Granny 4 Barrel Brings Shock Rock To New Heights

Granny 4 Barrel singer/band leader Granny has emerged as the latest shock rock hero. Influenced by Alice Cooper and a host of horror movies, the man who dresses as and takes on the persona of a heavy rocking, badass grandmother brings a new twist to the genre. The band just released its second single, “She Likes Guns,” the infectious follow-up to anthemic debut cut, “Freak Flag.”

We recently spoke to Granny him, err, her, self.

Q. What inspired your character?
It’s a combination of old horror movies and heavy metal. There's nothing quite like a scary old woman starting a metal band! It’s something that evolved naturally. I’ve been in a lot of bands and have been trying to put a show like this together and it’s taken on a life of its own. Our influences are across the board in terms of metal and shock rock and horror movies and just using your own, crazy imagination to come up with something unique. Onstage we’ve got backdrops and Granny comes up to the front of the stage and pulls up a chair and tells some stories, some tall tales.

Q. I’m assuming based on the man dressed as grandma that you’re a fan of “Psycho”?
You can’t go wrong with Norman Bates. But my favorite horror movie hands-down is “Burnt Offerings” It stars Karen Black. There are no special effects, it’s just a straight-out, scary Seventies horror movie. It’s also got star power. Bette Davis is in it. It was one of her last movies. And Burgess Meredith and Oliver Reed. I’ve watched it so many times and it still scares me.

Q. Your band includes a fiddle player. What does that instrument bring to the music?
You can do a lot with the fiddle. You can play low, heavy stuff, anything from Korn to Black Sabbath. Then you can switch tones and play bluegrass and classical. I’m a big fan of bluegrass. It brings something additional to the music.

Q. There’s also a Victorian-era, Steampunk look and feel to the band
I like to compare it to anything from the Victorian days. Look at architecture for example from around the 1860s through the 1890s. Those old houses are so ornate, the woodwork and craftsmanship that went into it. The aesthetic. I wanted to apply that to music. Sometimes music can sound like it’s kind of cheap. I feel like incorporating Victorian-era and Steampunk aspects keeps it classy.

Q. Granny 4 Barrel just released its second single, “She Likes Guns,” the follow-up to your debut, “Freak Flag.” Do you have a full-length album in the works? And how important are the songs in relation to the stage show and the development of the Granny character?
We’re just putting out singles for now but we’ve got a record that’s ready to go. I’m thinking it will be out sometime this summer. It’s always about the songs. Good songs stand the test of time. We put a lot of work into our songs.

Q. While the Granny character is based on horror movies, your show is both creepy and fun. Is it important to keep that balance?
It’s very important. One of my favorite bands lately is Steel Panther. They are fun but they can hold their own musically against anybody. That’s what makes it legit, their musical talent. I feel like that’s what we have with our band.

IF YOU GO
WHO: Granny 4 Barrel, performing as part of the Year of the Bull Tour with Texas Hippie Coalition, Kobra and the Lotus, and more.
WHAT: Shock rock.
WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday May 10.
WHERE: Dingbatz, 620 Van Houten Ave., Clifton; dingbatznj.com or 973-471-1145.
HOW MUCH: $18 advance, $20 day of show.
MORE INFO: www.granny4barrel.com and www.facebook.com/Granny4Barrel