By James Wood

Brian “Head” Welch’s new band, Love and Death, released their debut album, Between Here & Lost, January 22 on Tooth & Nail.

On the melodic, ethereal new disc, the former Korn guitarist is joined by teenage guitar phenom J.R. Bareis, bassist Michael Valentine and drummer Dan Johnson.

The guitar skills that helped define Korn’s sound are clearly evident on Between Here & Lost, but the album also finds Welch shifting into the role of lead vocalist. It is full of melodic elements and catchy choruses, making for a refreshing fit that seems comfortable and natural.

Korn fans can take comfort in the fact that Welch — who abruptly departed the band in 2005 following his conversion to Christianity — seems to have made peace with his former bandmates. After playing a one-off gig with Korn at last year’s Carolina Rebellion festival, plans are in place for Welch to join the band again for a few dates in Germany this summer. In the meantime, Welch is ready to again connect with fans when Love and Death hit the road next month in support of the new album.

I recently spoke with Welch and Bareis about Between Here & Lost and more.

Part 1, Brian “Head” Welch

REVOLVER: How did Love and Death get started?

WELCH: When I left Korn, I did a solo record, which was very personal and experimental. I hired a few guys and went on the road, and a few of them have stayed with me over the years. We’ve all become good friends. Love and Death is really a group effort that shows you what can happen when you let other people in to distribute their gifts on a project.

Let’s talk about some of the songs on the record, notably your unique version of Devo’s “Whip It.”

That’s the coolest, weirdest song from that ’80s era, and this is a fresh version of it. I remember everyone initially thought it was crazy, but when I brought the idea to the studio Jasen [futureusgalleryRauch, producer] looked at me and said, “Dude, this could actually work!” [futureusgallerylaughs]

“By The Way”

I lost a few old friends that I used to be very close with many years ago. One died of a drug overdose and the other died of cancer. This song was inspired by them, and I think it will be personal to anyone who’s ever lost a loved one.

“Fading Away”

I wrote most of the lyrics for this song. Take a look at where we’re at in our age; everything in life just flies by. The truth is, we all die. You have to ask yourself: “What’s my focus on?” Are you living just for this world, or are you looking to the future and the next life? That’s what the song means.

“My Disaster”

This song is about losing everything and finding the strength to go on. I’m talking about “things” and not people. I went through a lot in ’09 where I lost a lot of possessions. Overall, the record as a whole has broad lyrical meaning that people can relate to.

When did you start playing guitar?

I started taking acoustic guitar lessons when I was 10, but I quickly got bored with it and changed over to electric. I kept getting better and better equipment and practiced and played all the time. All the way up until I was 18. That was when I got dumped by my girlfriend and moved to Hollywood with some of the guys that would eventually become Korn. The rest was history.

You were able to reach the pinnacle of success and the rock-star dream with Korn.

True. But if you have all of that and you’re still empty inside, what does it matter? It all means nothing. Everywhere we went, we were able to take whatever we wanted; getting the free alcohol and sometimes free drugs. Wherever we went, there were no laws, and it was killing us. You can call it “fun,” that is until you realize it’s tearing you down, and it tore all of us down.

Do you have any regrets?

Never. Everything is meant to be in life, and I love the person I’ve become. I’m still growing into the person I really want to be in the future. Now that I’ve found myself, it means a lot. I know it’s a gift.

You were recently asked to perform on stage with Korn again. What was it like performing with them as the “new” Brian?

It was exciting. I appreciated just being there, but for different reasons. I could also breathe easier because I’m so much healthier now.

What brings you fulfillment?

My spiritual life and raising my daughter and steering her in the right direction. I also know that the music itself is a gift that I have to give.

Part 2, J.R. Bareis

How did you hook up with Brian?

BAREIS: In 2011, I was trying out for the band Thousand Foot Krutch on YouTube. Around that same time, Brian’s guitar player had to leave his band. Brian had a tour coming up and needed to find someone or else he’d have to cancel the tour. Out of sheer coincidence, his tour manager found my video for the audition through Facebook and showed it to Brian, who then got in contact with me.

What’s funny is at the time, they all thought I was around 19 or 20, but I was only 15 when they called me. So I joined the band and immediately got thrown on my very first tour, and less than a year later, I was asked to write and record music for the new album. We worked with Jasen Rauch, who is an incredible producer and musician. The thing I like most about him is that he’s a perfectionist. He worked hard to make sure everything sounded the best it could be.

Was being a working musician something you’ve always wanted to do?

Definitely. I’ve always wanted to do music for a living. It came a lot faster than I thought it would, but I’m so grateful.

What gear do you prefer?

For amps, I prefer Mesa Boogie. I use a Triple Rectifier, which sounds awesome. It’s got good, tight low-end but also has great high range and is very versatile. For guitars I use PRS. I’ve played a lot of guitars, but they just feel so good to me.

What’s was the biggest challenge for you when you joined the band?

When I first joined, I was under the impression I would have to try and live up to a certain expectation. But after I met Brian and we played and jammed, everything just felt right. He’s such a cool dude and so down to Earth. Now, we’re all like a family.

Any advice you can give to other players?

Just keep at it. I’ve always wanted to be in a band, so I know how hard it is. One thing I suggest (obviously) is using YouTube because it gets your name out there. It was the way Journey found their singer and the way Brian found me. You may not think it, but people are watching.

James Wood is a writer, musician and self-proclaimed metalhead who maintains his own website, GoJimmyGo.net. His articles and interviews are written on a variety of topics with passion and humor. You can follow him on Twitter @JimEWood.

On January 22, Brian “Head” Welch will release the debut album, Between Here & Lost, from his new band, Love and Death, in which he sings as well as plays his longtime instrument, guitar. In even bigger news, Welch (pictured above, second from right, with the members of Korn) will be rejoining his former Korn bandmates onstage in the summer of 2013 for two shows at Germany’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals. Korn guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer (second from left) recently expressed optimism about the reunion with Welch being of a more permanent nature. “He’s our brother, to be able to have him onstage with us is a great thing,” he said to Loudwire. “He’s one of the members of the band that helped define this sound.” Now we talk to Welch about the reunion.

REVOLVER Are you excited to get back together with Korn for June’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park shows?
BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH Yes, because separating with them was a big deal. It was hard, they were my family. I grew up with them. And right when we met, we were smoking weed, drinking beer. And so we basically found a career doing that: We just did drugs and drank and did music for the next years and years. So we all got addicted and had relationships and we all turned into people we didn’t like.

How did the reunion come together?
Last year, I ended up at the Carolina Rebellion show. Evanescence played, and I had gone with P.O.D., because I was on tour with them. Korn was playing. I was just going to go say hi to them. I saw Munky, and we talked for a long time. It was the first time we talked in seven years. He’s sober now and everyone’s in a good place. They asked me to jam with them five minutes before the show. I was like, This was supposed to be the first time I was gonna watch Korn. I was going to go to the soundboard and everything. But I was like, “All right I’ll do it.” And I felt this connection. It was all positive. When I left Korn, there was all this negative crap everywhere. I went home and thought, That was a cool experience. So Munky called me a little bit later about reuniting . I told him I didn’t think it was the right time, but maybe later. Then I thought about it more and I called him back. I had so much fun jamming I said, “Let’s do it.” It’s a couple shows. I want to connect with the fans. It is the right time. We’re just going slow right now. We’re just gonna do those couple shows and see what happens. Just have a good time.

Have you been jamming together since then?
We’re gonna get together and jam soon. I definitely need to practice those old songs I haven’t played in seven years. We’ll all get together soon here.

What are you looking forward to playing with the guys?
I’m looking forward to many of them. There are a couple of songs on the first album where me and Jonathan sang together: “Ball Tongue” and “Lies.” I’m looking forward to doing those two songs with them. Hopefully, they’ll be cool with it. And “Falling Away,” “Freak on a Leash,” those big songs back in the day. To see the crowd go crazy on those songs is awesome. I’m really looking forward to it.

Photos by Sebastien Paquet

Welch left the band due to problems with drugs and alcohol, as well as a desire to turn his life over to religion. He currently leads his own group, Love & Death.

“It was so amazing Saturday night playin’ with Korn,” Welch said. “Reconciling with family is always good. So much love on stage and from Korn fans. Many tears shed. God is love.” You can check out fan-filmed footage of the performance below.

REVOLVER What’s this song about? 
BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH To me, “Chemicals” brings a few different subjects to mind: chemical warfare, battling depression, being trapped in the insanity of drug addiction. I’m sure people will get different things out of it.

Which part of it did you come up with first?
It was a team effort with Jason Rauch, Mark Holman, and my boys in Love and Death. The music came first from me throwing down the basic idea on GarageBand. Then Jason and Mark came up with the title and chorus idea, “Chemicals.”

Was this an easy song to record?
The music for this one was pretty easy. It came together rather quickly. The vocals were kind of a struggle for me, but I got through it.

What sort of feedback have you gotten on this song so far? 
It’s been really good and positive. I’ve yet to hear anything negative. We’re pretty stoked on the reaction. the Song is solid and the video makes it even better. It’ll be coming out soon.

About the track, Head says, “‘Paralyzed’ was one of the first songs co-written with Producer Jason Rauch. He came to me with the idea and we both dove into it until it was all there. Jason is really helping me get back to crushing riffs. My first solo CD was an experimental album so the riffs were definitely lacking. Today’s a new day and I’m excited about the future. ‘Paralyzed’ is only a taste of what’s to come.”