Heaven's Basement // Interview with Jonny Rocker
Interview by: Mary Evans (via email October 2008) Photographs: Mary Evans
Hi Jonny… How are you today?
I am doing great thanks. So far it's been a good day!
For those that are as yet unfamiliar with Heaven's Basement could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little about the band?
Well I'm the rhythm guitar player in the band, there's four other guys ... Richie is the singer, Sid plays lead guitar, Rob is the bass player and Chris plays the pots and pans. We've been together as Heaven's Basement since April this year and we're on an endless mission to fire you up, kick your ass and take names.
Whilst some might think you're a new band, in reality you're not really as you have all previously worked together under the names Hurricane Party and Roadstar… even so, does this feel like a proper fresh start for you all?
It completely feels like a fresh start. Despite the fact that we'd played together before, this feels like a new band in every way. New music, new sound, new guitar player (Sid) and more importantly, a new found love of being in a band. When we went our separate ways after Roadstar finished we didn't really have any intention of doing something else together, it had become hard work and no fun being in the band. Obviously it must have crossed all our minds but it certainly wasn't something we was planning to do straight away. We were still hanging out over the summer and met up whenever there was a decent party to go to and I think over time we all just realised that we were missing playing together. When we did start writing and jamming again we were doing it because we wanted to and everything that was wrong before had disappeared.
What did you all get up to during the break?
I spent a few months working with my friend in his studio which was cool, it was kind of frustrating at the same time though. I wasn't ready to stop being in a band at that point, I felt like I hadn't actually had my chance yet because all the time we were in Roadstar it didn't feel like we'd ever got out of the starting blocks. I knew I wanted to start writing again and was talking to one of my friends and his dad about it, his dad owns a printing factory about five minutes from my house and he basically made up a job for me so I could use it when it was empty to write songs. "Nightwatchman" was my official title although I didn't actually have to do anything, I went there at seven in the evening with my acoustic and played until seven in the morning. It was the easiest and most productive job i've ever had ... .quite a few of the ideas that came from those nights ended up becoming Heaven's Basement songs.
How have things changed since the 'old' days?
I think the main thing that's changed is our attitude towards what we're doing. I mentioned before that we didn't feel like we ever got out of the starting blocks in the 'old' days ... because of the deal we were in at the time we didn't really have any control over the way we worked and we were kind of waiting for someone to help us rather than helping ourselves. Nowadays we do what we want and what we think is right. I think it's very important to be in charge of your own destiny and since we've done that we've noticed the difference in a big way.
You're currently out on tour… what's it like touring after such a break?
It's been awesome, we spent about four or five months holed up in a rehearsal room writing, recording and getting a good live set together before we played any shows so we were unsure of how well we'd go down or how people would react to the new material. We couldn't have asked for a better response though, it seems a lot of the people who were into us before have noticed the step forward we've taken and are as excited as we are about everything.
Are you all enjoying yourselves?
We're having a ridiculously good time at the moment. We all get on really well together so being on tour is insane!
Have you found that a lot of your old fans have been turning up to the gigs?
Yeah, it's been good to see so many familiar faces at the shows and it's nice to catch up with everyone too. Like I said before, people who were into our old bands have been to see Heaven's Basement and told us they can see the difference with what we're doing now. We've all grown as individuals as much as we've grown as a band so we have more experiences to draw upon when we're looking for inspiration.
You've recently opened for Bon Jovi, played at the Bloodstock festival and have been confirmed for Hard Rock Hell and also a tour with Thunder! How does it feel knowing you've got all this lined up and still haven't got an album out at the moment?
It feels pretty good to be honest ... but we feel like we've earned it. We've worked really hard at this, we practice and write together every day we're not on tour and we're doing everything we can to be the best band we can be.
Leading on from that, how is the writing / recording going and when can we expect to see a release?
It's going really well, we've written a lot of material so far but we're not in a massive rush to record an album straight away. We have a pretty full schedule of touring between now and Christmas. We'll start thinking about an album in the new year.
Who are the main writers for the band?
All five of us are involved in every song.
Can you describe the songwriting process?
That's a hard one because it happens slightly differently everytime ... some songs have come from just the five of us jamming in a room, other times one of us will have a complete song with lyrics and melodies ... but some songs just happen, they're the best ones. You can be sitting down with a guitar and five minutes later you've written a song ... most of the time when that happens its a great song. I remember me and Richie were driving back from Sid's one evening and he said to me "i've got this idea, there's not really any lyrics though it's just a melody" so he sang it to me and I thought it was brilliant. I got him to sing it into my phone and when i got home I got out the acoustic and played along to the recording. It took about ten minutes to work out the chords and arrangement and that was it. It was done. I didn't change one thing ... .that became Sacrifice.
If you could collaborate anyone who would it be and why?
At the moment we're looking for the right producer to record our debut album, we're very conscious about finding the right guy for us. We know that if we choose carefully and find someone who's on our wavelength and knows what we're trying to do musically we'll be able to make a great album. I'm not really interested in doing a duet with anyone for the time being ... maybe later!
What would you say influences you most as a band?
It's different for each of us, I think Richie is influenced by his past and the feelings he knows well, more than anything. When he writes lyrics I get the impression they come from pretty deep down and they always seem to have a sharp edge. I tend to be influenced by the people and things around me in the present ... more like a diary entry than an excavation!
The internet seems to be a bit of a mixed blessing for bands these days… on the one hand there are times when you have to fight against illegal downloading but on the other hand there are more opportunities for promotion and accessibility than ever before… how important do you feel the internet is in the music industry today?
I think it's extremely important, I wouldn't have done this interview for a start without the internet. Obviously like you said, it's a mixed blessing ... for a band starting out it's invaluable, being able to share your music with someone halfway across the world is a beautiful thing ... but having someone 'steal it' when you're trying to make a living is another thing. To be honest, I don't get why people in bands moan about it though. It's here, you might as well embrace it ... you know, things change and move forward and you've got to be ready to move with them. I think the more intelligent bands find ways to exploit the internet more than it can exploit you.
I've noticed that alongside the band website and myspace site, most of you have your own individual myspace sites… how important do you feel it is to connect with your fans on this level?
I think it's great to be able to chat to the people who enjoy your music. I'm the biggest music fan I know so when people write cool stuff about Heaven's Basement I think about what I feel about bands Ilove. There's not a day that goes by that I don't get a message saying something positive about what we do. It's always a nice feeling to know that there's people who understand what you're trying to say and feel the same way. I've made some very good friends through music.
Can you describe the others in a few words?
Richie: Singer (self-explanatory)
Sid: Noise, Energy, Hairspray, Jagermeister
Chris: Drums, Food, Manchester United.
Rob: Do, Not, Let, Him, Drive.
And finally, yourself? Cool, Sophisticated, Good looking, Multi-talented, Liar.
Have you always wanted to be a musician?
Ever since I realised what music could do to me.
At what point did you realise you wanted to be a guitarist?
I can't remember the exact moment when it was, I think it was a combination of a lot of different things. I would have been about 11 or 12 at the time and my cousin, who was a bit older than me, had a guitar. Whenever I went round there he'd show me songs that he'd learnt to play and we'd also listen to the new records he'd bought. He played me a lot of albums that i still love today, bands like Pearl Jam, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins and also stuff like Fugazi and Black Flag. At around the same time I'd met a new group of friends at school who were into the same bands that I was getting into and we'd talk about starting a band together. We were all really into Guns'n'Roses and I think someone must have lent me a video which blew my mind and that was the final inspiration I needed. I do know one thing for sure though, since the day that I did decide that being a guitar player in a rock band was what I wanted to do. i've never once questioned it.
Who or what inspires you the most?
The people I know, the people I meet in life ... just being alive is reason enough to be inspired. I hear so many people moaning and whining about things that mean f*** all and I think you're alive why not live? If the world imploded tomorrow, which let's be fair is not a complete impossiblity judging by the amount of lunatics there are in charge. I want to know that I never stopped moving and wasn't scared of anything. It's our experiences that make us individuals ... I heard Richie say this once onstage which I thought was perfect ... "It's the scars that make us beautiful". He's not wrong.
What is the best part about being in a band?
Being on tour. No questions ... .we have such a good time all the time! When we're working on the music and writing it can get pretty intense. You know being an artist means you have to question yourself all the time so it can be hard sometimes but once we get on the road we make sure we enjoy every minute of it. I always say we do a nine to five job but we start at 9pm! haha
And the worst?
Missing your friends and family while you're away. I'm not really home a lot so I always enjoy it when I am back for a few days.
Favourite gig you've been to?
Oasis, Knebworth, 1996. Biggest party I've ever been to.
Favourite gig you've played?
We played a gig at Grand Central in Manchester a few weeks after the Bon Jovi show we did there. It was packed out with a crowd that just wanted to have a good time. Probably the most fun I've ever had onstage, it was hot and the energy between us and the crowd was perfect. There's been a lot of great gigs since we started but that was just one I really remember for some reason.
Most bizarre gig you've played?
Before we told everyone about the band we played a couple of gigs under assumed names to test out the new material and get used to playing the songs live. we did one show as 'Thunderdonkey' and one as 'My Massive Pony'. Obviously because we didn't tell anyone about them, there weren't many people there! It wasn't exactly one man and his dog but it was pretty close!
What is the one thing you can't live without while you're on tour?
My guitar.
Top five albums of all time?
Jesus! That is a tough one. ... this is the sort of answer that will be different every time! It really depends on my mood but here goes, in no particular order ...
The Who - Who's Next
Favourite band?
I can't possibly narrow that down to one answer! My brain doesn't work like that! haha. I'll give you a top ten of the moment if that's cool?
Pearl Jam The Who
Have you, or any of the others, ever experienced any bizarre fan behaviour… and if so, can you share with us what that was?
We have a really good army of supporters who we feel really close to so I'd never say anything bad about any of them. Although most of the people that come to see us are completely bizarre and strange and I'm sure they'd be the first ones to admit it! Haha!
Do you have a message for your fans?
Yeah, we know a lot of people are waiting for us to release an album but I just want to say ... sit tight, it's on it's way and we promise it'll be worth the wait. Thanks for all your support. We really appreciate it!
Well, I shall leave you in peace now… but before I go I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview for us! Here at musicxtra we hope the tour continues to go well and wish you all the best with the release of the new EP / album!
Thank you. It's a pleasure.
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