Jesters Moon interview
Photos provided by Jesters Moon
Bloodstained Skies: Reading the band’s bio, I notice you gained quite a reputation as a drummer. In Jesters Moon, you are handling vocals as well as playing guitars and keyboards. How did you come to play such a variety of roles in bands? How did you end up being the lead singer for Jesters Moon?
Bryce Van Patten: That’s a good question. I have played the drums since I was 8, studied music throughout school and performed in band, orchestra and drum corps. I started playing guitar around 13, got my first bass guitar at 14 and joined a band as a bass player since they already had a drummer. I learned quite a few instruments in an effort to better understand the way things worked musically.
My goal has always been to create music, so I’m glad I have several points of view. This comes in very handy when mixing down. Usually a drummer will mix drum heavy, a bass player bass heavy and so on. It’s good to remember that everything is important and has it’s own place in each song.
The first time I became a lead singer was when my drum kit got ripped off. I had to play metal somehow, and ran into a great band (Warhead) without a singer. It was a natural fit. As far as Jesters Moon, I was doing Pipe Dreams with Preston and Alvin when Dan Hurtz bailed out of Bangin’ Moon and left everyone totally hanging. I had played keys on their last studio effort and had done the same live on several occasions. When the guys asked if I could fill in, one thing led to another. When it was all over, Bangin’ Moon and Pipe Dreams had melded into a new project called Jesters Moon.
Bloodstained Skies: I was quite impressed when I first heard “Jesters Moon” last year. My initial impression was that it sounded like a mix between Accept and Dokken. How would you describe the band’s music to anybody who has not yet heard Jesters Moon? How does the self-titled album compare with the group’s previous recordings, “Blinded” and “Moontang”?
Bryce: Another good question. We are Accept influenced. But you could easily throw in Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, etc. I guess you could call it old-school heavy metal. Lots of guitar-oriented music with lots of solos and heavy riffs. But sometimes a few surprises like “Amnesia”. We feel that the new album “Jesters Moon” really surpasses anything we’ve done previously, as a band or individually. But the great thing is, we have a new album in the works that should be our best work yet.
Bloodstained Skies: As a musician, do you view an album differently months and years after it’s released than you do when you first completed it? If so, how do you view the self-titled album now? What did you envision prior to recording, and how did you feel when it was completed?
Bryce: That’s a deep question, but I’ll try to keep it to a brief answer. On this album, Vido and myself engineered and produced the entire CD. I mixed the majority of the album as well, so by the time the CD was out, I had heard the songs several hundred times. We are very fortunate to have our own recording studio and can pretty much create exactly what we want. We recorded some of the songs several times and others only once, so we tried several different arrangements and mixes. We feel very good about our finished product. We learned a lot and are well prepared for the next album. I still like the album when I hear it back, which is always tough when listening to your own work.
Bloodstained Skies: Are there any songs on the album that stand out as personal favorites? Do you have any interesting memories or stories regarding the writing, arranging and/or recording of any of the tracks?
Bryce: Tough question. For raw power, I’d have to say, “What’s My Name”. But I really like “Backstreets” and the one that snuck up on us all, “You’re On Your Own”. That song had been played a certain way for about a year, so by the time we went to record it, things were a little stale. I went down to the studio on my own one evening to do some tracking when it hit me that I had to do something different. So I rewrote my guitar part from scratch and tracked it all out. I then switched over to vocals and did the song in an evening. When it was finished, it seemed the song had evolved into something better. It’s a very straightforward song, but it really seems to grow on you.
Bloodstained Skies: What sparks the writing process for you and your bandmates? Do you have a particular method for writing songs or does each song come together in its own unique way? How do you think you’ve changed and progressed as a songwriter?
Bryce: Vido and I write the bulk of the material. When Vido and I write, he brings 20 songs to practice that he’s created musically and recorded. He’s a songwriting madman. We work together to take the best ideas and create a great song. I feel my strong suits are arranging and melody/lyrics and molding a lot of different ideas into a finished product. We bounce everything off of the other guys and see what sticks.
When I write a song I really have no set method. Sometimes I’ll write everything in an evening. Other times, it may take months to finish an idea. I have a lot of songs going at once and I try not to force them. It’s easier to just let them take shape when they are right. It’s hard to explain, really.
Bloodstained Skies: What is Jesters Moon currently up to? What are the band’s plans for the rest of 2003?
Bryce: We just played a great show on May 2nd at the Paris Theater with the Mentors and The Hell Candidates. We’ll keep you posted as to upcoming dates.
We are currently working on a single called “Forbidden” to be released this summer on “Defenders Of Metal”, a compilation from MIB Music featuring great metal bands from all over the world. You would be amazed at the quality of metal coming out of Europe right now. We also plan the release of our second album sometime around Christmas. Plan on at least an hour of all new material in the true power metal format.
Bloodstained Skies: Some bands are intent on delivering a serious message. Others are looking for fame and fortune, while others just love music and want to have fun. What keeps Jesters Moon going and what do you get out of being in the band?
Bryce: I don’t want to preach to anyone or anybody. While fame and fortune would be nice, the musical compromises required to climb that particular ladder are out of the question. Remember, I play 70’s/80’s metal, we aren’t gonna start rappin’ any time soon. And you won’t hear any drop D shout rock/metal from us ever! So the fame and fortune thing is not super likely unless the major labels start to recognize other genres that do quite well in other countries.
So you hit on the best reason to make music right between the eyes. Make the music you love, and make it the way you want it. Don’t jump on every trend that swings around the corner with droopy pants and backward baseball caps. Oops! Sorry, I’m preaching, aren’t I? I just love creating and performing the music of my soul. It’s an amazing opportunity.
Bloodstained Skies: I know you’ve been in a lot of bands. How has the metal scene changed in the Pacific Northwest over the years, and how has the national and international scene changed since you’ve been actively involved in music? Looking at the changes that have occurred, what do you see for the future of heavy metal in your region, the U.S. and the world as a whole?
Bryce: That’s an awfully deep question. I think there used to be a lot more variety in the metal bands than there is now. My experience has been that most American bands are following the footsteps of Tool or Korn or Godsmack, and you can hardly tell them apart. In most American bands, guitar solos are almost extinct. Another trend taken from grunge. In the rest of the world you have a huge variety of different types of metal from power to grind to goth to you name it. I have no idea what the future of metal will be for anybody but myself. Just to keep making music that is true to my heart.
Bloodstained Skies: What’s the best part of being in Jesters Moon? What’s the hardest part? How does the chemistry and inner workings of this group differ from some other groups you’ve been in?
Bryce: I would have to say the best thing is when you are playing in front of a crowd and the whole band is in a perfect zone musically with each other and the audience. When it happens it’s amazing. The hardest part is probably dealing with outer forces that sometimes try to drive wedges into the unit when everything is going great. But you know what they say, that which does not kill us only makes us stronger.
Every band has its own special chemistry and inner workings. Jesters Moon has been a great environment for creativity and musical as well as personal growth. It also helps when everyone in the band actually likes each other. What a bonus!
Bloodstained Skies: Which bands and/or individual musicians do you think have most influenced your own musical styles, and which do you think have influenced the overall style of Jesters Moon?
Bryce: My style has been heavily influenced by Ritchie Blackmore, Cozy Powell, Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carrey: Rainbow Rising. I bought that album and was blown away by it at an early age; it was metal for me from then on.
Of course I love Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and old Scorpions with Uli Jon Roth. Oh, and don’t let me forget Michael Schenker and early Iron Maiden in the Clive Burr era.
Overall we draw from a lot of different sources from Accept to Mercyful Fate to you name it if it’s great classic metal.
Bloodstained Skies: The more I get into the metal underground, the more I realize that there is always a new group out there somewhere worth discovering. Are there any bands in particular, other than Jesters Moon of course, that especially impress you and make you wonder why they aren’t more well known than they are?
Bryce: I feel the same way. I am often surprised at the talent that lies undiscovered. That’s why MIB Music is putting out the comp CD. All the bands appearing on “Defenders of Metal” are excellent, but I’ll name a few. A personal favorite of mine is a band called The Prowlers out of Italy, very heavy but melodic metal. Check them out if you can! A killer band also worth checking out is Moonlight Agony from Sweden. And don’t forget The Hell Candidates, a great metal band also from Portland, Ore. This comp CD coming out really features some incredible talent from all around the world. It’s going to be a great way to introduce people to some killer bands.
Bloodstained Skies: Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
Bryce: I’d just like to say thanks for the interview and the chance to talk to the great metal fans worldwide who make all this possible. Thanks for listening and remember: Don’t ever stop believing in yourself, and don’t ever let people tell you what you are supposed to like or listen to! Sorry again for the preaching, metal forever!
For a Jesters Moon bio and the Bloodstained Skies review of the band's self-titled release, go here.