After their set at Rock on the Range, I had a chance to interview the guys in the new band Operator. Their debut album Soulcrusher is due out June 26th on Atlantic Records. In the interview, I ask them about festivals, Los Angeles clubs, and their desert island CD choices. Singer Johnny Strong and guitarist Paul James Phillips did most of the talking, and here is what they had to say. Check it out:

AM: With a festival of this size, is there an intimidation factor that comes into play when playing with this caliber of bands?
Operator: You really can't go into a festival with that sort of attitude. When you work as hard as we do, you look at a festival like this as a time to go for your spot. Rolling in scared to something like this will only get you knocked out.

AM: How has the reception been to the song “Soulcrusher” so far?
Operator: It’s been amazing so far, it's risen from 32 to 19 on the rock charts in a couple of weeks. We’re pretty confident is gonna keep rising in the weeks to come. (ed. note: “Soulcrusher” has been the fastest rising track in rock radio the past two weeks).

AM: Being an LA band, what are some of your favorite places to play there?
Operator: The best ones are the Roxy, the Whisky, and Viper Room. Strong: But I’m boycotting the Viper Room these days because I had some issues with the promoter of the club over some money. I went after a couple of bouncers and I’m not allowed back in there.

AM: How long were you guys toiling in the LA scene?
Operator: We been around for a few years now, but we spent a very busy year playing every club in LA. We’ve had some lineup changes, and our new guitarist played with us two years ago and has been back with the group for about two weeks now.

AM: What is the band’s promotion and touring attack plan for 2007?
Operator: We’re gonna be touring with Buckcherry and Black Stone Cherry a bit this summer. We plan on being on the road throughout the rest of the year. We are really proud of the record, and we plan on working the s--- out of this album. We don’t see ourselves coming off the road anytime soon. If we’re on the road for five years behind our records, we’re ready for it.

AM: Two of your biggest influences are Pantera and Guns 'n Roses. If you had to only take one of the band’s CDs on a desert island, which one would it be?
Operator: (a long pondering pause) As much as we love those bands, we’d have to pick our CD, Soulcrusher. It’s a CD that that get our emotions and how we’re feeling. It’s Appetite For Destruction times 10, times 100.