Our own Sarah MacDonald had the pleasure of chatting with Mark Kendall from the legendary rock band Great White, a group whose unmistakable sound and unwavering passion have carried them through decades of evolution in the music world. They talked about the secret behind the band’s remarkable longevity, how they’ve continued to thrive across changing eras of rock, and what keeps that fire burning after all these years. Mark also shared his excitement about Great White’s upcoming dates in Atlantic Canada, giving fans in the region plenty to look forward to as the band brings their timeless energy back to the East Coast.
SM: Great White has had a long and dynamic history—when you look back at the early days, what moments stand out as defining the band’s identity?
MK: Most definitely our work ethic and creativity promoting ourselves. Having so much fun with the journey and grind! Also envisioning goals very early in our career that came true. My favorite memories are before we were discovered.
SM: How has the band evolved musically since the early hits like “Rock Me” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”?
MK: Not sure if evolving really fits us. I would say we’ve always thrived on improving. We’ve always kept things simple. We write a lot of songs and the best ones make it on the record.
SM: When Great White writes new material, what does that creative process look like today versus in the ’80s and ’90s?
MK: We come up with musical ideas on our own and show the ideas to each other. If everyone likes it we work on it and hope we can turn it into something.
SM: You’ve always had a distinctive bluesy hard-rock sound—what artists or styles still inspire you as musicians?
MK: With me it’s always been the feel players like Carlos Santana, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee, Billy Gibbons, & Robin Trower. So I’m pretty much the blues side of the band. We all have different influences. When we play together it makes a certain sound like any band would.
SM: Great White is known for the energy and precision of its live shows—how do you keep that spirit alive after so many years on the road?
MK: We’ve always had the mindset of impressing people as opposed to just being entertaining. We want people to want to see us again. We take the time on stage seriously, give our maximum effort but at the same time, have a lot of fun!
SM: What’s your favorite song to perform live, and what makes it special to you?
MK: I still like Rock Me.
SM: The band has gone through a few lineup changes over the years—what strengths does the current lineup bring that feel fresh or revitalizing?
MK: The new singer Brett is the best we’ve had since Jack Russell left the band, by far! We’ve had a few bass players over the years and I’m not sure why, they just seem to have had either personal problems or something else. Our current bass player Scott Snyder has been with us 16 years. Michael Lardie, Audie Desbrow and I have been in the band for 40 plus years. Michael Lardie & I have always been the core songwriters so that’s probably our biggest strength.
SM: Is there any new music in the works? And if so, what themes or sounds are shaping this next chapter?
MK: Yes and we’re going into the studio very soon. We have a lot of demos recorded so we’re excited!
SM: What keeps you passionate about making and performing music after all these years?
MK: For me guitar has been my life since I was 9 yrs old. I still have passion and love for it. That keeps my interest and the creativity of making music. I love the process.
SM: How has the relationship with your fans changed as the band has grown and evolved?
MK: It hasn’t! We grew up with our fans and they still come to our shows. The fans have a lot of stories about where they were and what they were doing when certain songs came out. We’re grateful to be a part of that.
SM: When you think about Great White’s legacy, what do you hope it means to rock fans decades from now?
MK: I would hope that our music brought fans joy and great memories. We couldn’t ask for more than that. I would hope that we’d also made some pretty good music and gave it all live.