I hear some 90s rock in there. What were your influences in putting Spawn of Me together?
I’m really not sure. I’m just a huge alternative rock fan, but I love country music. I grew up around it. My dad is a great guitar player. He’s straight up country. So, if he hears anything I do he’s like, “you ain’t never gonna make a dime off of that.” My influences range between Eddie Vedder, Lil Wayne, Chuck D, NWA, Johnny Cash, Randy Travis. I love it all, man.
A lot of time there is a personal emotional meaning behind the songs. Which one did you have the deepest connection to?
The song “Spawn of Me” started back in 2010 when my daughter was born. I wrote a song for her called “Ruby.” But when my second daughter was born last New Year’s Eve, I totally rewrote it and made it about both of them. And it also mentions my guitar player’s daughter. The song is dedicated to them.
Another song on there that is very powerful and very serious is called “Irreversible.” It is about my fear of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). It’s crazy in the NFL they take it so seriously because you have to. It’s so scary what it can do to you in the long run. And with me being a pro wrestler I’ve had my share. Diagnosed concussions only about two or three, but I’m sure there’s been a lot more. It’s as simple as simple can be. If I do a little flat bump and I hit my head really hard, there’s like a strange vibration, and I’m like “Oh my God, did I just have a concussion?” And a lot of times it’s like a déjà vu sensation like I’ve been there before. Luckily it hasn’t happened in about six months. But you can only be so careful.
Thank God they’ve eliminated things like chair shots to the head, because that was just ridiculous. When we first started, everybody was taking chair shots to the head.
The song also talks about suicidal thoughts. They haven’t gotten to me yet. Basically, it’s about my fear about developing CTE, and I think you can only get tested for that when you’re dead. But I feel really good.
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