Cornerstone
Sail On Stormy Waters

05.06.2007

Leaving Royal Hunt in 2004, Steen Mogenson was well aware of what he would do next – his own band Cornerstone had released three studio albums and gained its own audience. Moreover, Steen could now fully realize his creative potential, while in Royal Hunt he only performed functions of the bassist, staying in the shadow of the band’s obvious leader Andre Andersen. The releases that came out independently from Royal Hunt (whose influence can be heard in Cornerstone’s early works) – 2005’s "In Concert" and 2007’s new studio CD "Two Tales Of One Tomorrow" made it clear that the bassist made the right decision by continuing to play melodic hard rock that he has always liked. We got in contact with Steen by e-mail to find out more about the latest album, relations with former bandmates and a lot of other things.

When you started Cornerstone could you imagine that it would become your main focus and you would release more than one album? Are you quite satisfied with how your musical career has developed?  

Well, I had a good feeling about the project from the very beginning and already planned for future albums, when we were about to finish the production of ”Arrival” (2000). Of course, it’s hard to predict how the album would do commercially and by the fans, but if you trust what you believe in, other people will follow.

What do you see as the biggest progression of the band since “Arrival”, and what are your expectations of the new album?

We are all a tight unit now with four albums and a couple of tours on our backs, I think it shows in the songwriting and production of the new album, everybody is confident with their performance, both in the studio and on stage. I hope people will dig in “Two Tales Of One Tomorrow”, we spend a lot of time in the recording and songwriting process this time around.

Turning to “Two Tales of One Tomorrow” – when did you begin songwriting and how did it take place? How big was vocalist Doogie White’s contribution into the songwriting process?

I don’t recall the exact month or date we started on this. As a musician you work on the material and ideas all the time, like a never ending process. Sometimes when you are driving your car or just before you fall asleep great ideas comes to life, and you have to get out of bed writing them down on paper or turning on the computer to catch the moment while they’re there. We have a good method in the songwriting process shipping ideas back and forth using the Skype program, we sometimes finish a demo in one day, sending files back and forth a couple of times.

You always attend different studios when making an album. How do you make decisions about studios to work in?

Very simple - they have to be cozy and cheap. This time we did most of the recording in my own studio.
 
Were there any difficulties during the recording process this time? How long did the recording take?

There are always difficulties when you are recording a full length album. This time we re-recorded some parts of the vocal and guitar parts, cuz we felt we could improve on that side. Sometimes it’s more a technical thing that bothers you during the production.

What is the title song “Two Tales of One Tomorrow” written about?

“There have been a number of high publicity cases over here in the UK in recent years where "famous" people have had their careers ruined by a moment of madness. It must happen to ordinary people like us as well so I thought of what it is like to live like that, knowing if you had made a different choice, how your life would maybe be better or indeed worse in the parallel universe. The turns we take determine the paths we find ourselves on. Hence “Two Tales of One Tomorrow”. (Doogie’s own words).

The Russian edition of “Two Tales…” has 10 songs, the song “We Are The Dead” is absent. Other editions have “We Are The Dead” but have no “Tomorrow” f.e. Who’s usually responsible for the final track-list? Why don’t all the versions have 11 songs?

To be honest, I don’t know about any different versions in Russia, I’m sorry for that. The Japanese version does have a bonus track.

In Russia you have a new record label for “Two Tales…”. How did you get in touch with FONO Records, and why did you decide to sign to them directly? (Massacre has a licensing deal with another Russian company).

Those were business decisions from our management which we totally agree with. FONO gave us a good deal and promotion plan for the Russian territory.  

Do you take any part in creating a cover artwork? What does that round figure with ‘S’ in the center of it mean?

No I don’t do the cover artwork, but we come up with some ideas for it. The round figure is a C and the S is and S combined CS= Cornerstone.  

There’s been quite a long time since you left Royal Hunt. How hard was it for you to make this step? Are you still in contact with Andre Andersen? How did you like Royal Hunt’s last two albums?

Well it’s always hard to make these kind of decisions, leaving a band and friends you knew for many years, but everything comes to a natural end, and it was time to move on for me. Luckily enough we are still in contact once in a while.

Do you keep in touch with ex-Royal Hunt guitarist Jacob Kjaer? What does he do now? We didn’t hear from him quite too long.

Not recently, we are focusing on different things now, I think.

How did you first meet Doogie? Did he agree to be involved in the Cornerstone thing at once?

As mentioned before we already worked and talked about the material for the “Human Stain” album (2002) during the recording of “Arrival”.

Are there any problems in making up schedules because of Doogie’s part in Rising Force and some other projects?

Not really, we’re always trying to plan ahead with our schedules, and so far we managed to make it work.
 
You’re also a professional sound engineer and producer. Could you tell us a about bands you work with in your studio? Are you always satisfied with the work you do for others?

I am in a lucky position to work with a lot of different musical directions, from hard stuff to jazzy stuff, and with newcomers and old ”rats”, which is great pleasure for me. I would turn out as a mental person, if I only worked in the hard rock/metal scene.

You are on tour now. Do you shoot some gigs and backstage material so that to release it on DVD somewhere in the future?

We have some material saved for that purpose, let’s wait and see what the future brings.

What are the things you can’t absolutely do without on tour?

Toothbrush, clean underwear and money.

What is your secret of surviving on a tour bus?

It’s actually not that tough. I like to be on the road, it’s a matter of adopting to the circumstances and surroundings, and not to be to picky with your “room mates”.  

When was the last time you were very much excited about visiting a country and why?

We had a nice day-off in Dornbirn, Austria, a few weeks ago, and what a beautiful place that was, with a view on the Austrian alps and rivers!

What is a typical day for Steen Mogensen (on tour and off tour)? What do you usually do in your free time – reading, watching movies, etc.?

I have a couple of kids who like to play games and the like with their dad, but I also find the time to read books apart from fooling around with some musical ideas.

We heard you turned to music owing to your elder brother. What’s his attitude to your music now? When did you get your first guitar? When did you have your first band?

I got my first bass around the age of 13, and it’s true, my brother got me hooked on music. He’s of course very supportive to me. I started my first band around the age of 14 playing Thin Lizzy and AC/DC covers.

Do you have musical or some other education? Did you ever have a “normal” day job?

I had private lessons for several years, and a smaller musical education, which gave me a lot of helpful tools, especially in the songwriting and arrangement process. Yes, I did have daytime jobs and I also consider my studio work as a daytime job.

What was the first gig you ever attended? And what were the most memorable concerts in your career from the performer’s point of view?

It must be some local Danish act at a school concert. The very first show we performed in Japan with Royal Hunt still stands very clear in my mind, what a great evening and experience for us.

Which other instrument can you play except the instrument we all know you for?

I play a bit of piano and guitar.

If you could do a project album with any musician you wish, who would they be and why?

It could be great fun to record an album with the Deep Purple guys, just to get a taste and the vibe of some of the legends in rock.

You look very good with you long hair but have you ever been close to getting rid of it? Why? Is it really important for you how you look?

Thanks! It never stroke my mind to cut my hair.

What is the most unusual part of a body you had to sign autographs?

The tits of a wonderful girl.

What are your plans with Cornerstone after this European tour?

Working on some more shows in the fall and promoting the album in Japan.

Would you like to add something from your side? Or please leave here a message for your Russian fans.

Thanks for taking your time to read this, and hopefully we’ll manage to work our way to Russia for some live shows, I know it’s in the works. CHEERS.

Cornerstone on the Internet: http://www.cornerstonemusic.dk

Special thanks to Konstantin Byleyev (FONO) for arranging this interview

Anna Babicheva, Ekaterina Fyodorova
May 17, 2007
© HeadBanger.ru