Artist Voice, Bombshellzine, Afends Clothing, Macbeth Shoes and Monster Energy Drink Present – Dangerous! “ Teenage Rampage” Tour. 

There aren’t many bands left these days who embody rock n’ roll’s raucous spirit, which is why the music of Dangerous! is more vital now than ever. This Australian act (the first ever to sign a worldwide deal with Epitaph) haven’t had a dull moment since forming in 2007 and with the release of their new album Teenage Rampage, the band—Tommy, Nicky, Jarrad & Liam—are poised to take over the world one power chord at a time.

Dangerous!’s debut disc was recorded in Los Angeles with Grammy-nominated producer Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Pantera), mixed by Marc McClusky (Weezer) and features 12 energetic anthems that are literally bursting at the seams with youthful enthusiasm. By combining the swagger of The Vines,  the edge of Guns N’ Roses and the energy of Australian rock icons like AC/DC, the band have created one of the most memorable albums in recent memory—a fact that makes perfect sense when you consider that they’ve spent the first half of their twenties on the road.

Dangerous! have played some of the biggest festivals in the world, including Sonisphere Festival and Download Festival in the UK (both in 2011), playing alongside acts such as Linkin Park, Bring Me The Horizon, Bullet For My Valentine, Weezer and Slipknot, followed a series of UK tour dates with Young Guns.

Teenage Rampage is a sonic explosion of the best elements of punk, indie rock and metal, all effortlessly wrapped up in one instantly infectious package. Lyrically Teenage Rampage is about youth, fun and individuality, subjects that the band hold true to their heart.

Catch the band as they make their away up and down the east coast of Australia,

Check out the video for the anthem “Not One Of You” here

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Dangerous! “Teenage Rampage” tour is presented by Artist Voice, Bombshellzine, Afends Clothing, Macbeth Shoes and Monster Energy Drink.

“Teenage Rampage’’ Tour March 2012

Wed 7- Mar Melbourne –  Revolver (DJ Set)
Thu 8- Mar Melbourne –  John Curtain hotel
Fri 9- Mar Melbourne –  The Espy (Basement Bar)
Sat 10- Mar Geelong –  The National Hotel
Mon 12- Mar Melbourne - Pushover Festival
Thu 15- Mar Melbourne –  Next Nightclub
Fri 16- Mar Woollongong  – The Patch
Sat 17- Mar Sydney –  Spectrum
Wed 21-Mar Byron Bay Afends Warehouse Party
Fri 23- Mar Monster Madness – Surfers Paradise
Sat 24- Mar Caloundra –  Kings Beach
Thu 29- Mar Brisbane –  Snitch Club @ X&Y Bar
Sat 31- Mar Toowoomba –  Spotted Cow
Thu 5- Apr  Gosford – Gee Whizz Club Night (Central Club)
Sat 7- Apr Newcastle – Northern Star

Early praise for Teenage Rampage

“Teenage Rampage brings on quality pop melodies laced with raspy, aggressive vocals and erratic guitars, which never break the curriculum of assaulting your eardrums”   Reverb mag

“Their unique style reminds me of an early Vines but more dirty and sleazy. A dozen songs of great vocal stylings about youth, fun and individuality. These guys are the real deal. It’s the perfect balance of punk, classic rock and metal. This album has set the bar high for bands in this cross over of genres” 9/10 Australian Hysteria.

“The Adelaide act has a direct style that threatens the mainstream while straddling the independent fence. A classy debut from a promising outfit” – Music Australia Guide

“These Adelaide hipsters have some guts and gristle to their hardcore infected rawk. Tommy Lofts serrated scream rings all the right bells over this carnivorous carb heavy riffery” Zoo mag

“Australian sleaze rockers fizzing with chaotic energy and hip shaking fun”  NME.com

“Fun loving, energetic Aussies Dangerous!, are bringing a party of Andrew W.K – like proportions to your doors, let them in. Shoes off though” Kerrang KKK

“Here it is, a new band with the potential to save rock’n’roll” - Fuze

“Dangerous! 2011’s hottest new band… This first single from the Aussie rockers is an explosive slice of garage punk’n’roll that proves exactly why they’ve been snapped up to release upcoming debut album “Teenage Rampage” through Epitaph” - Big Cheese

Teenage Rampage is out now on Epitaph Records.

For More Information:

www.epitaph.com

http://www.epitaph.com/artists/artist/285/Dangerous

http://www.dangerousordie.com

NEW JERSEY ROCKERS TYKETTO TO RELEASE FIRST NEW ALBUM IN 18 YEARS: “DIG IN DEEP”

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the release of the first new album in 18 years from New Jersey rockers Tyketto: DIG IN DEEP is due out on April 20th in Europeand April 24th in North America and features the original line-up. With recent appearances at Sweden Rock, Download, Firefest, Hard Rock Hell and Hard in Rio, the band realized they still had a huge fan base worldwide and the timing was perfect for a new album.

The first single, “Faithless,” can be exclusively streamed on Frontiers Records’ web radio now following this link: www.frontiers.it/webradio.

Please see below for the album’s complete track listing. Tyketto will headline Firefest in the United Kingdom in October, 2012.

Formed in New Jersey in 1990, Tyketto released their major label debut DON’T COME EASY in 1991. The album contained the hit AOR songs “Forever Young” and “Seasons” as well as “Wings” and “End Of The Summer Days,” whose respective videos, along with “Forever Young,” were in heavy rotation on MTV. Tyketto has sold hundreds of thousands of albums worldwide. Tyketto is: Danny Vaughn (lead vocals), Brooke St. James (lead guitar/backing vocals), Jimi Kennedy (bass/backing vocals) and Michael Clayton (drums/backing vocals).

Tyketto DIG IN DEEP track listing includes the following songs:
1. Faithless
2. Love To Love
3. Here’s Hoping It Hurts
4. Battle Lines
5. The Fight Left In Me
6. Evaporate
7. Monday
8. Dig In Deep
9. Sound Off
10. Let This One Slide
11. This Is How We Say Goodbye

Weblinks: www.frontiers.it / www.tyketto.de

In the midst of their four week residency at the Beresford hotel these girls have started to build quite a following and this is evident tonight as the room is full and the rock is pumping. It’s so refreshing to hear a new female rock band on the scene and whets even cooler is that they’re that good!! This three piece is tight and gave us a catalogue of catchy songs filled with hooks that you feel like you already know as they’re delivered with precision and like they’ve been played for years.

I won’t harp on this as being Sarah McLoed’s new band as that’s too easy, only because KJ and Kia give as much to this band as Sarah does and they kick ass.  The material is upbeat, catchy and the perfect scene is set for a fun Saturday night, with a great cover of Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Summer Rain’ thrown in for good measure I look around the room to see a number of smiles and that to me is what live music is about. People seem to be truly enjoying themselves.

As the set goes through song after song and realizing this is only the bands fifth gig together you would have no idea as it honestly sounds like they’ve been doing it forever. I am enjoying every song, every anecdote and Sarah’s banter between songs which balances the night’s entertainment perfectly.  Not completely knowing the bands catalogue as yet, but the song introduced as ‘Who The Hell Do You Think You Are’ is one of the best songs I’ve heard in years. A perfectly created rock song with a perfectly timed clap break, that song was a stand out for the evening. Love it and hope to hear it again soon. They belted through their newest single from their debut album, (which is out now by the way),  ‘Dirty Beats/  Disco Bass’ which you need to check out if you haven’t already, it is a great live song

Australia, no, world, take notice. This is a band that should be recognized, respected and adored across the land. They are tight, they are fun and here’s to many more things from this bitchin’ new band.

If you’re in Sydney, head out to The Beresford this Saturday (the 25th) and catch these girls now!  If not, then make sure that if Screaming Bikini are in your city that you go and see them.  You won’t be disappointed.

Essential Information

Venue: The Beresford – Sydney

Date: February 11, 2012

Website: http://www.screamingbikini.com.au

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The band burst on to the scene, devastating audiences with their original and thoroughly brutal cover of the song “Champagne Showers” by the popular electro pop duo LMFAO. The Skip The Foreplay version retains all the seductive dance floor hooks – the band are fans of the original version, but adds a dose of serious heaviness including massive bass drops, breakdowns, and thunderous guitars.

The band’s distinctive high energy mayhem is on full display in the video for the band’s song “This City (We’re Taking Over).” You can view the clip and see what the buzz is about by going to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nOxS1Tivzs

Skip The Foreplay will be releasing their anticipated full length Epitaph debut, Nightlife, on April 27, 2012. Until then, the band is taking their wild live show on the road in the U.S. They just completed their first ever tour, a massively successful stint supporting rising stars, Falling In Reverse.  This summer the band will be appearing on the Vans Warped Tour. “Every time we play, the kids have gone absolutely crazy,” the band members say. “We haven’t had a bad reaction. People seemed to really love it and we’re incredibly stoked to keep touring.”

For more information: www.epitaph.com

“The #1 band you need to see live before you die” - Alternative Press.

“..Mutemath are one hell of a band.” 4/5 stars – Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald

Principal Entertainment and triple j are proud to announce for the very first time in Australia, Grammy® nominated New Orleans three piece, Mutemath.  Since 2004 the genre bending trio featuring Paul Meany (vocals/keyboards), Roy Mitchell-Cardenas (bass/guitar), and Darren King (drums) have taken it upon themselves to deliver music that is unequivocally and defiantly their own.

Since releasing their first EP in late 2004, Mutemath’s inherent nature has challenged limitations and expanded parameters. By the time they released their 2006 self-titled debut, their blending of adverse genres into its own innovative sonically adventurous creation earned them a reputation as one of modern music’s most daring young groups.

On their latest album Odd Soul, which was featured as triple j Album of the Week, Mutemath locked themselves down at Meany’s home studio in New Orleans and didn’t emerge until they were ready to play it for others. “The idea of complete isolation was the only thing that appealed to us. No one would hear or comment on what we were doing until we were done,” Meany says. “We set out to record something that was unapologetically us.”

Rooted in New Orleans rhythm and blues, fusing elements from psychedelia to traditional gospel to modern electronica, Odd Soul is constructed to live up to its title. “I think the title describes this record in every context.” Meany summarizes, “It’s who we are, where we’ve been, and what we incidentally sound like when set to music.”

Principal Entertainment & triple j present:

MUTEMATH ODD SOUL AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2012 – Tickets on sale Tuesday 28^th February 9am
Thursday 10 May – Zoo, Brisbane – www.oztix.com.au
Wednesday 16 May -Hifi, Sydney – www.thehifi.com.au
Thursday 17 May – Corner Hotel, Melbourne – www.cornerhotel.com
Sunday 20 May – Amplifier, Perth – www.moshtix.com.au

GROOVIN’ THE MOO TOUR DATES:
Saturday 5 May – Bendigo VIC
Sunday 6 May – Townsville QLD
Saturday 12 May – Maitland NSW
Sunday 13 May – Canberra ACT
Saturday 19 May – Bunbury WA

MUTEMATH
New album – ODD SOUL – available now
New single – ALLIES – at radio now, watch the video here

www.mutemath.com
www.facebook.com/mutemath
twitter.com/mutemath
www.warnermusic.com.au

JOINED BY ADAM LAMBERT FOR UNIQUE ONE-OFF CONCERT

“Earlier on there were rumours of us splitting up, but I mean – f*** ‘em – how can you split up when you have an audience like this.”  Freddie Mercury. Knebworth Park, August 9, 1986

With a quarter of a century having since passed, rock legends Queen are to return to play a second concert at the venue that provided them with the setting for one of their biggest and most historic concerts.

Queen’ Brian May and Roger Taylor today confirmed the band will headline the second day of this year’s Sonisphere Festival  appearing  at the festival home ground  Knebworth Park, Stevenage, on Saturday July 7.

Knebworth was the setting for Queen’s final concert with Freddie Mercury in August 1986.

May and Taylor also confirmed that for this special one-off concert –the band’s only UK concert appearance in 2012 – they will be joined by US singer-songwriter  Adam Lambert.

Since first encountering each other during American Idol Season 8 in May 2009 where Lambert joined the band to perform We Are the Champions the two have repeatedly hinted at a future collaboration, most recently with Taylor telling Billboard Magazine “”He (Adam)has grown into a really great performer with an astonishing voice with a range that’s great. We would like to work with him again. There’s nothing signed just yet but …it could be very exciting.”

After their brief meeting on American Idol, the potent chemistry between Queen and Lambert finally broke the surface when at the invitation of Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor Lambert joined  them for the closing showcase at the recent  MTV Europe Awards where Queen were present to collect their Global  Icon award.

Their eight minute MTVE set ignited an immediate reaction across the internet with social network sites buzzing with excitement and campaigning for a more formal union between Queen and Lambert.  The Sonisphere 2012 Knebworth stage will at last provide an eager public the opportunity to see May, Taylor and Lambert delve deeper into exploring their very evident  artistic appreciation of one another.

Says Brian May :  “Judging by my incoming mail, this decision will make a lot of people very happy.  It’s a worthy challenge for us, and I’m sure Adam would meet with Freddie’s approval! And what better place to revisit, and walk those emotional paths than Knebworth ?  It will be a rush.”

Lambert adds:  “I’m completely in awe of the Queen phenomenon. The thought of sharing the stage for a full set is so beautifully surreal. I’m honoured to be able to pay my respects to Freddie’s memory. He’s a personal hero of mine and I am deeply grateful for the chance to sing such powerful music for fans of this legendary band. I know the evening will be a huge milestone for me, and with the support of Brian, Roger and the rest of the band I know magic will be on display.”

Queen’s previous performance at Knebworth Park,  close on twenty-six years ago ,  August 9, 1986, was set up to be the glorious last stop for the band’s monstrously successful Magic Tour which had spread out across Europe over eight weeks of that summer.  Over a million people had already paid to see them.

Now riding one of the highest crests in their career, Queen drew a record crowd of 120,000, their biggest ever UK audience.  Coming on the back of two stunning  shows at Wembley Stadium – to this day regarded as among their finest performances – anticipation was high.

Queen delivered the goods, winding up the crowd by arriving above their heads in a custom decorated helicopter, and then going on to perform a Queen textbook  set to a deliriously enthusiastic audience, winding up with an emotional ‘God Save the Queen’ and Freddie wishing his  audience ‘sweet dreams’.

A baby was born during the show and departing fans created one of the biggest traffic jams in British recorded history.

What no-one in that Knebworth Park audience, and  as far as we know , not even the band could anticipate that day,  was that a new chapter in Queen’s history was being written: after more than 700 concerts together,  what was taking place was the very last live concert of Freddie Mercury with Queen.

With the exception of an appearance in 1988 with Spanish operatic soprano Montserrat Caballe to launch Barcelona’s successful bid for the 1992 Olympic Games performing their duet ‘Barcelona’, Mercury would never again be seen performing to a public audience.

On what will undoubtedly rate as one of this summer’s most highly anticipated and emotionally charged concerts Queen’s Roger Taylor says: “I remember Knebworth as being the most incredible gig, with the most amazing audience and the sound on stage was utterly perfect. It was a fitting last stand before a live audience for Freddie. It will be a real challenge to complete the circle by returning with Adam.”

More on Sonisphere:

Shooting rockets. Blood spitting. Face Paint. Shiny Boots and utterly jaw dropping triumphant live shows: SONISPHERE is proud to announce KISS as Friday’s headliner. With a reputation for being perhaps the most flamboyant and entertaining band on the planet, the American Kings will bring their stage extravaganza to SONISPHERE as their only European performance of 2012.

For the final, Sunday night, SONISPHERE KNEBWORTH is proud to announce the legendary FAITH NO MORE as the headline act on the APOLLO stage. Mike Bordin, Roddy Bottum, Bill Gould, Jon Hudson and Mike Patton are poised to set KNEBWORTH on fire when they close the last night at SONISPHERE with their only UK appearance in 2012. Of their set Gould comments: “It was over 2 years ago when we decided to reform and play those amazing UK shows. The good news is, we’ve had a couple of years to improve our skills; moving our song to error ratio down 3.5 full percentage points. Watch out UK, we’re going to do it right this time!!”  

Joining the three superb headliners are some of the biggest names from the world of rock and metal including:

WITHIN TEMPTATION - only UK show of 2012, EVANESCENCE – only UK show of 2012, THE DARKNESS, INCUBUS – only UK show of 2012, MARILYN MANSON – only UK show of 2012, ANDREW WK - only UK festival show of 2012, REFUSED – only UK show of 2012, MASTODON - only UK festival show of 2012, THE BLACKOUT and more.

As well as the exciting names from the world of rock, SONISPHERE once again shows it’s forward thinking nature, and invites musician/comedian TIM MINCHIN to headline the Saturday night on SATURN. Since his first appearance at SONISPHERE back in 2010 the TIM’s success has gone from strength to strength, resulting in his first UK arena tour, his first West End Musical (Matilda The Musical) and numerous high profile TV appearances. After the astounding success of Bill Bailey’s SATURN slot last year, TIM – with full backing band in tow – is bound to deliver a much talked about and highly memorable show at SONISPHERE.

Tickets on sale to the public from 9:00am Thursday 23^rd February from www.sonispherefestivals.com / 0844 871 8803 priced at £145 for a weekend ticket (£180 with 4-day camping, £170 with 3-day camping), with a very limited number of day tickets available for £75.

Just announced,  PANTHERS, NEWCASTLE – THURSDAY MARCH 29 (All Ages) Tickets on sale 9am, Wednesday February 29 through Moshtix.

Three guitar heroes! Three bands! The infamous G3 Jam – all packed into ONE hot show!

Prepare to witness some of the most electrifyingly brilliant displays of guitar mastery ever seen when the most anticipated international live guitar event arrives in March 2012!

G3 bring their combined guitar pyrotechnics to Australia & New Zealand in what will be dazzling two-and-a-half-hour-long shows of guitar wizardry and musical daring.

G3 guitar gods Joe Satriani and Steve Vai will be joined on tour by the renowned Steve Lukather.

Fans will be treated to individual sets by each guitarist with their own bands before joining Satriani and his band on stage for an all-star jam session.

Since its inception and instant success in 1996, an incarnation of G3 has toured almost annually. Featuring three selected guitarists of this generation, G3 have performed sold out shows in the US, Europe, South America, Japan and here in Australia.

Founded by Joe Satriani, G3 has featured many celebrated guitarists including: Steve Vai, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robert Fripp, Adrian Legg and Eric Johnson.

This year’s line up threatens to over-shadow all of them.  Please note that the lineup will also be performing as part of the Byron Bay Bluesfest, all the details for that can be found by clicking right here….

Joe Satriani is universally hailed as one of the most technically accomplished and respected guitar players in the history of rock music. Since his 1987 breakthrough album, ‘Surfing With The Alien’ - the first instrumental guitar album to break into the US top 40 and still considered one of the most influential instrumental guitar albums to date - Satriani quickly established his reputation as one of rock’s most important guitarists and has continually been voted the best guitarist in leading guitar magazine readers’ polls. Satriani has gone on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide, garner 14 Grammy nominations, develop his own guitar line with Ibanez, and continues to push the envelope of modern rock guitar playing.  He recently released his 14th studio album, ‘Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards’ and heads supergroup Chickenfoot.

Steve Vai, a Grammy award-winning guitar virtuoso with career sales of more than 15 million albums worldwide, his sheer breathtaking guitar wizardry is acclaimed in the rock world and beyond.  In 1990 with the release of his 3rd and ground-breaking solo album ‘Passion and Warfare’, Vai solidified his standing as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.  While Vai clearly had what was needed to make indelible impressions during his stays with Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake, plus numerous collaborations and guest appearances, it’s as a solo artist that he’s made his most unique and compelling contributions.  His latest live album and DVD project, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, is a major achievement from a musical alchemist of the highest order.

Steve Lukather is a five-time Grammy award winning guitarist and a founding member of Toto.  Over an extensive career spanning more than 35 years, with Toto Lukather has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He has also played on more than 1,500 records, in all styles of music, from Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ to Miles Davis, Earth Wind and Fire, Cheap Trick, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Don Henley, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Quincy Jones and many more.  Lukather has released eight solo albums including his latest ‘All’s Well that Ends Well’.

Don’t miss the axeman’s night of nights! G3 performing at:

Wellington, Michael Fowler Centre – Saturday March 24

Auckland, Logan Campbell Centre – Sunday March 25

Canberra, Royal Theatre - Tuesday March 27

Newcastle, Panthers – Wednesday March 29

Sydney,  Hordern Pavilion - Friday March 30 – reserved seating

Melbourne, Palais Theatre - Saturday March 31

Melbourne, Palais Theatre - Sunday April 1 * Just announced.

Adelaide, Festival Theatre - Tuesday April 3

Brisbane, Convention Centre -Thursday April 5

TICKETS ON SALE 9AM FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25

MCP Members pre-sale runs from 2pm Thursday Nov 17 until 5pm Tuesday Nov 22

Ticket agent pre-sale runs from midday Wednesday November 23 until 5pm Tuesday Nov 24

BOOK THROUGH:

Wellington / Auckland – Ticketek 0800TICKETEK www.ticketek.co.nz

Canberra / Sydney / Brisbane – Ticketek 132 849 www.ticketek.com.au

Melbourne – Ticketmaster 136 100 www.ticketmaster.com.au

Adelaide – Bass 131 246 www.bass.net.au

www.coppel.com.au
www.satriani.com
www.vai.com
www.stevelukather.net

“Truthfully, I’m about to take a pretty good long break.  I finally got out of Los Angeles and moved back to the beach and in this period where I’m writing and recording and experimenting and just having fun bring back in a place where I can see a lot of people I haven’t caught up with in a while.  So it’s kind of going to be a moment of reinventing and thinking of the next thing.”

The beauty of festivals is the musical diversity and checking out “people & things” you wouldn’t otherwise get to experience.  This year at Soundwave Festival, Jacks Mannequin certainly epitomise that, featuring piano playing singer songwriter Andrew McMahon and their brand of piano laced pop rock.  Having toured Australia in early 2011 for a series of acoustic performances, 2012 will see Jacks Mannequin returning to play a bunch of songs from the stellar new release People & Things, the third release from Jacks Mannequin, as well as play a couple of Soundwave sidewaves with Relient K and Dashboard Confessional.

We chatted to Andrew a few days ago about funnily enough, “people & things” and everything in between….

So firstly, People & Things is your most recent CD release, for those that haven’t yet heard it, but are familiar with your past releases, how would you describe and compare?
For me, it’s certainly a record as far as sound goes and production, it’s a little bit of a departure.  We certainly approached it differently in the studio and I think it’s a pretty honest representation of the Jacks Mannequin live sound.  We went in there and pretty much recorded with myself, Bobby and Jay, sort of the three original live touring members of Jacks.  We kind of cut all these songs together as a band and pieced together the best takes and then did overdubs to that.  I think from a sonic perspective it’s a much more honest representation of what people see when they come out to a Jacks Mannequin show.

As far as writing and recording for the album, where did a lot of this take place?
I was living in Los Angeles at the time and we were recording in a town about 45 minutes out of L.A called Valencia.  We worked with a guy called Jim Scott, he was sort of the engineer for Rick Rubin on Red Hot Chilli Peppers Californication, Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, he also co-produced some of the Wilco stuff.  So we went out there with him to really capture the bands sounds and try and do what he does best and get a band in a room and get that down in tape.

Given the changes you described above with the recording process, did you find that you also wrote differently this time around to really try and emphasis that “band” sound?
Well I think the big difference with the writing was I was really methodical with the writing and took a lot of time.  I spent probably about a year writing the record itself and demoing it and putting it together.  So when I came to the band a couple of summers ago and said lets put this together, there was kind of an outline for the record and how it would sound and feel.  We took that outline and reinterpreted it together as a band, so I think it was more methodical in a sense of how the songs were written and came to the band to be played.

When it comes to songwriting, what do you feel are some of the key things that must be present in one of your songs?
That can change dramatically, depending upon the song and what it calls for.  To me, the number one thing about any song is that there is some line of truth and honesty that runs through it.  I’ve grown up loving singer songwriters and people who are fairly confessional and tell stories in their songs or at least have these relatable ideas that can connect with people.  I think anytime I set out to record a song with the band the goal is to find that essence of the track, the thing I sat down at the piano and wrote at some point, because I was really feeling something and saying, does that song capture that emotion?  So that’s what I really look for in a song?

How much do you feel your song writing style has changed over the years, if you go back to the Something Corporate days, to say now?
There are certainly constantly changing and evolving methods with how I go about writing a song I guess, but at the core of that is really just the same thing that’s always been there, which at some point in the day you feel this rush of energy or whatever that you’ve got to sit down and write.  I think to me, the best of my music that I’ve written over the years has always been predicated upon that urge and that “oh my gosh I’ve got to sit down at the piano” and put a song together.  I think in a lot of sense, that hasn’t changed.

On this album you collaborated with Matt Thiessen from Relient K, how do you find collaborating with others and I guess specifically with Matt on this album?
This record was the first time I’ve really done that on an album of my own.  I think a lot of that stemmed from having done it with other artists and writing for friends and with friends for their records.  I found myself really enjoying it and figuring out this new adventure and using a new producer or working more closely with a band and the studio.  Knowing that I’d planned on calling this record People and Things it became this thing of let’s get a couple of close friends in a room and see what happens when we write a song together.  Matt and I, we’ve been friends for a while now and had always talked about it, so I think when it happened, we were stoked we both had so much fun making the songs.

So with People & Things having been out for a while now, I would assume that a few of the new songs will make up the setlist here for Soundwave?
It’s been amazing as it makes writing a setlist a kind of adventure.  Every day I wake up and think, I’m going to try these songs in this order and having three records to pull songs from and noticing from this last tour, seeing how well things fit together in so many different shapes and putting certain songs up the front or in the middle and moving songs around the setlist.  It’s been really inspiring to see all the songs working together.

Moving onto performing at festivals, playing a large festival and particularly one like Soundwave which is dominated by heavier bands musically, do you find you project yourself and your music differently, than say at a smaller club type show?
Well look, on a festival were there’s a lot of really good metal bands, I’m certainly not going to play a set of ballads (laughs).  I think without a doubt there’s going to be some kind of effect, but you want to keep a balance to make sure you give your fans what they want too.  Generally on a festival set we try and come out and have fun and play songs that connect with people, not only your own fans but sort of connect with people on an instantaneous level and have a lot of energy and feel good about coming off of the stage.  With a festival yeah a goal is to obviously blow all your fans away, but it’s also to make a whole lot of new fans that wouldn’t have heard you if they hadn’t of shown up to see their favourite band.  We will certainly be dedicating our performance to a pretty kick ass rock show, without a doubt!

Then the way things work out, you’ve got sell out shows of your own with Relient K who we spoke about earlier and Dashboard Confessional, it really is a small world at these festivals, even thousands of miles away!
The great thing about festivals is you can meet like minded people. Musicians can be a bit guarded when it comes to these situations, but the best way to handle it is just to be stoked to be surrounded by so many talented people in one space and make sure you do your best to head out to all the after parties and wherever people are hanging out and congregating so you get the chance to talk to people about their journey.  It’s a bizarre life you know, to find a whole lot of people that live it, to be in one confined space, is also a pretty bizarre and special thing and I’m certainly looking forward to it.

You were out in Australia, what, about a year ago?  What are you looking forward to most about being back?
I’ve got to be honest, the country as a whole really does it for me.  I always make the joke when I come out there that I do some of my best thinking in Australia.  It’s funny because it reminds me a lot of home, California, but I really like the people and the mentality and the vibe and energy of people from Australia, there’s just something I connect with.  For me, it’s going to be about playing a show and just trying to leave everything on the stage, then going out for a beer in whatever city we get to be in that day and meeting people and try and make some new memories!  I think that’s what we always try and do when we travel.

So I have to ask, what drew you to the piano, was there a defining moment/ memory?
I had a buddies Dad teach me how to play Whole Lotta Shakin Going On by Jerry Lee Lewis.  Up until that point I always had a piano in the house and picked out melodies from pop songs and kind of had gravitated towards it, but that’s the first time that anybody had taught me how to play like a piece of music that I was really into.  From that moment forward, I lost a family member who I was really close with and around about that same time that I learned to play, was when I started writing music.  From 9 years old growing up in this old house in a town outside Pasadena, just playing from the time I got home from school to the time they made me go to bed.

You have contributed a track to the Songs Of Bob Dylan – Chimes of Freedom release, how did that all come about and did you get to choose Mr Tambourine Man?
I’m a fan of what the Amnesty International folks do, I think what they do is really important and raising awareness about human rights violations and I think they just do an amazing job and do some amazing projects.  The last one I got to do was God by John Lennon which is one of my favourite songs and they was such a positive experience.  When they came back and said they were working on the Bob Dylan one, I grew up like most songwriters do, as a fan of Bob Dylan, I jumped at the chance.  I threw my cards in the ring pretty early for Mr Tambourine Man and they let me do it, it was a pleasure and a lot of fun.

After Australia, you have some shows in Japan, then what’s on the horizon for 2012?
Truthfully, I’m about to take a pretty good long break.  I finally got out of Los Angeles and moved back to the beach and in this period where I’m writing and recording and experimenting and just having fun bring back in a place where I can see a lot of people I haven’t caught up with in a while.  So it’s kind of going to be a moment of reinventing and thinking of the next thing.

Well we shall wait and see what that next thing shall be, when it shall be…
Well I’m excited for whatever it is and I’m definitely looking forward to getting out and seeing you guys, so thank you for taking the time!

Essential Information

From: USA

Band members: Andrew McMahon, Bobby Anderson, Jay McMillan

Website:jacksmannequin.com

Latest release: People and Things (10 Feb 2012, Warner Music Australia)

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Soundwave Festival 2012 Sidewave dates with Dashboard Confessional and Relient K

MONDAY 27^TH FEBRUARY SYDNEY, MANNING BAR - 18+
www.ticketek.com.au / www.oztix.com.au

WEDNESDAY 29^th FEBRUARY MELBOURNE, PRINCE OF WALES - 18+
www.ticketek.com.au / www.oztix.com.au / www.moshtix.com.au

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