Interview with Vocalist Chad Jensen of Bridge The Gap

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?

Chad Jensen: People describe Bridge The Gap’s sound as very 90s skatepunk. It’s an apt description because we’re kids from the 90s who started our musical journey in that glorious decade. Our sound and influences are definitely rooted there.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
CJ: I would say that it’s achievable. I feel very connected to many of my favorite artists/bands. That connection, frankly, starts with the music itself. No social media post, reel, or meme can hold a candle to the bio-chemical process of a listener bonding to a song. It can save lives. It can certainly change lives. I would say that’s where Bridge The Gap has started relative to bonding/connecting with our fans. Yes, savvy social media and a great live performance are part of the equation, but it starts with the tunes. 

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
CJ: Absolutely. We’d still be making music, probably, if all we did was publish it and send it out into the void without ever hearing a peep back. But the interaction, feedback, and bond we get from the audience who receives our music is edifying and, frankly, addictive, which keeps us going. 

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?

CJ: Yes. But every artist’s personal space boundaries are different.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion?  If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?

CJ: Honestly, I don’t really have a great answer to this. Some areas of the world seem to love Bridge The Gap’s genre of music more than others. But I think one thing that’s universal about the human condition is the impact music has on us. That crosses any and all geographical and cultural boundaries.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?

CJ: Hard to say, as we’re an American band.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?

CJ: Content creation can be a form of artistry, especially in the sense that it creates something out of nothing. But I don’t view it that way generally. It can’t be art unless it’s a work that is open to interpretation from the listener, viewer, or reader. 

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?

CJ: There’s the vanguard and then there’s the cavalry. There’s the trail-blazer and then there are the travelers who will follow and make use of that path.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?

CJ: Perhaps. But with only a few exceptions, I don’t see this as theme that permeates punk rock much. That’s one of the things I love most about punk, regardless of the sub-genres thereof. The artists are generally fearless. However, cancel culture has created a self-censoring phenomenon throughout all forms of music, and I know that includes punk on some level.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?

CJ: Bridge The Gap’s immediate focus is to make more music and hit the road in 2024.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

CJ: Thank you for the opportunity. These were some thoughtful questions that made me think.

 

Check out Bridge the Gap at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgeTheGapPunk

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.

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