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Polina Michaels - Tone Queen (Episode #57, Recorded: October 5, 2026) #guitarist #singer
Oct 11, 2026
Polina Michaels is a rock/metal guitarist and singer known online as “Tone Queen.” She recreates and celebrates 1980s hard rock and metal guitar tones, sharing covers and guitar-focused content on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads.
She performs rock, metal, and related styles as a solo musician, including covers of artists such as Guns N’ Roses and Dokken.
Connect with Polina
- YouTube: @polinamichaels
- Instagram: @polina.michaels
- TikTok: @polina.michaels
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0:03
[music]
0:05
Okay, in the 57th episode of Denim and
0:07
Leather podcast, uh we have Paulina
0:10
Michaels, a great guitar player. Uh she
0:13
goes viral a lot on online uh uh when he
0:17
does uh her her cover videos of of bands
0:21
uh usually 80s and '9s uh heavy metal,
0:26
glam rock, glam metal bands. Uh thank
0:29
you for coming to to my show. Uh
0:31
Paulina,
0:32
>> thank you for having me. It's a
0:34
pleasure.
0:35
>> Yeah, it's a pleasure to have you as
0:36
well. Uh tell me tell me first when and
0:40
how did you did you start with music uh
0:43
in general as a kid or I don't know.
0:46
Okay, so that's an interesting question
0:49
because I first picked up guitar when I
0:52
was seven, but it was classical guitar.
0:55
And honestly, I didn't really take this
0:58
classes seriously. So, it was not long
1:00
after I quit. And luckily, my parents,
1:04
they were not like pushing me, you know,
1:06
to practice more. And it was not until I
1:11
turned 25 that I actually started to
1:15
play guitar again. And this time I
1:17
picked up electric guitar. So that was
1:19
my like very first time playing electric
1:22
guitar. I was on maternity leave back
1:25
then taking care of my son and um that's
1:29
how I started. So I'm mostly a
1:31
self-taught guitarist. So it's been like
1:35
5 years.
1:36
>> Yeah. Your son is five now.
1:39
I am 31.
1:41
>> No, your son is now 5 years because
1:43
>> Oh, my son. Yeah, he he turned six.
1:46
Yeah.
1:46
>> Yeah. My I have a son 8-year-old. Uh
1:50
>> Oh, nice. So, he he goes to school.
1:52
Yeah.
1:52
>> Yeah. He's like third grade. And a
1:55
daughter. She's seventh grade. She's 12.
1:57
>> Oh, nice.
1:59
>> Yeah. Yeah. I've been I've been also in
2:01
bands. I I I a drummer for more than 20
2:04
years, you know.
2:05
>> Oh, really? That's impressive.
2:07
>> Yeah. Yeah. Like in the last two or
2:10
three years we like on P, you know.
2:13
>> Mhm.
2:14
>> But we had great uh great gigs with
2:17
Judas Priest. We played we played with
2:18
Whites.
2:19
>> Oh, really?
2:19
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
2:21
>> Wow. That's amazing. Wow. So, writing
2:24
original music as well, right?
2:26
>> Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
2:27
>> That's awesome.
2:29
>> So, uh was it guitar that you loved
2:32
first?
2:34
because you said you know no other
2:36
instrument guitar like only guitar
2:38
>> well I don't really play any other
2:41
instruments besides you know acoustic
2:43
and electric guitar but also when I was
2:46
around 14 I picked up bass so I played
2:50
bass for some time but then I quit and
2:54
also I love singing so I think that what
2:57
got me into music first and foremost was
3:00
singing
3:02
and Um, I think that in a lot of ways I
3:06
approach learning guitar and playing
3:08
guitar from like a singer's perspective,
3:11
you know what I'm saying?
3:12
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
3:13
>> So you So when you when you catch the
3:16
the the the notes, you can catch them
3:19
with your with your voice and with your
3:21
and and with the frets.
3:24
>> Yeah, that's true. And also when it
3:26
comes to improvising, I first hear these
3:29
melodies in my head. you know, I'm, you
3:32
know, trying to sing them and after that
3:35
I would apply it to guitar.
3:38
>> Uh, that's that's amazing because I, uh,
3:41
I I I now experience that with my
3:44
daughter. She plays keyboards
3:46
>> and she and she and she improved
3:49
singing. Before she started keyboards,
3:51
she didn't know how to sing. But when
3:53
she started playing keyboards, she she
3:55
started catching those notes with with
3:57
her voice. And now she now she improves
4:00
alone you know in the singing. It's very
4:02
>> very and and and it makes total sense.
4:05
Absolutely. Because you know learning
4:07
your instrument also helps you become a
4:09
better singer. You have a better pitch
4:12
overall better musicality. You know you
4:14
understand the intervals and everything
4:17
like
4:18
>> Yes.
4:19
>> So it helps a lot. I heard you sing
4:22
first time now a couple weeks ago when
4:24
you released Alone again from Dian from
4:27
from these guys.
4:29
>> Yes. I love Doc him. Love your t-shirt.
4:33
>> Thanks. I love Dan also. I I love I mean
4:36
they're in my top 10 bands, you know, of
4:39
all time because uh
4:41
>> my first band, my number one band is
4:43
Twisted Sister,
4:45
>> but uh
4:46
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I saw them.
4:47
>> My son loves this song. I want to rock.
4:50
Yeah,
4:51
>> he first he first heard it in Spongebob
4:54
movie. [laughter]
4:57
>> It was a little different. It was like a
4:59
cover.
4:59
>> Goofy Goober Rock. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
5:01
Yeah.
5:01
>> Yeah. Goofy Goober Rock. And then I I I
5:04
played him the original version and he
5:06
loved it in
5:08
>> He's also a Kiss fan just like me. When
5:11
I was a kid, I remember that Kiss was
5:13
the very first band that my dad
5:15
introduced me to and I loved loved them.
5:19
And my son is, you know, just like me.
5:21
He he he's obsessed with them.
5:23
>> Funny story also, my my daughter loves
5:26
kids like a lot because I used to play
5:28
her kiss songs when she was a baby and
5:31
she was uh very small and she loves
5:35
Black Diamond, the song the most, you
5:37
know. I really like
5:37
>> Oh, that's that's a great classic. I
5:39
love this. Yeah. Yeah.
5:42
>> Actually, you know, my favorite album
5:44
from my childhood was um Unmasked. I
5:47
don't know, for some reason, maybe that
5:49
was one of my dad's favorite albums, so
5:53
he played it a lot. And like I still
5:55
remember like the whole album um up
5:59
until now.
6:01
>> Unmasked were Shandandy and B stuff like
6:05
that. Yeah, Torpedo Girl. That was the
6:07
>> Torpedo Girl. That's a that's a great
6:09
one, too.
6:10
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
6:11
>> Mhm.
6:12
>> Uh great great album. A little bit of a
6:14
little bit bit poppy, you know, pop
6:16
rock, but uh great great.
6:19
>> Yeah.
6:21
>> I mean, I still love the classics too,
6:23
like the earlier albums. I I love them
6:26
all.
6:26
>> Yeah, of course. Of course. You you
6:28
mentioned you mentioned Dawan. Uh so I
6:31
So probably I wanted to ask you next
6:33
question. Who's your inspiration as a
6:36
guitarist? So probably George Lynch.
6:38
>> George Lynch obviously he's in the top
6:40
three for me. Uh, so it's George, Eddie,
6:44
Van Halen. Obviously, it has to be um
6:48
Randy Rhodess. I think I would place him
6:50
like in the in the top three. And also
6:53
like there are a lot of guitars that I
6:55
admire like Nuno Betour. Um guys like
6:59
Joe Satriani which you know is not like
7:02
still very approachable to me but still
7:05
like I appreciate his playing. guys like
7:07
Steve Vi and you know Ace Freely as well
7:11
and also like if it comes to blues
7:14
inspired or blues rock inspired music I
7:17
really love Eric Clapton and Jimmy
7:20
Paige.
7:21
>> Oh I love Clapton his first band Cream
7:23
you know creamer.
7:24
>> Yes.
7:25
>> Unbelievable. Exactly.
7:26
>> I like his his guitar there better. It
7:29
was more
7:30
>> you know raw more raw more hard you
7:33
know.
7:33
>> Yeah. Authentic raw. I really love that
7:36
Eric with Gibson's.
7:38
>> Yeah. Yeah. Afterwards afterwards I love
7:41
some of his stuff like for for example
7:44
Leila song. I love the original not the
7:47
acoustic version you know.
7:48
>> Yeah. I I love them both. I mean
7:50
actually I love that he's you know that
7:53
very versatile kind of musician. So he's
7:56
really he's a really great singer,
7:58
songwriter, guitarist, you know, he
8:02
>> So you probably love the also Gary Moore
8:05
or stuff like that.
8:06
>> Yes. Yeah, I do. I do love blues guitar
8:09
as well, just like I love um heavy
8:12
metal, hair metal, and all that, you
8:15
know.
8:16
>> You know,
8:17
>> I know stuff. There's a lot of people
8:18
that that dislike glam and hair metal
8:22
and that kind of heavy metal, but they
8:25
don't understand that it's blues
8:26
oriented. I mean, the
8:28
>> Yes,
8:29
>> the guitars are bluesy, you know, like
8:31
listen to listen to Cinderella, it's
8:33
blues.
8:34
>> That's that's true. And I think that
8:36
what, you know, actually attracted me in
8:38
the first place to hair metal. And also,
8:41
I love that it's fun. It's not meant to
8:44
be taken seriously, you know. It's just,
8:47
you know,
8:48
>> good times music. Feel good music.
8:50
>> Yeah, it is very positive. Yeah. Yeah.
8:52
>> Yes. Yeah. I really love
8:55
>> uh So, you you mentioned your favorite
8:58
guitarists, but uh which are your
9:00
favorite bands? Uh besides Dawan as a
9:03
number one.
9:04
>> Well, obviously, yes, Doc and Van Halen,
9:08
obviously. And um interestingly I'm more
9:11
of a Sammy Hager fan. Although I love
9:14
them both, David and Sammy, but
9:17
personally my favorite album is 5150.
9:20
Like for me that's like, you know,
9:23
>> the very favorite. So I love Skidro. Uh
9:27
you probably
9:28
saw it from my covers cuz I play their
9:31
songs a lot.
9:33
>> A fan a fan of Skidro as well. I mean,
9:36
of course, I love them. is Scotty is the
9:39
man. I mean, both Dave and Scotty are
9:41
amazing.
9:42
>> Great.
9:43
>> I'm I'm I'm very I'm very unhappy
9:45
because they cannot match with Sebastian
9:48
Bach still, you know. And now Sebastian
9:50
sings for Twisted Sister, you know.
9:53
>> But, you know, but that's uh that's a
9:55
conversation for another time.
9:58
>> Mhm.
9:58
>> Yeah. Sorry to sorry to interrupt you.
10:01
Some other bands that you wanted to
10:02
mention.
10:03
>> Yeah. A lot a lot of bands honestly. And
10:05
when you get asked, you know, you always
10:07
forget to mention someone that is like
10:09
one of your favorites for some reason.
10:11
So,
10:13
um, Warrant is also like one of, you
10:16
know, my favorite bands. Um,
10:20
>> has to be has to be Kiss also. Let
10:23
Zeppelin, you know. Um, so yeah, that
10:27
that should be it, I guess. Led Zeppelin
10:30
was uh one of my first I'm not going to
10:33
say first band that I loved but it was
10:36
one of the first because my father is
10:38
also a rocker.
10:39
>> He he he's been since ' 60s and ' 70s
10:42
hippie, you know, and uh he played in a
10:45
band back in ex Yugoslavia, you know.
10:49
and uh everything I know from hard rock
10:53
heavy metal is from him and vinyls and
10:56
uh and cassettes
10:58
>> and uh
10:59
>> yeah it's
11:00
>> yeah and there's a band there's a band
11:02
in Yugoslavia that you got to listen to
11:04
I will I will get you a link
11:06
>> uh like glam hair heavy metal band
11:09
called Diaod
11:11
it means wild strawberries
11:13
>> well actually I understood it
11:15
>> yeah [laughter]
11:18
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:21
So, uh you you you will I will I will
11:24
get you a link. It's amazing. The guitar
11:26
player
11:27
>> called Zela Lipovacha. He's from
11:29
Croatia.
11:30
>> Amazing. He's uh uh you know, he's in my
11:34
top 10 guitarists and and he's not
11:37
worldwide known, you know.
11:39
>> Mhm. Like I mentioned that I love some
11:41
Russian uh heavy metal like Arya and uh
11:44
I don't know there there was a
11:46
>> I'm surprised that you know them.
11:48
>> Gorki Park. I know Gorki Park. I know
11:50
there was a band there was there was a
11:52
band Corrosia Metala. I know Corrosia
11:54
Metala, you know.
11:55
>> Yeah. Yeah.
11:56
>> Yeah. I know some other bands. Yeah.
11:58
Yeah. Yeah. [laughter]
11:59
>> Wow. That's awesome.
12:01
>> Yeah. Kel of the the solo career also. I
12:05
mean Yaso Ben is a great ballad. I mean,
12:08
one of the best.
12:09
>> That's a classic. Yeah.
12:11
>> Yeah. Uh, so, uh, yeah, Sepil was my
12:15
first favorite band from the from the,
12:19
you know, foreign bands, but but when I
12:22
discovered when I discovered Twisted
12:24
Sister, they became my favorite band.
12:26
Like when you discovered Dawan, you
12:27
know.
12:28
>> Yeah. Yeah. I That's pretty much the
12:31
same. And actually, it's also my dad who
12:35
introduced me to Led Zeppelin. Oh, it's,
12:37
[music] you know, very similar.
12:40
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, do you did you
12:42
have the chance to play in some bands or
12:45
No.
12:46
>> Uh, well, I didn't play in a band yet,
12:49
but I played as a guest guitarist for um
12:52
at some shows. Um, particularly I played
12:57
with a
12:59
uh singer songwriter uh and she's also a
13:02
pionist, a blues oriented soul. Um, her
13:06
name is Lena Sherry, very talented lady
13:09
and we played some blues classics with
13:12
her. Um, so we really had a great time
13:15
and she's really amazing. Very inspiring
13:18
musician.
13:19
>> Amazing. Amazing. I I I think I I think
13:22
I saw you with some other guitar
13:24
players.
13:25
>> Oh yeah, that's true.
13:26
>> I saw you I saw you with Daria.
13:29
>> Yeah, we played together. She visited me
13:32
in Moscow. Yeah.
13:34
>> You you you did some collaboration that
13:37
you still didn't uh uh release maybe.
13:41
>> Well, honestly, we didn't have much time
13:44
to record more. Yeah. Because we had
13:46
some other stuff to do, but more collabs
13:49
to come for sure. And we're working on
13:52
something uh else which I cannot tell
13:56
you, you know, much details about, but
13:59
we we will sure be working more with
14:01
her. I would love to to to hear an album
14:04
from you maybe, you know, in the future.
14:06
>> Yeah.
14:07
>> Uh what do you do professionally besides
14:10
playing guitar?
14:11
>> Well, I'm I'm a professional translator,
14:14
interpreter. I work with Spanish and
14:16
English, but about a year ago, I quit my
14:20
day job. So now I'm pursuing uh music
14:23
career full-time.
14:25
Um so yeah, that's it.
14:28
>> Amazing. You so you have your you have a
14:31
support from your family.
14:32
>> Yes. Yes. I'm I'm very blessed to to be
14:36
supported by my family. Yeah. That's
14:38
that's truly a blessing.
14:40
>> So, how is a guitar influencing online
14:44
on social media influencing your life?
14:48
Well, um I have to say that I got some
14:52
very interesting collaborations thanks
14:54
to the social media and also, you know,
14:57
some repost from some of my favorite
15:01
guitarists like George Lynch, Scotty
15:04
Hill, and I really appreciate that. I've
15:07
I've uh got to work with brands like
15:10
Anna who produce guitars um wireless
15:14
smart guitars. I also collaborated with
15:17
Wampler, which is a paddle um brand.
15:21
They make boutique pedals in in the USA.
15:25
Very nice brand. I really enjoy using
15:28
them. They're like my favorite pedals.
15:31
They have this famous uh brown sound
15:34
paddle which is called Pinnacle
15:36
Distortion. So that's like one of my
15:38
very favorite pedals. Also, I um got to
15:42
collaborate with Clear Tone Strings. So
15:45
yeah, it's uh going pretty well and
15:47
hopefully there will be more
15:50
collaborations in the future. So I'm
15:53
really looking forward to it.
15:55
>> Amazing. I
15:57
>> uh I had on this show uh and I met her
16:01
uh Alexandra Lioness, you know, the
16:04
guitar player.
16:06
>> She know her. She Yeah, she's now kind
16:09
of like a friend because I met we met a
16:11
couple times here and I made interview
16:13
with her. uh back when she was only with
16:15
the band Jenner before she hit it big.
16:18
She's now in Frozen Crown and you know
16:20
became a a huge uh uh influence guitar
16:24
influencer online. But uh but but you
16:28
know I I saw I saw how she went upwards
16:31
like uh like you are going on on that
16:34
hill you know it's a it's kind of
16:36
difficult but you can do it you know
16:39
>> you have to be consistent uh and yeah
16:42
that's true
16:43
>> true very yeah
16:45
>> yeah very consistent and you know also
16:49
it's sometimes it's not very like easy
16:51
to be always inspired to keep you know
16:55
posting thing to keep, you know, showing
16:58
up. But that's what you got to do. I
17:00
mean, if you're serious about it, you
17:02
have to show up every day.
17:04
>> True, true, true. That's uh
17:07
>> Yeah, that's one of the uh that's not
17:09
for everyone, you know.
17:11
>> Yeah, that's true. someone who is old
17:14
school, who is from the '9s or early
17:17
2000s, cannot keep up with that kind of,
17:20
you know,
17:21
>> and maybe, I mean, it's understandable
17:23
because probably they like, you know,
17:25
the other side of music. Maybe they
17:27
enjoy playing live more than doing the
17:30
social media thing. And that's totally
17:33
understandable. And if it works for
17:35
them, good for them. Also
17:38
>> I I I also had one of the first guest
17:40
was guests was a guitar girl guitar
17:43
player you know Jen Majura
17:46
>> from heard of her.
17:48
>> She she used to play in Evan Essence.
17:50
She was a guitar player in Evan. Yeah.
17:52
So she told me about this you know I
17:54
cannot keep up like constantly posting
17:56
stuff I want to play you know.
17:59
>> Yeah. like it's it's it's a job actually
18:03
in a sense it's
18:05
>> it takes a lot of time you know to post
18:09
to edit and
18:11
>> I understand that some musicians they
18:13
don't want to be you know content
18:15
creators they they love performing and
18:19
[snorts] what what's good about music is
18:21
I think that everybody can find their
18:24
niche and their place in it you know
18:26
some people they enjoy writing music so
18:28
that's what they you know mostly do
18:31
others like performing covers you know
18:34
some people like you know performing
18:35
live others maybe like me who is you
18:38
know a family person um I really enjoy
18:41
you know working from home I find it
18:43
more like comfortable that I can do it
18:45
at my own pace comfortably like from
18:48
home and
18:50
>> and it doesn't affect you know like um
18:54
my time you know spent with my family
18:56
and all that. So
18:58
>> yeah, the yeah, the good stuff about it
18:59
is like uh you can record like five or
19:02
six videos in a weekend and you then you
19:05
can then you can edit it and post it
19:07
like the next two weeks, you know.
19:09
>> Yeah,
19:10
>> that's true.
19:11
>> That's good. That's good about that kind
19:13
of work.
19:14
>> Yeah. I mean, I would also absolutely
19:16
enjoy playing on stage if I have a
19:19
chance, you know, that would be a great
19:22
experience as well. But I mean also I
19:26
enjoy you know working on the socials.
19:30
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do do people start to
19:32
recognize you maybe through your city or
19:35
through your country or maybe in Europe
19:37
or I don't know where do they start to
19:39
recognize you?
19:40
>> In my country not so much because uh
19:43
most of my audience is based in the USA.
19:46
>> Yeah.
19:47
>> So maybe if I was based there maybe some
19:50
would recognize me. Who knows?
19:52
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah,
19:53
>> but here like I don't have you know much
19:56
audience here
19:58
>> in my city.
20:00
>> Which which is your your most viral
20:03
video, do you think?
20:04
>> Oh, that's that's a good question. Uh,
20:07
actually it has to be Oh, yeah, that's
20:10
true. That's um that's a cover from
20:14
about 2 years ago of me playing Boston.
20:16
More than a feeling. Wow.
20:18
>> This video has over like 2.3 million
20:22
views on YouTube and around like a
20:26
million views on Instagram, I think.
20:29
>> Amazing.
20:29
>> So, yeah, that's interesting. That's
20:31
just me playing the solo. And I have to
20:34
say that, you know, back in the time my
20:38
playing was not that spoton, you know,
20:41
so it it got better, [laughter]
20:44
>> but I still I still get comments to this
20:46
day on this video, you know. That's
20:48
that's very interesting.
20:50
>> But that's a great solo by It was Neil
20:53
Shan, right?
20:55
>> Yeah.
20:55
>> Yeah. Great solo there.
20:57
>> Tom Schultz. Yeah.
20:58
>> Tom Schultz. Sorry,
21:00
>> Tom. It's so It's okay.
21:02
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I I transferred to
21:04
Nilon from Journey. Yeah.
21:05
>> Oh, because I I I I know it because, you
21:08
know, people pretty much every day they
21:10
leave comments saying like how Tom
21:12
Schultz was, you know, an engineer
21:15
genius. And that's true. He did some
21:18
very interesting stuff at the studio.
21:22
>> Yeah. It was it was it was actually his
21:24
basement. They they recorded the first
21:26
album. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I know.
21:28
>> Yeah. So, some studio magic going on
21:31
there. Yeah, that's a great song.
21:34
>> You know, their first album, it was uh
21:36
it was recorded in his basement and it
21:40
it and it went platinum. It sold
21:42
millions of records, you know.
21:44
[laughter]
21:45
>> Amazing.
21:46
>> Very great debut debut album. Very great
21:48
start.
21:50
>> Yeah. I mean, if you're talented,
21:52
there's not much you can, you know, do
21:55
to ruin your songs, I guess. If you're a
21:57
good songwriter and performer,
22:00
>> you can, you know, record it in the
22:02
basement and it will still people will
22:04
still enjoy it.
22:06
>> Yeah. Did you do a lot of collabs with
22:09
uh guitar players or with other
22:11
musicians? Which is your favorite collab
22:13
if you had any like that?
22:15
>> Yeah, I mean I I did some collabs in the
22:18
past and I I did quite a few of them
22:20
actually. One was with um u the band
22:24
called Join Trip. They're based here in
22:27
Moscow. They're, you know, very talented
22:30
musicians. Most of them are from Cuba.
22:34
Uh, you have to check them out. They
22:36
have this, you know, Led Zeppelin blues
22:38
rock, you know, vibe going on. They do
22:41
some Pink Floyd tribute, concerts, and
22:45
they write their own songs as well. So,
22:47
very talented guys. And my as for my
22:51
favorite collab, it has to be something
22:52
with Daria because we are guitar besties
22:56
and I really enjoy working with her. We
22:59
have similar tastes in music and similar
23:03
approach. So it's I really enjoy working
23:05
with her.
23:06
>> Great. Great.
23:07
>> Yeah.
23:08
>> Yeah. So you have a few of collabs with
23:11
with her. Uh
23:14
>> uh tell me what what do you like most
23:18
like uh digital uh cassettes or CDs or
23:23
vinyls? What's what's your pick? What do
23:25
you like listening to music uh the most?
23:29
>> Well, I mean just like everybody, I
23:31
listen to music on the streaming
23:34
platforms mainly. I use Apple Music, but
23:37
I think that CDs is what feels close to
23:40
home, you know, because that's what I
23:42
listen to as a kid with my dad. And I
23:45
remember during, you know, these um
23:48
trips, you know, driving a car with my
23:50
dad, we would listen to different CDs
23:53
and, you know, we were having a really
23:56
good time together. So, yeah, I think
23:58
that has to be CDs.
24:01
>> Yeah. Yeah. But if when you when you
24:04
have maybe in the future when you have
24:06
album yourself or with a band uh would
24:10
you go for
24:12
more for Spotify digital or more for
24:16
analog releases? What what would you
24:17
prefer?
24:18
>> Well, I would have to figure it out
24:20
because I still don't really know how
24:22
the whole thing works. But I think I
24:25
would do both honestly because why
24:28
choose if you can do both? And you know,
24:31
also I'm not very familiar with Spotify
24:34
because it's unavailable
24:36
>> uh where I live. So I mostly use Apple
24:39
Music. But I guess it works the same
24:42
way.
24:42
>> Yeah.
24:43
>> As Spotify.
24:45
>> Similar. Similar.
24:46
>> So I I think you should do both because
24:48
you know this day and age.
24:50
>> You know why it's similar? They both pay
24:52
a lot of small amounts of cents to the
24:54
artists. [laughter]
24:55
>> That's true. So that's that's actually
24:57
what I heard from my fellow musicians
25:01
that a lot of people saying that you
25:04
know the the reward is not fair you know
25:08
for all the efforts for all the work
25:10
they put into this it's just you know
25:14
it's just not fair you know
25:16
>> that's that's true and also what Jen
25:18
Majura from Everscence uh told me
25:22
uh she told me you you know and we
25:24
agreed on that we
25:26
you know, we're generation, the same
25:28
generation with her and we, you know, we
25:30
like clicked on a on a conversational
25:32
level of music from the 80s because I'm
25:35
an 80s kid and uh and she's also in the
25:40
same bands that we loved and stuff. And
25:42
she told me, you know, uh, kids these
25:44
days don't have the, uh, the experience
25:47
of opening an a vinyl album, of smelling
25:51
it, of reading the lyrics, you know,
25:53
they go on Spotify, click it, and it's
25:56
not stuck in your memory like, oh man,
25:58
when I clicked that track, it was an
26:00
awesome experience. It's not like that,
26:02
you know.
26:03
>> Yeah, that that's actually true. And
26:05
also I would say that people used to
26:07
listen to the whole album you know from
26:10
you know from the very beginning until
26:12
the very end and that's how I used to
26:14
listen to the music and now you just
26:17
play put the playlist on shuffle
26:22
skipping and skipping and you know
26:24
people with this short attention span a
26:27
lot of times they can't even listen to
26:29
the whole song you know.
26:30
>> True true yeah that's very very sad. Uh
26:34
I I I I I tell my kids uh how to you
26:39
know how to be how to do how to listen
26:42
to music in the future. Not only music
26:44
but every kind of art you know don't
26:46
skip it. Don't you know don't ruin don't
26:48
ruin what is the best to come. Maybe the
26:51
video will be better at the end you know
26:53
as a as a concept you know.
26:55
>> Yeah. And also because there's just so
26:58
much, you know, variety
27:00
um today, you know, people sometimes
27:03
maybe they don't appreciate it. Just
27:05
like, you know, for example, we did that
27:09
when you had the CD and you know, you
27:11
only had like 10 of them and nothing
27:14
else and you know. [laughter]
27:16
>> True.
27:16
>> So you really learned to enjoy it to
27:20
appreciate the art.
27:22
>> Yeah. to just be lost in the music and
27:25
you know from start to finish you know.
27:26
>> Mhm.
27:27
>> Yeah.
27:28
>> Well yeah that's true but who knows
27:31
maybe you know the future generation
27:34
will come up with something you know
27:37
different because who knows maybe this
27:40
streaming platforms and all this is not
27:42
going to be here forever. Maybe there
27:44
will be something else in the future.
27:47
>> So we'll we'll see. And also I see a lot
27:50
of young people like getting tired of
27:53
all this, you know, fastpaced um
27:56
>> Yeah.
27:57
>> Um yeah, like social media AI and
28:01
everything. So they they really crave
28:04
something, you know, more natural. Yeah.
28:07
Natural,
28:07
>> something more authentic and raw. So
28:09
maybe they're, you know, turning back to
28:13
the to the beginnings, to the roots, you
28:15
know, maybe they're going to enjoy the
28:18
classics. And also, I've noticed that um
28:22
an increasing interest in Dawan and
28:24
bands like Dawan and George Lynch in
28:26
particular because you have to see his
28:28
social media. He's like, you know, every
28:32
day guys uh posting uh his covers, you
28:36
know, a lot of guitarists playing his
28:38
songs and very young guys. So,
28:41
>> yeah, I saw I I saw my my friend here
28:44
from Macedonia posted you I think you
28:47
commented on his on his George Lynch
28:49
video. Uh Damir Damir.
28:52
>> Mhm.
28:52
>> You remember that? That uh he played
28:55
solo Damir Damir Puk.
28:58
Uh, I think you you commented on him
29:00
like great uh
29:03
like something like I don't know which
29:04
solo he played. I think
29:06
>> Mhm.
29:06
>> Burning like a flame or uh or or
29:09
breaking the chains or something like
29:11
that.
29:11
>> Love this. Burning like a flame is one
29:14
of my favorites and Yeah. So, there are
29:16
a lot of younger guys who enjoy 80s
29:20
music and I'm really happy about it.
29:23
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, when we're at it,
29:27
tell me your top five songs from Dawan.
29:30
>> From Dawan? Oh, don't. That's not fair.
29:33
>> I'm going to tell you mine. [laughter]
29:35
>> Okay. Well, it has to be something from
29:38
Back for the Attack. Um,
29:41
probably Mr. Scary, the instrumental
29:45
classic. Um, also Burning Like a Flame,
29:48
Heaven Sand. Uh, and from under lock and
29:51
key has to be the hunter and in my
29:55
dreams. Okay, that's five. But
29:57
[laughter]
29:58
>> okay,
29:59
>> there's a lot more.
30:00
>> I have a little bit different ones. I
30:02
have little bit different. I I would
30:04
tell into the fire.
30:06
>> Mhm.
30:07
>> I would say I would say uh Breaking the
30:10
Chains. I would say uh I would say Kiss
30:14
of Death.
30:15
I I would I would say uh
30:19
Dream Warriors because I
30:21
>> Oh, I love this one. Okay.
30:23
>> Because because I grew up with that with
30:25
that movie, you know, when I was a kid,
30:27
>> the movie got out and I was like, "What
30:30
what is this music?" I loved rock since
30:32
I was a kid.
30:33
>> I love this song. Oh my god.
30:35
>> And uh and and and and uh one more one
30:38
more one more
30:41
uh
30:42
>> in my dreams. [laughter]
30:44
Maybe, maybe. But I'm also thinking
30:46
about Just Got Lucky or
30:48
>> Just Got Lucky. Yeah.
30:49
>> Or maybe or maybe.
30:51
>> And they have so many amazing songs.
30:53
It's really hard to choose. Just
30:55
>> many great songs. I mean, the whole
30:56
albums of the first few albums from
30:58
beginning to the end are great.
31:00
>> Yeah.
31:00
>> You cannot skip there, you know. Alone
31:03
again. Alone again. Alone again.
31:05
>> Yeah, that's true. Okay. So, I'm going
31:07
to ask you um an unfair question too,
31:10
[laughter]
31:11
>> which
31:11
>> now that we started. Okay. So, which one
31:13
would you go with? Uh, Back for the
31:15
Attack or Under Under Lock and Key?
31:18
>> Underlock key. Underlock and Key.
31:20
>> Okay. It's Back for the Attack for me.
31:23
>> Yeah. I like I like more uh No, you
31:26
know, Toot and Nail is also a great
31:29
album.
31:29
>> Tooth and Nail. Yes.
31:31
>> Yeah. Uh, but Thunderlocking Key is more
31:35
raw for me, you know, a little bit more
31:37
more raw energy there for me, I think.
31:40
>> Yeah. That That's what I like at at the
31:43
bands, you know, more raw and not that
31:46
uh polished sound.
31:48
>> Not that polished. Okay. Yeah.
31:50
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
31:51
>> Have you heard of the Have you heard of
31:53
the band Kingdom Come?
31:55
>> No, I haven't.
31:56
>> Oh, you love Doan. You You will You will
31:59
love Kingdom Come. Amazing. Like the
32:01
first two albums from the 80s. Amazing.
32:04
Uh
32:05
uh John Kotak was the drummer from
32:08
Scorpions. used to play in in uh in uh
32:12
in in Kingdom Come. You will love them.
32:14
>> Mhm.
32:15
>> Yeah. Similar similar similar sound like
32:17
Docking, you know.
32:19
>> Mhm. Okay. Send me the link. I want
32:21
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Of course. Of course.
32:23
But you wanted to ask me something else,
32:24
but I I I cut you off. I don't know.
32:27
>> Oh. Um I don't remember. [laughter]
32:30
>> Maybe maybe my my five songs from
32:32
Twisted Sister. I'm kidding.
32:35
>> You You can answer if you want.
32:37
>> No, no, no. I can. No. like I I can't
32:39
choose. That's the point.
32:41
>> Yeah, that's that's the same for me with
32:43
Dawan. You know, that's why why I told
32:45
you that it's unfair because, you know,
32:47
it's really hard to choose.
32:49
>> Now, I'm going to tell you a little
32:50
trivia. Do you know that Don Dawan sings
32:53
on Twisted Sisters Records as a backing
32:56
vocal?
32:57
>> Oh, really? No, I didn't know that.
32:59
>> Yeah, he he sings backing tracks,
33:01
backing vocals on the whole Come Out and
33:03
Play album from Twisted Sister from
33:05
1985. They used to tour together in 84.
33:08
They became friends and they called him
33:10
to sing uh to sing on uh on 855 record.
33:14
Yeah.
33:14
>> Wow. I didn't know that.
33:16
>> Yep. Yep. Baking vocals. Yeah.
33:19
>> He's he's a great singer. I love
33:22
>> he he he used to be. He's not now, you
33:24
know. Well, that's that's the same with
33:27
a lot of singers, you know, rock singers
33:30
especially, because it's really hard to
33:33
preserve your voice with age. And also,
33:36
I think I assume that not a lot of them
33:40
use their proper technique. Maybe a lot
33:42
of them, you know, were singing, you
33:45
know, the way felt right for them, but
33:48
maybe not all of them were, you know,
33:51
had a perfect technique. And not every
33:54
not everyone unfortunately was lucky to
33:58
preserve their voice unlike Sammy Hager
34:01
who still has an amazing voice. By the
34:03
way,
34:04
>> him and this Snider from Twisted, he
34:06
still sings great. Uh Sebastian Bach
34:09
used to used to have periods when he was
34:13
not feeling good with his voice, but now
34:15
he's back. He's again good one.
34:17
>> Yeah, he's amazing.
34:19
>> Yeah. And also Tom Kefir from Cinderella
34:21
still sings great, but he he had
34:23
problems. He had the oper surgery
34:25
operation and stuff, you know.
34:27
>> Yeah.
34:27
>> But he's great now.
34:28
>> You you really have to take care of your
34:30
voice because it's really gentle, you
34:33
know, instrument. So
34:36
>> Yeah. Yeah. Also Blacky Lolas from Wasp.
34:38
Great singer.
34:40
>> Great. You like Wasp? Yeah, probably.
34:42
>> Yeah, I do. I do like them. Yes.
34:44
>> Yeah. Yeah. Great. What about MLY Crew?
34:48
Yeah, I love MLY crew too. Yeah. Um I
34:52
know, you know, some people are like not
34:55
maybe that much into their image, you
34:58
know, but I think they're they're great.
35:02
I like them. And mostly their guitarist,
35:04
Mick Mars. He he has written some very
35:08
great riffs. So I think he he's an
35:11
amazing guitarist. And you know, I would
35:13
say an underrated guitarist.
35:16
>> Yeah. Mick Mars. A great great one. I
35:19
think I heard in an interview once that
35:21
Steve Vi used to used to idolize Mick
35:25
Mars. So, uh you know
35:28
>> Yeah, it's for a good reason because you
35:30
know in guitar community I think a lot
35:34
of people respect Mick Mars for his
35:37
songwriting skills. Very very great and
35:41
catchy riffs and you know the the energy
35:44
and everything. Yes.
35:47
Yeah. Okay. Uh Paulina, tell me I have a
35:50
question as for the end. What are your
35:52
future short-term and maybe long-term
35:55
plans in music?
35:57
>> Okay. So, I'm actually working on
35:59
something right now with another female
36:02
guitarist. I cannot, you know, tell you
36:06
uh a lot about it yet, but we're working
36:09
on something interesting. Possibly
36:11
getting a band together. Um she's also
36:15
very talented uh guitarist also into
36:18
80s. Um maybe you know her her handle on
36:22
Instagram is uh Unchained the Night or
36:26
Never Unchained the Night.
36:27
>> Uhhuh. Maybe. Maybe. I I think I follow
36:29
her.
36:29
>> Victoria. She's like a shred machine.
36:32
>> Yeah, I think I follow her. I follow
36:34
her, but I I don't know the name. I
36:36
don't Yeah, I I'm not into what she
36:39
plays and stuff. I I think I follow
36:41
that's uh familiar to me on Chand.
36:45
>> So her name is Victoria
36:47
uh and she really has great chops. So
36:51
she she plays Ingvy Mstein and you know
36:55
that kind of stuff. So yeah.
36:58
>> So uh also a Dawan fan because of
37:01
Unchained the Night.
37:02
>> Oh yeah, that's true. Yeah, she's also a
37:04
Dawan fan. And also apart from this um
37:08
I'm going to keep working on the social
37:11
media and hopefully you know more
37:13
collaborations are going to come soon
37:18
and yeah that would that would be
37:20
amazing.
37:21
>> That's a great plan. Uh and I wish you
37:24
>> I wish you the greatest uh future in uh
37:27
you know in rock and roll in music and
37:29
in guitar playing.
37:30
>> Thank you. So, thank you for being a
37:33
guest uh at the show and uh
37:36
>> yeah, thank you for having me. I really
37:38
had a great time talking to you.
37:40
>> Thank you, Pina. Also, because we are,
37:42
you know, same same blood, uh we share
37:46
uh same same taste of music, you know.
37:49
>> Yeah, exactly. Feels good.
37:52
>> Thank you.
37:53
>> Thank you, Spaca.
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