INTERVIEW WITH
Bill Leverty
OF FIREHOUSE
 By: Scott Redeker

How did you end up singing one track on O2 and two tracks on the new cd?
It just sort of happened. I wrote a song that really fit my voice well and sang on the demo. Everone liked the way it sounded so it seemed only natural that I sing it. We like to think of FireHouse as a band with a lot of vocals. CJ is our primary lead singer, and everyone knows that, but the rest of us step up to the mic on occasion and give the listener a different taste of the band. We think that's a good thing.
 

Why not just put these songs on the Wanderlust cd? How are they different from tracks on the Wanderlust cd?
I didn't have the WANDERLUST CD finalized yet, and frankly, we needed songs for PRIME TIME. I think that the songs I sing on PRIME TIME are kind of similar to the vibe on WANDERLUST in many ways. WANDERLUST overall is a little bit more Southern/Bluesy, but FireHouse has those elements as well from time to time. I think that people who hear both will feel a common thread.

Did it bother CJ to have you sing two tracks and Michael to sing one track on the new Prime Time cd?
I don't think so. He know's that he's our lead singer. He also know's that all our fans know what a great singer he is. He's really very secure about himself in that way. I think that he was proud of the way these songs turned out. It's kind of funny, but we ALL wanted to sing "Door To Door" because everyone felt that it was such a strong song; but ultimately, that song was Michael's baby, and he sang it so well that no one could argue.

How did the Wanderlust cd come about?
I never really sat down and said, "Alright, I'm going to do a solo album." I've been writing songs for a long time that really fit my vocal style. After I had a large enough catalog of them, I decided to start to record them properly. I recorded them when FireHouse was off the road which was very rare. I had Bruce Waibel play bass and Michael Foster play drums. They both did an awesome job.

How is Wanderlust different from Firehouse? Could any of these songs made a Firehouse cd?
Any chance of hearing some Wanderlust songs live? Either at a Firehouse show or a Wanderlust tour?
Actually, two of the songs, "You're Not Getting Over" and "Not Dysfunctional" were written by CJ and me. The songs' original ideas came from me. CJ and I collaborated to turn them from ideas into songs. They were submitted for Category 5, but ultimately they were put on the back-burner. I always liked both of the songs so much, so I decided to re-record them and I'm very happy with the way they turned out. As for playing WANDERLUST songs at a FireHouse gig, it's not likely. We have so many FireHouse songs to keep us busy! WANDERLUST tour? Only if FireHouse takes a lot of time off, and that's never happened in 15 years.

Firehouse has been touring for quite a long time, do you ever get bored of playing certain songs?
Never. I thank God every day to be able to play music for a living. This is really such a blessing.

Which bands have you enjoyed touring with the most?
Well, most recently, Journey and REO Speedwagon. They are all such awesome guys and legendary bands. We've toured with so many bands and we've really had very few negative experiences.

Did any bands have special restrictions that bothered you?
Yes, but I won't mention the name of the band.

Do you have any special rules for the opening bands when you are headlining?
Don't blow up the PA. That's about it.

What type of things do you request when you are playing a show?
Adequate sound, which includes the proper monitor system. The monitor system is as important as the front of house PA. If we hear the right things, we can sing and play well. If not, it could be a train wreck!

You mentioned you loved the GOOD ACOUSTICS cd.  Why that cd over the others?
Will you ever do an acoustic tour?
I do love that CD. I'm not sure I said I love it over others though. I just think that it's a very special CD. Not only does it show FireHouse as a very versatile band, but it shows that the songs stand up totally on their own, in a very organic form. It was the first album that I ever produced and I'm very proud that it went gold in 6 countries. We toured on that CD, acoustically, for about a year. It was very fun, but I'm really happy to be playing the electric guitar more these days.

Do you change any songs when playing them live as opposed the way they were recorded on the cd?
Do you get sick of playing some of the same songs every show?
Yes, we change things up all the time, and no, I don't get sick of playing any of them, EVER!!

Do you go to any concerts in your free time?
What do you do in your time off?
Yes, I go to listen to all kinds of music when I'm off. I just went to see a "new grass" band the other night and they were awesome. As for my time off, I like to play ice hockey.

Are there old songs sitting around you have not used yet? Or do you always write new songs for a cd?
There are old songs siting around and maybe we'll use them some day, but we generally look forward.

What kind of writing process does Firehouse use? Does everyone work together or does each person have their own ideas?
We write in every way possible: alone, in pairs, and as a group.

Any plans for a live dvd?
Yes, we're trying to get that together now. Stay tuned.

What do you think of groups that are selling the front row tickets to their fans but at a much higher price?
First off, it's usually the promoters that do that, not the band. Those seats are very good seats, and are probably worth more. We haven't been a part of that yet, but I can understand the logic.

Are you better off selling cds yourself vs being on a label?
The pros are that you can make 100% instead of roughly 10% or less. The cons are that you don't have the promotional machine behind you; ie., not many people know your new CD is available and airplay is nearly impossible. The fact is that if the label doesn't make you a priority, you aren't going to get any of that promotional machine anyway, so you might as well sell your cd's yourself.

What do you do to prepare for a tour?
I make sure that all my gear is working properly and I pack a suitcase.

How do you pick the set list for the shows?
The setlist pretty much writes itself. We've had enough top 40 hits to do a 45 minute set, so the rest is usually new songs from the new album and some solos. Sometimes we'll throw in a cover tune for a bit of fun.

You have always been great to your fans. What do you think of groups making fans buy merchandise in order to meet the band? Or bands that sell fan clubs and then allow those people to meet the band?
We try to meet everyone in the venue, every night. We have a meet and greet with everyone in the venue, every night, when it's possible. Obviously, when we play a gig and there's 10,000 people out there, it's not possible to meet everyone. We don't want to charge people to meet us. I think that's kind of tacky. We allow our fan club members to get in the front of the line at our meet and greets, and if there is a "backstage" area, we invite them back there. Our fan club members are very important to us and we try to take great care of them.

How has touring changed since you started up until now?
When we started, we were making $5/day for food, riding in the back of a U-Haul with the gear, sleeping 7 people in 1 hotel room, and playing any gig we could get. I'd say it's changed dramatically.

Are you suprised to still be touring and putting out cds in Firehouse?
Not really. This is what we've worked real hard at doing for about two decades now. I'm just hoping we can keep it going for another 3 decades!!