January 17, 2008

For this, our second in a GCM-exclusive feature series looking at the newest up-and-coming bands to be included in the flagship EA Trax, we were offered the chance to throw a few questions at Jupiter One.

A true up-and-coming band, there still is not a ton of information on Jupiter One floating around the net other than a popular MySpace page (well over 7,000 friends at the time of this writing), and a well-designed band website. Add to this the fact that the band's albums are currently only available via iTunes or from their own website (from which they also pre-sell concert tickets), and that the band's email address is a Gmail account; it is quite obvious that Jupiter One is taking an active DIY-approach to their musical career, and doing one hell of a job.

So for the stuff we know:

Jupiter One has been kicking around since 2002, calls NYC home, cites influences including the Talking Heads, Gang of Four, and the Cars, and is being compared to the likes of the Killers and Franz Ferdinand. Moreover, the band is garnering quite a buzz following their recent involvement in EA's Madden 08 and FIFA 08 EA Trax game soundtracks – and is primed to be a feature band on EA's upcoming Burnout Paradise release.

So let's find out a little more about Jupiter One...

GCM: Whom are we speaking with, and what role do you play in the band?

Jupiter One: Dave Heilman...the drummer.

GCM: And who are the other members of the band?

Jupiter One: Zac Colwell (keyboards, guitar, flute, vocals), K. Ishibashi (lead vocals, guitar, violin), and Mocha (keyboards)

GCM: It looks like you just wrapped up a road trip that took you to the western states and Canada. Was this your first time on tour? What was the coolest experience from the trip?

Jupiter One: Yes, this was our first time on tour and we had been desperately trying to figure out HOW we were going to do it. We'd been playing East Village Clubs for 2 years and decided that Jupiter One needed to hit the road. Problem was we were as broke as Bush's Exit Strategy. We had literally JUST thrown the idea around of touring with pre-recorded tracks to save money on car space and food when our manager Ryan Ruden discovered us. He helped get our finances together and put us in a position where we could afford to tour as a band....took a year, but we made it! :)

I'm sure everyone has a different experience they remember most, but for me? It was when we stopped through a town in Toronto to record a live set for a show called, "Another Crappy Canadian Late Night Talk Show" with JR Diggs. JR and the crew were really fun guys to hang with, and it was our first TV spot, so I was pretty excited.

GCM: It is fairly obvious (and downright commendable) that you guys are taking an active hands-on role in getting your music out to the ears of the nation with a real-deal DIY campaign utilizing MySpace and the band's website. Between the social networking, regular blogging, album sales, ticket pre-sales, swag giveaways, and chatting – Jupiter One is a true next-gen band. I assume at least some of you have day jobs, has it been difficult to keep up with all of the demands of the band?

Jupiter One: Well, I really appreciate the honorable mention of our DIY approach, but sometimes I feel a little spoiled. We do have a great team of people working with us to get the music out there, especially our manager Ryan. He busts his ass so much that it raises the bar. No matter how hard we work, he's working harder. That's what keeps me going.

For a long time we did have some "interesting" jobs to help fund our music. We all made the decision last year to quit our "day jobs" and focus on touring. That was an EASY choice to make, (we only live once), and when the band's the ONLY thing putting food on your table – damn straight you’re going to work hard!

GCM: Jupiter One recently teamed up with EA Trax and are featured on a number of recent EA soundtracks – first Madden 08 and FIFA 08, and now the upcoming Burnout Paradise. When I was surfing around the net researching the interview, it seemed like a lot of gamers in the US were taking notice of the song "Countdown" as heard on the Madden soundtrack. Have you guys noticed any spike in popular interest in the US following Madden's release?

Jupiter One: Absolutely. It's comical how much that game has helped spread the word. If you read our comments on the YouTube page it seems EVERYONE discovered the song from Madden '08. While in LA we got a chance to meet all the EA people at their office and they're REALLY great. They put a lot of thought into their gaming audience and what kind of music they'd like. We're happy to be a part of it and now that NHL and FIFA came out we're meeting all sorts of new fans. Songs like "Unglued" and "Turn Up The Radio" are finally getting their spot in the game limelight.

GCM: On a similar note, FIFA is absolutely huge in international markets – and one series in particular that is often touted for its kick-ass soundtracks. Has Jupiter One's involvement in the game seemed to attract attention from foreign fans?

Jupiter One: Definitely. It's funny to see each sport carrying a unique audience. When we get e-mails from people who heard us in FIFA you can feel the difference in tone. The game of soccer, or "football", is more of a European pastime with DEVOUT fans that don't mix words, to say the least. Through FIFA we make a lot of friends in the UK and it's nice to be appreciated by them.

GCM: The last band we interviewed for this feature series was Datarock, who cited influences of the Talking Heads, Devo, and Happy Mondays – and those two fellas really do a great job blending all three influences into a sound that is equal parts 70's NYC Art Rock (Talking Heads), early 80's New Wave (Devo) and the early 90's Manchester rave (Happy Mondays). Jupiter One also does a great job blending the sounds of 70's NYC Art rock, Late 70's political post-punk (Gang of Four), and the 80's synth-pop (the Cars). My only concern with the current 'new-wave revival' is that good bands like Jupiter One and Datarock might be prematurely "dating" their sound – and as the public moves on to the next Emo, Goth, Grunge, or whatever the next wave is, that quality bands like Datarock and Jupiter One might be left in the wake. Does this concern you guys?

Jupiter One: Datarock is a great band who we listened to in the van CONSTANTLY. Perhaps a bit too much, but the truth is they're fun as hell. If music that makes you want to jump out of your seat wrapped in toilet paper and start dancing like a moron gets old… Then I need diapers and a social security check.

Jupiter One is a bit different because I think we've managed to avoid a trendy sound. People say things like "New Wave" or "Dance Rock" but it's just not true. We all grew up listening to those artists like Depeche Mode or Shuggie Otis or even The Bangles (I have an older sister, okay?!) but we don't "sound" like that. I think our listeners can hear these influences but the end result is something unique. Our music has a common thread but each track has a very different inspiration or feeling behind it . We try to stay open-minded with our songwriting and I think the second album will show just how much.

GCM: OK, I'm really digging the song "Wrong Line", which is featured on your site both on the web radio, as a video diary by a person named Meghan. Some of the stuff in her video - the dancing and imagery – is cut together well enough to be a MTV video. Was this video a fan submittal, and if so do you guys see this type of fan DIY as another opportunity to get the music out?

Jupiter One: First of all, thanks. Wrong Line was the first song we ever played together as a band so I’m happy to hear you like it. As for the blog, don’t let the amateur video fool you – Meghan is actually a professional dancer and took that footage on the road with her dance partners. Zac and I met her at a Beer Garden in Queens one night while she and a bunch of friends started a random, passionately bizarre dance party. (Soon broken up by security) We gave her a CD and she's been a huge fan ever since. Meghan has gotten us fans in every city she's traveled to because she's crazy and loves the music.

We're looking forward to our Bowery Ballroom show when her whole dance troop raids the floor. So in short, yes. People like Meghan, who do something creative with our music, helps spread the word AND impresses us!

GCM: So what are the future plans for Jupiter One? Another tour? Another album? More games?

Jupiter One: Tour, tour, tour. We love it! We've started work on our second album and would like to continue touring the states and overseas. Our album is going to be released in the UK in March so we're definitely headed there in April. We plan on stopping at random studios along the tour to record demos of our new material. Listen to them in the van as we drive, make some mental notes, re-record those changes in the next city, and so on. Once the songs have come to life we'll stop at home and record the album in New York.

GCM: Hey, it was great to get a chance to throw a couple of questions your way. We wish you all of the luck in the world, and we definitely look forward to hearing more from Jupiter One in the future.

In fact...you can hear more from Jupiter One right now with an exclusive pre-release track, Fire Away from their upcoming CD.

You can also get more info about Jupiter One, find tour dates, and order their CD's at their official website or visit their MySpace page