A Dirty Dozen with JAY GORDON from ORGY – April 2021

According to a recent press release: “Today, April 9, Los Angeles-based industrial metal band Orgy is back with a brand new single “Karma Kastles.” The track marks the band’s first release of 2021. Staying true to their musical roots firmly established in 1997, “Karma Kastles” crunching guitars, electronic undertones and soaring vocals are what fans have gravitated towards for nearly three decades. Originally formed in 1997, ORGY was signed to KORN’s label Elementree Records and released their debut album Candyass in 1998. Featuring their two hit singles, a cover of the New Order song “Blue Monday” and “Stitches” along with the song “Revival” featuring Jonathan Davis of KORN, the album went on to sell almost two million copies. ORGY appeared on the Family Values Tour with KORN, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, Incubus and Rammstein and were featured on the live compilation album from the tour released in 1999. For 2021, look for the band who is Jay Gordon (lead vocals) and Carlton Bost (guitar, backing vocals) along with Nic Speck (bass, backing vocals), Creighton Emrick (guitar, backing vocals) and Marton Veress (drums) to release an EP of new music and will tour when the pandemic ends.” We get Jay to discuss new music, influences, and more…

Photo credit: Kimberly Woo

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

The song is called “Karma Kastles.” It’s about a lot of people, and the struggles they go through when they move to LA. There are a lot of cool little nuances in the song that people might not catch the first time around. It grows on you.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My family (mostly my dad) had been in the music business for years, so I was always around it. I always knew I wanted to do something related to music. I think I went to lots of shows, but I saw Metallica at Candlestick Park, and when I turned around and saw the entire stadium with their fists in the air, that was when I knew I wanted to do that too.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I have a diverse palette, but I loved Ratt, and lots of hair metal bands when I was young, then I met the guys from Korn, and I loved their stuff, so I emulated a lot of things that I learned from Jonathan, and stuff like that. Bowie would probably be my biggest influence of all time though. Prince, and MJ as well.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Bowie, Prince, Korn, MJ, Gesaffelstein, and Skrillex.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Gesaffelstein, cause his music really blows my mind. I would love to work on a track with him.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

The name Orgy is based on compiling a bunch of different styles into one band/sound, and that would be the best way to describe our sound.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I think we all cook a little bit, but we are mostly together on the bus, so there isn’t a whole lot of cooking going down, and we all make pretty decent bartenders, lol, but we never bring acoustic guitars or do singalongs. It would be more like who breaks out the computer, to come up with some new ideas, and that would either be Carly, or myself.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Def MTV music awards, and it would be Bowie, although I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I met him once when I was a kid though.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The satisfaction of people coming to see your shows, means the absolute most to me. I love the fans and interacting with as many as I can. Music is my dream job. So if I couldn’t do that, I would say it would have to be something in the music business, like being a musical supervisor.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

I’ve been asked pretty much everything, so I think it’s been covered. Definitely sick of answering what happened to the original lineup, cause there is no great way to answer that other than everyone is doing their own things/projects.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I might have wanted to sign with Interscope records, (when the opportunity was there, after we asked Warner to release us). There was a window that could have been a decent situation for us, but some of the guys didn’t want to do it, so I sided with the band at the time. We ended up regretting that. Or at least I did at the time. I have to say though, I’ve really enjoyed being in the music business, and despite its ups and downs, I feel blessed to have been able to come as far as I have, and there are no major regrets.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I would love to have been in the studio with Prince or Bowie definitely. I think it would have been awesome to see how those guys worked on records. Prince was a genius and did a lot of his stuff himself. To see him play drums, guitar, and sing would have been awesome. Pantera would have been a good one. Their first 3 records blew my mind.

BONUS QUESTION – Due to the current world situation with COVID-19 / quarantine / shelter in place, what have you discovered you miss the most from your life before the pandemic struck?

God, I miss everything! I am so over wearing the masks around. I also miss being able to take my kids to the park, and for them to go to school, rather than be stuck at home all the time. I’ll be super happy when that’s over with.

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Category: Interviews