Hello, My Name Is Kirk
Hello My Name Is Kirk
Q&A With Kirk Windstein Of Down
IE: Down was in a state of limbo for a while. Was there any question in your mind you guys would make another record?
Kirk Windstein: I think when we, if you want to call it, “parted ways” after the last one and went our separate ways to do other things, I kinda hoped, and had a feeling — a gut feeling — we would. It’s the type of thing where we always say this is the kind of band we can grow old with, and I think with everything else we’ve done over the years, I knew there would come a point where I would get the phone call from Phil [Anselmo, singer]. I was ecstatic of course and I said “Dude, let’s do this thing and let’s do it for real.”
Down (Kirk Windstein, far right)
IE: Most of the band is from New Orleans. What kind of effect did Hurricane Katrina have on Over The Under?
KW: Lyrically, there’s obviously some influence, it’s impossible for that not to kind of hover over the whole thing. I think we used the whole Katrina catastrophe as a catapult to be positive and move forward and use it as an opportunity to kind of physically and mentally cleanse ourselves and have a positive outlook. I think the positive vibe, or aura, what the record is, is a direct result of Katrina. To us, the title Over The Under means we’re over all the negative stuff, we want to move forward.
IE: You guys toured with Heaven & Hell earlier this year, were you a fan of Dio-era Sabbath?
KW: Oh God, yes. Actually, I mean, I am a big Ozzy fan, but I can honestly say, I’m one of the people who can say Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules are probably two of my top-four favorite Sabbath records ever.
IE: So what was it like touring with them?
KW: Oh, it was unbelievable. Just to be able to stand there and watch Tony Iommi sound check every day in a huge empty arena, it was like being a kid in the candy store. It was awesome. Then on the Australian run we did, we were able to actually meet the guys and hang out with them. We got to fly to all the shows on the flights they were on, and stay at the same hotels, take buses together, and really get a chance to hang out with Dio at the bar and have a few drinks. It was like a dream come true. I can remember getting back and talking to a buddy of mine who knows [Dio] and he was like “Dude, is Ronnie James Dio not one of the coolest motherfuckers out there?” He is, man. It was a trip.
Kirk Windstein is a guitarist in Down, whose new record, Down III — Over The Under, is out now. The band play House Of Blues October 10th.
— Trevor Fisher
