Interview With Guitarist and Co-Writer Ian Hatton

PANDORA
I guess I will start off by asking: Why do you love music?

Ian
I don't know really. I just love playing it, love to write. But it is definitly a love/hate relationship. When you are not writing your own music, there is the expressiveness you miss. Writing is very mentally draining but very rewarding at the same time. I really can't imagine doing anything else.

PANDORA
Where lyricists use words to portrait feelings..as a guitar player, is that what your guitar does for you?

Ian
Yes! Absolutely! Melodically it's the best part. Its melody and movement. The best songs are created when you meet a singer who just gets it. Then the lyrics go along perfectly with what I was feeling when I wrote the melody. Sometimes there are ups and downs but when everything comes together, there is nothing like it!

PANDORA
Now, you grew up in the UK. How is the music scene in the US different than that in the UK?

Ian
Well, I'm not really a good judge now since I haven't lived there in 8 years but it is actually more of a struggle there. There are no "cover scenes". It is mostly all tribute bands. There are no gigs for young people starting out. It has always been really hard there. That's why you see such great bands come out of England. But it's really hard to compare.

PANDORA
Do you believe that if you had grown up in the United States, your musical influences and style would have been different?

Ian
Absolutely! There is no rock radio there like there is here. Everything is pop!

PANDORA
Really? I never would have guessed that considering all the great rock bands that have come out of England!

Ian
Great bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin HAD to come to the United States. Rock stars don't really exist there.

PANDORA
What was it about Katrina Chester that made you want to start writing with her?

Ian
Musically- her voice but really it was her whole persona. She really had everything. She is intoxicating and interesting. And she is very well written. It was more than one of those cases where someone was saying "you should write with so-and so". Katrina is very deep. There is so much more to her than meets the eye.

PANDORA
Tell me a bit about the new project.

Ian
Well, It's very different from LUXX. It's going back to my roots, and Katrina's as well. I am loving it. There is just MORE to this music. It is much more developed. To be honest it had gotten to the point where, in writing, I wasn't being true to myself. It had gotten to the point I was writing for radio.

PANDORA
How do you feel moving away from Luxx?

Ian
Sad but very happy at the same time. Luxx was great and I have absolutely no regrets. But this is something totally different. There will always be a place in my heart for Luxx and I am not forgetting that. But that was then and this is now.

PANDORA
Musically, what are some of your biggest influences?

Ian
Freddie King, Jeff Beck, Albert King. The old blues but also some Floyd!

PANDORA
Ok and finally, What was your most memorable performance?

Ian
Playing with Paul Rodgers and Brian May. That was great because I remember, as a kid, sitting in my bedroom learning their songs! But, oh, there are so many! I guess it would be when Bonham first went big, playing in front of 15,000 people!