Message To Venus band members: Jandre Nadal, singer and guitarist and John Feliciano, guitarist for Puerto Rico Hard Rock band Message to Venus. Message to Venus – Interview October 16, 2012
Message To Venus Interview
1. Could you tell me about the recording process of the Message to Venus EP The Envelope?
Jandre: In the beginning of the recording process of the EP it was all an experiment. It was just one song at a time, actually the first two songs (not in the EP) were Spanish rock songs, they had great potential, but I love hearing English lyrics in rock! So I decided to do English songs instead. All the songs were written on acoustic guitar, then I would re-record them with the electric guitar, the reason I did this was because I wanted to maintain it as melodic as possible and organic. Writing songs with the electric guitar can be misleading for the song’s direction or vocal arrangements for this project IMO. A few years later I had about 4 to 5 songs recorded in the studio, then I had the guys come over and record their parts and help me produce the rest of what became to be ‘The Envelope’.
2. Where did you first discover Melodic Hard Rock?
Jandre: Watching MTV, seeing a Def Leppard vid of the song “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, then I discovered Soundgarden, STP, and The Deftones in the late 90’s, I love The Deftones.
John: “Living On The Edge” by Aerosmith was the song that turned me on to Hard Rock, “Sober” by Tool closed the deal.
3. What would be some the amps and guitars used in the recording to create the tones?
Jandre:
- Acoustic guitars: Seagull mini jumbo with medium tension strings to maintains that thick tone
- Electric guitars: Gibson Les Paul Classic and a Classic Plus
- Amps: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, Mesa Boogie DC-3, Marshall JCM 900
- Pedals: TC Electronics and Boss effects
4. Any tours coming soon for Message To Venus?
John: Nothing confirmed as of yet. Working on it…
5. How different is the music scene in Puerto Rico compared to the United States?
John: Puerto Rico is a very tropical environment, most of the population likes to dance; its part of the culture. That doesn’t mean there is not a rock scene in Puerto Rico, there are a lot of rockers over there. The thing is that financially it is not a self sustaining environment for an independent rock band like us and touring is very limited compared to the United States where there is more people and more cities to cover.
6. Playing music in tropical climates does it change instrument tones or anything like that?
Jandre: YES! The humidity makes that guitar so heavy! And big! But also comes with mold and fading if you don’t take care of them.
7. What’s your vision of the internet for musicians in the future?
John: Love it or hate it, the Internet is here to stay. It is the new/old reality. We musicians just have to embrace it and use it to our advantage. The Internet now allows bands to bring their music to every corner of the world. Good music will always find ears willing to pay attention and listen.
8. What could we find interesting in your music collection at home?
Jandre: I have a sealed LP of Led Zep II. My dad was a DJ back in the day so I have some cool classics at home, and instruments as well. John: I have an extensive Nirvana music collection including imported CD versions and bootlegs.
9. Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician?
John: Wake up, hustle, practice, network, connect with fans, practice even more, repeat.
10. Any words for future musicians?
John: NEVER give up! Fight for what you want to achieve, don’t get discouraged by adversity and work harder every day. Only hard work will make your goals a reality. There are no free rides in life, especially in the music business.