interviewpage
Jacob's Dream - interview February 2003 |
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This is one excellent interview Whitewashed did with Jacob's Dream, enjoy! Whitewashed: How would you describe Jacobs Dream to someone who has never heard you? John: ID SAY WE ARE TRADITIONAL POWER METAL. IN MY PERSONAL OPINION WE ARE THE DEFINITON OF POWER METAL.(KIDDING) IVE BEEN A METAL FAN FOR A LONG TIME AND IN A LOT OF MY FAVORITE BANDS THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING ABOUT THEM I LIKED AND SOMETHING I DIDNT LIKE . SO WITH JD, IVE ALWAYS TRIED TO WRAP THE STYLES OF THOSE BANDS TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH THE ULTIMATE POWER METAL BAND. OBVIOUSLY THOUGH IM NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THE BAND WITH AN OPINION ABOUT MUSIC :) BUT I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO. OH YEAH, THE USUAL COMPARISONS ARE QUEENSRYCHE / MAIDEN / MEGADETH. Whitewashed: I understand Jacobs Dream has got quite a history already. How long has Jacobs Dream been together? John: WE REALLY STARTED OUT BACK IN 89. JON, JAMES, GARY AND ME (JOHN). OVER THE YEARS WE ALL LEFT THE BAND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER BUT IT KEPT GOING AND NOW WE ARE ALL BACK WITH A NEW SINGER. ITS LIKE WE WERE ALL, .........DESTINED........ TO BE HERE..... OR SOMETHING. Whitewashed: What are some goals you want to acheive with Jacobs Dream and what is the main reason for you personally to be in the band? John: WELL, WE ALL WANTED TO BE ROCK STARS ONCE BUT IT DOSENT LOOK LIKE THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. SO WITH ALL THE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OUT OF THE WAY I THINK WE JUST WANT TO KEEP MAKING GOOD MUSIC FROM THE HEART WITH A MESSAGE THAT MIGHT OPEN PEOPLES MIND OR HAVE SOME KIND OF POSITIVE EFFECT ON THEM. NOT JUST EASILY DISMISSED NOISE OR MUSICAL FLUFF.\ON PERSONAL LEVEL, THIS IS WHAT IM HERE TO DO. I DONT MIND BEING DEFINED AS JOHN THE LONG HAIRED GUITAR PLAYER GUY, MY LIFES AMBITON HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO DO THIS. Whitewashed: What do you do on the side of Jacobs Dream? John: AS IN A DAY JOB? IM A PRINTING PRESS OPERATOR. MUSICALY, I DO DIFFERENT THINGS FROM TIME TO TIME. I USED TO PLAY IN CHURCH. IM WRITNG MATERIAL FOR A SOLO CD. AND HELPING MY WIFE WITH HER MUSICAL PROJECTS. Whitewashed: How did the decision about your long-time vocalist David Taylor leaving the band happen and how do you feel about it? John: IT IS REALLY HARD TO REMAIN IN A WORKING BAND YEAR AFTER YEAR. IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND SACRIFICE. WITH DAVIDS GROWING FAMILY IT JUST BECAME UNREASONABLE FOR HIM TO CONTINUE ON WITH JD. THERE ARE NO REAL HARD FEELINGS. I THINK DAVID IS DISSAPOINTED THAT WE NEVER HAD A BIGGER BREAKTHROUGH WHILE HE WAS WITH US. IF WE HAD SEEN A LITTLE MORE INCOME FROM THE MUSIC, IT MIGHT HAVE CHANGED HIS DECISION. IT MIGHT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. Whitewashed: You recently found a new vocalist, Chaz Bond from Biogenesis. How does he compare to David Taylor and how has it been working with him? John: I'VE KNOWN CHAZ FOR A FEW YEARS. I MIGHT HAVE HAD A LITTLE SWAY IN HIM GETTING HIS FIRST RECORD DEAL. WE DID A STRING OF SHOWS WITH BIOGENESIS IN 01 WHILE PROMOTING "THEATER OF WAR' IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. HE IS BURSTING WITH CREATIVITY AND DRIVE SO WORKING IN TWO BANDS IS WHAT HE NEEDS TO FEEL LIKE HE IS DOING SOMETHING USEFULL WITH HIS TALENT. AFTER DAVID LEFT I TOOK OVER VOCALS FOR THE BAND IN THE INTERM. IT MADE WRITING FOR THIS CD GO PRETTY SMOOTH BUT ALSO WAS OBVIOUS AFTER ONE GIG THAT I COULDNT SING AND PLAY GUITAR, SO WE WERE STILL SEARCHING FOR A VOCALIST. EVERYONE WHO HAS SEEN DAVID AND CHAZ PERFORM SAYS HE IS THE PERFECT REPLACEMENT. HE HAS ALL THE PASSION AND POWER DAVID HAD PLUS HES AN AMAZING FRONT MAN. HES VERY COMFORTABLE ON STAGE. HIS PITCH IS AMAZINGLY STEADY WHICH REALLY HELPS OUT JON AND I SINGING BACK UP VOCALS. Whitewashed: You are currently working on a new album. How are things progressing with it and when will it be released? John: WE ARE TRYING TO GET ALL THE DUCKS IN A ROW. I THINK WE HAVE SETLED ON THE MONTH OF MAY TO START. OUR ENGINEER SHOULD BE AVAILABLE BY THEN. THE ACTUAL RELEASE DATE IS NOT OUR DECISION. I HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE LABEL WILL RELEASE IT. Whitewashed: How will The Drama of Ages compared to your previous albums? John: I THINK IT BUILDS ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PAST BUT REALLY EXCEEDS THEM. MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT WHEN THEY LISTEN TO THE FIRST TWO CDS END TO END, IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE TERIFIC CD. SO I THINK WITH HAVE THE THE ADAVANTAGE OF TIME TO WORK OUT THIS MATERIAL AND THE ABUNDANCE OF TRACKS, PROBABLY 12, MAYBE MORE. THIS SHOULD TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Whitewashed: How do you feel about the current lineup of Jacobs Dream? John: STRONGEST YET. GOD WILLING WE KEEP IT TOGETHER FOR A FEW MORE CDS, I HAVE NO DOUBT WE WILL PRODUCE SOME AMAZING WORK WITH CHAZ. Whitewashed: Once the new album is out, will Jacons Dream hit the road again? John: WR ARE HITTING THE ROAD THIS SUMMER (MOSTLY FESTIVALS) WITH OR WITHOUT THE CD. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A NEW PRODUCT TO SELL OUT THERE BUT WE CANT WAIT AROUND ON THE LABEL. WHO KNOWS MAYBE WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER INDIE OUT THIS YEAR AS WELL. Whitewashed: Which bands would you prefer to tour with and why? John: WE ARE EASY TO GET ALONG WITH BUT I PREFER TO WORK WITH EXPERIENCED BANDS. WE SOUND QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN MOST AMERICANS BANDS WE PLAY WITH AND GO OVER WELL WITH CROWDS, OFTEN BETTER THAN WELL KNOWN BANDS. THERE CAN BE SOME RESENTMENT ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF THE COMPETETIVE NATURE OF AMERICAN BANDS. WE HAD SOME YOUNGER GUYS CALL US THE "MULLET BAND" AND THEN APOLOGIZE HOPING WE WOULDNT BEAT THEM UP! (TOO FUNNY!) I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON A BILL WITH ROB ROCK OR ICED EARTH SOMETIME. THAT SEEMS LKE IT WOULD BE AN AWESOME SET. Whitewashed: What does the future look like for Jacobs Dream, what kind of visions you have? John: HARD TO SAY. IT WAS ALONG HELD DREAM OF MINE JUST TO TOUR EUROPE. THAT HAVNG BEEN DONE, ID JUST LIKE TO KEEP GOING A WHILE LONGER, SEE A LITLE BREAKTHROUGH IN TO THE MAINSTREAM, IF NOT JUST FOR US BUT FOR CLASSIC METAL IN GENERAL. ID LIKE TO LIVE TO SEE THE DEATH OF HIPHOP. Whitewashed: Anything you would like to say to our readers? John: THANKS FOLKS. FROM ONE METAL FAN TO ANOTHER, STAY TRUE! http://www.truemetal.org/jacobsdream http://www.jacobsdream.de 
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