Interview: Jordan Blake of Trances/Watchout! There's Ghosts

 

Interview @ 4/7/2011

"Like" Trances here: http://www.facebook.com/trancesband

"Like" Watchout! There's Ghosts here: http://www.facebook.com/watchouttheresghosts2011

If you don’t know who Jordan Blake is by now, then crawl out from under that rock you’re living. As one of the founders of A Skylit Drive (he performed on the Industry Demos and She Watched The Sky EP) his voice took the world by storm. Then he fell ill and was eventually let go from ASD. So he then formed Watchout! There’s Ghosts and after only 2 shows was picked up by Rise Records and released “Ghost Town.” But for reasons explained in the interview below, he formed a “heavier” band and named it Trances, which just released “The Alphament EP.” He also made an EP with Etienne Sin called “The Legend The Leader” in the span of just days (readers can read the interview with Etienne Sin here http://fridayreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-etienne-sin.html and you can also read the review I gave of the EP here http://fridayreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/jordan-blake-etienne-sin-legend-leader.html). As one of the most respected and renowned voices of the post-hardcore/scream genre, Jordan Blake decided to have this interview with me to talk about some of his influences and some uplifting comments for the fans:

RB:  So, Etienne has told me that your newest EP "The Legend the Leader" was all your idea. What made you want to do an entire project with him? 

JB: When his manager hit me up to fly my out to New York, I thought it only made sense to complete as much work as we could while I was there.

RB: What are some of your biggest influences in music? What are some of the bands that you listen to today? 

JB: Ellie Goulding, is my biggest influence right now, America better watch out for her!

RB: So how did you meet the guys in Trances? What motivated you to make that band and also resurrect Watchout! There's Ghosts? 

JB: Well to answer your W!TG question, you can not kill something that is already dead. No one ever know what is going on with W!TG cause I am W!TG. Indeed I do have help making the music, but I am the only one that makes shit happen.The idea of Trances hit me while I was on the road with W!TG, my label at the time had called bitching about my album sales,telling me they wouldn't work me unless I made a heavy band. I made a heavy band, called it Trances

RB: What has been your biggest challenge so far in the various bands that you've performed and recorded with? 

JB: Staying happy.

RB: What message are you sending out with your music? 

JB: I write the soundtracks to the end of the world.
I have been warning people for so long. Now that its a trend to believe it, everyone is a follower. I think that is what happend to America in the first place, one stupid fuck, following another stupid fuck, believing everything that a guy in a suit has to say. I mean oxy cotten seems to be saving everyone's life right...WRONG, that is just one of the substances created to destroy america, but shit, i'm not punk rocker I shouldn't piss on to many peoples jobs in one interview

RB: I am from Sacramento and as we both know, Sacramento has a huge (mainly hardcore) music scene. What 

are a few of the local scene bands you like?

JB: I am not from Sacramento, and I do not like the band's from Sacramento, I liked Dance Gavin Dance when Kurt Travis was in the band, and I do really enjoy anything that Kurt Travis has recording since 03, but other then that, I don't listen to anything out of the area.

RB: There being so many bands in the area, was there any trouble breaking out with Watchout! There's Ghosts or Trances? 

JB: Watchout! never had to break out, we had 2 show cases then we went on tour for the whole year, Trances hasn't found to many band's in the area with the same sound we are still searching for new bands to play with in the area.


RB: Yeah one of my all time favorite shows was the Halloween show you played that year at the Empire Theater in Stockton, CA. So what are the meanings of the band names Watchout! There's Ghosts and Trances? How did you and the band come up with them? 

JB: W!TG, was something I thought would be a clever thing to spray paint on a bridge above a narrow turn by my house back home.


RB: What upcoming projects are you working on now? New Watchout!, Trances, or something else entirely?

JB: I have been working on Trances recently,

RB: What has been your favorite venue or city overall that you've performed in? 

JB: WHITE RABBIT, SAN ANTONIO TEXAS

RB: What's been your strangest gig or fan experience so far? 

JB: Strangest would have been playing a sold out show then getting jumped by methed out security gaurds in New York City. Fucking faggots.

RB: Fucking A! That's straight up bullshit right there! What advice can you give for any up and coming bands out there that look up to you? 

JB: Stay true to yourself, always believe you are #1. because your are. I have been through a lot of shit, and have had labels, managers, fans and haters all tell me I will never make it in my career. But i'm still going til the end.

RB: Any shoutouts you would like to give? 

JB: A big one out to my Manager Judi Padilla, and my girlfriend and her band Twin Of Novae.

RB: Any last words for your fans? 

JB: Thanks so much for still buying my music and coming out to my shows! Make sure to check out Trances if you havent yet. I love you, stay true to yourself, fall in love young, never get a job, move out of America.

*A legend of our time*