Hi Jon, I'd like to start with Reason To Believe. Why did you start this band ?
My friends and I were heavily into punk/hardcore and were playing music. There were a couple of bands we had going on and my friend Chris who was an excellent drummer and played some guitar too. He was taking a recording class in college. He recorded his songs and asked me to sing on them. R2B formed because of that demo.
What were your major influences ?
At that time all we listened to was punk, nothing else. I wanted to sing like Jerry A from Poison Idea, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Bad Religion...
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Who composed the songs ?
For the demo, Chris wrote the music and some lyrics too, I started writing some lyrics. Then when we got Rodney in R2B, he wrote some of the music along with Chris, I wrote the lyrics that was for the 7 inch.
What is your favorite release ?
I don't really have a favorite release for R2B, it seemed like a pretty standard progression to do a demo, then a 7 inch, then a full record. I was pretty young during it all, most of the songs were about the scene.
Greatest memories ?
We had some good shows that I remember pretty well, opening for the Dickies at Fenders Ballroom was pretty amazing for us. Opening for Scream was great, playing with Fugazi was great, Operation Ivy too. I think meeting some of the other bands at the time was maybe the best part. Getting to know the kids in bands and making friends, many of them are still my friends today.
For the demo, Chris wrote the music and some lyrics too, I started writing some lyrics. Then when we got Rodney in R2B, he wrote some of the music along with Chris, I wrote the lyrics that was for the 7 inch.
What is your favorite release ?
I don't really have a favorite release for R2B, it seemed like a pretty standard progression to do a demo, then a 7 inch, then a full record. I was pretty young during it all, most of the songs were about the scene.
Greatest memories ?
We had some good shows that I remember pretty well, opening for the Dickies at Fenders Ballroom was pretty amazing for us. Opening for Scream was great, playing with Fugazi was great, Operation Ivy too. I think meeting some of the other bands at the time was maybe the best part. Getting to know the kids in bands and making friends, many of them are still my friends today.
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Did you feel part of the hardcore scene ?
We were definitely part of the HardCore scene, not just because of the band. My friends & I had been going to shows for years and the punk/hardcore scene was something that meant a lot to us. The way the younger hardcore bands started to get to know each other and play together was through our demos. Zed Records would buy your demo tapes and there would usually be 5 to 10 bands that had their demos available. So everybody would buy each other's demos and call each other up to either set up a show or hang out. We got to know many bands this way.
What about the rerelease of the cd ?
Frank Harrison, who was a staple in the punk scene, started a label called Nemesis Records. He worked at Zed Records and started to put out bands on his label. He also was the one who was responsible for getting us our shows. R2B had a hard time keeping band members. We lose a drummer, then a bass player, so it was difficult finding people to stay in the band, which made it difficult to play shows...As far as a rerelease, our buddy Jeremy Weiss of C.I. Records was supposed to do it years ago, but so far it hasn't happened.
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Let's continue with Sense Field. Why did you start a new band ?
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Sense Field started for a few reasons, we finally got a lineup that was secure. The music we were writing wasn't something we felt was right for R2B. The scene was changing, we were changing and the music was reflecting those changes.
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Photo : Dave Sine
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Who wrote the songs, music and lyrics ?
Rodney and Chris wrote the music, Rodney and I wrote the lyrics.
How was the public reaction at the first shows ?
I think that people were interested in what we were doing, some people like it, some people didn't. The earliest shows were just our friends coming out to party. They were really fun shows.
Why did you leave Revelation after "Building" ?
We had done three records with Revelation and Warner Bros. signed us.
What do you think of the "major" era ?
As a band, our experience on a major label was terrible, we were completely unable to record a record, something that seemed so natural and fun for us became seemingly impossible. We took too long recording, we spent too much money, we wrote crappy material, we took too much time off, we overanalyzed our music.
Why did you end the band ?
Rodney and Chris wrote the music, Rodney and I wrote the lyrics.
How was the public reaction at the first shows ?
I think that people were interested in what we were doing, some people like it, some people didn't. The earliest shows were just our friends coming out to party. They were really fun shows.
Why did you leave Revelation after "Building" ?
We had done three records with Revelation and Warner Bros. signed us.
What do you think of the "major" era ?
As a band, our experience on a major label was terrible, we were completely unable to record a record, something that seemed so natural and fun for us became seemingly impossible. We took too long recording, we spent too much money, we wrote crappy material, we took too much time off, we overanalyzed our music.
Why did you end the band ?
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The band ended after 13 years, we probably should've ended after Building or the Part of the Deal ep. Those were the last two releases that seemed to have the original spark SF started with. The band had exhausted pretty much every avenue that we could possibly go down. Sense Field never could get a grasp on the business side of music, we made bad business decisions that hurt us for most of our existence. The band grew apart, some of us started families and had kids. So it just finally ended.
The band ended after 13 years, we probably should've ended after Building or the Part of the Deal ep. Those were the last two releases that seemed to have the original spark SF started with. The band had exhausted pretty much every avenue that we could possibly go down. Sense Field never could get a grasp on the business side of music, we made bad business decisions that hurt us for most of our existence. The band grew apart, some of us started families and had kids. So it just finally ended.
Where are the songs on "To End A Letter" coming from besides the ones on compilation or split ?
I think it was a last ditch effort to get all the left over songs out at once.
Do you feel comfortable when you read Sense Field was an emo band ?
Sure, it's become somewhat of an uncool tag, but in the early years, many bands we admired were called emo...
Like ?
Well, Dag Nasty, Rites of Spring, Embrace were the first Emo Records, Fugazi.
Do you feel comfortable when people say you were a christian band ?
You can call the band whatever you want, but it doesn't make it true, SF was never a Christian band.
What is your favorite SF album ?
Sadly, probably the first ep we put out... When I had a vision of what I wanted to do musically, that was it. Building is a good record for the time, I think the Part of the Deal ep has some cool moments. It sounds like a real band. The last two records seem synthetic to me... The Warner Bros record I think is a piece of shit...
What are your greatest memories ?
So many great memories, too many to mention. The touring was so much fun, we had some great times. Sense Field was a good band that had great moments, some of those moments were as great as a band could have. We had some great parties too. We met some amazing people along the way.
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Do you stay in touch with the Sense Field guys ?
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Some, most of us are busy with kids and what not. Popeye from Farside saw John Stockberger in a Chinese Parade in downtown Los Angeles wearing full Chinese Garb... that sounds about right..
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Any chance for a reunion ?
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I just received an e-mail from a promoter in Holland to come out for a festival...so I would never rule it out... but it's not likely at the moment.
Can you talk a bit about your time with Further Seems Forever ?
I was in the band for about three years. I sang on the last release Hide Nothing. It was a good situation for me, they were a band who needed someone to sing on their record, I was available. I have friends in Florida who I got to hang out with. We got to go Europe, Japan...
What about Fields Forever ?
When FSF was in Europe, the drummer quit the tour, he didn't want to be away from home. So, we had to finish much of the tour acoustic. Promoters weren't sure if it was going to work, but once they saw it did, they asked us to come back. Marco from Avacado Booking is a friend from the SF days and asked if we wanted to come over to do an acoustic tour. My friend Jeremy Weiss of C.I. Records decided it was a good chance to get to some of the cities that SF never made it to, so we booked shows in Dublin, Rome, places that we wanted to see but never had the chance, so we did it and it was fun. We played SF, FSF new songs and a couple of covers.
What was the most important band for you between Reason To Believe, Sense Field or Further Seems Forever ?
Well Reason To Believe was important to me at the time, because I really believed in what we were doing... Sense Field was our baby, the band I had always hoped for, in the beginning at least...Further Seems Forever was more fun with guys that became friends, it was never my band. I was the third singer for God sake.
I'd like to go on with more personal questions. What was the meaning of hardcore for you ?
Punk rock and hardcore gave me something to believe in, something to be in to. It gave me a scene to be part of, music to love. Some of the things I saw changed me forever...
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Like ?
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Mostly bands and the music, seeing Bad Brains in 85 blew me away and I've never been the same, they were singing about God and hope, It made me want to do that.
Do you still have an interest for it today ?
I still listen to my favorite old punk records...
What about straight-edge ? Were you involved in that ?
Never was straight edge.
Do you still feel "out of step with the world" ?
I don't feel out of step with the world other than I think the world seems to be falling apart at the moment...
What is your relation to religion ?
I've always believed in God, never was too much into church or religion, but I do believe in God.
Who are the people and bands who had the greatest influence in your life ?
My family, my friends, musically speaking, the Bad Brains changed my life, I like the Verve and Richard Ashcroft, U2...
Why did you choose to sing and not playing some instrument ?
When I was young couldn't afford one... so I sang.
What is the meaning of music for you ?
Music has always been something I could turn to. I didn't enjoy music for many of the Sense Field years, because the business side of music turned me off to it. But I like music again now that I'm not around the business side.
Have you other passions besides music ?
History, being a Dad...
Did you play in France ? What do you think about this country ?
I've been to France a few times, I love France. I was in Paris on Bastille Day and it was one of the wildest parties I've ever been to.
How do you make a living today now that you're out of music ?
I work with one of my close friends at his business, I want to eventually work in education on some level, but not sure what...
"Love is building", do you still feel the same ?
I do feel the same, having kids changes you, you're all they've got. I want to be there for him.
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