few.
Are there any surprises in store for Download Festival?
We hope to have a surprise guest sit in with the band and, hopefully, it will come together. If I mentioned who it is, it wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it?
Why did Winger agree to play Download this year? It seems like the perfect line up for you guys.
We love performing and always welcome opportunities to play. Download has such a cool reputation and is well-known all around the world as a huge gathering of rock and roll bands and fans. Who wouldn’t want to be part of something of this magnitude!?
