Ask Ivan Moody—lead singer of the metal band Five Finger Death Punch—if he’s ever considered a career outside of music, and he’ll probably tell you something very similar to what he told me: “My penis is too small for porn.”
But an answer like that can’t even begin to describe the vibrant and spirited personality of Ivan. In an interview where Ivan and I spoke about his new record, family life, and his creative process, there emerged a personality and an attitude that is primed to take the music world by storm.
That’s assuming, of course, that he already hasn’t. Five Finger Death Punch have already released two albums, and they’re set to release their third—“American Capitalist”— on October 11th. And according to Ivan, this is the one that is truly going to blow people away. “This album has no restraints. We’ve done everything we can as musicians to make this album as good as it possibly could be, and believe me, it hasn’t been easy.”
You heard it first here… “American Capitalist” is going to be huge. But what exactly goes into making an album of this magnitude? Describing his creative process and the way he goes about making music, Ivan says that he has all of the music sent to him, and he simply quarantines himself in his parent Colorado cabin and “shuts the world off.” That’s it. No studios, no group jam-sessions, no collaboration whatsoever; just one man and his creative mind.
When the band finally does come together to record their music, Ivan says that he can see the art being formed right in front of his face. “It’s very unique, and I just love watching all of the guys’ faces as we play the music for the first time. If they don’t like a song, they’ll just tell me it sucks and we’ll move on to the next one. But when we get one like “Over and Under,” it just feels right instantaneously. You could tell right then that we had accomplished something.”
In that sense, art is all about that look on peoples’ faces for Ivan, and that’s what makes performing music the favorite part of his job. In fact, he learned the value of a kick ass show from none other than Rob Zombie. “Rob Zombie told me a few years ago that the hour you're on stage is the hour you should enjoy the most. The other 23 hours is just chaos and garbage.” In other words, forget the practice, forget everything, just make sure you put on a memorable show for the people in front of you. “It’s all about being live. I hate the studio. I’m all about being on stage and vocalizing my emotions through song.”
And in definitely shows in his performances how passionate Ivan is about giving his fans an unforgettable experience. But it takes a lot of mental preparation, according to Ivan, to put yourself in the right state of mind. Ivan gets so intense before a show, that his band refuses to share a dressing room with him. “ There’s a lot of candles, and a lot of barfing, but that’s what I have to do to achieve complete solitude.”
Sounds like an intense dude, but the story of Ivan’s upbringing and his motivations to be successful display a different side to the passionate performer that most of us are familiar with. Ivan’s work ethic and drive to be successful stems from his upbringing in a blue-collar family. “I watched my parents sacrifice so much for me, and my mom worked three jobs just to provide for her kids.” To say that Ivan’s family has been an inspiration for him is an understatement. “Family is everything, and they’re the reason I do what I do. I always promised myself I would break the cycle in my family, and I’ve always wanted to provide them with a better life.”
Having a teenage daughter of his own, Ivan appreciates the little time we have on this earth, and cherishes every waking moment he has with his daughter and the rest of his family. “I’d like to say I know how the balance the two [family and career], but I can honestly say that finding time to be with them is the toughest part of my job.”
For Ivan, life is all about sacrifice: he saw his parents do it for him, and he knows that he owes the same to his family and to his fans. That probably explains what he’s such a huge fan of the Spawn comic book. “Spawn is a hero that represents self sacrifice, and comics are just an incredible art form.” In fact, comics are Ivan’s favorite form of art (other than music of course.)
And speaking of music, there are few topics that will entice more emotion and passion in Ivan. He sees music as an art form, but he also sees elements in music that transcend art. “Music is a universal tool of communication, it is pure expression. It HAS to be there. It’s a cause of evolution and revolution.” Interestingly, Ivan prefers to listen to music without lyrics, because he believes the sounds of human voice can often get in the way of the beat and make the sound “too human.” For Ivan, music is a part of the world that goes beyond human beings…that’s some powerful stuff.
I didn’t mention Spaceblues to Ivan in the interview, but he brought it up on his own. Ivan had heard about the site prior to the interview, and he wants people to know that musicians and artists need a place to share and talk shop. He thinks Spaceblues will be the place for this, and that we’re “doing something innovative.” Needless to say, I was flattered.