We just wanted to make enough so we could make music for a living.' What Else Did Pop Evil's Leigh Kakaty Discuss on Loudwire Nights? When you think about why we got into it, we never wanted money or the fame. 'That's the true blue-collar mentality in the Midwest and that's where I'm rooted and where I'm proud to be from. 'Be grateful for the little things,' he said near the end of the conversation. When Kakaty is home in Michigan, he goes to the same bars and restaurants that he did when he was growing up because it helps make his story real, as he explained, adding to his writing, to his journey and to the respect he has for his fans. READ MORE: The 40 Most-Played Songs on Rock Radio in 2022 These days, though, Kakaty's perspective has reversed.

All that I wanted to do growing up in this small town in Michigan was, 'I want to get out here. 'It gives you a home base, kind of like the song 'Circles' on this album. 'It grounds you,' Kakaty said on Loudwire Nights. It reminded him about the importance of remaining connected to his roots. One of the most positive outcomes of being shut down over the pandemic was the fact that Kakaty was forced to do something he doesn't normally do because he's always on the road-he stayed home. We weren't overthinking it.' It's Important For Pop Evil to Stay Connected to Their Roots The final three tracks of Skeletons all include collaborations: 'Wrong Direction' features Devour the Day, 'Dead Reckoning' features Fit For a King and 'Raging Bull' features Zillion. As you tour, as you come with a little more open mind, you watch people differently-how they front their band, how they perform onstage, how they hold their mic, how they're getting different tonality live.' Every frontman has something you can learn from. 'You've been doing this awhile, at some point, you're a fan and you want to hear other people's voices and learn from other musicians.

'We knew we were doing close to 10 songs and as to song seven, it gets a little boring,' he told Chuck. One of the most positive experiences of creating Skeletons was inviting friends into the process to collaborate on some of the tracks. 'Now it feels good to have that anger in a place where we can harness it and not only release it but put it in a way that maybe could help someone else deal with things.' Bringing Outside Voices Into the Studio on SkeletonsĪs frustrating and scary as the last few years were for Kakaty and all musicians, it was obvious in the conversation that he continues to strive to keep hold of the positive things in his world. 'I let that stuff come out in the writing process and in the album,' he says of Skeletons. Kakaty said that as a musician, it felt like he was the first one to get shut down and the last one to come back once things started returning to 'normal.'

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