Soup J5 has worked hard for what he has become in life. Very Hard. You can easily see the fruits of his labor in the form of Jurassic 5. But maintaining is just as hard as achieving. And Soup proves that he can do that just as well with his solo effort, ‘Still In Fullee Love’. The EP is stellar. But that’s just the beginning. He also has a full-length album titled ‘Free, White & 21’ waiting in the wings.
In this interview, we get a grip on how Soup began his career as well as how he continues to stay so original in today’s music world. It’s a hard feat but, as you can hear with his new single ‘All Around The World’, Soup’s talents are eternal. Enjoy!
LINKS:
https://soupj5.com
http://www.facebook.com/soupj5
http://twitter.com/jurassic5soup
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An Interview with January Jane
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Mitch C. Mitchell and Pat Via from BMG artists January Jane. I’ll start this off with a simple truth. These are the types of artists I love to interview. Not only are they living their dream as major label artists. They made it happen on their own terms. And not only that, they seem to be a tight knit family that deserves to be where they are. Mitch and Pat are totally cool. Fame has not phased them whatsoever. I get the feeling they have the same friends and dreams they had when they first started out. Those aren’t always the types of artists who make it big, but they are almost always the ones that stay big. They are the ones their fans love not only for the music but for their character. And that’s where ‘love’ turns into ‘in love’.
And today we get to talk with Mitch and Pat about their new EP ‘Your Drug’ (review below) as well as their thoughts on music, their music, and where they are taking it. This is more of a good conversation than an interview, and that’s how you get to know good people. Enjoy!
About January Jane
“The story of January Jane is so absurd – but then, everything about being in the music business is absurd,” says January Jane guitarist Mitch C. Mitchell with a laugh.
He’s correct: January Jane has taken an unusual path so far – but this strategy seems to have worked, because BMG is set to release the band’s much-anticipated EP, Your Drug, on September 17, 2021. Every track is ridiculously catchy, overflowing with melodies that are at once smooth yet highly textured, seamlessly blended with unapologetically emotional lyrics.
It’s an exhilarating moment for the band as they take a brief pause for reflection as they prepare for the whirlwind ahead. As lead vocalist and lyricist Pat Via says, “We feel like we’re at this jumping off point right now. We’re ready: we hope that we’ll soon be overwhelmed!” he says with a laugh.
Via writes the lyrics because he’s the one who has to deliver them in a way that will connect with fans, both in the recorded versions and in a live setting. Mitchell doesn’t mind handing over that particular duty: “If it’s a very cool lyric but it’s not from Pat’s heart, the audience will know it,” he says. Besides, Mitch, along with Peter Scialla, who joined the duo in 2014 on keyboard and piano, are busy writing the band’s music.
It’s an equitable and agreeable division of labor, and it was that way from the moment this band formed. Via and Mitchell met by chance at an art gallery opening in New York. Meeting up the next day to try to write together, they clicked so well that they had an outline for their first song sketched out in a mere 10 minutes.
This type of instant creative chemistry is extremely rare, so they immediately knew they were onto something special. In fact, January Jane has been such a revelation for both Via and Mitchell that they decline to discuss anything that came before it in their musical careers. “I don’t feel like anything that happened before this band matters,” Via says. “I’d rather talk about the story we’re writing now.”
Then, another New York City night cast its spell and delivered yet another surprise, when after wrapping up a show they were invited to a private gathering at a loft in the Meatpacking District: as they walked through the door they heard the sound of a piano rising from the center of a crowd that had gathered in a circle around the source of the music. They were immediately drawn in, and pushed their way past the pack to the grand piano in the center of the room, where they saw Peter Scialla manning the keys from within the eye of the hurricane. Peter seemed to sense their presence and looked up briefly from his keyboard, waving them over, before returning his gaze to the black and white keys in front of him. As the night progressed and they made their way through another bottle, singing and playing together to the impromptu crowd, they all realized they had found the missing piece, and Peter became part of January Jane.
With their epic songs, January Jane quickly gained a loyal fan base. One of their earliest supporters was Matt Pinfield, the DJ, journalist, television host, and all-around music industry legend. Pinfield has proven instrumental for the band: he took them under his wing and produced some of their early recordings (under the auspices of his own label, Whiskey Vinyl). Those songs, in turn, brought them to the attention of BMG, who quickly signed them. As always, when the opportunity came, January Jane’s members were prepared to grab it with both hands. As Via puts it, “It’s about staying ready for when the big lights get turned on.”
Being backed by BMG’s world-reaching might is exactly what January Jane’s members want, at this point. As Scialla explains, “We’ve put so much into this band – now we absolutely want to get it out there in a very big way.” Via agrees: “What band doesn’t want to be the biggest band in the world? When you have a label like BMG behind you, you get the opportunity to do that. Why walk when you can ride?”
“Taking this time to write and record has given us the chance to really explore creatively and find our unique sound,” says Mitchell. Also, the members understand that this type of band launch takes a long time to get ready, so they don’t mind waiting until everything is right for it.
As a primer for the music of January Jane, Your Drug is the perfect taster for what’s in store. From the cover of the Hall & Oates “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” which updates the ‘80s hit by adding a modern cinematic swirl, to the epic soar of the title track “Your Drug” whose pulsating keyboards leads you right into an escalating chorus reaching anthemic heights, the EP carries a sneaky familiarity that is immediate and enduring. The lead single “Versions of You” with its fluid melodies and hooks sinks deep, cementing their indelible and transcendent mark on the contemporary pop rock genre.
Now, with their new EP finally in sight, January Jane say they’re especially excited to support the album with a tour, because live shows have long been a strength for this band. They’ve routinely sold out shows at larger theater venues like the Gramercy Theater in New York, as well as appearing at prestigious festivals such as SXSW multiple times.
January Jane have often performed charity concerts, benefitting the Akron Children’s Hospital and The Dream Foundation, among other causes. Their most unusual benefit show, in 2018, found them headlining the October Ball, held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, with proceeds going to the Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring program.
This desire to spread love is at the heart of what January Jane has been about from the start. In fact, it is this pure love – for the music itself, and all the good it can do – that seems to ensure that January Jane’s future will stay bright. “We’ll never run out of ideas, because we love making music more than anything – every step of the way is fun,” Mitchell says. And there’s no reason to think their luck will change: “That chance meeting that Mitch and I had has somehow gotten us this far,” Via says, “and wandering into Pete’s studio in the time that followed was pure luck. We’ll just keep riding on those chances. It’s serendipitous.”
LINKS:
https://www.januaryjane.com
https://facebook.com/JanuaryJane
https://twitter.com/januaryjane
https://www.instagram.com/januaryjane
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkM7uWL6oc9-d_vj0XB_fUw
https://tiktok.com/@januaryjane
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ODcblM0A3Z5emvZK3H7R6 -
Black Needle Noise Releases ‘Seed of Evil’ Video ft. PIG a.k.a. Raymond Watts of KMFDM fame (The Week in #Indie Segment)
John Fryer, the globally recognized producer and curator of the project known as Black Needle Noise, has dropped his new video titled ‘Seed of Evil’ featuring <PIG> a.k.a. Raymond Watts of KMFDM fame. A contoured divide between the industrial overtone and gothic underpinnings, ‘Seed of Evil’ crosses that great divide into a darkly original mindset with grinding rhythm and a purely black chord progression.
The video adds to the musical mindfuck just short of epileptic orgasm designed to muse as much as it is to shock. Decadance now has a soundtrack.
‘Seed of Evil’ is out now, available digitally across online stores, such as Apple Music, and streaming platforms such as Spotify. It is also available directly from the artist via Bandcamp.
Check out our other articles about Black Needle Noise HERE.
Watch the full episode of The Week in #Indie HERE.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.ABOUT JOHN FRYER & ‘SEED OF EVIL’
John Fryer, the legendary producer, and artist in his own right unveils the latest offering from his Black Needle Noise project – the new video for ‘Seed of Evil’ with PIG, an unholy collaboration from two of the most celebrated and talented forces in industrial music.
Vocalist Raymond Watts‘ plows forth with a sinister growl over Fryer’s menacing atmospherics. The track’s foreboding lyrics speak of allowing evil to overcome one’s self.
Formed in the late 1980s, PIG has blazed quite a trail – not surprising with Raymond Watts has been a visible part of the industrial music scene as a founding member and lead singer with KMFDM through their most prolific and successful period (1984-2003), as well as Nine Inch Nails, Schaft, Schwein and Einstürzende Neubauten, among others.
Conceived and edited by Fryer and Joseph Seuferling of Psionic Broadcast, this dark and twisted visual escapade (a Psionic Broadcast and Black Needle Noise Production featuring actress Anjela Piccard) was filmed by John Fryer and Piccard (L.A.) and by PIG (London).
“Joseph Seuferling first came to my attention when I saw he had a film called ‘I Am God’ and BNN had not long just release a song with the same name. So I contacted Joseph and asked if he would like to meet next time he was in LA. Anjela & I went to meet with Joseph Seuferling at the Roosevelt Hotel and whilst we were talking, I asked him he would like to make a video for “Seed Of Evil”. He liked the song so he agreed to make a video. So Raymond shot his footage in London and Joseph got to work,” says John Fryer.
The 1st part of the video Joseph made and turned it into a trailer for the song and The World Tour Of Hollywood that Black Needle Noise was about to embark on. Joseph ran out of time to finish the video so I took over the editing to finish it. Anjela and I shot our footage here in LA and then I got to editing, making sure to keep the same style Joseph had set. Once I had finished it, I sent it to Joseph and he added some final touches. The result of all our hard work is quite amazing, even if I do say so myself.”
As one of the most innovative sonic architects of our age, “John Fryer has practically soundtracked your entire life” (Impose Magazine). His musical imprint is massive, having shaped the sound of bands from Nine Inch Nails and Cocteau Twins to HIM and Depeche Mode. He is also one of just two masterminds behind This Mortal Coil (along with Ivo Watts-Russell – not only producing but also keyboards, strings, and synthesizer sequencing).
“When John Fryer called, it was like cream was fed to my poison crop. I was thrilled to lend Satan’s little helping hand to Black Needle Noise. The result from this marriage made in hell was appropriately called ‘Seed of Evil’ … it pours out of me into the night, where the devil tries it nice and tight,” says Raymond Watts.
John Fryer adds: “After many a moon passing, we finally got to work together again. I had to find the right song for Raymond but I think we have a great noise-pop hit on our hands. It’s been a real pleasure working with Raymond on this and I can’t wait to hear it in the clubs.”
John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on the 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade and Beggars Banquet record labels, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press, and Cocteau Twins. His achievement in helping develop the latter’s pioneering ethereal and ambient sound ultimately led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil.
A sense of expectation about his music has never left him – expectations he often exceeds from release to release, having produced many groundbreaking artists along the way, including Love and Rockets, Swans, HIM, Cradle of Filth, Clan of Xymox, Nitzer Ebb, Dead Can Dance, Yaz (Yazoo), Xmal Deutschland, Fields of the Nephilim, De/Vision, Stabbing Westward and many others. Over the past two decades, John Fryer has also produced several film soundtracks, including Seven, Clerks, Johnny Mnemonic, Mortal Kombat, Faust and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
Featured image by Anjela Piccard.
CREDITS
- Music and all noises by John Fryer
- Lyrics by Raymond Watts
- Vocals by PIG
- Video shot by Anjela Piccard and John Fryer (L.A.) and by PIG (London)
- Styled by PIG, Anjela Piccard, and John Fryer
- Actress Anjela Piccard
- Concept/Editing by Joseph Seuferling & John Fryer
- A (Psionic Broadcast) & Black Needle Noise Production
LINKS:
https://www.blackneedlenoise.com
https://blackneedlenoise.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/BlackNeedleNoise
https://www.facebook.com/John.Fryer.Official
https://www.instagram.com/black_needle_noise
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTC_bNQDfUviTBDiBHYAiSg/videos
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KkYK2dnIfRb9EDrCRndB6 -
Jammerzine’s The Week In #Indie for February 12th, 2018
Exclusive interviews with international rapper Andy Cooper and former Psychedelic Furs guitarist John Ashton as well as premieres from Whiskey Moon Face, The Inoculated Canaries, Maff, The Sewer Rats, Dyr Faser, and more.