INTERVIEW: KNAC (Todd La Torre)

It’s been 4 years since I last did an interview with the new lead singer of QUEENSRYCHE, Todd La Torre. Now with two albums and multiple worldwide tours under his belt, we sat down with Todd once again to discuss many topics including the upcoming 3rd release and potential tourmates, the passing of Malcolm Young of AC/DC, the musical moment that changed his life, Lzzy Hale & Geoff Tate.

KNAC.COM: This is Travis Failey with KNAC.COM – The Loudest Dot Com on the Planet. We’re hanging out today with QUEENSRYCHE’s lead singer Todd La Torre at the beautiful TradeWinds Resort, getting ready for their performance tonight on the beach. It’s gonna be fantastic.

LA TORRE: And it’s home for both of us.

KNAC.COM: Yes, it is. You’ve performed in front of tens of thousands if not, close to 100,000 at some European festivals. When you come back home to do a show, is there more pressure for you?

LA TORRE: It’s easier to sing in front of strangers. Tonight there’s gonna be just so many people that I grew up with and went to school with, and people that have known my family, and just there are so many people that you know that are coming. And it’s a great feeling that they come out and support you and the band and all that, but it’s a little…I don’t ever get nervous before a show, but I would say that there’s a little more anxiety just because you wanna really perform your best. I mean, you do always, but when you’re staring out and you know so many people that are in the audience, it makes it a little bit different. Hometown shows, I think for anyone, are more hectic.

KNAC.COM: Sure. When you do a home show, do you get contacted by a lot of old associates that you don’t expect to get contacted by?

LA TORRE: Yes.

KNAC.COM: And how do you handle that now that you are one of the more successful people from this area without coming off being conceited?

LA TORRE: When people say, “Hey, man, we’re gonna come out and see you,” you know, that’s great. When people ask for free tickets and stuff that you haven’t, you know, you haven’t talked to them in years and then they come out of the woodwork, then you’re like, you know, on the one hand you’re like, “Wow, maybe it’s a chance just to reconnect with somebody because you lost touch.” On the other hand, you know, you wanna try to decipher people that are just wanting free stuff.

KNAC.COM: Sure, absolutely.

LA TORRE: Like any business I guess.

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