Can you speak more about the struggles of being an independent band without much in the way of publicity?
The greatest struggles that Jerseyband faces as a do-it-yourself independent band is securing radio play, news and magazine articles, and getting promoters/venue owners interested in taking a chance with our music. The hardest thing to convey via the phone, e-mail, or telepathy is that this band is ridiculously tight and awesome live.
We surpass the majority of DIY bands out there in terms of musicianship and excellence at what we do. How do you get that across to someone that you don’t know? They have take a leap of faith on your word or just go to the show and witness. If they come to a Jerseyband show, they will understand fully.
What types of crowds fit best for a Jerseyband show? Metal dudes? Jazz regulars? Weirdo hipsters?
All of the above and then some. We’ve had octogenarians, gays, lesbians, drunks, hippies, all races, a lot of musicians, composers, pharmaceutical entrepreneurs, prog heads, university students, high-school students, snake-oil salesmen, baby boomers, etc. — basically, anyone who actually listens to music. I mean really listens.
Any audience that reacts to what the music is doing and not to what the guy next to them is doing. You can tell that an audience is really listening when during those brief moments of silence in the midst of a song, no one is blabbering. It is a totally awesome feeling for me.
Don’t get me wrong…I like people to party and enjoy themselves at Jerseyband shows, but when that silence happens, it is a form of a compliment to us straight from the audience. And there is nothing quite like that in the world of humans relating to humans.
The same goes for when people scream at us too, like when something totally bombastic happens in the music and the audience takes a big collective dump in their collective pants and they say, “AAAAAAHHHHHWWWWGGGGG!!!!” That’s the kind of audience you find at Jerseyband shows.
I’ve never seen you play in person. If I went to a Jerseyband show, what might I expect in the way of performance, wacky costumes, and cross-dressing?
Yes to wacky costumes and cross-dressing. Our performance wardrobe philosophy runs along the lines of this: we are performing for the listeners, who are supposed to wear normal clothes. Therefore there should be some sort of visual demarcation that sends a message that we have dressed up for you, the audience.
In a sense, it is our way of thanking the audience for being here to listen to our music and showing respect. It says that we took the time to think about what we were going to wear for you. In addition to this ridiculous music, you get some ridiculous garb. Awesome.
– Scott Morrow
Jerseyband: www.myspace.com/jerseyband