Kurt Deimer. Photo courtesy of Kurt Deimer.
Rock singer and actor Kurt Deimer talked about his new album “A Grog is Born,” which is out May 8 via Bald Man Records.
How did you approach the song selection process for the new album?
The new album is a total departure from And so it begins…. Chris Lord-Alge and I had saved a bunch of other tunes that I’ve been working on that we knew were just good tunes, but we had to rework and rework them now that my vocals have improved and I’ve gotten my vocal cords stronger, thanks to my training with Chris and a vocal coach.
I’ve been adding more octaves to my repertoire, and we just knew we had these killer tunes, but they needed to be sung, and so we chose the playlist that’s here. “Scared To Death” is the song written for the film Scared to deathwhich will be released on May 5th on VOD.
“In Deep”, my collaboration with Josh Todd from Buckcherry, which has been in the top 40 Active Rock Mediabase chart for 5 months. That run just ended, and it’s a killer tune.
“Silent Lucidity” with Geoff Tate brings suicide awareness around the world. These are songs we’ve known for a while that I had to present to the world on my second album. And that’s why we saved them, and that’s how we came up with the songs you’re about to hear A Grog Was Born.
What is your personal favorite song on there?
ACTIvE A Grog is bornif i just want to chill and have fun and chill, god i love every song on there. This is very difficult. I think one song that will surprise everyone and is a stripped down song is “Pringles” which I wrote on 4/28/2020. It’s crazy, but there it is. “Pringles.”
What inspires your music and songwriting?
People inspire my music and songwriting. I care about humanity. I care about spreading peace, love and kindness. I mean, people don’t bother me.
I mean, there’s just meanness everywhere, but I want other people, especially our fans, to know that there are good people in the world who actually care about other people and don’t want to put other people down. And that inspires a lot of my lyrics.
It inspires many of the reasons why I do what I do. This is because I care about humanity. I care about people using common sense and just being nice to each other. And that’s why I do what I do.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age? (now with broadcasting, technology and social media being so prevalent)
Well, it’s hard to be an artist in the digital age because you can’t make money on streaming. You have to do it all in your shows, your merchandise, your messages, your ancillary articles. You have to work hard.
You have to go on the road. You have to take the lumps and you just have to bring it every night, no matter how your day goes, because the fans that come out to see you deserve to see a rock show.
In the digital age, it just puts more emphasis on the live experience, your interaction with your fans, and spreading the word in a positive way.
What do your plans for the future include?
Well, Scared to deathmy film starring The Grog, Lin Shaye and Bill Moseley, will be released on demand on May 5thth streaming on all platforms, so check it out. Then, A Grog Was Bornmy second album, coming out on may 8th, which i’m really excited about.
It’s a song that you can just put on and play every song to the end. You’re going to see a whole new Kurt Deimer, a whole new style and the evolution of where we are as a band now and where I am as an artist now. We will tour.
My next feature film, Hellbilly Hollowthat I star with Kevin Wayne as a horror duo, Bull and Tickles, will be released in select theaters this fall and worldwide on VOD and streaming.
I have two more films. I play The Rancher on Pandemic Sex Partywhich is a film produced by Andy Gould, who did The house of 1000 Corpse AND The Devil Refuses. I play the next killer like Michael Myers and Jason called The Rancher.
Really excited about it. And I have another film, a drama, that brings awareness to fentanyl addiction Relapsewhere I play the father of the new daughter of the returning pop star.
We just want to raise awareness of this problem. We have lost many people in our families and in our lives to fentanyl. So it’s all coming out, and I’m shooting another movie this summer called prostituteswhich is a journey.
I can’t wait to get out and see all our fans and take pictures and sign things and just share peace and love with everyone. That’s what I’m doing every day.
What is your advice for young and emerging artists?
If you are a young and emerging artist, just understand that you may have all the talent in the world, but without hard work, it will never amount to anything. You must be able to work hard. You have to understand that people will come after you. You will have to take care of your back.
Don’t be naive and just focus. Never give up and go for it. Otherwise, you will never succeed. It’s a dog eat dog world. And you have to believe in your craft, in your art, and then you have to be able to overcome all the negativity and obstacles that will try to stop you from achieving your goals.
Was there a moment in your career that helped define you?
Not necessarily in my career, but you know, I grew up in a family of four. My mom and dad were great parents. My sister passed away at the age of 45, at a young age.
They inspired me through their appreciation of art, theatre, song, their dedication to their faith and being good people and taking the high road in life and not listening to all the noise. So that’s what shaped me.
Once I got over the panic and anxiety when I was younger, I was taught how to succeed, how to fight, how to take the high road. The more you give, the more you get in life and just be kind to other people. The rest will fall into place. And this is what has shaped me as a person, as an artist, as an entrepreneur, as a business owner.
I just try to do what is right every day and do good by others. Those who want to be part of what I’m doing or part of my team, they work hard and you take care of them and their families too and give all you can for others in need.
What does the word success mean to you? (my favorite question)
The word success to me means that when I leave a room or I’m not around other people, they say Kurt Deimer is a really good guy. He has a big heart. I have never met anyone like him. He can be quiet and to himself when he gets ready to do shows or make movies, but when I leave a room, people say he’s a good guy and there are very few like him. It’s not about money.
It’s about nothing more than making the impression on my fellow citizens that I’m someone you can count on as your friend, as someone you like as an artist, as someone who really cares about you and your family.
That’s success for me. And if as many people think that way about me, then I know I’m doing things right.
What would you like to tell our readers about your new album? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
ACTIvE A Grog Was Bornyou will see my growth as an artist, as a vocalist, as a writer, from top to bottom, especially if you listen And so it begins… and then listen A Grog Was Born. The new album, I think, will have an impact on your life.
It’s going to bring messages that make you think, and it’s just a great rock album the way I rock, not the way other people rock. I just do it the way I do it, you know. I have my own style. If you like it, great. If you don’t, that’s fine.
Let’s all embrace it if you like it and be nice to each other and if you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. I know it will impact many lives, and if that number is one person in the whole world, then I have done my job and people are appreciating my art and the way I do it.
They either like my vibe or they don’t, and that’s cool too. But I think you’ll love it, and it’s definitely on its way to bringing Kurt Deimer all over the world to play for you all. I think that’s what you’ll take away from it.
You’re going, “Man, this guy is really growing as an artist and now he’s bringing us to different frontiers.”
A Grog is Born is available for pre-order on digital service providers from by clicking here.
To learn more about Kurt Deimer and his music, follow him on Instagram and check out his Linktree site.
