Classless Act formed in 2019 and they released their debut album in June of this year to high praise from various media outlets. They are currently on tour opening up for hard rock legends Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett. Here is a interview with lead singer Derek Day about Classless Act and their current tour.
Your debut album is receiving high praise from various musical outlets. How happy are you with the album and the early reaction your getting?
- I am over the moon ecstatic ! We put all of our blood and guts into this first one and to receive positive feedback on something so personal only makes us want to give more.
What is it like sharing the stage with legendary rockers Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett?
- I can speak for all of the classless boys that it has been the most enlightening experience for us. Every night we can see clearly why each of these bands need an entire stadium to perform music ~ it is captivating and memories are being made!
Vince Neil and Justin Hawkins are featured on your debut album. How did those collaborations come about happening?
- Once we hopped onto the stadium tour, we reached out to Vince on a whim because we felt that our namesake song felt like him, like Motley. I believe he said yes not only because he’s a really sweet man, but it was his way of welcoming us to his show. Reaching out to J–Hawk was another “ask– the –universe“ type deal… We were dying to finish a song that couldn’t be finished for some reason… we reached out to him on another whim and became friends over WhatsApp ~ he was the secret sauce to complete the writing of TIME TO BLEED. He later agreed to play a lead guitar solo on THIS IS FOR YOU because he’s gangster like that.
Who are the bands biggest influences?
- I believe what makes this band so special as that each member has similar tastes while at the same time all into different things. We love bands like The Beatles, Queen, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie – Personally, I take influence from Directors and Authors ranging from Chris Nolan to Jack Kerouac.
In July/August the tour will come to Canada for a few dates. Have you played in Canada before? If not are you looking forward to gaining some new Canadian fans?
- The band has never visited the great country of Canada and we couldn’t be more excited to arrive. We know music and art is a big part of Canadian culture so we can’t wait to feel at home!!
When opening up for such legendary bands how do you try to stand out and make a name for yourself and gain some new fans?
- It’s inspiring to see how each one of these legendary bands have their “own thing”. It makes us want to have our own thing. I guess you can say we try to spice things up with an “in-your-face“ animation. We really like to decorate the stage with colorful movements. We love to sing as well~ so 4 part harmony is crucial. But most of all ~ each performance is a religious experience for us ~ so we share that ecstasy with the audience as much as humanly possible.
As a fan yourself what is your biggest highlight of the tour?
- I truly appreciate the show that Motley Crue puts on. It’s above and beyond ~ it rips you out of this world and puts you in theirs, showing how much they care about your experience and making sure each fan gets what they paid for aurally and visually. It’s a fantastic show.
What was it like working with legendary producer Bob Rock on a few tracks on your debut?
- Bob is a master. He taught us a great deal about hooks and creating vibe. Not to mention he is probably one of the sweetest human beings to work with.
How did the band meet?
- It was the modern day newspaper ad: social media! We were fans of each other and liked each other‘s vibe/aesthetic. So we hit each other up through all different platforms (Instagram/TikTok/Facebook) and we made it happen.
Where did the band name come from?
- We read it in a magazine talking about a political figure at the time… It sounded dirty and malleable, kinda like us.
How would you describe a Classless Act live performance?
- I would describe our live performance as a must see. It’s caffeinated, colorful, crisp and contagious.
What is the song writing process in the band? Is it a combined effort?
- I love writing music because there’s no one way to write a song. Our process is very combined, it’s very singular, it’s very collaborative and very strange. Short answer : every which way !
What is up for the band after this tour ends in September?
- More Touring! Nonstop for a couple years. It’s time the world gets classless.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I wish you all the best.
- Thank YOU for your time ~ can’t wait to see ya !