Stem, congratulations on the upcoming release of “Keep Livin (You Gotta Try).” Can you share the inspiration behind this track and what message you hope listeners take away from it?

Hey, what’s up Guys, thanks for having me back; I hope you all are enjoying the new song! Yeah, it feels good to be back at it and releasing new material. It’s definitely time. Pretty much the message behind the song is to make it the best out of it you can and keep fighting, keep pushing, keep living! And as for the inspiration behind the song; It would be to Keep Fighting, actually it’s a few different things that made or changed The way the music is or how it was written; The First being that I had gotten a New Set up on this Production, I had a ok-ish set up in the last production.

But the setup changed a bit and by the end of the last album, I moved on to another better Version of my setup. I’m still using Fender amps. The last was a more entry-level type of amp. I thought it sounded great during the session and was a step ahead from the beginning of the first sessions of way back when.

It used to be that I’d plug into the amp and I relied on the overdrive / distortion effects coming right off the Amp and I was cool with that I was still playing my 57 reissue Les Paul “GoldTop” I’ve been using this guitar on everything since “Winners Or Losers” the beginning of the last Album is When I first started playing the “GoldTop” On The New Set up I used a 1959 Fender Bassman Amp along with a DS1 Distortion Pedal plugged in.

I was also Using the newly acquired 1960 Les Paul “Bourbon Burst” (Reissue) with a VOX Amp with Distortion and overdrive coming off the Amp. I am also still using the Orange “Micro Terror” amp that was Used on The First record “The Hardest Times Ep” we are using that For the lead solo guitar Work. Amps are 20WATTs (Fender,Orange & Vox)

The last amp was a Fender but Not 20Watt.

The sound we have; my sound that is it’s a blend of guitars, on one side you have the “GoldTop” sound playing bar cords and that’s the foundation, then the Underscored 2nd Guitar part on the right has a more sustained sound and I’d play open cords on the 2nd I’ll use different amps and switch from one guitar to the next, Mic placement is also a great idea…Thinking about this in the Pre-production stage was critical.

Yeah, and there was also a great deal of “KAOSS” as well as Turmoil that underlined the songs and future on The Band. Our Guitarist Chainsaw Blues He had a fucked up hand and we didn’t know how long the downtime would be It was already over a year since the last record and then suddenly He’s going for surgery it’s going down.. Feeling Not So sure if the future of the band was definite or WTF! But I was truly feeling blessed when on the day before He went into surgery; We went into the studio & We laid it down. Oh man, He played his ass off & we cut something that we are all proud of and I stand behind it.

Hey, I’m gonna put out some crappy song just to gain some attention or rush it just to get it out. Sure the Label and Band You know we all want to capitalize on our momentum of course but if the music isn’t there, then so aren’t we. Just Forget about that. It might be a little while before you get something from us, but it’s all worth it and it’s gonna be quality songs. And all is good now but Hey, You Gotta Keep livin, Keep loving.

Keep Fighting! You gotta try, right?

Your songwriting has always been dynamic, and “Keep Livin (You Gotta Try)” continues that trend. How does this new single build upon the themes and sound from OverWorked & UnderPaid?

It’s a great follow-up. In terms of sound. This is written in the same hardcore sense and style as songs like “You better hold it right there!,” “It’s Just How It Is,” the song is written with the same chord structure and progression as “You a better Hold it Right There!”

The song is really tight because I’ve already had demoed but I put it aside cause it wasn’t done & wasn’t really working out but I’d keep it and it was always a Song that I was going try to do. I tried it during the overworked sessions, but no dice! And so, after getting the band together and rehearsing a few numbers including this new one, and by then I worked them out and when I started to record, You Know things moved on quite quickly, it was the pre-production period that was worth it.

That bit of extra work added a lot and it tightened up the material as well as the sound. It is really that Bumb up in Equipment quality and I’m playing better. I’d been playing with this song for a while and when it was time to get it down. It was actually pretty fast. I’d also been writing the lyrics for a while because truly with the success of the Overworked &Underpaid Lp, I really wanted to write a worthy piece and follow it up with some quality work; Hell, even if I had to truly experience life in both the good and the bad ways to make it, but Hey it’s whatever it takes truly it is; You know like I’ve said before some of the best songs appear out of nowhere and I don’t even want to know how or why it is the way it is.

It’s special, so I don’t ask too many questions as to why or how. I just run with the inspiration and hope it’s captured with quality.

The new single marks the first release from your upcoming sophomore album A DANGEROUS AGE. What can fans expect in terms of musical direction and lyrical content on this new album?

Well, the album is still pretty much still being worked on. Only a few songs are complete and or almost close to being finished. I’m taking the time to get them done with a lot of thought before recording and hopefully we will have it ready by summer 2025. But with each release I’ve seen a steady increase and improvement in both musicianship and in the recording process as well as the performance from the last project and up into the new one of today. It’s always been that way.

I can gauge how much the amount of work has been built on. I went into the new dangerous age sessions with a lot of new ideas and how I wanted the new record to sound like. I’m a big fan of Production quality and I’m looking to expand all the time on that. I’m also always looking to invest into the studio equipment when I can or when it needs to be, as well as holding on to the hallmarks that have made “our sound” I’m also interested in trying out new things and on this song I’ve delivered on that: I’m doing a great background harmony vocal part in the chorus sections and thought the song, the sound of the song is very tight and I sat and listened side by side to my music from the Extended Play release

“The Hardest Times Ep” and then up to the last album and then compared it to a few other songs and then quickly came to the conclusion that this new song is hands down the best sounding and best mixed track that I’ve done yet.

The mixing of the song was amazing and I took the time and thought to execute the whole thing. I truly hope the people will dig it and make it apart of their listening experience. We have a lot of great things to expand on and definitely develop.

You’ve mentioned that “Keep Livin (You Gotta Try)” has a classic Stem & the Dead Smakers sound. Can you talk about how you balance maintaining your signature style while pushing boundaries creatively?

Well, I think it’s important to actually know what your signature sound or style is or at least to know what you’re after. It’s important cuz if you don’t know what that is then how do you expect to generate a sound much less be expected to expand on it. I’ve been truly amazed and I’m lucky to be able to hear what Our sound is or what I can do to make it sound more like I want it to sound like. You know I really want to deliver a project that my fans both the new and old, all can relate and rely on.

I have a few things that I have to do with our music that people are excited about and I can’t let them down by not having it on there; Such as the Lead Guitar Solo Work that Chainsaw Blues Plays, he contributes so much to my songs and my sound is very much reliant on his lead guitar work and I can’t play lead like he can! Hell, he’s like one of them pickers that can play a guitar like he’s a ringing a bell, you know?

What was the creative process like for “Keep Livin (You Gotta Try)”? Did the song come together organically, or did it require multiple iterations before finding its final form?

Well, in the very early stages when the song was written I was working on a few other songs. I think we were already in the recording studio working on songs for “Overworked & Underpaid” or about to officially start. I think I had an early version of “You Better Hold It Right There” demoed and I mentioned all this because the songs have a similar vibe and chord progression.

I had recorded an early version of “Keep Livin”; it was pretty much an unfinished song at the time basically what I had was a well-planned demo with the guitars, bass, and drums all done in the studio, sounded ok except that the song was missing a lot still. And months later when I started to work on it again more seriously. That’s when I started to gather up songs for the “new era” for “A Dangerous Age.” I was also playing it a lot in rehearsals and back then when we started the song it was a little faster and had a different rhythm and feel with a “working title” and even the melody was a bit different, but nothing too far from the place that I ended up with it you know? Hell Even From the first demos I’d felt it was a bit unfinished and so with the last record done and while doing rehearsals for shows suddenly this new vibe as well as a new arrangement and a catchy chorus; was born, it all added to the songs “upgrade” if you can call it that.

It started to kick off in the right direction. I was then able to lock down the lyrics for the first verse and 2nd verse and the rest of the song. I knew I wanted something cool and to be a step up from the last songs  I’ve put out. I’ve got a ton of songs and arrangements, New riffs all numbered. I’ve done a lot of work gathering inspiration and coming with original concepts and new ideas. I knew I wanted to do something and say something that would be very special and relatable. I was certain that the lyrics I was after were going to tell the story I was chasing.

And It did just that! But while I was writing it over and over and doing what I do to make it happen, I suddenly came into the actual title of the song “Keep Livin (You gotta try)” and came up with a Hook. Yeah, I know that I’ve got a few songs with the 2 titles kinda thing. It’s all about how it feels & sounds. When I was writing the song I was trying to find a way to tie it all together like it is & You know just like that the new version was set. I had a permanent title and the lyrics were just about done.

That’s about the time we found out our guitarist was unfortunately unable to play at that moment and then I started to get worried that this is what happens to good bands they catch “bad luck” you know it strikes and suddenly it’s all over. I was just trying to find a way to make it all happen and luckily we got the Guitar Solos done and the song was finished to the great standards that I’ve strived to reach. I feel lucky and blessed that we got through it all and things are finally getting back to normal or a new version of normal. Lol