In the wake of their latest pulsating release ‘Wasted on the Dream’, JEFF the Brotherhood come loaded with grungy guitars, head-banging riffs and effortlessly catchy choruses. Creating something similar in feel to a lot of the rock records that came out in the ’90s, the duo continue to accommodate their wall of sound and expand to a highly voluminous, all-out rock attack... We talk to Jake Orrall about hating the music business, downtime and misconceptions...
TSH: How would you sum up the transition and shift in your sound for the latest release ‘Wasted on the Dream’?
Jake: We wanted to make an album that was more polished and accessible sounding because we had a big budget and Warner Brothers wanted to push the record really hard.
TSH: What was the band dynamic and level of focus like when you were recording the record?
Jake: We were extremely focused on drinking a lot of wine and messing around with synthesisers.
TSH: Compared to previous works, were there specific challenges that you faced and had to overcome?
Jake: We had a lot of challenges with Warner Brothers; it seemed like everywhere we turned they had put another obstacle in our way. Thankfully they are no longer an issue for us.
TSH: ‘Black Cherry Pie’ took three years to write because you couldn’t finish it. How did it end up popping out just in time for the recording session and what changes were needed to be made?
Jake: We really just needed a chorus! And I really just needed to sit down and write one. We took six months off to write about 35 songs; we were very focused in that time.
TSH: Talk us through your fondness for performing ‘Voyage into Dreams’ live...
Jake: We love playing Voyage because it’s got a lot of riffs and kunal. Also, I get to do a lot of shredding, and it gets people juiced up!
TSH: With a song like ‘Prairie Song’, what sort of ideas and motivations did you draw on to pen the track itself?
Jake: Hating the music business.
TSH: What can you tell us about your experiences in bringing together the striking video for ‘In My Mouth’...
Jake: Our friend Halle asked us if she could make a music video, we said yes, and a week later she showed us, we were blown away!
TSH: Do you feel it’s less important what the songs are about and that you normally end up with fragments of images to make into music?
Jake: Yeah, we don't really care much for "lyrics".
TSH: What has impacted you most musically over the last few years?
Jake: Mostly alcohol.
TSH: When performing live, what are the aspects that you keep in mind for your blistering performances?
Jake: We just try and keep everyone engaged in the performance; usually we cast a spell before the show to ensure that people bang their heads, black magic, you know.
TSH: Whilst on tour, how do you guys commonly like to use your downtime?
Jake: Mostly masturbating and reading books.
TSH: What sort of distractions do you want to stay clear of?
Jake: Beholders, displacer beasts, gelatinous cubes, rust monsters, owlbears, mindflayers, the drow, and whitewalkers.
TSH: How do you feel your song writing has evolved many albums in?
Jake: We are better at writing songs, more practice!
TSH: What are the biggest misconceptions of JEFF the Brotherhood?
Jake: That we play garage rock and come from Memphis.
TSH: What albums in particular have you been most attached to over the last few years?
Jake: The first three King Crimson albums.
TSH: Finally, if you could go back in time to see one live performance, who would it be?
