LOCKJAW

Hello and thanks for answering the interview for our blog today. We usually like to start off by asking for a brief background for the readers that might not be familiar with a particular band. Would you kindly do so?

This year celebrates LOCKJAW's 30th year of creating music. With 17 album releases on our own label Dark Drug Records. Categorized as industrial goth with influences from Sabbath to Pink Floyd to Nine Inch Nails. Our most known song is on the XBox 360 game Dead Rising called "Bored again".

The latest album is ‘Songs Of Death’ What kind of genesis did the songs have to go through before you were happy with the final product?

The initial songs come pretty fast. Both music and lyrics. The mixing on the other hand took at least 3 months of constant tweaking, changing, equing. Once I had thought it was ready to be mastered I was told the bass levels were way too loud and I pretty much needed to remix the whole album to get it to the point of my expectations. I then spend another few weeks taking drums out, adding more simple beats while focusing more on the mids and high end. And deducting lots of sub enhancing plug-ins.All the changes I made ended up making it in my mind the best LOCKJAW album to date.

Do you think that you’ll adopt a release plan that is perhaps less full-length albums and more singles, remixes and Eps?

This is the first LOCKJAW full-length album in 10 years. The last 6 maybe, were all eps. This time I wanted to make a clearer statement in the way albums I grew up with did. By having more songs. Though in the future I may go back to releasing singles and eps. For sure the single approach when that recording time comes around again.

Scenario: You are stranded on some island but you had the capability to put a flash drive with three of your most important songs into a sealed bottle and send it out to the world. These are songs that mean the most to you and best represent your legacy. What are they and why did you choose them?

"Bored Again" because it is our biggest hit and most known so it may have that it appeal that I didn't realize when writing it 20 years ago. "Down The Hall" which is one of the mellowest LOCKJAW songs with primarily acostic guitars, verses the usual approach of industrial metal. The video for this song gives it even more of the vibe that I associate it with. almost a musical reflection of the outdoors type vibe that would maybe appeal to a larger demograph. Lastly "Annihilove" that was inspired by my now wife and captures an essence of love and aknowledging that deeper things always exist and will give us reason to live and love.

Are your songs created in pretty much the same way in every case? Do you have to be in particular locations or moods to be inspired?

The music is generally created in my studio with an initial programmed beat and synth line. And often the lyrics will just come as im creating the music. But occasionally I will have a riff first. Lately and on the last few releases the lyrics seem to come to me when I'm walking my dogs or out on a lake fishing. My creative juices seem to flow the best when I'm out surrounded by the beauty of nature..

Could you give us some insight into your studio, your “tools of the trade” so to speak? How much is hardware/physical instruments and how much is based on softsynths and the like?

Many of the beats are programmed in FLStudio with Battery 3 and some occasional break beat drum loops. Depending on the album. Some are 50/50 live and programmed while others go all live. I play most of the synths on a micro korg that has defined a part of LOCKJAW's earlier sound. A portion is programmed. Guitars and bass are all live. Sometimes some synth bass is also in the mixes. I record my vocals in a bigger studio (Cherry Pit Studios) with Eric LaBrosse and he does the initial vocal mixing and editing. My band record their tracks at their home studios and send them to me and I do my magic and ala kazam!

Some artists often engage in certain rituals when composing in the certain studio or before performing. Ex: They may like to have certain items around, They may do certain pre-show preparation, They may do things like meditation. Are there any particular rituals you do before writing or performing?

I try to mediatate and or do some yoga the day of shows. Our practice studio is practically an alter to this band and all the things I love and do. I believe it all creates an energy of inspiration. So I just try to keep my environment artistically/visually inspiring. I often partake in the green to help relax before I perform. I get very restless.

Some artists have resorted to using AI for the likes of cover art and even videos.

What’s your feeling on that? Do you think that it’s already gotten out of control and maybe is an excuse for lack of creativity? Or do you think people are still inserting a bit of human/organic quality into what’s being produced?

I don't think there is anything good related to AI created art. It is a cheap road for those that don't have the talent to create while adding a level of competition to those that don't use it. If it isn't eventually controlled in some manner then much like the movie Terminator, I believe it will lead to the end. If not the world then for artists ever being able to maintain a competitive level with an intelligence that can steal from and write better, with access to a world and time data base of prerecorded music.

What do you anticipate for the coming months? Side projects, shows, more releases?

LOCKJAW has upcoming shows in Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison in the next few months. Working with some sync libraries and hoping to get some hits. Mainly promoting and getting more exposure for "Songs of Death". By far the best album I have released and I just hope it gets to some ears and people realize that LOCKJAW is a force and a staple in the Industrial Goth genre.

Thanks for your time and questions

~Medavon DeRaj'e(frontman/song writer)

William ZIMMERMAN
16/07/2024