articles
The Draft: Interview with Jason Black
from volume 01 issue 11 // Tony Cheslock
The Draft
Interview with Jason Black
Words: Tony Cheslock
Photos: Courtesy of Epitaph Records
Recently Tony Cheslock, Reax magazine cub reporter, took time away from leaping between the tops of mighty oak trees, and seized the opportunity to interview Jason Black of The Draft. For those of you who don't know the likes of this band, where the hell have you been? From the ashes of the mighty Hot Water Music, now rise The Draft. Let's take a closer look.
REAX: How long after Chuck decided to leave Hot Water Music did you George and Chris decide to get started on the Draft? You guys obviously still have the thirst for creating new music.
Jason Black: Well, we were already writing material when Chuck made the decision to stop touring. We weren't sure if the songs were going to end up being for Hot Water Music, something new, or if they'd see the light of day at all. So, yes, the thirst was never the issue. The issue was, "Do we want to start over and make a whole new mess?" We all felt like we had a more to say musically, and we all still really enjoy travelling and playing live, so we jumped back in. So far, so good.
REAX: While there seems to be some strings connected to the sound that was Hot Water Music, the Draft is definitely a departure, in terms of sound. What influences the band and the direction you guys are taking?
JB: Chris, George and I have been playing together since before HWM, so we definitely have a bit of style that the three of us tend to gravitate towards when we're writing together. It's just the natural direction things take when we're working with each other. Keep in mind, we had the skeletons of the majority of songs on the album up and running when Todd joined up, so we haven't really had a chance to write with him and have him bring his material to the table. If I had to hedge my bets, this next record will probably see things not even hinted at on In A Million Pieces.
REAX: Does Todd "Wonderboy" Rockhill have super powers?
JB: He does, yes. Todd can command lightning to strike down any tree he desires. Todd then crafts his guitars--or "axes," as we call them--from these trees.
REAX: Do you have any crazy tour stories thus far, anything really sketchy happen to you? Have you been chased by any shotgun wielding farmers?
JB: The craziest or funniest or weirdest things that happen on tour are hard to explain, because they're usually only entertaining to us. Touring bands and touring people have a very specific, exclusive sense of humor that just doesn't transfer well to people who don't share that lifestyle. For example, if I'm talking to someone in another band, I can relay an anecdote about how, inexplicably, there were actually no dicks drawn on the wall in a certain backstage room. That's not really funny in the first place, but if you tell someone else who tours that you found a backstage with no dicks on the wall, they'll get it. Normal people won't, and that's their advantage over us.
REAX: Your newest album 'In A Million Pieces' came out last September. How has the process of putting this animal together treated you so far?
JB: It's been fun and hard. It's nice to not have to rely on the band for everything under the sun. We all work as much as we can at home, which takes some pressure off of the "success" of the band and record. It also limits how long we're all willing to tour, but it's been really refreshing to have fun and to not have all of these expectations and preconceived notions surrounding something. It's pretty liberating, to be honest.
REAX: The Draft seems to maintain a pretty good handle on artistic expression, as far as album art goes. Who did the art for the album cover? Are there any themes in the album art that carry through to the music on the record?
JB: A Tampa boy named Chris Norris did the art for the album, quite a few of our shirts, and for the upcoming EP we're releasing. Chris was in Combat Wounded Veteran, among other Tampa rock outfits. Our theme is to not have one, I'd say. We're just doing what comes naturally and having as much fun doing it as we possibly can.
Interview with Jason Black
Words: Tony Cheslock
Photos: Courtesy of Epitaph Records
Recently Tony Cheslock, Reax magazine cub reporter, took time away from leaping between the tops of mighty oak trees, and seized the opportunity to interview Jason Black of The Draft. For those of you who don't know the likes of this band, where the hell have you been? From the ashes of the mighty Hot Water Music, now rise The Draft. Let's take a closer look.
REAX: How long after Chuck decided to leave Hot Water Music did you George and Chris decide to get started on the Draft? You guys obviously still have the thirst for creating new music.
Jason Black: Well, we were already writing material when Chuck made the decision to stop touring. We weren't sure if the songs were going to end up being for Hot Water Music, something new, or if they'd see the light of day at all. So, yes, the thirst was never the issue. The issue was, "Do we want to start over and make a whole new mess?" We all felt like we had a more to say musically, and we all still really enjoy travelling and playing live, so we jumped back in. So far, so good.
REAX: While there seems to be some strings connected to the sound that was Hot Water Music, the Draft is definitely a departure, in terms of sound. What influences the band and the direction you guys are taking?
JB: Chris, George and I have been playing together since before HWM, so we definitely have a bit of style that the three of us tend to gravitate towards when we're writing together. It's just the natural direction things take when we're working with each other. Keep in mind, we had the skeletons of the majority of songs on the album up and running when Todd joined up, so we haven't really had a chance to write with him and have him bring his material to the table. If I had to hedge my bets, this next record will probably see things not even hinted at on In A Million Pieces.
REAX: Does Todd "Wonderboy" Rockhill have super powers?
JB: He does, yes. Todd can command lightning to strike down any tree he desires. Todd then crafts his guitars--or "axes," as we call them--from these trees.
REAX: Do you have any crazy tour stories thus far, anything really sketchy happen to you? Have you been chased by any shotgun wielding farmers?
JB: The craziest or funniest or weirdest things that happen on tour are hard to explain, because they're usually only entertaining to us. Touring bands and touring people have a very specific, exclusive sense of humor that just doesn't transfer well to people who don't share that lifestyle. For example, if I'm talking to someone in another band, I can relay an anecdote about how, inexplicably, there were actually no dicks drawn on the wall in a certain backstage room. That's not really funny in the first place, but if you tell someone else who tours that you found a backstage with no dicks on the wall, they'll get it. Normal people won't, and that's their advantage over us.
REAX: Your newest album 'In A Million Pieces' came out last September. How has the process of putting this animal together treated you so far?
JB: It's been fun and hard. It's nice to not have to rely on the band for everything under the sun. We all work as much as we can at home, which takes some pressure off of the "success" of the band and record. It also limits how long we're all willing to tour, but it's been really refreshing to have fun and to not have all of these expectations and preconceived notions surrounding something. It's pretty liberating, to be honest.
REAX: The Draft seems to maintain a pretty good handle on artistic expression, as far as album art goes. Who did the art for the album cover? Are there any themes in the album art that carry through to the music on the record?
JB: A Tampa boy named Chris Norris did the art for the album, quite a few of our shirts, and for the upcoming EP we're releasing. Chris was in Combat Wounded Veteran, among other Tampa rock outfits. Our theme is to not have one, I'd say. We're just doing what comes naturally and having as much fun doing it as we possibly can.
Add a comment...
more from this issue
