I first saw Sterling Schroeder and the Chosen Ones way back in August and thought they were pretty fun live. Apparently, that translates even better on record! "I Really Love You" is the first single off of the Orlando, Florida four-piece's brand new EP Three Year Weekend. Their sound may not be anything original, but it sure is fun. Sterling's almost monotone singing combined with co-vocalist Danielle's cheery tone makes the song even more addicting than it is on it's own. If the rest of this EP is as bouncy and catchy as this song, Mr. Schroeder and his Chosen Ones might just have a hit record. To celebrate the event, they will be throwing a CD release show on March 3rd at the Copper Rocket Pub in Maitland.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Interview with Natural Child
Something must be in the water up in Nashville because an old familiar sound is brewing in the local scene and Natural Child seem to be drinking the Kool-aid. Formed during the summer of 2009, Natural Child take the classic rock sounds of the 70s, mix it with a little bit of mid-70s garage rock and hold it together with a psychedelic groove that is both dirty and smooth. I sat down with the Nashville three-piece and discussed their band’s sound, marijuana, cats and their evil overlords Jack White and Kid Rock. Natural Child released their latest full length 1971 in April of last year. They are preparing to release their next full length this May. They are playing at the Sandwich Bar this Saturday with Girls on the Beach, Tam Tam and Tight Genes.
I was listening to your bandcamp earlier and it really had a kind of early/mid-70s groove to it. Was that something you guys have always wanted to do or it was just something that happened when you got together as a band happened.
Zack: It kind of happened when we got together as a band because most of what we listen to is this music. We just like a lot of old rock and soul country and that just happens to be the time when all that good stuff was from.
You guys kind of make it obvious, but how much of an influence is marijuana on the band?
Wes: Me and Zack try to smoke it as much as we can and Seth likes to smoke too. You know, we like to party (all laugh).
Seth: I mean everyone smokes weed and they just don’t talk about it.
Zack: Yeah, I don’t think we smoke the most weed than everyone in the world or anything, but we do smoke.
Seth: Yeah maybe in America.
Do you think it influences your sound at all?
Zack: Sure, it influences me. It makes me feel high. Yeah, it does
Wes: You ever list to music on weed man?
(Everyone laughs)
Zack: It sounds different.
Yeah, that’s at least what I hear. Is there any time when you play and you aren’t stoned? Does it help with nerves at all?
Zack: I think we are all comfortable so I don’t think really think it would matter that much if we didn’t, but meanwhile it does make it more fun.
Seth: We’re never nervous.
Zack: I just get high because it sounds better to me.
Wes: I just get high because I have to.
(Everyone laughs)
What is the scene like in Nashville, where you guys are from?
Zack: Well, it’s kind of like a newspaper. (laughter) It’s really like a really big rock craze, now it’s a national rock craze.
Seth: You see there’s this thing called the National Scene that’s a newspaper here, so all the locals here got together and decided that it’s not actually called a scene it’s called a National Rock Craze and everyone is just apart of this National Rock Craze. We’re all sort of directed, I mean I don’t wanna call us puppets, because I feel like I kind of control my life.
Zack: Yeah, we’re all happy to be doing what it is we are doing.
Seth: Yeah, but are all kind of sort of apart of this master plan sort of put out by Jack and Kid you know? They write all the songs and tell us how to dress. They sort of tell us how our attitude is suppose to be.
Zack: It’s not just us.
Seth: Yeah it’s not just us. It’s all the bands in the National Rock Craze.
Zack: JEFF the Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet, Heavy Cream, Those Darlin’s.
Seth: Cheap Time.
Zack: It’s all apart of you know, Jack and Kid do all that directing. So, it’s really fun but it’s interesting. You know, they moved down here from Detroit a couple years ago and I think it’s going pretty well for them.
Wes: And for all of us. Obviously for them too.
Seth: It’s really doing wonders for them.
Zack: We jut gave them the benefit of the doubt, you know.
You guys just named a lot of bands is it kind of a unified thing where you guys help each other and book shows?
Zack: Jack White and Kid Rock help us out and we in return help them out. So that’s kind of the way that works out. They write all the songs for those bands and they tell us what to do.
So is there like a 70s rock revival going on in Nashville? Is it something recent or has it been going for awhile now?
Zack: I’m not sure. That’s what they tell us to play so you’re gonna have ask Jack White and Kid Rock.
(Everyone laughs)
So Jack White and Kid Rock are a pretty big influence on you guys?
Zack: Well, it’s their music and they write all of it.
So Jack White and Kid Rock clearly don’t write all your songs, so as far as song writing goes who typically writes the music and lyrics? Do you split up?
Wes: All three of us kind of do. I think me and Seth write most of the lyrics and Zach writes most of the grooves. We do all the arranging together.
Seth: We pretty much write all of our songs together at practice where we are every day.
So, you guys practice every day? Do you guys have day jobs at all?
Wes: No.
Seth: No.
Zack: No, we’re broke.
So how hours a day of you actually practice?
Wes: Like two or so. We don’t try to wear ourselves out.
Seth: I got into this thing to get out of the 9 to 5.
(Wes laughs)
Zack: People come up to me on the street and ask me about working and I always tell them I got into this to get away from the 9 to 5.
Seth: Yeah, it’s not an 8 hour shift with a two hour lunch break you know.
Zack: It’s like a two hour party.
Seth: Every day.
Zack: It’s like a workshop. And then Jack and Kid come over and we show them what we’ve done and they start making suggestions.
Wes: “That’s not how the song goes!”
Zack: “Why don’t you guys try harder next time!”
He really pushes you guys hard?
Wes: Yeah.
Seth: Yeah, I mean, I don’t throw the word slave around much...
Wes: But a slave is a would you could apply. They are all slave drivers.
So, how long have you guys been together as a band?
Zack: About two and a half years or so? Summer of ‘09
Wes: Yep, that’s right.
Seth: That’s about the time we decided to stop cutting our own hair.
As far as tours go, how many long tours have you guys been on since then?
Zack: That’s kind of hard to think about because we’ve been on a shit ton of 10 day or two week tours.
Seth: We probably tour about 150 days out of the year.
Zack: But we do it a little more spaced out and not for two months at a time, but obviously when we do a west coast tour it turns into like a month because we end up coming home for a couple days after three weeks. I don’t know, we are touring more than we have and it’s like 150 days or more a year.
Seth: Yeah, we’ve toured probably more than 200 days this year.
Wow, that’s a lot.
Wes: That’s nothing compared to other bands. A lot of bands tour out a lot now. So I don’t know, it’s a lot to some people and than other bands I see go out and tour for 9 months straight.
Zack: And then their and breaks up.
Is the touring schedule more out of necessity, like is it more affordable for you guys or is it just something that happens?
Zack: It’s whatever we feel comfortable with. We always like to write and play new songs. We always kind of done it this way. We have been touring now more than we ever have, but we still keep it spaced out so we can have new stuff to play on tour.
Seth: We try not to leave for tour without at least one new song.
Zack: And we’re always so anxious to write new songs that we get anxious to record a new album so we want to have time to do that. You can get on tour and feel like you’re playing the same songs all the time. It’s always good to feel excited and have new shit to play.
Seth: We just try to do what we want all the time.
I think that’s a good mentality to have in a band.
Zack: Thanks man, we appreciate it.
So, have you guys played in Orlando at all?
Zack: I’ve never played in Florida.
Wes: I played in Florida a lot when I was in high school, but that’s been a long time so I’m excited to get back down there. It’s really the only area in the country that we haven’t been to.
That’s pretty crazy.
Wes: Yeah and it’s pretty close to us so yeah I’m really excited.
http://naturalchild.bandcamp.com/
I was listening to your bandcamp earlier and it really had a kind of early/mid-70s groove to it. Was that something you guys have always wanted to do or it was just something that happened when you got together as a band happened.
Zack: It kind of happened when we got together as a band because most of what we listen to is this music. We just like a lot of old rock and soul country and that just happens to be the time when all that good stuff was from.
You guys kind of make it obvious, but how much of an influence is marijuana on the band?
Wes: Me and Zack try to smoke it as much as we can and Seth likes to smoke too. You know, we like to party (all laugh).
Seth: I mean everyone smokes weed and they just don’t talk about it.
Zack: Yeah, I don’t think we smoke the most weed than everyone in the world or anything, but we do smoke.
Seth: Yeah maybe in America.
Do you think it influences your sound at all?
Zack: Sure, it influences me. It makes me feel high. Yeah, it does
Wes: You ever list to music on weed man?
(Everyone laughs)
Zack: It sounds different.
Yeah, that’s at least what I hear. Is there any time when you play and you aren’t stoned? Does it help with nerves at all?
Zack: I think we are all comfortable so I don’t think really think it would matter that much if we didn’t, but meanwhile it does make it more fun.
Seth: We’re never nervous.
Zack: I just get high because it sounds better to me.
Wes: I just get high because I have to.
(Everyone laughs)
What is the scene like in Nashville, where you guys are from?
Zack: Well, it’s kind of like a newspaper. (laughter) It’s really like a really big rock craze, now it’s a national rock craze.
Seth: You see there’s this thing called the National Scene that’s a newspaper here, so all the locals here got together and decided that it’s not actually called a scene it’s called a National Rock Craze and everyone is just apart of this National Rock Craze. We’re all sort of directed, I mean I don’t wanna call us puppets, because I feel like I kind of control my life.
Zack: Yeah, we’re all happy to be doing what it is we are doing.
Seth: Yeah, but are all kind of sort of apart of this master plan sort of put out by Jack and Kid you know? They write all the songs and tell us how to dress. They sort of tell us how our attitude is suppose to be.
Zack: It’s not just us.
Seth: Yeah it’s not just us. It’s all the bands in the National Rock Craze.
Zack: JEFF the Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet, Heavy Cream, Those Darlin’s.
Seth: Cheap Time.
Zack: It’s all apart of you know, Jack and Kid do all that directing. So, it’s really fun but it’s interesting. You know, they moved down here from Detroit a couple years ago and I think it’s going pretty well for them.
Wes: And for all of us. Obviously for them too.
Seth: It’s really doing wonders for them.
Zack: We jut gave them the benefit of the doubt, you know.
You guys just named a lot of bands is it kind of a unified thing where you guys help each other and book shows?
Zack: Jack White and Kid Rock help us out and we in return help them out. So that’s kind of the way that works out. They write all the songs for those bands and they tell us what to do.
So is there like a 70s rock revival going on in Nashville? Is it something recent or has it been going for awhile now?
Zack: I’m not sure. That’s what they tell us to play so you’re gonna have ask Jack White and Kid Rock.
(Everyone laughs)
So Jack White and Kid Rock are a pretty big influence on you guys?
Zack: Well, it’s their music and they write all of it.
So Jack White and Kid Rock clearly don’t write all your songs, so as far as song writing goes who typically writes the music and lyrics? Do you split up?
Wes: All three of us kind of do. I think me and Seth write most of the lyrics and Zach writes most of the grooves. We do all the arranging together.
Seth: We pretty much write all of our songs together at practice where we are every day.
So, you guys practice every day? Do you guys have day jobs at all?
Wes: No.
Seth: No.
Zack: No, we’re broke.
So how hours a day of you actually practice?
Wes: Like two or so. We don’t try to wear ourselves out.
Seth: I got into this thing to get out of the 9 to 5.
(Wes laughs)
Zack: People come up to me on the street and ask me about working and I always tell them I got into this to get away from the 9 to 5.
Seth: Yeah, it’s not an 8 hour shift with a two hour lunch break you know.
Zack: It’s like a two hour party.
Seth: Every day.
Zack: It’s like a workshop. And then Jack and Kid come over and we show them what we’ve done and they start making suggestions.
Wes: “That’s not how the song goes!”
Zack: “Why don’t you guys try harder next time!”
He really pushes you guys hard?
Wes: Yeah.
Seth: Yeah, I mean, I don’t throw the word slave around much...
Wes: But a slave is a would you could apply. They are all slave drivers.
So, how long have you guys been together as a band?
Zack: About two and a half years or so? Summer of ‘09
Wes: Yep, that’s right.
Seth: That’s about the time we decided to stop cutting our own hair.
As far as tours go, how many long tours have you guys been on since then?
Zack: That’s kind of hard to think about because we’ve been on a shit ton of 10 day or two week tours.
Seth: We probably tour about 150 days out of the year.
Zack: But we do it a little more spaced out and not for two months at a time, but obviously when we do a west coast tour it turns into like a month because we end up coming home for a couple days after three weeks. I don’t know, we are touring more than we have and it’s like 150 days or more a year.
Seth: Yeah, we’ve toured probably more than 200 days this year.
Wow, that’s a lot.
Wes: That’s nothing compared to other bands. A lot of bands tour out a lot now. So I don’t know, it’s a lot to some people and than other bands I see go out and tour for 9 months straight.
Zack: And then their and breaks up.
Is the touring schedule more out of necessity, like is it more affordable for you guys or is it just something that happens?
Zack: It’s whatever we feel comfortable with. We always like to write and play new songs. We always kind of done it this way. We have been touring now more than we ever have, but we still keep it spaced out so we can have new stuff to play on tour.
Seth: We try not to leave for tour without at least one new song.
Zack: And we’re always so anxious to write new songs that we get anxious to record a new album so we want to have time to do that. You can get on tour and feel like you’re playing the same songs all the time. It’s always good to feel excited and have new shit to play.
Seth: We just try to do what we want all the time.
I think that’s a good mentality to have in a band.
Zack: Thanks man, we appreciate it.
So, have you guys played in Orlando at all?
Zack: I’ve never played in Florida.
Wes: I played in Florida a lot when I was in high school, but that’s been a long time so I’m excited to get back down there. It’s really the only area in the country that we haven’t been to.
That’s pretty crazy.
Wes: Yeah and it’s pretty close to us so yeah I’m really excited.
http://naturalchild.bandcamp.com/
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I’m Gonna Strangle You: Violence in the Music Industry
I don’t know about anyone else, but I spend a lot of time watching MTV Jams. As much as I don’t like Comcast cable, they have blessed me with an actual 24/7 music video channel that I can stand. They do play a lot of the same songs during the week, but sometimes they will hit me with a cool themed play-list and I’m all about it. However, the last two weeks I have noticed they are playing a lot of Chris Brown. I’m not talking just playing them casually, his videos are all making the MTV Jam of the Week and it’s starting to bother me.
Maybe I am way late on this, but I am going to assume everyone knows what happened 2 years ago between Chris Brown and Rihanna right? If not, basically Brown and Rihanna were dating and he ended up assaulting her. The pictures were all over the internet of her bruises. Brown was charged with 5 years probation and some community service in 2009. Most people were none too happy with this sentencing, but it appears that people have forgotten about it. Last year, Brown issued an apology to his fans and Rihanna and since then it seems like people are kind of forgetting what he did only 2 years ago.
When I first heard what had happened I thought that was it for his career. Who would want to associate with someone who can attack women like that? Look at Ike Turner. As soon as Tina Turner spoke out against him, he was instantly black listed. This seems to have the opposite effect on Brown’s career, because there he is every day at the top of every hour singing and dancing right there on my television screen. It is his team of lawyers surrounding him and his major label creating a new better image for him? The whole situation is confusing to me especially when you take into the recent events at SXSW involving a little man named Ben Foster.
The Tip of the Ice Cube
Punk rock should be shocking, but when you wake up one morning and found out one of your heroes was arrested after hitting two women at a show one can’t help but feel sick to their stomach. During a performance at this year’s SXSW Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel struck a woman who had apparently been taunting him all night. I have watched the video and it is rather unnerving. What drives a man to do that? My first reaction was, “How drunk was he?” or “Man he must have really been in a bad mood” and that’s when it hit me. Why am I trying to justify his reasoning? He hit girls, there is no justification. That throws every rule in the book out. Since as far back as I could remember, hitting a girl was always wrong. It bothered me even more when people were coming to his defense, as if this was the norm at punk shows. I don’t remember the last punk show I went to and saw woman being wailed on by men on stage. If this is really happening, I must be going to the wrong shows.
So after my initial reaction things started to fall into place. For years now, the punk rock community has been well aware of Ben Weasel’s attitude toward the scene that in all fairness he built from the ground up. Not to give him way too much credit, but there is no denying Screeching Weasel’s influence on established bands and gets kid just picking up guitars. For whatever reason though, be it religious or just plan getting old, Ben Weasel began turning his back toward the scene that adores his work and personally attack other artists. Several people are well aware of his most recent feud with the Max Levine Ensemble and he has been known to even take jabs at his current label, Fat Wreck Chords. It’s safe to say that Ben’s actions were finally catching up to him and now he is without a band and left with a tarnished reputation.
Cool Kids Club
As soon as the news broke out about the incident at SXSW Ben Weasel was immediately thrown under the bus by a very PC punk scene that has been thriving for years now. Is it for the better though that the scene has become more open? Probably, considering no one should be afraid to go out to shows to meet with people who supposedly share the same views and values as them. It's good that people are becoming thoughtful, but what is really acceptable today? A lot of people have been ignoring the fact that Ben Weasel also punched a man at the show. It makes one wonder if anyone would have cared if he only hit a man. This kind of reverse sexism pops up throughout not only the punk scene, but society in a whole. How many men report domestic violence cases? Rape cases? It is rather disheartening.
On the flip side of this whole situation we can look back on Chris Brown. Brown is surrounded by a completely different scene, the hip hop scene. Since the invention of gangster rap females in rap have become somewhat second class citizens. It could just be the glorification of the Pimp or it could be something deeper than that. You can listen to several songs and hear the word bitch or hoe used throughout and you might even catch a few phrases about slapping them as well or "keeping hoes in check." This kind of word use is most likely a product of the communities that artists were raised in. Brown was quoted saying that he grew up with domestic violence surrounding him in his home life, but is that really an excuse? I am no psychologist, but it is possible that Brown saw so much violence that he became desensitized and considered it the norm. But can one make a general statement about the entire hip hop community? No, that is not fair to an entire culture, but does it give Brown a free pass? It shouldn't, but that may very well be the case.
Voice of a Generation
One of the more interesting things I have discovered about hip hop culture can be summed up with a new song by Kanye West. On West's newest single he raps about hitting his girlfriend and getting the cops called on him. I am not sure if he's telling someone’s story or a story from his own personal experience, but either way no one seems to be really outraged by this. Either way, the ultimate irony of the song is that Rihanna sings the chorus of this song. Would she condone West's actions after that happened to her? Maybe she supports the stance in the song since West talks about how he regrets the whole situation and wishes he could be with his daughter. After all he did "spend that bread" on lawyers and court fees. However, the reaction or lack of reaction from this song kind of makes me think that violence in hip hop is something that is expected. For the most part that is the argument of several people who are defending Ben Weasel's actions as well.
Desensitized
I can't consider myself a big Chris Brown fan, but I am a fan of hip hop and it makes sad to know that these kind of actions can just be brushed off. And as far as Ben Weasel goes, I think I will always be a fan of Screeching Weasel, but I will now reconsider if I will continue to support any future endeavors. It's true that we live in a violent world, but as entertainers who have access to such a large audience it seems rather irresponsible to not think before you act. After the recent passing of Mitch Dubey it is clear to see that violence brings nothing but pain and suffering to all parties involved. Violence has no place anywhere no matter the venue or audience.
Maybe I am way late on this, but I am going to assume everyone knows what happened 2 years ago between Chris Brown and Rihanna right? If not, basically Brown and Rihanna were dating and he ended up assaulting her. The pictures were all over the internet of her bruises. Brown was charged with 5 years probation and some community service in 2009. Most people were none too happy with this sentencing, but it appears that people have forgotten about it. Last year, Brown issued an apology to his fans and Rihanna and since then it seems like people are kind of forgetting what he did only 2 years ago.
When I first heard what had happened I thought that was it for his career. Who would want to associate with someone who can attack women like that? Look at Ike Turner. As soon as Tina Turner spoke out against him, he was instantly black listed. This seems to have the opposite effect on Brown’s career, because there he is every day at the top of every hour singing and dancing right there on my television screen. It is his team of lawyers surrounding him and his major label creating a new better image for him? The whole situation is confusing to me especially when you take into the recent events at SXSW involving a little man named Ben Foster.
The Tip of the Ice Cube
Punk rock should be shocking, but when you wake up one morning and found out one of your heroes was arrested after hitting two women at a show one can’t help but feel sick to their stomach. During a performance at this year’s SXSW Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel struck a woman who had apparently been taunting him all night. I have watched the video and it is rather unnerving. What drives a man to do that? My first reaction was, “How drunk was he?” or “Man he must have really been in a bad mood” and that’s when it hit me. Why am I trying to justify his reasoning? He hit girls, there is no justification. That throws every rule in the book out. Since as far back as I could remember, hitting a girl was always wrong. It bothered me even more when people were coming to his defense, as if this was the norm at punk shows. I don’t remember the last punk show I went to and saw woman being wailed on by men on stage. If this is really happening, I must be going to the wrong shows.
So after my initial reaction things started to fall into place. For years now, the punk rock community has been well aware of Ben Weasel’s attitude toward the scene that in all fairness he built from the ground up. Not to give him way too much credit, but there is no denying Screeching Weasel’s influence on established bands and gets kid just picking up guitars. For whatever reason though, be it religious or just plan getting old, Ben Weasel began turning his back toward the scene that adores his work and personally attack other artists. Several people are well aware of his most recent feud with the Max Levine Ensemble and he has been known to even take jabs at his current label, Fat Wreck Chords. It’s safe to say that Ben’s actions were finally catching up to him and now he is without a band and left with a tarnished reputation.
Cool Kids Club
As soon as the news broke out about the incident at SXSW Ben Weasel was immediately thrown under the bus by a very PC punk scene that has been thriving for years now. Is it for the better though that the scene has become more open? Probably, considering no one should be afraid to go out to shows to meet with people who supposedly share the same views and values as them. It's good that people are becoming thoughtful, but what is really acceptable today? A lot of people have been ignoring the fact that Ben Weasel also punched a man at the show. It makes one wonder if anyone would have cared if he only hit a man. This kind of reverse sexism pops up throughout not only the punk scene, but society in a whole. How many men report domestic violence cases? Rape cases? It is rather disheartening.
On the flip side of this whole situation we can look back on Chris Brown. Brown is surrounded by a completely different scene, the hip hop scene. Since the invention of gangster rap females in rap have become somewhat second class citizens. It could just be the glorification of the Pimp or it could be something deeper than that. You can listen to several songs and hear the word bitch or hoe used throughout and you might even catch a few phrases about slapping them as well or "keeping hoes in check." This kind of word use is most likely a product of the communities that artists were raised in. Brown was quoted saying that he grew up with domestic violence surrounding him in his home life, but is that really an excuse? I am no psychologist, but it is possible that Brown saw so much violence that he became desensitized and considered it the norm. But can one make a general statement about the entire hip hop community? No, that is not fair to an entire culture, but does it give Brown a free pass? It shouldn't, but that may very well be the case.
Voice of a Generation
One of the more interesting things I have discovered about hip hop culture can be summed up with a new song by Kanye West. On West's newest single he raps about hitting his girlfriend and getting the cops called on him. I am not sure if he's telling someone’s story or a story from his own personal experience, but either way no one seems to be really outraged by this. Either way, the ultimate irony of the song is that Rihanna sings the chorus of this song. Would she condone West's actions after that happened to her? Maybe she supports the stance in the song since West talks about how he regrets the whole situation and wishes he could be with his daughter. After all he did "spend that bread" on lawyers and court fees. However, the reaction or lack of reaction from this song kind of makes me think that violence in hip hop is something that is expected. For the most part that is the argument of several people who are defending Ben Weasel's actions as well.
Desensitized
I can't consider myself a big Chris Brown fan, but I am a fan of hip hop and it makes sad to know that these kind of actions can just be brushed off. And as far as Ben Weasel goes, I think I will always be a fan of Screeching Weasel, but I will now reconsider if I will continue to support any future endeavors. It's true that we live in a violent world, but as entertainers who have access to such a large audience it seems rather irresponsible to not think before you act. After the recent passing of Mitch Dubey it is clear to see that violence brings nothing but pain and suffering to all parties involved. Violence has no place anywhere no matter the venue or audience.
Monday, June 21, 2010
MIKE HUGUENOR INTERVIEW
About a month ago I sat down with Mike Huguenor of Shinobu/Hard Girls/Classics of Love and talked to him about way too much. When I wasn't being a fanboy we discussed songwriting phenomenon and he made jokes that I pretended to understand. This is the first half, the other half will be edited and posted soon.
Me: So, Mike as of right now you are technically in three different bands. Some are more active than others, but could you kind of fill me in on what each project is up to right now?
Mike: Well, Classics is nearly done with writing what will be our first full length, which means that probably within the next two to three months we will try to record it. Jesse has been talking to a few people to kind of feel out recording guys who may be of a similar mindset for the album, but nothing has really been set in stone for that as of yet
Hard Girls is almost done with our half of a split with our friends Kudrow, which will probably be coming out on Asian Man and Quote Unquote when it is finished and Shinobu is in the process of finishing a few old recordings to release a kind of massive B-sides sort of affair on Quote Unquote. Somewhere between 30-40 tracks.
Me: Holy shit, that's a lot of Shinobu.
Mike: Many of them are alternate takes of previously released songs.
Me: Very cool. It's good see each project is keeping busy; you must be a very busy, important man.
Mike: Busy-ish. I still feel like I should be doing more.
Me: Don't stretch yourself too thin Mike.
Mike: I can't promise anything.
Me: Now, how about touring for each band? That seems more difficult for Shinobu, but any plans for the other two?
Mike: Touring is all on a bit of a pause at the moment. If anything really awesome crops up, I'm sure we'll do it. But right now Morgan, Max, and I are all working full time, and Jesse is a full time student. So we're kind of taking a break and playing locally until maybe the Classics album is done, or, like I said, if something awesome crops up.
Me: Speaking of Classics. I'm sure you get this question a lot, but how is it working with Jesse Michaels? Do you feel at all intimidated working with what most people would consider a living punk rock legend?
Mike: It was very intimidating for a while. Operation Ivy is one of those few bands that I really loved when I was in middle and high school that I can still really listen to, and definitely the only one that I still hold in the same regard as I did then. But we've all become used to each other and now it’s pretty normal. It is very strange and completely unlikely how well we seem to all fit together. It helps that none of us really have anything close to a "refined" sense of humor. Working with him is really nice. He tends to bring in ideas and we all help flesh them out, it's very fun.
Me: That was gonna be my next question. How is the writing process between you guys?
Mike: Yeah, it’s pretty natural, I think. Jesse comes in with some ideas, we play them a bit, make suggestions, allow the songs to breathe, try them a few different ways. Some songs work, some don't, but the process is pretty intuitive and Jesse is really into the idea of everybody putting in their own parts, which is fun. I was worried that he might not be, but it is very natural. No power struggles or anything in the writing process.
Me: That's good. Listening to Classics it kind of feels like where Common Rider left off do you feel as if there is a bigger difference between the two bands just based on members alone? That was an oddly thought up question. If you don't understand it I understand.
Mike: People have said that at shows quite a bit, which, to be honest, surprised me at first. When I think of Common Rider, I think much more of the ska influence of the band. “Signal Signal”, “Midnight Passenger.” It is the sort of more thoughtful ska that I think of when I think of Common Rider
Me: Yes, at least the first few releases were more ska oriented, but that last album was leaning more to the punk side.
Mike: That is true, but I think Classics is heavier on the 80s punk than Common Rider. The truth is that Jesse has a style, and so that style comes up in different bands which, I think, is a very good thing, but I think there is a pretty big difference between the two bands. Hopefully I don't just think that because I'm in one of them, but I'm pretty sure that the difference is there.
Me: It seems like it, at least to me. Do you guys get any shit from ska kids for not playing any ska songs? Or perhaps the random Op Ivy song request?
Mike: Well, we do have one ska song as of now, so hopefully that appeases the rudies when we play it. The Op Ivy requests have lessened a bit. We played “The Crowd” a few times and I think that sort of sated people. Now we just do Deep Purple covers.
Me: Well that's good. Switching it up to keep "the crowd" interested. That was a terrible Op Ivy joke. Anyway, moving on.
Mike: There were a whole string of bad Op Ivy jokes some friends and I used to have. We had a friend we referred to as "Big Sleazy." So “Big City” got turned into “Big Sleazy” a lot of the time.
Me: At one point a few kids in the local ska/pop punk scene where I'm from formed a joke band called Big City. They recorded these awful demos and some label in Europe wanted them to fly out there and record some songs for a comp.
Mike: That's nuts.
Me: It is considering they just did it to poke fun at Tim Armstrong. Speaking of Europe though, Classics toured with Mike Park in Europe how was that experience?
Mike: I had a great time, and I think everyone else did, too. It was a very sincerely positive moment for me, to be able to play somewhere far away and have people show up and to be able to see the UK for such an extended period of time. Traveling by train. It was great.
Me: That was one of the first big tours you guys did together, correct?
Mike: Yeah, we had done a few little weekend or week long sorts of things, but that was the first real tour. Mike just suggested it, set everything up, and we did it. It was awesome. I wish Mike would do that for all my bands, all the time!
Me: South American Shinobu tour!
Mike: That would be incredible. I actually have really wanted to go to South America. I never had been all too interested until recently. Watching the Herzog movies in Peru, reading a bunch of Machado de Assis books, and listening to the early tropicalia stuff has made me think that I would really like it, but I probably wouldn't know what I was doing at all.
Me: It seems like such a big place for bands to tour in.
Mike: We were friends with this band the Red Dons (I think they've broken up?), and they did a huge Brazil tour. It sounded like it went great.
Me: A show on an Amazon cruise seems like the only thing that would make it worth it.
Mike: Amazon.com? It would be great to play in Sao Paolo, and then finally see Amazon.com's corporate office.
Me: Yes, to play on Amazon.com.
Mike: I think we'll just release our next album as an eBook.
Me: Now everyone will be forced to buy a Kindle.
Mike: Greg Kihn should do an eBook album. He could finally make another bad Kihn pun. Kihndal and Burn - by the Greg Kihn Band
Me: Quote Unquote can put it out, I'm sure Jeff could find the technology.
Mike: I think Jeff is more of a Nook sort of guy, but he can probably get hip to the Kihndal.
Me: Speaking of Quote Unquote, Hard Girls put out the Hello EP last year on that label. How was that received?
Mike: Somehow, I think it was received really well. I've heard many really positive things, which, being in Shinobu, I'm not used to.
Me: How does the writing in that band work and how did that band even come to be? I know Max and Morgan were both in Pteradon
Mike: Pteradon and Shinobu have shared a practice space for years and been friends and reluctant lovers for even longer and right when Matt, Jon, and Bob were all moving away, Ian from Pteradon was settling down so Max, Morgan and I--the three losers left--decided to try playing together. It was a little odd at first.
Me: How so?
Mike: Well, I was so used to hearing the way Ian played with them and I tried to sound like him for a little bit at first. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it took me a little while to figure out how to play right again. Mostly because I hadn't played with anyone new in a really long time and before Strange Spring Air, I never really jammed much with anyone besides Matt, anyway. But Max and Morgan jam their ideas a lot to develop them, so I had to get used to that, but I think it’s a very natural and fluid way of writing, and I like it a lot now.
Me: Who writes most of the lyrics? I know you and Morgan share vocals.
Mike: For the most part whoever sings the song writes the lyrics. There have been a few times where for backups Morgan has said "Sing this," and I've done the same to him, but mostly, if I'm singing, I wrote the lyrics, and if Morgan is singing, he wrote the lyrics.
Me: I think it shows. At least when I listen to Hard Girls your songs remind me of Shinobu songs. There is that thoughtfulness to them and Morgan's songs are little a looser. Like there are two different subjects. I'm not sure how to describe it.
Mike: I think that's fair.
Me: It's certainly not a bad thing.
Mike: I really envy Morgan's writing style. It seems like it comes to him totally differently than how it comes to me and he just drops pearls a lot of the time that take some time to really sink in for me. But, we both have different styles.
Me: How does writing happen with you? I notice, at least in Shinobu there are a lot of references to literature. "Hail, Hail the Executioner" comes to mind.
Mike: Well, that still comes up in Hard Girls songs. “Vega” is mostly about Solzhenitsyn's book Cancer Ward, which really did some damage to me when I was reading the end of it and there have been some references that are less direct. I think a lot of my writing process has been a process of learning to write, but a lot of the time I will hear a word or phrase, or think of a word or phrase, and, this sounds lame, but, the poetry of the phrase kind of strikes me and I spend some time thinking about how to phrase my words to express that feeling. "Strange Carafe" for me was a moment totally like that. The word "carafe" just really lodged itself in my head and I spent a lot of time thinking about it.
Me: I have moments like this with words or phrases and will think about them throughout the day at like work.
Mike: I know what you mean.
Me: Band names too.
Mike: Yeah, definitely. Sometimes really commonplace band names, too, I'll look at and notice the poetry of the language.
Me: Yes, it is an odd occurrence that happens often.
Mike: It’s a very mysterious feeling.
Me: We should get some scientists on this.
Mike: But it grips you, from time to time, and I think it’s fascinating.
Me: Do you think that's where you get your best work from?
Mike: I think so. “Cetacean History” is the most proud I've ever been of Shinobu. I remember reading those two words and just being floored by them next to each other. It sounds dumb, but mysterious is the only word I can think of that really hits on the feeling it gives me when I notice these things.
Me: I just looked up Cetacean. They are whales?
Mike: Yeah, it’s the class or phylum or something that whales and dolphins fall into, but the look of the word is just so aesthetically arresting and trying to make sense of the meaning conjoined with the sound and the look of the word. It just has a lot of power.
Me: It is rather confusing when you think about it.
Mike: It kind of sucks because I'm perpetually mush mouthed and confused when I'm speaking, but I really love words and language, and I really think that there is beauty and power in them.
Me: So basically, you are writing songs based solely on the words you use? How they move you inside your mind?
Mike: More recently, yes, a lot of the time.
Me: That's awesome!
Mike: Most of the last Shinobu album I was just writing down ideas in this little pocket notebook I would carry around with me and so I would read a phrase or hear a word or think of some combination, and I would pull it out and jot it down. And a lot of those songs came from those jottings, kind of jumbled up and congealed.
Me: So that record was really THAT organic?
Mike: There were two or three songs that were written beforehand, but for most of them we would set up the recording equipment, think of an idea, jam on it until it became a song, and then record it. Then I would go to the notebook and get some ideas, and then start writing out a more fleshed out idea and sometimes it would take a day or two after the music was done. Other times I would have the lyrics in an hour or so and then we would record it and that was the song.
Me: How long did it take for you guys to record Strange Spring Air?
Mike: I don't totally remember now, but not very long though, a month or so probably. Just coming in to the practice space when we could and trying to get something recorded each time. I came back to do and redo vocals a lot, especially since a lot of the time the lyrics weren't totally finished.
Me: Well, I think last time I talked to you at Fest 8 you mentioned that record might not have even come out. How did that feel after doing all that work?
Mike: It’s one of those things where you record it and work on it because you really want to and because you really think that it is some version of what good is to you. Even if it never got released, the process was really cathartic, and I've learned a lot about how to write from it, but I'm definitely glad it came out. I'm really proud of it. “Amor Fati,” I wish we could go back and do again, but the rest I really love.
Me: How did "the kids" react?
Mike: Shinobu isn't very good at getting people to react to us. People seem preternaturally able to ignore us, which is fine, I suppose, but the handful of people who told me they listened to it all were really positive. If only a few people like it a lot, that's better than lots of people thinking its pretty okay.
Me: I remember one time in Jacksonville I was talking to Jon from BTMI about how he played drums with you guys at Fest 7 and he was telling me how much of an honor it was to be playing with this great band that no one really appreciates
Mike: Yeah, he totally did. He was amazing. We practiced once with Jon, the day before that tour and he was better than I was for that tour. He is incredible and it was so much fun playing with him.
Me: He did pretty damn good.
Mike: It was totally an honor to have him as part of the band.
Me: That was one of the best performances I saw all weekend.
Mike: Thanks!
Me: Given, you guys were one of the only bands I was actually excited for. I paid 60 bucks for you guys!
Mike: We can paypal you the money back whenever you want.
Me: Please don't.
Mike: I think Strange Spring Air has made almost 60 buck by now
Me: Good, keep it!
Me: So, Mike as of right now you are technically in three different bands. Some are more active than others, but could you kind of fill me in on what each project is up to right now?
Mike: Well, Classics is nearly done with writing what will be our first full length, which means that probably within the next two to three months we will try to record it. Jesse has been talking to a few people to kind of feel out recording guys who may be of a similar mindset for the album, but nothing has really been set in stone for that as of yet
Hard Girls is almost done with our half of a split with our friends Kudrow, which will probably be coming out on Asian Man and Quote Unquote when it is finished and Shinobu is in the process of finishing a few old recordings to release a kind of massive B-sides sort of affair on Quote Unquote. Somewhere between 30-40 tracks.
Me: Holy shit, that's a lot of Shinobu.
Mike: Many of them are alternate takes of previously released songs.
Me: Very cool. It's good see each project is keeping busy; you must be a very busy, important man.
Mike: Busy-ish. I still feel like I should be doing more.
Me: Don't stretch yourself too thin Mike.
Mike: I can't promise anything.
Me: Now, how about touring for each band? That seems more difficult for Shinobu, but any plans for the other two?
Mike: Touring is all on a bit of a pause at the moment. If anything really awesome crops up, I'm sure we'll do it. But right now Morgan, Max, and I are all working full time, and Jesse is a full time student. So we're kind of taking a break and playing locally until maybe the Classics album is done, or, like I said, if something awesome crops up.
Me: Speaking of Classics. I'm sure you get this question a lot, but how is it working with Jesse Michaels? Do you feel at all intimidated working with what most people would consider a living punk rock legend?
Mike: It was very intimidating for a while. Operation Ivy is one of those few bands that I really loved when I was in middle and high school that I can still really listen to, and definitely the only one that I still hold in the same regard as I did then. But we've all become used to each other and now it’s pretty normal. It is very strange and completely unlikely how well we seem to all fit together. It helps that none of us really have anything close to a "refined" sense of humor. Working with him is really nice. He tends to bring in ideas and we all help flesh them out, it's very fun.
Me: That was gonna be my next question. How is the writing process between you guys?
Mike: Yeah, it’s pretty natural, I think. Jesse comes in with some ideas, we play them a bit, make suggestions, allow the songs to breathe, try them a few different ways. Some songs work, some don't, but the process is pretty intuitive and Jesse is really into the idea of everybody putting in their own parts, which is fun. I was worried that he might not be, but it is very natural. No power struggles or anything in the writing process.
Me: That's good. Listening to Classics it kind of feels like where Common Rider left off do you feel as if there is a bigger difference between the two bands just based on members alone? That was an oddly thought up question. If you don't understand it I understand.
Mike: People have said that at shows quite a bit, which, to be honest, surprised me at first. When I think of Common Rider, I think much more of the ska influence of the band. “Signal Signal”, “Midnight Passenger.” It is the sort of more thoughtful ska that I think of when I think of Common Rider
Me: Yes, at least the first few releases were more ska oriented, but that last album was leaning more to the punk side.
Mike: That is true, but I think Classics is heavier on the 80s punk than Common Rider. The truth is that Jesse has a style, and so that style comes up in different bands which, I think, is a very good thing, but I think there is a pretty big difference between the two bands. Hopefully I don't just think that because I'm in one of them, but I'm pretty sure that the difference is there.
Me: It seems like it, at least to me. Do you guys get any shit from ska kids for not playing any ska songs? Or perhaps the random Op Ivy song request?
Mike: Well, we do have one ska song as of now, so hopefully that appeases the rudies when we play it. The Op Ivy requests have lessened a bit. We played “The Crowd” a few times and I think that sort of sated people. Now we just do Deep Purple covers.
Me: Well that's good. Switching it up to keep "the crowd" interested. That was a terrible Op Ivy joke. Anyway, moving on.
Mike: There were a whole string of bad Op Ivy jokes some friends and I used to have. We had a friend we referred to as "Big Sleazy." So “Big City” got turned into “Big Sleazy” a lot of the time.
Me: At one point a few kids in the local ska/pop punk scene where I'm from formed a joke band called Big City. They recorded these awful demos and some label in Europe wanted them to fly out there and record some songs for a comp.
Mike: That's nuts.
Me: It is considering they just did it to poke fun at Tim Armstrong. Speaking of Europe though, Classics toured with Mike Park in Europe how was that experience?
Mike: I had a great time, and I think everyone else did, too. It was a very sincerely positive moment for me, to be able to play somewhere far away and have people show up and to be able to see the UK for such an extended period of time. Traveling by train. It was great.
Me: That was one of the first big tours you guys did together, correct?
Mike: Yeah, we had done a few little weekend or week long sorts of things, but that was the first real tour. Mike just suggested it, set everything up, and we did it. It was awesome. I wish Mike would do that for all my bands, all the time!
Me: South American Shinobu tour!
Mike: That would be incredible. I actually have really wanted to go to South America. I never had been all too interested until recently. Watching the Herzog movies in Peru, reading a bunch of Machado de Assis books, and listening to the early tropicalia stuff has made me think that I would really like it, but I probably wouldn't know what I was doing at all.
Me: It seems like such a big place for bands to tour in.
Mike: We were friends with this band the Red Dons (I think they've broken up?), and they did a huge Brazil tour. It sounded like it went great.
Me: A show on an Amazon cruise seems like the only thing that would make it worth it.
Mike: Amazon.com? It would be great to play in Sao Paolo, and then finally see Amazon.com's corporate office.
Me: Yes, to play on Amazon.com.
Mike: I think we'll just release our next album as an eBook.
Me: Now everyone will be forced to buy a Kindle.
Mike: Greg Kihn should do an eBook album. He could finally make another bad Kihn pun. Kihndal and Burn - by the Greg Kihn Band
Me: Quote Unquote can put it out, I'm sure Jeff could find the technology.
Mike: I think Jeff is more of a Nook sort of guy, but he can probably get hip to the Kihndal.
Me: Speaking of Quote Unquote, Hard Girls put out the Hello EP last year on that label. How was that received?
Mike: Somehow, I think it was received really well. I've heard many really positive things, which, being in Shinobu, I'm not used to.
Me: How does the writing in that band work and how did that band even come to be? I know Max and Morgan were both in Pteradon
Mike: Pteradon and Shinobu have shared a practice space for years and been friends and reluctant lovers for even longer and right when Matt, Jon, and Bob were all moving away, Ian from Pteradon was settling down so Max, Morgan and I--the three losers left--decided to try playing together. It was a little odd at first.
Me: How so?
Mike: Well, I was so used to hearing the way Ian played with them and I tried to sound like him for a little bit at first. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it took me a little while to figure out how to play right again. Mostly because I hadn't played with anyone new in a really long time and before Strange Spring Air, I never really jammed much with anyone besides Matt, anyway. But Max and Morgan jam their ideas a lot to develop them, so I had to get used to that, but I think it’s a very natural and fluid way of writing, and I like it a lot now.
Me: Who writes most of the lyrics? I know you and Morgan share vocals.
Mike: For the most part whoever sings the song writes the lyrics. There have been a few times where for backups Morgan has said "Sing this," and I've done the same to him, but mostly, if I'm singing, I wrote the lyrics, and if Morgan is singing, he wrote the lyrics.
Me: I think it shows. At least when I listen to Hard Girls your songs remind me of Shinobu songs. There is that thoughtfulness to them and Morgan's songs are little a looser. Like there are two different subjects. I'm not sure how to describe it.
Mike: I think that's fair.
Me: It's certainly not a bad thing.
Mike: I really envy Morgan's writing style. It seems like it comes to him totally differently than how it comes to me and he just drops pearls a lot of the time that take some time to really sink in for me. But, we both have different styles.
Me: How does writing happen with you? I notice, at least in Shinobu there are a lot of references to literature. "Hail, Hail the Executioner" comes to mind.
Mike: Well, that still comes up in Hard Girls songs. “Vega” is mostly about Solzhenitsyn's book Cancer Ward, which really did some damage to me when I was reading the end of it and there have been some references that are less direct. I think a lot of my writing process has been a process of learning to write, but a lot of the time I will hear a word or phrase, or think of a word or phrase, and, this sounds lame, but, the poetry of the phrase kind of strikes me and I spend some time thinking about how to phrase my words to express that feeling. "Strange Carafe" for me was a moment totally like that. The word "carafe" just really lodged itself in my head and I spent a lot of time thinking about it.
Me: I have moments like this with words or phrases and will think about them throughout the day at like work.
Mike: I know what you mean.
Me: Band names too.
Mike: Yeah, definitely. Sometimes really commonplace band names, too, I'll look at and notice the poetry of the language.
Me: Yes, it is an odd occurrence that happens often.
Mike: It’s a very mysterious feeling.
Me: We should get some scientists on this.
Mike: But it grips you, from time to time, and I think it’s fascinating.
Me: Do you think that's where you get your best work from?
Mike: I think so. “Cetacean History” is the most proud I've ever been of Shinobu. I remember reading those two words and just being floored by them next to each other. It sounds dumb, but mysterious is the only word I can think of that really hits on the feeling it gives me when I notice these things.
Me: I just looked up Cetacean. They are whales?
Mike: Yeah, it’s the class or phylum or something that whales and dolphins fall into, but the look of the word is just so aesthetically arresting and trying to make sense of the meaning conjoined with the sound and the look of the word. It just has a lot of power.
Me: It is rather confusing when you think about it.
Mike: It kind of sucks because I'm perpetually mush mouthed and confused when I'm speaking, but I really love words and language, and I really think that there is beauty and power in them.
Me: So basically, you are writing songs based solely on the words you use? How they move you inside your mind?
Mike: More recently, yes, a lot of the time.
Me: That's awesome!
Mike: Most of the last Shinobu album I was just writing down ideas in this little pocket notebook I would carry around with me and so I would read a phrase or hear a word or think of some combination, and I would pull it out and jot it down. And a lot of those songs came from those jottings, kind of jumbled up and congealed.
Me: So that record was really THAT organic?
Mike: There were two or three songs that were written beforehand, but for most of them we would set up the recording equipment, think of an idea, jam on it until it became a song, and then record it. Then I would go to the notebook and get some ideas, and then start writing out a more fleshed out idea and sometimes it would take a day or two after the music was done. Other times I would have the lyrics in an hour or so and then we would record it and that was the song.
Me: How long did it take for you guys to record Strange Spring Air?
Mike: I don't totally remember now, but not very long though, a month or so probably. Just coming in to the practice space when we could and trying to get something recorded each time. I came back to do and redo vocals a lot, especially since a lot of the time the lyrics weren't totally finished.
Me: Well, I think last time I talked to you at Fest 8 you mentioned that record might not have even come out. How did that feel after doing all that work?
Mike: It’s one of those things where you record it and work on it because you really want to and because you really think that it is some version of what good is to you. Even if it never got released, the process was really cathartic, and I've learned a lot about how to write from it, but I'm definitely glad it came out. I'm really proud of it. “Amor Fati,” I wish we could go back and do again, but the rest I really love.
Me: How did "the kids" react?
Mike: Shinobu isn't very good at getting people to react to us. People seem preternaturally able to ignore us, which is fine, I suppose, but the handful of people who told me they listened to it all were really positive. If only a few people like it a lot, that's better than lots of people thinking its pretty okay.
Me: I remember one time in Jacksonville I was talking to Jon from BTMI about how he played drums with you guys at Fest 7 and he was telling me how much of an honor it was to be playing with this great band that no one really appreciates
Mike: Yeah, he totally did. He was amazing. We practiced once with Jon, the day before that tour and he was better than I was for that tour. He is incredible and it was so much fun playing with him.
Me: He did pretty damn good.
Mike: It was totally an honor to have him as part of the band.
Me: That was one of the best performances I saw all weekend.
Mike: Thanks!
Me: Given, you guys were one of the only bands I was actually excited for. I paid 60 bucks for you guys!
Mike: We can paypal you the money back whenever you want.
Me: Please don't.
Mike: I think Strange Spring Air has made almost 60 buck by now
Me: Good, keep it!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
STRAIGHT EDGE
http://www.mutinyzine.com/features4_straightedge.html
Please check out this story I worked on.
Please check out this story I worked on.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Jason Choi and Gettysburg split
http://ghostofa7inch.info/
This was suppose to come out almost 3 years ago!
Everyone should check it out, it's really good.
This was suppose to come out almost 3 years ago!
Everyone should check it out, it's really good.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Every single piece of who we're meant to be...
Tonight I attended the second to last Jason Choi and the Sea performance ever. This was the Melbourne show and the last is Monday night in Orlando. The show was held at Jay Godwin's recording studio Soundquest. For those that don't know Jay is an original member of the Influence one of my all-time favorite bands. I figured the Melbourne show would be crammed with old friends from all over the scene and it was. It was chilly out, but the atmosphere in the room was warm. Now, I have seen Jason Choi live for what seems like well over 4 or 5 years. It took me longer to see him live compared to the Influence and Beneath Low Flying Planes, but I kind of always knew who he was. On record, he only released a split EP and one amazing full length that was years in the making once it finally came out in the summer of 2006. People in the Melbourne scene know all the words to his songs all to well. Jason is probably the best songwriter and performer Melbourne ever had or ever will have. We should be glad to be so blessed. Whether you agree with his religious undertones or not you cannot deny his wonderful tapestry of words. Always a humble soul, Jason expresses that true vulnerable emotion that you come to love almost instantly no matter what music you are into. It saddens me to know that he will no longer be performing under this moniker, but I can only hope he continues to write great songs for years to come. Jason, thank you so much for inspiring me and so many other artists out there whoever they may be. Take care everyone, it's a brave new year.
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