Honed amidst the underground club scene of Melbourne, Juke Kartel has arrived on U.S. soil ready to rock. In little more than four years, the five-member band has gone from local heroes to fast-rising stars – opening for Nickelback and Slash and sharing the stage with everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Fergie. This summer they opened the Australian leg of Slash’s world tour and on September 28th will introduce their own brand of rock to stages across America.

Levolution, their Carved Records debut, was produced by Brian Virtue (Jane’s Addiction, Velvet Revolver, 30 Seconds to Mars) and Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nickelback). The album features a half-dozen freshly penned tracks- including the melodic first single “If Only” – and six others from the band’s 2009 Australian CD, Nowhere Left to Hide, remixed by Dan Korneff (My Chemical Romance, Cavo). With its overarching theme of personal growth and “the journey we’re all on,” says vocalist/lyricist Toby Rand, Levolution finds musical symmetry in its strong hooks, multi-textured instrumentals and passionate vocals. And as the album is more than just your typical rock record, Juke Kartel is not just a rock band: “We’re more than just band-mates; we’re a family that chose each other.”

Visit JukeKartel.com to find out more about the band and their music. Levolution is available for pre-order now on Amazon.

I had the chance to speak with lead singer Toby Rand about things such as breaking into the music industry, their hobbies, and their musical interests. You can read about that below.

When did you first realize you had an interest in music, and what sparked that interest?

For me personally, I was about 10 years old and I had two older brothers, both who were musicians, and my brother Simon was an amazing singer, always listening to bands like U2 and Led Zepplin. My mom was a music teacher for 30 years, she actually just retired, and at age 10 I joined the choir but more so for the girls. But from the moment I heard my brothers, I would get up there and try to sing with them every chance I got. I started my own rock band and singing when I was 15 in school.

How would you describe the sound of your music, and how do you feel your music is different from others in your genre?

That’s an interesting question. We’re a big powerful, guitar driven band with stadium sonic sound. We tend to write real situations about life experiences. I think what sets us apart is our sound is a universal language. We have such diverse fans, men and women, younger and older. With the women, it’s usually the melody and the content of the lyrics. With the men, it’s usually the energy in the live shows that gets them involved. We’re a universal sound from Australia.

How did you break into the music industry?

It’s been a long road and the music industry is slow in Australia. In 2006 I got a phone call for a television show in the US called Rock Star, which was for Tommy Lee’s new band. I auditioned for it, and afterwards I had Juke Kartel ready for me in Australia so I flew over and we eventually got a record contract. It’s been a long and an amazing journey.

What are some of your short term and long term goals? What are your plans for promoting your music and upcoming album in the US?

Short term is just to have our music heard by masses, but that comes with the promotion of the album. We don’t set big goals for ourselves, the label does that for us. But just to play as many shows in front of people as we can. Right now we’re doing a lot of radio promotion – the guitarist and myself are going around playing acoustic performances. It’s been a lot of fun.

Was there ever a time where you felt like giving up music or quitting on your way to where you are now?

No. There has never been a time. I’ve been fortunate enough to make music even though I’ve struggled. I’ve got a great support group of family and friends that have been there for me through it all and know how hard it is to make something happen. Nothing else has ever captured my imagination – It’s always to be a singer in a rock band.

Besides music, what are some of your hobbies? What do you do to keep yourself grounded?

What keeps me grounded is hanging out with my band mates. There is no egos in the band. In Australian culture, we are brought up to respect our peers, have a life, but be socially conscious. As for hobbies, now living in Hollywood, we like to go hiking, to go surfing, go to Cabo and drink margaritas. Hanging out by the beach reminds us of summertime in Australia. We just like to be active and be outdoors.

Who are some of your musical influences, and who are some artists you would love to work with?

For me personally, my biggest that I look up to is Bono from U2. He’s a little more political that I could ever inspire to be. But just his stage presences, his lyrics, and the sound of his voice. Also, Scott Weiland and Chris Cornell. Scott for his personality and music and Chris for his vocals and his demeanor on stage. Also Michael Hutchence from INXS for his attitude and charisma. I would love to share a room with all four people, even though I know I can’t now just to share their spark and their star quality. And Robert Plant. I’d love to share a stage with him, and just see how high I can get a note next to him.

What drives you the most to do what you love? What inspires you?

What inspires me is the connection to friends and people who enjoy our music. I respond to a lot of emails from friends and fans – who, I don’t even call fans, I call them friends – who share stories with me or moments after a gig on how the music has touched them. It’s quite inspiring.

What is your favorite song on your upcoming album and why?

Do you know hard that is (laughs). The album is called ‘Levolution’ and it’s a journey of our band together. Every song tells a different story and means a lot to me. The song ‘Anybody Out There’ is a sonically beautiful song. It’s about our move overseas from Australia to the US and tells about life, inspiration, and dreams. The song ‘Find Out’ is a journey song, a balls on the line song so to speak. Every song on the album is my favorite.

What sort of feelings do you hope your fans will have from listening to your upcoming album?

I hope they are inspired. To be able to walk away after listening to it and feel like they are motivated to make a change for the better. I hope they enjoy it. It’s a great album and I’m really proud of it.

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