I think im going to do this every month from here on out, just like a 10 questions people send me, would be a fun project and more into my life on a music basis. so with that said, lets do this!!
Q - what got you started on all this what influenced and inspired you?
Jay - To me, I feel it got all started with the album "Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" it got me to want to record music, I did everything I could. I had a tape recorder and a boom box, what i would do is I would record a guitar part, I would then get a new tape, play the guitar part on my boom box, and I would sing into the tape recorder while the instrumental would play on the boom box next to it. Its how i recorded back then with no computer as a kid. I thought i was brilliant and would quickly make the next sgt pepper!!! has yet to happen hahaha. in terms of what got me into the drive of playing guitar, his name is Ace Frehley and hes a great player in one of my all time favorite bands, KISS ALIVE! is one of those album that would get me into that itch to do this thing for a living, I thought my playing was alright and then enter Buckethead. he got me into that "I NEED TO LEARN SO SO MUCH MORE ABOUT GUITAR!!" songwriting wise its very much Cat Stevens and OASIS inspired, mainly the Oasis album "whats the story morning glory?" that really shaped the style i write in.
Q - what are some of the songs you wrote you are looking forward to releasing sometime?
Jay - Eyes Of Tomorrow Shine is a short but nice little drive song, Cant Go Back To Here Again is another great song im very very much looking forward to. and the song Lifetime is a song I have fallen in love with since I wrote it. very excited about my future output musically!
Q - what is your favorite song to perform live??
Jay - oh man....that changes so often!! Believe In Me used to be a jam of mine way way back when, Morning Life Into The Fade is a really really fun one I really enjoy performing I get into it big time when i play it! recently its a trio of Carousel, One More Day and Childhoods Dream. I love those songs so very much!
Q - you seem to have a bit of songs that seem to be about people, care to break down some of them?
Jay - ill give a little bit of insight i suppose....The Light Forever Shines On You, For Today (used to be All for Mary) - Mary, Phoenix Child... Hazy, Glass Wings - Brittany... Cant Go Back To Here Again, Movin' On - Eva....all Im gonna say for now....
Q - what is your favorite song you have ever written??
Jay - !!!!!dammit!!!! I have to really think about this....as of right now, lyrically and vocally im gonna go with Childhoods Dream. it constantly changes though.
Q - favorite gig??
Jay - each gig as favorite moments for me....The Hard Rock Cafe gig was terrific to be on that stage and to have a huge room of people seeing me do what I do best was very thrilling for me and a night I wont ever forget. It was a great evening and probably my favorite performance of A Love Ditty ive ever done.
Q - who are some of the singers that inspire your style of singing??
Jay - Steve Perry, Axl Rose, Liam Gallagher, Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan have all held influences in my singing style.
Q - any chance of re-releasing the acoustical series of albums from 2009 - 2010??
Jay - ya know, ive thought about that and quite frankly outside of stuff ive re-recorded and put or will put on later albums, I have no intention of re-releasing those album because they honestly are not very good. they were a moment in time where I wasnt fully sure of what i was trying to do yet, and still messing with the sound on record. so basically, if you bought a volume of Acoustical from me, enjoy it you have something nobody else will have!
Q - shotgun blues album "were not emo" any shot of putting that out publicly?
Jay - I would never do it unless we all got together and agreed to put it back out there in some capacity, that band meant alot to me and im sure everybody else involved in it. If its put back out I wouldnt make the call myself I would bring it up with everybody and perhaps get us all money out of it being put out. Me, James, Kyle, Andrew and Wes worked very very hard on those songs so we should get something for them.
Q - any shot of bringing back The Bozo Song in the setlists since that got airplay on WGN??
Jay - oh....its been in a setlist! last year at the STEEL BRIDGE SONGFEST I performed that song and It went over really really great! I think part of its absence since that appearance on WGN News for it I started to become known as "that bozo guy" and I couldnt do a gig without somebody yelling out "BOZO!!" during the shows...I wanted more than to be remembered for a novelty song.
Well, this was alot of fun!! lets make this a monthly thing! until next time everybody, peace and love!
Jay Schraub