Jet Black Alley Cat – Motel

By starrymag | May 31, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

JOE – VINTAGE/POP/ROCK/GROOVE – we genuinely believe we are a blend of the past & modern pop production. We feel we can fit on almost any stage across platforms.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

CHRISTIAN – Kings of Leon, Johnny Cash, Queen, Kanye West, The Killers and Amy Winehouse. Iconic people. We have character influences from classic films like Dirty Dancing and Top Gun as well.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Miami Baby.”

 

JOE – “Miami Baby” is about demanding to take what is equally yours as it is anyone else’s. We had played in the city a couple times and every time I got back home, I just wanted to run away and go back there. The vibe, the nightlife, the people – all of it inspired me to want more again. It reminded me of how much you can take from this life if you want to. It also reminded me of how much we can pass up in this life as well. So, I wanted to write a song to encourage people to not to do the latter.

 

Q) How did you come to team up with Baeble to release the track?

 

CHRISTIAN – We were lucky having the Baeble team enjoy the track when we sent it over. Always great having legitimate sources push your music. The timing just worked out for both sides. We were very happy about it.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

JOE – Everyone wants to live in some fantasy world where all their dreams come true. Miami is the perfect metaphor to fill that idea. It’s a summer song filled with positive spirit. That’s a lot of it.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

JOE – The video is just us being extra…[laughs] When I tell you we love the Miami VIBE, I mean we love it. So, yeah, the video is just us having fun and being expressive of the tones we take from the city. We had too much fun shooting it honestly.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

CHRISTIAN – We’re kinda all over the place, every process is a bit different. Sometimes ideas stem from something simple like a guitar part or synth sound. Other times we start with a vocal line first and build from there. We enjoy each song having its own unique approach.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

CHRISTIAN – We like to be very involved in the way we do music, overseeing all the details that make a song great. The producer we’ve worked with since the beginning has allowed us to continue till we are happy.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Jet Black Alley Cat performance?

 

JOE – You get to see a genuine performance, filled with energy and charisma presented by a true rock and roll band. For those 30-45 minutes, we want everyone there to feel like the coolest people in the world. That’s our goal each night.

 

Q) What songs off your Motel EP are you looking forward to performing live?

 

CHRISTIAN – We’ve played “Miami Baby” and “Nightlife” before so I think looking into how “Foolish” translates live is pretty exciting. There is an infectious energy about that song that we’re excited to perform for the first time.

 

Q) The EP drops May 25th. How do you plan to celebrate the release?

 

JOE – Maybe have a shot with the boys, but probably nothing special. No time to stop and celebrate. We celebrate that on stage every night.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new EP as a whole?

 

JOE – First and foremost, I hope they take a renewed encouragement to actually seek more while being young. All the songs are about feeling strong. I think that’s so important, to FEEL strong about your look, your walk, your confidence in general. After that I’d say I hope they embrace the fact that this isn’t a normal EP from a band like us. It’s not a lot of songs, there is a monologue and there are sounds from a phone recording. It’s a lot of things that aren’t sonically exact to POP music right now. I want those who listen to it to try and consume music differently. To spend a little time with something rather than skipping to the next song. To slow down for a fucking moment and see if you relate or not and then decide what you like about this presented phase of our band.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

CHRISTIAN – Nashville is always fun, it being our hometown, but we always love playing Florida. We’ve got great fans there. Williamsport/Scranton, PA area we’ve grown a great relationship with those people and Dallas has become a recent favorite – only being there twice we’ve had great experiences both times. Dallas is rock n roll.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

JOE – Are we being realistic or shooting for the stars here? Obviously, it would be cool to cross a genre barrier and work in the hip hop world with the likes of a Jay-Z, Kanye West and Childish Gambino. But in terms of a simpler approach to collabing I would say a duet song with someone like Lana del Rey or a rock n roller like Joan Jett.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

 

JOE – After my year long obsession with Drake’s MORE LIFE has finally died down, recently I’ve been listening to older Aerosmith & INXS albums. We wanna write songs that last, not just songs of the times now so I’ve been in that type of mood. I’ve also been spinning the Top Gun soundtrack pretty often cause why not! If I have to say a new artist, there’s this group called The True Blue that I stumbled across on Spotify and I dig them a lot.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

CHRISTIAN – I mean, ultimately it gives a band like us a chance to even reach new people. These platforms (in my opinion) are what opens the door to growth and opportunity as a smaller artist. I still believe there are positives and negatives to the social world. For us, it’s about balancing that with real face to face interaction.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

JOE – Just to keep growing and learning about music with us. Consume music differently. We don’t pretend to be the best or know the most about all of this, but I promise we won’t stop trying to write unique songs, create cool concepts, or be as intimate and genuine as possible with you at the live show. Let’s see how far we take this.

 

 

All Questions Answered by lead vocalist Joe Wilkinson and guitarist Christian Harrison