Asking Alexandria from the UK has really exploded in a big way since I last interviewed them in 2009. Their debut album Stand Up And Scream has inspired audiences from all around the globe to do just that. Just within the last few months, the band has unleashed 2 recordings – an EP entitled Life Gone Wild and their full length magnum opus Reckless and Relentless - both on Sumerian Records. Asking Alexandria has been on a several headlining tours, the most recent including an appearance at this year’s Extreme Thing Sports and Music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. We caught up lead vocalist Danny Worsnop for a rather candid interview about what else? – but sex, drugs and rock and roll. Read on as Highwire Daze Online presents our exclusive edition of Danny Worsnop Gone Wild!!!
Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Asking Alexandra, and tell me one of the wildest Vegas stories that you have.
I’m Danny Worsnop, I sing in Asking Alexandria. And I got stripper pregnant and blew cocaine off her tits.
Nice. So how has the headlining tour been going so far and are you surprised to see Asking Alexandria headlining so soon?
This is our third headlining tour now. It’s our fourth headlining tour, but it’s our third in the US. The tour’s going real good. We’re doing like a few thousand a night. Dallas was crazy – we did Dallas a couple of nights ago and did like 5000, so it’s been good.
Are you surprised this is all happening for you guys so soon, just with one album?
Not really. We’re played the legwork. We’ve been solid for like two years now with no breaks. We’ve paid the dues and got here.
What you guys decide to do the Skid Row covers on the Life Gone Wild EP?
Cuz that’s the music we really love. I don’t listen to any of the music I play – I listen to like 80’s rock. And we had the opportunity to do it, so we just went for it.
Do you know if Sebastian Bach or any of Skid Row has heard your covers?
Yeah! We’re singing Youth Gone Wild with him in LA later in the year.
How did you get in touch with him?
He works with our record label a lot and he drinks at the same places we do. We just kind of all came together in a completely unplanned way.
You have a new album coming out called Reckless and Relentless. Where did you come up with the idea for that title?
Because it’s what the album is. The entire album is just like sex, drugs, and rock and roll. I was going through like stupid amounts of drugs back then – drinking – I wasn’t sober ever! Like I’d wake up drunk – keep drinking – pass out – wake up drunk – constantly! Just a slew of self-destruction. The guys had written this album – and all throughout writing it, I was in this most fucked up place imaginable. It just all came together, which made it a really honest album. And I was kind of going through, hitting the bottom of the barrel, and then getting out of it.
Pick two songs from the album and tell me what inspired the lyrics.
Someone, Somewhere is our radio tune that came out – it’s actually doing really well on radio. I think it’s like just breaking Top 40. That song is in three parts. It’s all about losing. The first part was about my granddad that died. The second part cuz I was always like so fuckin’ shitty to my parents. And the third part was me and my guitarist Ben – taking over the world. We just built this what started out as something so small into this enormous force Asking Alexandria is now. We’ve got a song called To The Stage – which was I was like meeting girls – going up to really nice, good, well behaved girls and just fucking ruining them! So that song is just that – ruining lives!
One could one expect from a live Asking Alexandria show, especially at Extreme Thing today?
Today will be different. We’ve got none of our stage production. It will just be raw – as raw as it gets. But usually, we have enormous stage productions – walkways – ramps all over the stage. A light show bigger than you’ve ever seen before. We came up with a concept for our stage show now from like KISS tours – so it’s huge! It’s ridiculous! Rock and roll! That’s it! That’s what to expect! We’re bringing rock and roll back! It’s coming back!
The last time we talked I talked to you, you had just moved to the States – and you weren’t looking forward to the drinking age being 21. Are you 21 now?
No, I’m 20. I turn 21 real soon.
How have you managed it?
Nobody really questions us. We walk in and just get drinks and just go. It’s never really been a problem for us. Especially with venues giving us drinks and stuff – you can just drink on the bus. We’ve lived here for two years now and it’s been good. I’ve lived in New Jersey, then San Diego, then Los Angeles – now I’m in Dallas but I’m moving back to LA.
What is it you like the most and least about Los Angeles?
I don’t like that I don’t live there right now. And I love everything about Los Angeles. It IS rock and roll. It’s the heart, spirit and soul of rock and roll. Hollywood Blvd and the Sunset Strip is where it all started. It’s where I was born to be.
On the internal search engine on our website, one of the weird search terms we get constantly is “Danny Worsnop Nude.” Why are we getting that, Danny?
Because my penis is on the Internet.
Are you kidding?
No. It’s true. Some girl got it, and put it all over the Internet. Everyone is always saying, “Oh, is that embarrassing?” and I’m like, “No! No! That got me laid a lot!”
So what are your plans after this US tour?
Right after this, we do the Golden God Awards in Los Angeles. We’re doing Jimmy Kimmel. We’re doing a UK and Europe headlining tour. We’re coming back and doing Warped Tour. Then we’re doing some filming for some TV stuff. I’ve got a film crew following me around in September. And then we’re doing something like flying out to the jungle or something. Then we’re working on another headlining tour in November I think – in the US.
Do you have any messages for your fans out here in the United States?
Don’t download CD’s. Don’t fucking download! Go out and buy a CD!
Asking Alexandria is
Danny Worsnop-Vocals
Ben Bruce – Guitar
Cameron Liddell – Guitar
Sam Bettley – Bass
James Cassells – Drums
