Interview with Multi-Instrumentalist, Singer/Songwriter JSHELL
By Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello, JShell! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
CV:
15 videos in 30 days... that is a serious undertaking. What level of attention
to detail is involved in such an undertaking?
JShell: I quickly found out that I had to equal the
amount of attention to detail making the videos as I did making the album
itself. I had to write scripts and
storyboards down to the second for almost every track while working with a host
of different animators, as I wanted each video to stand out from the others in
some way. And then I decided to make a
live action video for the track “My Last Request” where I had to direct three
dancers and a sign language interpreter and make sure we could film the whole
video in one take and we pulled it off.
CV:
To make the deadline for the video releases, how far in advance did planning
begin, and was there ever a point where you felt that this was too much to
handle or that you may not make it?
JShell: My record label gave me the opportunity to make
my own deadline, so that wasn’t an issue.
But the entire process of making the videos ended up taking about 10
months and that was after the album was fully mixed and mastered. While it was a lot to handle, I really wanted
the album to be both an audio and visual experience as we all live in a TikTok
world. I also constantly challenge
myself in life and this was no different.
It turned out to be a very rewarding experience.
CV:
Your new album, “In My Head,”
features an array of several well-known rock artists, including Steve Hackett of Genesis and Katie Jacoby
of the Who, among others. What was
it like working with these heavy hitters? Did you find you had to pinch
yourself on several occasions?
JShell: It was an honor and a privilege. My favorite band is Genesis, so when Steve
Hackett answered my email and said he would contribute, I was really excited
and he turned out to be one of the nicest and most generous humans I’ve ever
met. The Who is also right up there for
me and when I saw Katie Jacoby shredding it on her violin with the band, I
immediately reached out and she was amazing both as a musician and a
person. I have to add that in addition
to the well-known guests, I was able to have some of my closest friends and
family members contribute, and that was just as much of a thrill for me.
CV:
How has your eclectic musical background and influences served you in making
this audio visual album in your opinion? How does it shine through in this
production?
JShell: My influences include Genesis, The Beatles, The
Who, Queen, Rush, Journey, Billy Joel, Iron Maiden and Phish, just to name a
few, and they’re all present and accounted for on the album. To me, these artists represent both catchy
melodies and prog rock, so the goal for me was to make songs that stayed in
your head while having a lot going on musically. Every note and beat is deliberate and I think
I achieved what I set out to do in the spirit of the artists that shaped me.
CV:
Is recording all of the album's tracks; drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals
yourself something that just makes the entire production process easier to
contend with as compared to working with a band or a multitude of studio
musicians in your opinion?
JShell: It’s both easier and harder. It’s easier because although I really like
collaboration, I wanted the album to be a true reflection of what goes on “in
my head” which meant that I didn’t have to compromise any of the decisions I
wanted to make. Of course, that meant I
took on a lot more responsibility than I ever had making a record. The hardest part was playing guitar as I had
never been much of a guitar player going into recording the album but I knew that
the rhythm guitar playing and sound is arguably the most important part of any
rock track. And so I forced myself out
of my comfort zone and played most of the rhythm guitar - and actually did a
few guitar solos as well - just to make sure that I realized my vision.
CV:
Which track from "In My Head"
represents the album's masterpiece in your opinion…the one track to rule them
all?
JShell: That track is “Meant To Be”. Every track on the album is less than 5
minutes except for “Meant To Be” which is almost 9 minutes and is my attempt at
a prog rock epic.
CV:
What more can fans expect to see coming from you in 2023?
JShell: Right now I’m just focused on doing everything
I can to get the word out about “In My Head”.
Doing promotion and public relations is just as important as recording
and making videos, so I’m just really focused on that right now. Technically “Haunted” and “You Do You” are
the first singles and I’m hoping to push at least 2 or 3 more of the tracks as
singles in the near future.
CV: Thanks again, JShell, for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
Check out JSHELL at:
Website: http://jshellmusic.com
Link Tree: http://linktr.ee/jshellmusic
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jshellmusic
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@jshellmusic
TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@jshellmusic
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