After speaking to Alex Carli, Re:O’s guitarist last week, today we want to introduce our readers to the band’s beating heart, drummer Jay Stevens. Jay is known for being a real machine behind the kit – his powerful drumming is the foundation of Re:O’s melodic yet heavy sound. We sat Jay down in the hot seat to discuss everything from his love for the 80’s and 90’s bands, his drum heroes, his kits, cymbals to cover bands, AI and the future of music itself. The band is currently on tour with shows booked for gigs in Bristol (Everywhere At Once Festival, Fleece on 28th of June), New Rock Festival (London), Hyper Japan (London), Birmingham, Southampton and others. The band has some amazing news ready to be announced but they cannot do it just yet, so please keep your eyes open for an announcement coming very soon! This one is a bomb, believe us!
You are the one banging the drums in the band. Please introduce yourself to the readers of Indieterria.
Jay Stevens: Hey everyone! I’m Jay the Drummer for RE:O
We heard that your previous band – The Final Case of Tacitus had a nickname for you – “Terminator” due to your heavy style of playing. It’s such a great name. Is there any story behind it?
Jay Stevens: Haha, no I unfortunately can’t remember if there is any story behind this nickname to be truly honest with you. In saying that, and thinking about it now, it must have been that I did crack a good few cymbals now and then. Sometimes, in the sound checks, I also play the “Terminator” theme song, so… (laughing).
We would like you to take us to the very beginning. How did you meet other members of RE:O? Do you remember the moment when you made that conscious decision to grab instruments and lock yourself in the rehearsal room together?
Jay Stevens: I think it was around 5 or 6 months after The Final Case of Tacitus split up. I was looking if bands in the local area were seeking a drummer when I came across RE:O. I think it was on the Join My Band Facebook page or something similar, and we just exchanged messages. They sent me some audio files of their songs to practise. They must have liked me enough to request a date in the studio. I remember getting there and I think they had about seven other drummers come in throughout the evening.
I especially remember my audition time was coming to an end when another person started banging on the door wanting to come in. So we passed our pleasantries, I left and the other guy came in. I was thinking to myself that it went about as well as I would have imagined it to have gone. And as always in those situations, you hear: “don’t call us, we will call you if you’ve made it through” and so on. So I got home, sent them a message to thank them for their time and look forward to hearing from them, when Rio responded by saying something along the lines of “thanks for your time and we will let you know”. It turned out to not be that long as during that same conversation, maybe ten seconds later, they asked me if I would like to join the band ha ha!
Endless touring can have an effect on the best of friends and the best of bands. Do you have any sort of pre-gig ritual that helps you to get through adrenaline rushes before hitting the stage? How do you prepare for shows?
Jay Stevens: I don’t think I have any pre-show jitters anymore. I’ve played in front of numerous people, whether it’s small venues or big festivals to thousands of spectators. But I take a moment for myself before a gig. Stretching is always a must and just generally drinking plenty of fluids. But not too much before you go on stage.
For drummers, hydration is always the key. And the golden rule is don’t drink too much alcohol or in fact, none before a set. Been there, done that once in my youth as a guitarist and a singer and it was not a pretty outcome. So like with everything in life, we learn from our experiences and we adapt to move on and know what not to do again!
What`s your drum set up and what is the sound you are after. Feel free to describe your kit to the last snare drum and the brand of sticks that you prefer.
Jay Stevens: Unlike most drummers, my kit set up is pretty unique. I have brought almost everything individually. So, it’s kind of a hybrid Pearl Acoustic. I like my sound deep.
My rack toms are 10 and 12 inches and I run two floor toms: 14×16 and 16×16 inches. My kick drum is 18×22 inches. In regards to snares, I typically run between 2 different ones depending on my tunings and my mood. At the moment I have a Tama 14×6 Steel series but, as like most drummers, I do have a few different snares. We recorded recently with a Sonor 10×12 jungle snare which sounded really cool! My main aim is to incorporate my electric kit as well into my acoustic kit, making it a full hybrid kit. This has been done, but not yet appeared on stage due to the size of the venues that we have played at and the time it takes to actually set it all up as well.
In regards to cymbals, I used to play Sabian, but now have started to use Meinl Cymbals, which are slightly darker and have a really nice sound. I like my cymbals too much actually. Having the full set up does take quite some time when you have 17 different sized cymbals lol.
And when it comes to the sticks, I am currently endorsed by Collision drumsticks and I have always been a 5A size player.
Describe your drum playing style?
Jay Stevens: I guess my drumming style is a mixture of lots of different genres. I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, so I was brought up with bands like AC/DC, Guns & Roses, Metallica, Nirvana or The Offspring. A lot of my first songs I learnt to play were based on those bands and that era. Then I incorporated drum and bass and a little bit of garage. I also sometimes throw some Chilli Peppers into the mix as well – it’s very hard to accurately describe my style.
I never had any formal lessons or anything like that. I first started playing an instrument when I was about 11. I played guitar and traded guitar lessons with my friend, who was taking drums lessons. He wanted to learn guitar, but his parents said no, and I wanted to learn how to play the drums and my parents said no, so we just kind of switched our curriculum at school!
Few years ago you actually went through the whole process of building a drum kit, which is time consuming and requires a lot of knowledge. Do you have any tips for those who are thinking of going full DIY?
Jay Stevens: So, I didn’t actually build my own drum kit. What I did was, I completely reskinned my drums – it takes a lot of time to prepare and actually do it. I used Google to learn how to do it properly and the way I wanted it to look like. After I did my customization, I have added a nice finish to my shells. There are a lot of different manufacturers now out there offering wrapping that you can go for and be as creative as possible. At one point, I was looking at maybe even changing the whole shells to anime vinyl wrap, but decided against it due to the cost, but definitely would recommend it to anybody that wants to have a fresh looking drum kit.
Cymbals breaking and foot pedals not working properly – it is every drummer`s nightmare and happens more times than a guitar string going bust. Have you ever used a product that was so faulty that you had to give up and change a brand?
Jay Stevens: No, I think I have been very lucky so far! I’ve had cymbals break on me, but I’ve had my current ones for quite some years and they stood the test of time and the amount of abuse that I give them. Actually, it wouldn’t surprise me that they would crack haha.
Besides RE:O, you are also a member of an established cover band (Chocolate Starfish). Tribute bands’ market is huge and one of most rapidly developing parts of the music business, with their own festivals, club tours and dedicated audiences. Even signed musicians turn to cover bands for extra profit. In your opinion – is it just nostalgia or is there more to the circuit than trying to relive one`s youth?
Jay Stevens: Haha, it’s a very good question! I think it’s a mixture of a few different factors but nostalgia is definitely one of them – 100%.
I was a massive, massive fan of the new metal scene when I was growing up. So yeah, bands like Limp Biscuit will always resonate with me. Having the opportunity to play in a covers band such as Chocolate Starfish and seeing the crowds enjoy the music, whether it’s in a small venue or at festivals, it always puts a big smile on my face. And it’s great to see different age groups appreciating the music. Obviously, sometimes when we’re playing the rudder stuff at festivals, we have to adapt to make it more family friendly. But most of the time we get feedback from the younger generations “Ah, you shouldn’t have changed the lyrics, don’t hold back”. But again, you just never know, and we want to please everybody. We want to make sure everyone’s having a really good time. And that’s what it’s all about.
What slightly frustrates me is that venues nowadays lean more towards hiring cover bands. It provides a guaranteed income and most venues and promoters seem not to want to deal with the risk of hiring original bands. Then bands don’t make the money, which again has a massive knock on effect to artists like ourselves that are trying to get out there, play different shows in the UK and abroad. Sadly, it always seems to be that money factor, can you guarantee x amount of sales? If you are a band from outside of a specific region, promoters view you in a negative light. So in that respect, it is kind of a sad thing that the industry is now leaning more towards that.
We cannot miss out a question about your own personal heroes. Who are the drummers that inspire you?
Jay Stevens: Ok, I guess it would be rude to not start off with Dave Grohl and Chad Smith. Then I’d name II from Sleep Token, John Bonham, Buddy Rich, John “JR” Robinson and Taylor Hawkins.
Drum kits are usually the hardest to pack after the show. Some drummers like to travel light and keep their kit to the minimum, others prefer to play with full artillery. Where do you place yourself as a touring musician? And there is also a question of assistance after the show. Are the guys and gals in RE:O helping out or do they leave you to do the heavy lifting yourself?
Jay Stevens: Haha, ok so as a touring musician, the size of a drum kit really does depend on the venue and stage size. I would love to use my full kit but most of the time that is just not possible. I usually use half of the standard kit with bass drum (kick), snare and few cymbals.
In regards to packing after a show, the guys and the girl from RE:O are great. They help me pack up my stuff and assist me with getting things out to the car, which is more than the other guys from Chocolate Starfish do, lol!
Last question – in your opinion, what lies ahead for the music business and those on the indie circuit? Less revenues due to AI or rather a breakthrough after years of mis-investment that will bring better access to opportunities and equal treatment for new artists?
Jay Stevens: Sadly, I do feel that nowadays, it’s harder than before for upcoming bands such as ourselves. Trying to find places to play is difficult in our local areas because a lot of venues have closed down and those clubs that are still open, are only looking for cover bands. There are several cover bands playing where I live, and don’t get me wrong, they are really, really good. But for original bands, it’s extremely hard to get a decent booking, unless you have a massive following that will guarantee ticket sales and income. It’s the same outside of our area. Promoters and venues are now only focused on how many people you can bring into a show and how much they can earn. They concentrate more on the economy than on providing the touring bands with the opportunity to play in different regions of the UK and to different crowds to expand their fanbase.
I know because of COVID and the energy price increases, hospitality and the music industries are taking a massive hit. Venues currently are not able to support unsigned bands as much as they support the cover bands, but I do think they, and the government as well, should invest more in the young groups like Re:O.
If the goal is to bring new people into venues and have them experience new music, then we cannot afford to be stuck in this tunnel vision into AI, which is now unfortunately a massive part of any creative industry, both in the UK and globally. Sadly, AI has already made its way into music on a large scale. Let’s face it, musicians spent years learning their craft, mastering instruments to entertain crowds. Now, AI allows people to skip that essential learning part. Anybody can just sit in front of a computer and, with a couple of prompts and some random ideas, generate lyrics, and even make a full song that is ready for immediate release.
Unfortunately, platforms like the BBC Introducing, without checking, already played AI generated songs and some of them were named song of the month. So, taking into consideration all I have said already, what hope any aspiring musician can have going forward? I’m personally very saddened and I do feel for the younger musicians that sit in their rooms, night after night, hour after hour on their instruments. They are trying and learning to the best of their abilities: be it scales, paradiddles, finger picking, or any other techniques. These things don’t just happen overnight. They take days, weeks, months and sometimes even years to learn!
Jay Stevens online:
https://linktr.ee/jaydrums1979
https://www.instagram.com/jaydrums1979/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=668927217
https://www.facebook.com/chocolatestarfishtribute
https://www.instagram.com/chocolate_starfish_uk
Rita and Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 