Interview: Jaws Of Life

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

My uncle was a big influence on me growing up and he and his mates were always those “cool skater dudes” I would always hear music they listened to and be interested as I had nobody else around me that liked that sorta stuff. I remember first 2 bands I heard were slipknot and Rammstein, I’ve really never looked back since I was hooked from the get go.

That’s such a hard question because music is my life. I had interest in moving overseas when I was younger to work in a bar so i think I would have probably done that as I don’t really have any other talents! 

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity? 

I like to go the gym and go for walks as much as I can. I’m very social so I enjoy meeting friends for social occasions. A lot of evenings I spend gaming - I find it therapeutic to shut off from the world and go off into my own little world

How long has your band been around?

We have only officially been a band for a month or so, but Me and Rhys our other guitarist have been writing for 2 years now for this band

 Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

Me and Rhys live in the valleys in South Wales, Tim isn’t too far from us and Steve is English.  But the valleys is HQ basically - I’m not sure what it is with welsh bands but there’s just this sense of pride that comes with being a band from Wales 

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

It was really random, I think I heard it in a song. It was literally just a name that sounded cool, no meaning behind it. I think bands make the name anyway rather than the other way round.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Our first show isn’t until next month! Then again saying that we did a tiny “show” I guess you could say for our video shoot for stargazing which was pretty cool. 

What is your favourite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Me and Steve toured extensively with our old band and most of the Venues become a blur. Hobos in Bridgend was always a great place to play, sadly I think it’s closed now due to roof damaged so not sure what the future is for it. 

If you could play any show with any line-up, who would be on the ticket?

New found glory, blink 182 , bowling for soup! 

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Just enjoy it, do it for the love of it. Back in my old band we got so tied up in “making it” that it just wasn’t fun in the end. We would all love to make this our living but you have to love what you do. So make sure you’re starting a band for the right reasons because touring isn’t as easy as it sounds especially when you’re a tiny band sleeping in a van with like 7 dudes!

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

It’ll be ok. I think one thing I’ve learned most is that all hard times pass and something better is behind another door.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

For me personally it’s “I promise” - I was having such a bad day that day, I suffer with depression but I remember that day was particularly a bad one. I went for a drive and wrote the whole thing in my head, I rushed back home to lay my ideas down and it come together so quick. Writing is so therapeutic so it’s nice when you have an idea like that. The lyrics mean a lot to me . “Just because you’re struggling, doesn’t mean you’re failing” to pick one line, it’s sorta me saying it to myself but then also something I say to other people aswell when someone needs a friend. Mental health awareness is so important to me, I’m very open about my struggles and ironically right now I’m in the best place in my life I have ever been, I really want to help people who have suffered like I have because there is a way out of it and I think we would all cope better if we had someone to reach out to and relate to

 Which songs are your favourite to play and which get requested the most?

We all enjoy different songs for different reasons. My personal favourite is either I promise or a song in our set called Same old story 

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Me and Rhys live together and have a makeshift studio in our house so we tend to write the songs. We will finish it where it’s almost done and then show Tim and Steve to get fresh ears on it and see if anything needs tweaking. Me and Rhys are constantly writing - we easily have over 40 full songs demoed 

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

I think a re-accruing theme is mental health for sure. I’ve been to some dark places with my mental health and I’ve been in that state of mind where even just waking up is hell. One thing I’ve come to realise is you can get through anything with the right support so I think it’ll always be something that is in our music and a message the band will carry. 

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

If I’m being honest we really don’t, I’ve been in bands before where we’ve been at each others throats but with us 4 we’re so on the same page and in sync with each-other it’s effortless. We get together to discuss ideas and sorta look around and say well that was easy. I think it’s because we all know what we bring to the band and each have own our role so to speak.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Our new single “I Promise” is out 27/05/2022

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