Interview Jesse Zaraska & Stu Ross Misery Signals

Eighteen Visions Emery Remembering Never MISERY SIGNALS 2/17/05 Bottom Lounge Interviewer: Sharita Lumpkin

Lineup: Kyle Johnson - Bass Jesse Zaraska - Vocals Ryan Morgan - Guitar Branden Morgan - Drums Stuart Ross - Guitar

"I haven’t been home this whole year basically so I don’t feel it as much, there’s probably a lot of people that do, it’s a really bad thing and it sucks."

Being Canadian is really tough right now, especially when you're hockey fans like Jesse and Stu from Misery Signals. The band, who has been touring seemingly nonstop, is out with Eighteen Visions and Remembering Never slaying everyone in their path. The album "Of Malice and The Magnum Heart" is a great testament to a band, who was born through the unfortunate death of two members of Jesse's former band Compromise and the demise 7 Angels 7 Plagues. However as the old adage goes, a bad situation can quickly turn into something good and it has for Jesse, Stu, Kyle and the Morgan brothers. In this interview, Jesse speaks about the unfortunate accident as well as his short time as a member of 7 Angels. He also offers praise for his influences Mötley Crüe and Led Zeppelin as well as label mates Every Time I Die. Jesse will also attempt to explain what Frisbee Golf is and Stu Ross will ad his thoughts on the hockey lockout. 

Sharita: For a person that doesn’t know about Misery Signals, tell us about how the band came together?

Jesse: Misery Signals have been together about two years. We formed through two different bands, one from Milwaukee called 7 Inches, 7 Plagues the other from Canada that I was in called Compromise and we toured together in the…

Stu: Summer of 2002!

Jesse: Summer of 2002, for a few dates and while driving overnight from Birmingham Alabama to Savannah Georgia, a drunk driver hit us from behind and both my guitar players died in that crash. So once 7 inches kicked out their singer they asked me to come join tryout and I was in that band only a few weeks and then that band broke up. From there we formed Misery Signals.

Sharita: In your bio there is a quote that says, “Misery Signals provides an outlet to express the anguish and hopefulness that drives its members, while producing a cathartic experience in listeners.” That sounds great who wrote that?

Jesse: Probably my guitar player Ryan Morgan.

Sharita: So how did the band come to sign with Ferret?

Jesse: I think 7 Angels was doing really well towards the end so I think there was a ton of interest from a ton of different labels, Ferret and probably Trustkill. So I think that definitely carried over to Misery Signals, people were excited about us so we were fortunate enough to have that happen. We were ultimately signed when Carl from Ferret saw us at Hellfest in 2003.

Sharita: Speaking of Hellfest, how was it last year?

Jesse: Hellfest was amazing and still probably the best show I ever played in my life.   

Sharita: Last year you toured with Six Feet Under, who you said were difficult…let’s just put it like that.

Jesse: Yeah they were difficult. (smiles)

Sharita: You also toured with Dillinger, Zao and Every Time I Die, are you fans of all those bands and what were some of the major differences?

Jesse: I think we definitely try to tour that we like or that someone in the band likes. Ultimately, Every Time I Die has done tons for us; they played a part in getting us signed to Ferret. They been on Ferret for some time and they got Carl to come check us out early on. We tour with many bands, but bands we like for sure.

Sharita: Ok, I read some of your influences include, Code Seven, Cave In, Led Zeppelin, Sick of It All, Madball what do you draw from each one of this bands as far as style of singing or playing is concerned?

Jesse: Well, style wise I think I get the most from Matt Nixon from 7 Angels 7 Plagues, like Scott Vogel from Buried Alive and Terror, just really strong screamers you know? I think I take more from Led Zeppelin and Motley Crüe lyrically, not so much singing style wise.

Sharita: Are you happy the Crüe got back together?

Jesse: Yeah, I just hope I can see them. We gonna be on tour a long time so I hope I’ll be able to catch them. I saw them in like 1990 when I was little; I was about 10 or 11. Then again in 1996. Led Zeppelin and Motley Crüe are like my two favorite bands. 

Sharita: Ok I read that the band is really into Frisbee Golf, what exactly is that?

Jesse: (laughs) Well, I don’t think all of us are into that. Kyle, Ryan and me play it a lot, Stu not so much and Brandon not at all. Frisbee Golf is just basically a game where you are throwing discs at pins in like a cage. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve seen it.  Where did you see that, is it on our website?

Sharita: It’s on one of the interviews I read.

Jesse: The thing is in Canada no one plays it but it’s pretty big here. When I first moved down here to join 7 Angels it was just something we did, you can only practice so many hours in a day, you know.

Sharita: What about your fans, is the reaction better on the east or west coast?

Jesse: I think that both coasts there are certain areas where we do real well. Canada overall, where Stu and I are from, the [fan base] is really strong. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, California, New York, and Connecticut those are all strong places for us, its just really varied.

Sharita: Is the scene in Canada a lot different from the States?

Jesse: Kids from Canada are kind of like smaller city [kids] in the states. They are a little more appreciative because they don’t see as many shows; they are not lucky enough to have bands come through all the time. So shows are a bit bigger and I think they get more into it. They are not as stuck up.

Sharita: Being for Canada, you have to be a hockey fan…

Jesse: Absolutely! (smiles)

Sharita: Are you very upset that the hockey season has been cancelled?

Jesse: I haven’t been home this whole year basically so I don’t feel it as much, there’s probably a lot of people that do, it’s a really bad thing and it sucks. (laughs)

Stu: Can I throw in a comment though?

Sharita: Sure thing.

Stu: I think it’s total bullshit. They are getting paid to play a kids game and they’re complaining about not being able to make like 3 million dollars a year, there’s something wrong with them. Let the minor leaguers play and let the people go out and watch people that want to play and love the game.

Jesse: Yeah, I agree with that.

Sharita: I do as well. I think it’s very unfortunate that the players and owners cannot come to an agreement because who really losers are the fans.

Jesse: Yeah, the players being greedy effects so many people down the line, it’s unfortunate they can’t see eye to eye.

Sharita: Even though you’re from Canada, any thoughts on the election?

Jesse: I don’t like to talk about that very much, people believe what they want to believe. I don’t want to insult people because of their beliefs, but where I’m from in Canada, most people can’t believe that George Bush is back. (laughs)

Sharita: So the Super Bowl just ended a couple of weeks ago, are you a big fan and happy with the result?

Jesse: Yeah, we had fun watching it. We had a day off that day, rented a whole bunch of hotel rooms and got a bunch of hot wings and beer.

Sharita: What’s next as far as touring?

Jesse: We will finish up this tour in about 3 weeks. From there we go directly to Europe for a month with Eighteen Visions, we are fortunate that they asked us to come along and there we will do another metal tour with a band called Strapping Young Lad from Century Media and that’s about a month and a half and that puts us into late May so from there we are not sure.

Sharita: Have you guys starting writing for the next album?

Jesse: We been on tour so much, I mean Stu and Ryan have a lot of ideas but there’s nothing written down yet.

Sharita: Ok, I have some out the box questions for you. Do you have any guilty pleasure CD’s or bands that you listen to?

Jesse: I have no problem admitting any of them. We all listen to a lot of crazy music like the bands you mentioned before there’s a huge variation of the music we listen to in the van. Kyle and I come from more classic rock background, we both really like Led Zeppelin, Journey, and the Beatles. Stu comes from a punk rock background. The brothers’ listen to a lot of rap and hip-hop, um it’s pretty different.

Sharita: Ok. Spiritual or Religious.

Jesse: That’s another thing I don’t like to talk about, I would say I believe there’s something. (laughs)

Sharita: Do you have a favorite cartoon character?

Jesse: I like Spiderman; I have a little brother that’s 4 years old so I watch a lot of that.

Sharita: How many piercing and tattoos do you have?

Stu: As a band or separately? (laughs)

Sharita: Well you can answer as a band.

Jesse: Combined we have a lot of tattoos, piercing not so many.

Stu: Ryan has his ears pierced and I do too, Kyle has his lip pierced.

Jesse: I have my nose pierced but I don’t really wear it anymore. 

Sharita: If you were stranded on a desert island as a band, what member would you eat and why?

Stu: Kyle! (laughs) His disposable.

Jesse: Uh, I would do away with Ryan more first. (laughs) I dunno, we’re very different; he would probably say the same about me.

Sharita: On this island, is there a lady friend you would like to be marooned with?

Jesse: Uh, I just broke up with my girlfriend of a long time so, no. (smirks) If I had a guitar I would be happy.

Sharita: Any CD’s you’d take?

Jesse: Led Zeppelin Houses of The Holy, Motley Crüe Shout at the Devil, Stu Ross???

Stu: Desert island CDs?

Sharita: Yeah.

Stu: I like Third Eye Blind. I have like all their CDs.

Sharita: What would you like to see change in the music industry?

Jesse: I think there are a million things I’d like to see change. I mean to be a rock band in the 60’s or 70’s would be so much easier; you would be so much more financially secure. We bust our asses and we barely get by. Bands that make money are few and far between there are some huge bands but the rest just struggle. I think the Internet has gotten our name out there but at the same time it screws us on how many CD’s we sell because it is so much easier to download it.

Sharita: Any thoughts on that Stu?

Stu: Well I think, just like Jesse said in the 70’s and 80’s it was a lot easier [financially] to be in a band, but know there are just so many I mean everybody and their dog has a band. There are so many that tour, the kids have so much in front of them it’s hard to be something special to them. The industry is just overcrowded with clones.

Sharita: And as time goes along, the more time passes the harder it is to be original.  

Stu: We’re trying to break the mold; we’re doing our best. (smiles)

Jesse: We’re tryin’!
  
Sharita: Where do you see the band in the next 5 years?

Jesse: I would like to see the band together in 5 years and making a living. I dunno’. Hope we’re happy.

Sharita: Thanks Jesse and thank you Stu for joining in.

Jesse: Thank you!

Stu: Thanks for the interview.

I'd like to thank Chaniga at Warm Fuzzy PR for setting the interview up and of course to Jesse & Stu.

Click here for live photos of the band