Few 10-year-olds get the alternative to play their music on stage in entrance of a crowd — not to mention on Broadway alongside Stevie Nicks and Slash. However by the age of 15, multi-instrumentalist Jersey Sullivan has already had a brief profession worthy of rivaling seasoned musicians.
Studying the drums, piano, guitar, banjo, and bass all by the age of 9, Sullivan secured the alternative to play the character, Zack, in Broadway’s adaptation of 2003’s Faculty of Rock. As the present has formally come to an in depth, Sullivan now focuses his vitality on his new band, Mess of Wires — a Southern California based mostly rock band with ’90s grunge and storage affect.
We had the alternative to talk to Sullivan about his influences, the first time he performed an Ernie Ball Music Man bass, and way more.
Q & A
EBMM: Let’s begin at the very starting. When did you first be taught to play bass?
JS: I really began as a drummer after I was about three years outdated. I quickly grew to become involved in enjoying different devices, so I discovered piano at 5, picked up the guitar at seven, studied the banjo at eight, and began enjoying bass at 9. I rotated by these devices based mostly on what songs I wished to be taught and who was keen to play them with me. All I’ve ever wished to do is play music, and I really feel so fortunate to have been in a position to play a ton of it throughout my life thus far.
EBMM: You had the alternative to play on Broadway’s Faculty of Rock. How was that have, attending to play alongside Slash, Stevie Nicks, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, to call just a few?
JS: First of all, I by no means thought I’d ever be on Broadway, however that have led me to have so many unbelievable alternatives, together with acting at the Tony Awards and the Macy’s Day Parade, and I’ve made so many lifelong pals in the course of. Having the ability to play with my idols reminiscent of Slash and Stevie Nicks was the final thrill, and Stevie, specifically, couldn’t have been extra beneficiant or wonderful each onstage and off. Assembly and enjoying with Lin-Manuel Miranda was additionally unreal; he was so enthusiastic, like a bit child leaping round the rehearsal studio, so genuinely excited to be enjoying with us. I used to be dwelling in New York throughout the Hamilton craze, and his genius and pure love for all issues music was inspiring to say the least.
EBMM: Being native to Southern California, how do you assume rising up in the hustle-and-bustle of Los Angeles impacted you as an artist?
JS: My house is Venice, CA, so I’m not fairly in the thick of the ‘hustle-and-bustle,’ however rising up in LA and close to the seaside has definitely knowledgeable my sensibility. Venice is a mixture of old-school hippies and hipsters, skaters, and political activists — all types of folks. I like that so much. And of course, accessing nice reveals in LA is a plus. I’m actually concerned in the DIY scene right here and throughout the metropolis and exit to listen to music each time I can. There are so much of unbelievable musicians in LA — many everybody has heard of and others nobody has (but).
EBMM: You’re presently enjoying bass with your band, Mess of Wires. How would you describe your guys’ sound?
JS: My band Mess of Wires has a tough rock/grunge sound, stripped right down to the naked necessities as a result of we’re a three-piece. We have now a variety of influences from storage rock to punk to various, and our purpose is to create music that captures the pleasure of us enjoying and writing collectively. We’ve been enjoying collectively since I used to be 9 years outdated and it has been an unbelievable journey the complete time.
EBMM: The band not too long ago launched their first EP. How was the course of of creating this new music?
JS: There wasn’t an actual components for writing the EP; generally one of us would come into rehearsal with a blueprint for a track already fleshed out, and different instances we’d simply be hanging out and bouncing concepts off one another till we discovered one thing we favored. We went into the Steakhouse Studio in North Hollywood in Spring 2019 for a weekend with our producer, Brent Woods, and banged out all the songs there; no click on tracks and minimal overdubs.
EBMM: What’s your favourite observe off the EP to play reside?
JS: The title observe, “No Management,” is my favourite track off the EP to play reside as a result of we normally shut the set with it, and the ending of that track is the one time in the set the place all of us get to create insane sounds and let the whole lot descend into sonic chaos earlier than we get offstage.
EBMM: Are you able to bear in mind the first time you performed an Ernie Ball Music Man instrument?
JS: The primary time I performed an Ernie Ball Music Man instrument was at the Guitar Middle in Instances Sq.. I used to be strolling round the bass part and I noticed the Caprice bass hanging from the wall, and I had by no means seen it earlier than. So, I picked it up, and I had by no means felt something nicer than that; the neck was like butter to play, and the sound I instantly obtained out of it was each punchy and easy concurrently.
EBMM: How has your Caprice bass helped you develop as a bass participant?
JS: I’m so joyful to have that bass now, as I used it to report my band’s complete EP. The Caprice might be heard very properly on the recording on account of its capability to effortlessly reduce by even a very heavy combine. The pickup choices give me heaps of tonal variation, which continues to encourage my enjoying and helps me department out into different genres of music whereas staying on one instrument.
EBMM: Are there any artists/bands that encourage you as a bassist?
JS: There are heaps of bands and gamers that proceed to push the envelope of what it means to be a bass participant. I like the facet of feeling the uncooked vitality in the tone of bands reminiscent of Liily and Present Me the Physique. I’m additionally very impressed by the bassists who experiment with results and parts of noise of their enjoying, like Brian Gibson of Lightning Bolt and Mike Kerr of Royal Blood.
EBMM: What was the second you realized you wished to pursue music full-time?
JS: There was not a second. I simply at all times cherished to play and my dream is to be a working musician for the relaxation of my life, whether or not I’m enjoying in my band, doing session work, touring with different musicians I respect, designing guitar pedals, or writing music evaluations. If I’m fortunate, I’ll get to do that for the relaxation of my life.
EBMM: What can we anticipate in 2020? Any thrilling initiatives we must always look out for?
JS: The EP has generated heaps of curiosity from report labels, managers and brokers on each coasts, which I’m thrilled about. I’m wanting ahead to creating bulletins in the close to future about very thrilling issues. I’m additionally grateful to have the alternative to collaborate with fellow Brotherhood of the Guitar member, Jacob Reese Thornton, and LA artist Kali Flanagan.
Gear
Jersey depends on his Ernie Ball Music Man Caprice bass out and in of the studio.
Watch
Watch Jersey and Asher Belsky jam on the Ernie Ball stage at NAMM 2020.
Hearken to Mess of Wires
