A Dirty Dozen with ERIC HARMON of REVEREND JACK – August 2021

According to a recent press release: “REVEREND JACK released their debut album A MILE FROM HOME along with a new single “Crimson Seed” via Resurgence America on July 9, 2021. Reverend Jack is based out of Madisonville, Kentucky, and led by singer Eric Harmon and guitarist Dustin Back. After several years of performing and writing songs, the band was discovered by Resurgence America while performing at the Bourbon Music Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. “Not Playing Games” (2019) is the first release from the Kentucky rockers and features notable guest musicians Joel Hoekstra & Reb Beach from Whitesnake as well as Bruce Watson from Foreigner. The latter is featured on the hard rocking cover of “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers.” We get singer Eric to discuss new music, influences, and more…

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 the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our new CD is called A Mile From Home. It’s our first full length album. There are certainly a few little things that you might not notice. I definitely recommend a listen through with some good headphones. Our fans that have kept up with the places we’ve gone to and some of the highlights of our career will hear a few nods to those in some songs.

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

My mom played guitar so we always had one in the house, but I only picked it up because I used to walk down to a guitar store while she worked. It just fascinated me as a kid. I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a musician in some form, but I didn’t think about performing live until a few years ago.

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

I don’t have one specific example. My musical taste and influence is spread fairly wide. I’ve always loved bands like Foreigner, Eagles, and Guns ‘N’ Roses, but i do a particular fondness for everything Ronnie James Dio or Myles Kennedy.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Journey, Alter Bridge, Dio, Foreigner, and Bob Dylan.

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

That’s hard. Any answer is probably just going to be someone I’d want to spend time with and pick their brain. Maybe Ian Thornley. He comes up with such incredible and interesting ideas.

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?

My favorite way to describe us as a band is if Guns ‘N’ Roses wrote Lynyrd Skynyrd songs with some modern heavy influence. We don’t often get compared to other bands. We’re usually told that our music is a unique blend of elements.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Playing and writing music with your friends. For me that was always the dream. Just to have a bunch of friends that got to play music together.

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

Everything tends to turn into 4 guys making Walk Hard and Step-Brothers jokes or become a radio sing along, but when you spend enough time in a van you learn you have to occupy yourselves somehow. There’s not a lot of cooking when we’ve been on the road. Mostly just ramen and instant rice.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

It’s only been a couple years. I got to meet Myles Kennedy during a meet and greet in Chicago. I’m not proud to admit I fangirled pretty badly.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I love guitars. I’ve been a music store guitar tech and I’ve kinda taken the role of the guitar tech for the band. I would probably be a guitar tech or a luthier.

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 look at everything I do that way. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I always feel like It’s not good enough. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

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 don’t know if there is one. I feel like it would change whichever album it was and I wouldn’t want to change anything. That’s the fun of a cover though. You get to put your flavor on a song but the original never loses its integrity.

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Category: Interviews