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Skillet Interview In Person at Universal Studios’ “Rock the Universe” Festival 9/6/03

Chad Olson: So, John’s feeling better. Did anybody else get sick with what he had from Alaska?

Ben Kasica: I think that I gave it to him actually.

CO: Oh, really?

BK: Being near each other.

CO: He was hocking up a storm on the phone.

BK: I think we’re doing okay, though.

Lori Peters: Over and done.

John Cooper: We’re over it.

CO: I forgot to ask John where and when you guys recorded the new album.

JC: We started in January, right?

BK: Yeah. We did three songs…

JC: We did three songs in January, one of which didn’t make the record. And then we spent five days, and then we didn’t do it again until, I wanna say April.

CO: Oh, wow.

JC: The last day of April. Or was it March?

BK and Korey Cooper: I think it was April.

JC: Something like that, so I’d say by the time we got in we spent another two months on it. All we do is weekdays.

CO: Okay, and where did you record it at?

JC: At Ardent in Memphis, Ardent Studios.

CO: Oh, okay. They have their own studios. I wondered if you could just tell me, and I’m sure you’ve answered this many times, how did you come up with the band name?

JC: Well, when we got together, it was me and two other guys, and we were all from different groups, and it was like kind of starting a side-project, taking different ingredients from different bands and putting them in a Skillet.

CO: Gotcha. Also, I’m not sure why you left Forefront Records. I never was real clear on what happened with that. If you could tell me about that, and how you ended up on Ardent.

JC: Sure. Well, actually we were signed to Ardent Records, and Ardent had…I don’t know what you’d call it…a deal with Forefront where Forefront was distributing and marketing their albums. And the deal Ardent had with Forefront was only for three records. So, we didn’t really go anywhere, but Ardent began to market our albums starting with, really our worship record, if you count that as a release. So, it wasn’t like we left.

CO: Okay.

JC: We have really good relationships with Forefront to this day.

CO: What was the title of the worship record?

JC: It was called Ardent Worship.

CO: I know that John and Korey are involved in youth ministry, but do Ben and Lori, do you have other jobs outside of the band?

LP: Nope.

BK: No. We help out a little bit with the youth group.

KC: They went on a camping trip with us.

CO: Ben, I didn’t realize how young you were until I was poking around the band’s website yesterday.

JC: He’s a teenager.

CO: Yeah, he’s young. How did you end up in the band?

BK: Um, I was good friends with Korey’s sister, actually. She was my youth leader and stuff, and I was on the worship team. And we played some worship outreaches and stuff, and it just kind of worked out.

CO: Lori, how did you come into the band? I know how you came, Korey. (Laughs)

LP: Well, I’d known Korey for a long time, for like 15 years or so.

CO: You’re both from the same town, is that right? Kenosha?

LP: Same town, same church. We went to high school together, and played on the worship team at church. Then when she married John, I met John and the rest of Skillet. So, later on when they needed a drummer, I just decided to audition.

CO: Korey, tell me about playing guitar now. Has it been challenging, and do you enjoy it more or less than keyboards?

KC: Yes, it’s been challenging because…Well, I guess overall guitar’s a lot easier than keyboards. But it’s just a matter of the technique; once you have the technique down then you don’t even have to know theory or anything to be able to play. So, that was work for me because it’s so different than playing keyboards that I had to just retrain my hands to be gentle. It’s hard for me to really be passionate on the guitar because you have to be so gentle. I can’t really rock my face off, you know what I mean?

CO: Uh, huh.

KC: So, I guess the most challenging thing at the moment is trying to be expressive while still playing the right parts.

CO: Yeah.

KC: So, I enjoy keyboards a lot more than guitar, even though I enjoy being able to play the guitar. But, yeah, keyboards…I don’t have to think about ‘em, I can just go up there and rock and not have to look at what I’m doing. And guitar…it’s a little bit of work.

CO: Okay. Have you played piano/keyboards for a long time?

KC: Yeah, since I was a little kid.

CO: Alright.

BK: That was a long time ago!

KC: That was a long time ago.

BK: It was one of the first keyboards, and…

CO: (Laughs)

KC: I’ve really only been focusing on guitar for the last year because I knew that I was going to play live. And I had a baby in that year, and I’ve been really busy. So, it’s not like I can really focus on it like you can when you’re a teenager. I write songs on guitar, but because I didn’t know anything…I didn’t know any theory, I only knew a few open chords on acoustic. So, I can’t say that I knew anything as far as playing guitar. It’s totally different playing on an electric than an acoustic, as well. So, yeah, it’s only been about a year.

CO: That’s what John said. I see you all have your piercings in. They didn’t make you take them out, huh? (Laughs)

JC: That was…well, worth mentioning.

CO: Where was that actually, if you don’t mind me asking?

JC: It was actually in…(Writer’s Note: location withheld to protect…well not exactly to protect, but the band would prefer we keep the location to ourselves.)

CO: At a festival?

JC: No…(Writer’s Note: again, event withheld for a reason.) Maybe you shouldn’t mention where and what it was so they won’t know that I’m talking about them specifically.

CO: Alright. I presume they didn’t make the ladies take theirs out, did they?

KC: No, no.

BK: (Laughs)

CO: (Laughs) Let’s see, John and I talked about this already, but who would the rest of you list as influences and/or favorite bands?

KC: Christian or secular or…?

CO: Yeah, anything. Both.

JC: It’s HM, so you don’t have to be…

BK: Steven Curtis Chapman.

CO: It’s not, well, you know, [some other magazines we won’t mention].

BK: I would say definitely Petra.

JC: (Laughs)

CO: (Laughs)

JC: No, that’s true for me actually.

KC: For me, I like U2, their old stuff especially.

JC: Phew! Yeah.

KC: Peter Gabriel, Sarah McLachlan. Those are probably mine.

BK: This is Ben. I like Tool and Dave Matthews Band. Sort of different ends…

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