Interview with Steve Plunkett (lead vocals + guitar)
This is the big surprise of 2003. Autograph are back with Buzz, their new album ! However, this come-back is not meaning that the band re-formed. This is a brand new Autograph version 2.03 like Steve Plunkett names it. New members, but the Autograph state of mind is still here. Some explanations with Steve Plunkett himself !

Hi Steve ! Last time we heard from Autograph was when the unreleased tracks compilation Missing Pieces came out, back in 1997. What did you do those past 5-6 years ?
Steve Plunkett : Since Autograph broke up in the late ‘80s, I have been focusing on writing and producing. I spent seven years as a staff songwriter with a major Los Angeles publishing company and became heavily involved in writing and producing music for film, television and other artists. Nowadays, that’s what I generally do on a daily basis and so far I have written for over 40 films including ‘Rock Star’ and ‘Gods and Monsters’. I have been fortunate enough to be able to produce artists such as Graham Nash, Cyndi Lauper, Marc Anthony and George Clinton.

I think Buzz was initially announced as your second solo album. Why and when did the project became a new Autograph album ?
Buzz was always planned as an Autograph album. I think the announcement of a solo album was just a rumor. When I began to write ‘80s style melodic rock, I was doing it with Autograph in mind. I really wasn’t into making a solo CD, but if this had been a Steve Plunkett solo album, the music would have been more pop.

As we know, this album is not a reunion of the original line up. I must say that, as a long time and huge fan, it was a deception for me, first. Why did the former members haven’t been involved in that project ?
I wanted to make it very clear to everyone that this was not the Autograph of the ‘80s, but a whole new version of the band – version 2.03. Which stands for the second version of the band in the year 2003. That’s why I included that distinction (v2.03) on the front cover of the CD and also wrote a message inside explaining, as well as photos of the new members on the back cover. Hopefully it was clear enough. I have the utmost respect for the original members of the group, but, it would have been impossible to reassemble the because other than myself only one other guy, Steve Lynch, is still actively playing music for a living. I had spoken to Steve a couple years ago about this and I knew that he was not interested. So, I decided if I was going to do it, I would have to put together a whole new version of the band.

You stayed out of the melodic rock scene for a long time after your solo album. But since a couple of years we saw you more and more again, in various projects such as Marc Ferrari’s new solo album or Rock Star soundtrack. Are you living a new love affair with the style and could we expect that it will last for a while ?
You are correct, I didn’t write any melodic rock for many years. I only started to do it again when I became involved in the Rock Star movie because the script called for ‘80s style rock. That’s when I remembered how much fun it was to play that kind of music. That movie really got the whole ball rolling as far as the inspiration to make a new Autograph CD. I don’t know how long this ‘love affair’ will continue, but if it makes sense, I’d love to do another Autograph CD…version 2.04 !

Let’s talk about the new album, now. I think Buzz is a good mixture between Autograph and your solo album, with a modern touch. Do you agree ?
I think there is a bit of my ‘solo’ sound in there, but I think that’s mainly due to the vocals. Overall, I think it’s a very ‘Autograph’ sounding CD. I tried to stay true to the core ‘Autograph’ sound which is based on big melodic choruses, strong grooves and great hammer on guitar playing. There is a modern touch because recording methods have changed drastically since the ‘80s and I think that helps to give the CD a little ‘cleaner’ sound. Also, effects such as reverb and delay are much less obvious on this CD than they would have been back in the ‘80s.

When I listen to the intro of Shake The Tree, I think I would just have to close my eyes to believe I’m back in the 80’s. I think your new guitarist T.J. Helmerich captures Steve Lynch’s playing very well on that track. Was it natural for him ?
Yes. T. J. is one of the best hammer on style players I’ve ever heard. I found him at Musicians Institute here in Los Angeles, which is also where Steve Lynch came from. That style of playing is not very popular these days and there are not a lot of guitarists playing like that. When I heard T.J., I was blown away because I could tell he did this day in and day out. He has done several albums on Mike Varney’s label.

How did you met the new members ?
T. J., as I mentioned came from GIT and was referred to me by a friend. I had met Matt Laug and Lance Morrison when they were playing with Alanis Morrisette. I loved the way they played together and I have used them on many studio projects over the last few years. We had talked about Autograph several times, and I knew they were both fans of the group. So, when I began to think about putting together new members, they were the first choice.

Can’t Stop Rockin’ reminds me of the message you were delivering in ‘Turn Up The Radio’, but this time, we’re in the 21st century and there’s a more aggressive feeling, I think. Was it what you wanted to express, and what do you think about music in 2003 ?
Is there some current bands that you like ?
Can’t Stop Rockin’ is basically about a guy who has hard rock in his blood. Even though it might not be popular anymore, he’s got to have it. These days everyone analyzes everything and it seems that nothing is good for you anymore….including rock-and-roll! It is a similar feeling to ‘Turn up the Radio’, which is basically forget about everything else and have some fun! As far as music in 2003, I think it’s great. I love so much of the new music and bands like Nickleback, Queens of the Stone Age, Lifehouse and Disturbed. Every time I turn on the radio I hear something else I dig.

As the webmaster of an Autograph fan site, I received a lot of requests for you these times. Some people wonder if you have planned to tour in support of this cd. Is it something you’re definitely opened for ?
We are totally open to the idea of touring, if it makes sense. Autograph has never played outside of North America, so I think it would be great to finally tour in Europe. We’ll have to see how this CD does, but it would be cool. By the way, I dig the site – the job !

I’ve heard that Point Music will re-release Missing Pieces soon, including bonus tracks. Have you still got that much Autograph unreleased material in your drawers ?
That’s correct, they are releasing a new version of Missing Pieces. Somebody in Germany somehow got ahold of 5 demos we did before we ever played live and before ‘Sign in Please’. I don’t know who got them, or how, but they will be included along with two other bonus tracks that were on the Japanese version.

Before Autograph, you were involved in a band called Wolfgang, where former Autograph bassist Randy Rand was playing too. In a recent interview, Quiet Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow confessed that Wolfgang was part of the three biggest bands in the L.A. area from that time, with Quiet Riot and Van Halen ! If we consider Wolfgang (stop me if I’m wrong) as the bases of Autograph, how do you explain that you never were as big as Quiet Riot and Van Halen in terms of popularity ?
Thanks Kevin! Wolfgang was one of the top three L.A. bands at that time, which was 1976-1978. We played a lot of shows with Quiet Riot and Van Halen and sometimes they would headline, and other times we would headline. Wolfgang never got a record deal, which is why the group never got big and eventually broke up. Who knows why. We probably should have ‘worked the business side’ more, but we were a hard-working band and played live six or seven nights a week – every week for several years! You are right, a lot of people have told me that they can see some of Wolfgang in Autograph.

Are you still in touch with the former Autograph members ?
Not really. Everyone drifts apart. Sometimes we are in touch for business purposes, but geographically we all live in different areas and don’t communicate on a regular basis.

Do you think that Autograph 'version 1.84' could come back again someday ?
Ha Ha – you’ve got the terminology down! No, I don’t really think so. It would take an act of God for there to be a big enough reason. These days, I tend to do things that feel natural and just seem to work out without any major stress.

There’s a question that many fans probably wonder : does this new album is a new birth in melodic rock for you ? Could we expect some follow up cds in the near future ?
As I mentioned, I would love to do another Autograph CD if this one is successful. I love this kind of music and its a blast to play so we’ll have to see what happens.

Something you’d like to add ?
I would just like the say thanks to all the Autograph fans around the world for keeping the flame alive! I hope that ‘Buzz’ will be accepted as an Autograph CD and that fans will enjoy the new band - version 2.03.

Thanks a lot, Steve ! Hope you really Can’t Stop Rockin’!

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