2019 was quite a year for Collateral.
The band released tracks including ‘Mr.Big Shot’ from their upcoming debut album, performed at venues across the UK and toured with rock bands including Piston.
If that wasn’t enough, they had a supporting slot on the Bon Jovi cruise ship, an experience that the band will never forget:
“I’d grown up very influenced by Bon Jovi”, explains Angelo.
“They were the first band I ever really listened to. Then fifteen years later to actually support and meet Jon Bon Jovi was a different life experience all together. It’s something we’ll never forget for sure”.
Following this once in a lifetime experience, I ask Angelo if there are any other bands that Collateral would love to join on tour.
“Skid Row, Def Leppard obviously. Bon Jovi on a Stadium tour definitely! We’re supporting Skid Row in August in Wales. We announced that a few weeks ago, which is pretty exciting. They’re a band we’ve always loved and always looked up to”.
It seems that 2020 is going to be another momentous year for this band whose fanbase is growing by the day – and it’s easy to hear why.
The anthemic ‘Mr.Big Shot’ is just a taste of what we can expect from Collateral’s debut album.
From brilliant guitar riffs to a catchy sing-along chorus, the track is instantly a record that you want to listen to again and again. It’s no wonder that fans cannot get enough of Collateral’s music.
The lyric ‘Follow your dreams, no matter how far’ reflects the journey that singer Angelo has been on throughout his career.
As he explains, the songwriting process is something that reflects themes and moments that both he and the band have experienced:
“The songwriting aspect of everything we do is always quite close to heart. We’re trying to take inspiration from all corners of life; from the people you meet, to the places you go. When you get inspired, the next thing you want to do is inspire other people. Music is the language of the world”.
Released on 21st February 2020 by Roulette Media Records, Collateral’s self-titled debut album is nine tracks that Angelo describes as “all killer, no filler”.
The record reflects the different musical influences on the band; from country to heavy metal and more.
From ballads including ‘Get back to you’, to stadium rock songs like ‘Lullaby’, there’s something for everyone on this highly anticipated album.
“I’ve put all my chips on one roulette number. When you dedicate your life to something like this, you want to make sure it’s the best it can be. We had our whole lives to write this first album.
There could have been a lot more tracks on this album, but I wanted the audience to want more and not get bored. You want to make sure that there isn’t one song on there that the listener wants to skip. We love it”.
One of the current fan favourites is ballad ‘About this Boy’. Written after the album was finished, Angelo explains that he couldn’t resist adding the song to the track listing – and it’s already proving to be popular with fans and musicians alike.
“‘About this Boy’ was written when the album was finished, but it just had to go on the album. My country influence really shines through. It’s kind of mirroring ‘Midnight Queen’ with that country-rock sound. It’s about where I first started in music, when I first picked up a guitar and how life experiences had led me to here. It just flowed. Some songs take ten minutes, other songs take half a year. This was one that just felt right.
It’s the last track on the album, but it’s one of the fan favourites at the moment. We opened up for Danny Vaughan before supporting Bon Jovi and he said ‘About this boy, that’s a killer man!’, so I was like ‘ah ok cool!’.
With more tour dates to be announced following the release of the album, Collateral are ready to take on the world in 2020. Long live Rock ’n’ Roll.
Collateral’s self-titled debut album will be released on 21st February 2020.
