Jackson Benge aka Jaxon Benge guitarist for Hed PE.
Hed PE Interview
– The band is going on tour in March with Alien Ant Farm for the Digital Tour Bus. What could the fans see special for this tour?
I think fans are going to get a kick out of the tour package. We tend to morph our set as we progress through tour. Each night is a little different from the previous because there are always a few adjustments to parts that help keep things fresh and interesting for us and the fans. So, fans should expect the same explosive energy on stage, but with a few twists to the tunes they know as well as maybe some new tunes!
– How was the tour with Powerman 5000 in support of the Evolution album?
We’ve done two tours with PM5K since ‘Evolution’ was released and the last one we just finished was even better than the first one. Every night was a home run and were are all good friends. So, it’s all around greatness. We can’t thank them enough for bringing us out.
– As the band continues to play shows, I am sure you’ve met interesting fans and have good stories to tell. What’s the most interesting thing that’s happened on recent tours?
One of the coolest things I got to do on the last tour was give a guitar lesson to a fan. I sat down with him and taught him how to play one of our songs, “Bloodfire.” I would like to do that more often.
– How important are music videos in the industry today? How do they compare to videos from 20 years ago?
Music videos have always been important in the sense that fans are given an opportunity to experience the band beyond just listening to their music. Now, it’s great because videos can be viewed from almost anywhere in contrast to when MTV used to play music videos and fans had to wait for them to be played. It seemed that when your favorite band’s video came on, you were that much more excited to see it because you had to wait for it. But, the amount of access and control over that now is absolutely amazing. We can just search and find what we are looking for in a matter of minutes.
– What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
Elton John, The Beach Boys, Michael Jackson, and maybe Dire Straits…
– Could you describe some of your earliest influences in life and in music?
My dad was a big influence on me. He was a guitar player and would often play and sing around the house. I always thought it would be cool if some day I could do that. It was never about being on stage or anything. I just thought it would be cool if I could learn a few chords some time in my life. But, watching and listening to him play is one of the earliest influences I can think of.
– Vinyl is making a comeback. Do you have a personal preference? Is your band producing on vinyl?
We have released a limited edition vinyl version of Evolution. I love vinyl. I’ll listen to it any chance I get. I bought my mom a turn table so she could revisit some of her old records. When I visit, I try to make it a point to break it out and listen. Vinyl produces the highest quality sound of any medium.
– Are the equipment and instruments used on stage mostly the same as the ones used on the albums?
Not all the equipment is the same, but we have the core instruments in place when we play live. We’ve got the standard guitar, bass, drums, and vocals on stage. But, in the studio, there are samples, keyboards, congas, and other things that haven’t lately made it to the stage simply for production reasons. But, we do have some sweet melodica solos during our set.
– When writing a song, is there such a thing as investing too much time?
We are not gifted with an unlimited amount of time when it comes to writing, so we have to manage our time realistically. But, I finish my music well before Jared hears it, so the deadline (if you want to call it that) is much closer by the time he begins his vocals. If I get stuck on a song, I tend to move on to something else until an idea comes along. If a song doesn’t get finished, it’s not the end of the world. Creativity has a way of finding you.
– Where do you see music in general going in 100 years from now?
Okay, get ready for this. Mobile devices, laptops, and phones will be obsolete. The new devices will connect directly to your brain. You won’t even have to use your hands or anything. It will allow you to tap into the internet for music and anything else for that matter. It’ll be great for music fans, but it’s really going to be a problem for school teachers as students will be able to cheat on tests a lot easier without being caught. But the flip side is that less and less people will take the time to learn anything anymore because the amount of time it will take to google information will trump the amount of time it takes to apply knowledge stored in the brain. It’s basically like a cloud for the brain and people will choose to use the cloud instead of the brain. So, music will be even easier to get than it ever has been before. This is really going to cut down on the time it takes to write and play music because these same devices will be used to write and record music as well. So some music will become more complex and sophisticated while other music will become more mindless and annoying. But, more people will become increasingly aware of music from around the world as opposed to what’s being fed to them by radio stations and television in their own respective countries.
Check out Hed PE online http://hedperocks.com/