THE JUGGERNAUT JOURNAL
Our Featured Interview with:
John & Sean Kamenar of KAMENAR
Introduction Bio:
Kamenar is an independent national touring hard rock band featuring twin brothers Sean and John Kamenar.
Hailing from Tampa, FL, the brothers formed the band in 2015 after discovering Aerosmith through their Rock n’ Roller Coaster. With a sound heavily influenced by 70’s, 80’s and 90’s rock, Kamenar mixes a variety of genres, creating a fresh modern rock sound with an old school edge.
Known for their high energy and interactive live shows, Kamenar performs as a two piece, uniquely creating a four piece sound. With Sean Kamenar on lead vocals, as well as playing guitar and bass simultaneously, and John Kamenar pounding on the drums, this brother duo is known for creating a massive wall of sound.
Kamenar has opened and shared stages with Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith, Ace Frehley, Alice Cooper, Slash ft. Myles Kennedy, Bret Michaels, Everclear, Filter, Hinder, Buckcherry, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Puddle Of Mudd, Saliva, Alien Ant Farm, Nita Strauss, Night Ranger, LA Guns, Faster Pussycat, Dokken, King’s X, Jackyl, Geoff Tate and Stephen Pearcy, among others.
Kamenar has performed at notable festivals such as RokIsland Fest and Orange Loop Rock Festival, alongside Stone Temple Pilots, Chevelle, John 5 and Hoobastank. The brothers have toured across the country with Pop Evil, 10 Years, Keith Wallen of Breaking Benjamin, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Smile Empty Soul and Tantric.
Kamenar’s latest three singles “Now That We Both Know”, “The Man” and a cover of Badflower’s “Animal” are out now and available on all major streaming platforms.
Kamenar saw success with “Animal” on radio across the country, with the song landing #28 on the Mainstream / Active Rock Charts.
You can find Kamenar on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Bandsintown, as well as their music on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music.
Interview Q&A:
Q: "Who were your gateway bands, and what made them stick?"
John: "Aerosmith, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison & Living Colour were the first 5 bands we discovered and got into as kids. It all started with Aerosmith, which we’ll definitely dive into.. Def Leppard & Poison were our very first concert, back when we were around 11 or 12 years old. Seeing those guys work a sold out arena was definitely inspiring at that age."
Follow up question: "What was the moment you knew you wanted to play loud, heavy music?"
Sean: "It all started when we discovered Aerosmith through their Rock n Roller Coaster in Orlando, FL, when we were young kids. Something about those 5 guys spoke to us and instantly drew us in. It was powerful. It was like magic man."
John: "That moment right there totally changed our lives and shaped our entire career. Even being so young at the time, we knew what we were meant to be doing. We went from two little kids playing baseball to dropping out of the league and forming a rock band. We’ll always credit Aerosmith for that."
Q: "What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?"
John: "Commitment and dedication. We eat, sleep and breathe music. We’re willing to put in the work every single day, constantly working towards the next goals."
Follow up question: "Do you have any weaknesses that you're actively working to improve on?"
Sean: "There will always be something to strengthen or improve. We’re constantly working to better ourselves in all aspects, as musicians and humans."
Q: "Are there any musicians who inspire you, and if so, what qualities do you admire about them?"
Sean: "The 5 guys of Aerosmith have always been our #1’s. Motley Crue, Living Colour, Pierce The Veil, Nothing More, Foo Fighters are all up there. Lots of great inspirations."
Specifically for our individual instruments:
John’s Top 10 Drummers:
Joey Kramer (Aerosmith)
Tommy Lee (Motley Crue)
Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters)
Will Calhoun (Living Colour)
Rick Allen (Def Leppard)
Ben Anderson (Nothing More)
Chris Worley (Jackyl)
Rikki Rockett (Poison)
Alex Van Halen (Van Halen)
Peter Criss (KISS)
Sean’s Top 5 Singers:
Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
Corey Glover (Living Colour)
Jonny Hawkins (Nothing More)
Tommy Shaw (Styx / Damn Yankees)
Donnie Vie (Enuff Z’Nuff)
Sean’s Top 5 Guitarists:
Brad Whitford (Aerosmith)
Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
Mick Mars (Motley Crue)
Ace Frehley (KISS)
Tony Perry (Pierce The Veil)
Sean’s Top 6 Bassists:
Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith)
Bobby Dall (Poison)
Jaime Preciado (Pierce The Veil)
Doug Wimbish (Living Colour)
Chip Z’Nuff (Enuff Z’Nuff)
Pat Badger (Extreme)
Sean & John’s Top 5 Songwriters:
Marti Frederickson (Aerosmith / Solo)
Mark Hudson (Aerosmith / Solo)
Greg Camp (Smash Mouth / Solo)
Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)
Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
Q: "How did your band get its beginning and how did it get its name?"
Sean: "Going back to the Aerosmith ride, it all started right there. That was the beginning. That was the inspiration. Who would have thought going on a roller coaster as kids would introduce us to the greatest band of all time. Crazy right!? We decided to call the band our last name and there, Kamenar was officially born in 2015."
Follow up question: "What makes your band different from other bands?"
John: "With so many bands out there today, you have to find a way to stand out and bring something different to the table. Being twin brothers definitely doesn’t hurt, as you don’t see that too often in our scene.
But beyond that, we perform live as a two-piece while covering four instruments, so we’re able to create a much bigger sound than you’d expect from just two guys. It’s definitely something that’s become a big part of our identity as a band."
Q: "In your opinion, what event was the best you've ever performed together as a band and what made it so special?"
Sean: "Doing a little run of shows with our hero, Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith with his new band; Close Enemies. I think we’d both agree, those shows were some of the most memorable moments and greatest honors of our career.
We knew we had to be on our A games. I mean shit, we were opening up for the guy that literally inspired us to start playing music.. you could feel it.. The pressure was on, man!
It’s hard to put into words, what that whole experience meant to us. Tom Hamilton’s our hero, he’s our guy. He’s had such a major impact on our lives, we could truly say we wouldn’t be who we are without him. We’re just beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to live those full circle moments."
Q: If your band has some creative differences when making a new song, how do you overcome them? In your opinion, does this help to make the song(s) better and the band stronger?
John: "We fight until we agree or one of us comprises. Brotherly love haha. But honestly, we’ve learned that creative differences can be a great thing.
We’re both big on the music, so we’re not afraid to challenge each other’s ideas or speak up when we think something could be better. At the end of the day, we know it’s not about who’s right, it’s about making the songs as strong as they can be."
Q: What future goals do you have for the band, such as events or festivals that you hope to play?"
Sean: "Playing Welcome to Rockville, Louder Than Life & The Danny Wimmer Presents festivals have always been a goal of ours. We just need Danny to know we exist!"
Q: "Describe your worst performance and what did you learn from this experience?"
Sean: "Alright quick story time… so years ago we were doing a show in Texas with the band Dangerous Toys. Great band by the way… packed house in their hometown, we were supporting them.
Probably about 2 songs in, I popped a string on my PRS. No big deal right.. I grab my other guitar when that song was over and of course, 10 seconds into the next song, a string on that guitar pops! Fuck! Haha, I was screwed. I only bring the 2 axes with me on the road…
I run with it, trying to play it off. I tell the crowd to give it up for my brother on the drums, as I run off stage - in my head like “shit man, what do I do!”. We were only the 2 songs in and had another 20 minutes to go!
So I’m basically running around the venue trying to find the other guitarists from the opening bands that already played, to see if they still had their guitars out. No luck! All their equipment was long packed.
So in the end, the crowd was basically treated to a 20 minute John drum solo to finish off the entire set. I came running out on stage at the end, acting like it was all part of the show. And that was that, haha.
This has probably gotta go down as one of the most disastrous shows we ever played. Sorry to the Dangerous Toys fans that had to sit through that! We’ll be the first to admit that one was pretty rough! Haha.
Surprisingly enough the people loved it, and it was all good. Merch was still sold at the end of the day! John saved my ass on that one, pretty much just hyping up the crowd and doing his thing.
Moral of the story? RESTRING!
This was back on one of the first tours we ever did and at a time where we were just getting use to being on the road, back to back shows, all that, etc..
It’s been years and thankfully I haven’t popped a string on stage since. Knock on wood, haha. Lesson learned real quick!"
(JUGGERNAUT: That was an awesome story...loved it!)
Follow up question: "What do you like most about playing music?"
John: "Connecting with people. Knowing that something we created can resonate with someone is pretty powerful."
Q: "Do you see yourselves as artists or entertainers, and how does that define your sound?"
John: "We definitely see ourselves as both artists and entertainers. When you come see us perform live, you don’t just hear the music - you see a show you won’t forget."
Follow up question: "What's the best piece of advice you've received?"
Sean: "Straight from Joe Perry, himself. I’ll never forget it word for word. This was the first time we ever met, about 7 years ago. After talking for a few minutes, Joe looked at us for a good second and in a genuine tone said “there’s gonna be ups and downs. Don’t let the downs bother you.” Powerful stuff man. That inspiration from Joe has always stuck with us."
Q: "What's your take on the current state of rock/metal music?"
John: "It’d be great to see rock make a comeback in the mainstream. There’s so much great music out there, but it’s all starting to sound the same. I think people are ready for something different, and rock has always been at its best when it pushes boundaries and brings something fresh to the table."
Follow up question: "What's the biggest challenge facing rock bands today (streaming, touring, etc.)?"
John: "Social media / the internet. Nowadays you have to be a content creator on top of being a musician. Anyone and everyone can post videos, release music, and put their content out into the world these days. The internet has made it easier than ever to create and share music, but the downside is, that also makes it incredibly saturated. You have to figure out how to cut through all the noise and hopefully get the algorithms working in your favor."
Sean: "It’s a content world now. Theres pros and cons with it of course. Social media can be a beautiful thing sometimes. You see bands blowing up through videos and reels all the time.
We keep up with our socials, but we’re not one of those TikTok or social media bands by any means...I don’t know, to us we’ve just always done it the way we’ve done it...Hit the road and get out there city to city, face to face.
We know we have to go out there and earn our spot, not take the chances on being an overnight sensation. We get out there and we grind. We live for that."
Bonus Question(s):
Q: "Who are you listening to right now that excites you?"
Sean: "I’ve been listening to a lot of Pierce The Veil lately. Always been into these guys and was there back in their club days, but really started to dig back in with their ‘Jaws of Life’ album. Really good stuff."
John: "Been jammin the Hollywood Vampires, Joe Perry’s semi-new supergroup with Buck Johnson, Tommy Henriksen, Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp. Their new live album is killer."
Sean: "Nothing More, of course. Seether, Chevelle, Pop Evil, Three Days Grace, 10 Years, Bush, Highly Suspect… Lots of good stuff gettin us goin right now."
John: "We gotta give a shoutout to our guys in 10 Years as well. They’ve given us some great opportunities, taking us out on the road with them over the years. Some of the most fun we’ve ever had out on tour was with those guys and we’re grateful to have them in our corner. Just really solid dudes."
Sean: "We were out on the road for 10 Years’ 20th anniversary Tour of their 'Autumn Effect' album last year. Hearing them play the album in its entirety, night after night, got us hooked quick. We knew those songs inside out, by the end of that tour haha. Great no-skip album though, definitely worth the listen."
Follow up question: "In 10 years, what do you want your band's lasting legacy to be?"
John: "In 10 years, we want Kamenar’s legacy to be that we never stopped believing in the music and never stopped chasing the dream. It’d be cool if people look back and say, “Those two brothers really built something and never stopped grinding throughout the years.”
Also leaving behind the belief that you don’t need to fit a mold to make an impact. We’re just two brothers from Tampa who decided to start a band, do things our own way, and have a lot of fun doing it. If we inspire kids to pick up instruments and start their own bands, especially at a time where rock isn’t as prevalent with this new generation, thats what it’s all about for us."
Do you have any final words to the audience?
"Much love to everyone out there rocking with us. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or discovered Kamenar along the way… We appreciate each and every single one of you for the support!
We know we’ve been a bit quieter than usual lately, but just know we hear you! We’ve been hard at work in the studio over the last few months, writing a brand new full length album. At last, new Kamenar music is coming!"
*JUGGERNAUT Input:
Wow... thank you John and Sean - that was an absolutely amazing interview you brothers just gave JUGGERNAUT Promotions!
Definitely one of the Top 10 best interviews I've had this year, and a Top 5 just in the incredible amount of detailed information provided by John & Sean Kamenar. That's the stuff I personally dig when I read these formats... when the artist(s) truly opens up and shows their human side (personable side) to our audience... that makes me like them all the more!
These young men have seen and done so much in their lives already, and they're really just getting seasoned now... incredibly, they will only get bigger & better as they proceed. I love watching bands grow like Kamenar... and to see them accomplish their dreams makes a valid point to other bands out there... hard work & perseverance determines your outcome. Never give up on your dreams... that's the American way of life!
Meanwhile, please make sure you check out & support KAMENAR by listening & sharing their music with your friends... go see them perform LIVE... buy their music and their merch... and show YOUR support for our local music industry, because THEY all rock for us! 🤘
Merch - https://www.kamenarofficial.com/store
Tour Dates - https://www.kamenarofficial.com/shows
Band Links:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kamenarofficial
Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kamenar/1532110605
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DwEqSVnWZFPdR52Av9L9y
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kamenarofficial
YouTube - https://youtube.com/@kamenarofficial
Website - https://www.kamenarofficial.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/19e9hehom7/
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