A Dirty Dozen with STRATEJACKET – September 2023

Northern California’s punky alt-rock trio StrateJacket — Jackson Roemers (lead vocals/guitar, 24), Fabian Angel (vocals/bass, 23) and Nate Mangold (drums, 22) — are thrilled to release their new single “BAD START” via EDGEOUT Records. StrateJacket have had to learn the hard way that good things come to those who wait. Formed in 2019, they quickly found themselves stuck in the middle of a pandemic, stunting the band’s career before it even started. Not ones to give up easily, this youthful band of early twenty-somethings used the isolation to hone their craft and found their catchy, fast, and energetic sound in merging their individual influences. Acts ranging from Arctic Monkeys and Blink-182 were among their favorites.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more.

1. Tell us a little about your latest release, “Bad Start.”  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?

Jackson: I think the biggest surprise people are in for is the vastly improved production and instruments used across the song to create this sort of sonic build up. Courtesy of our incredible producer, Brian Howes, and our sound engineer Karl Dicaire, who snuck in some fun keyboard hooks into the back of the song. For people who are being introduced to us for the first time through “Bad Start” I urge them to listen to it knowing we were a band formed in the pandemic and just like putting anybody through a time like that, it stripped us of some opportunities and it left us not being able to spread our wings as we would have liked to, I think “Bad Start” is sort of a dirge to that time.

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

Jackson: I started playing guitar when I was 11, I heard a song called “21 Guns” on the radio by some small local band you may or may not have heard of. Anyway, music really carried me through my teen years. Not to sound dramatic, but I was sort of an outcast in high school, I had one really good friend and music and when I wasn’t playing guitar I was thinking about it, obsession turned into addiction and when I graduated high school I started the band while attending community college, this is also when Covid hit.

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

Jackson: I was a huge Beastie Boys fan through high school. I loved their humor and angst and I wanted a portion of that in the music we were making. Paul’s Boutique and Licensed To Ill were landmark albums for me. I love when an artist’s music reeks with this hilarity and Paul’s Boutique seemed to burst at the seams with inside jokes, movie references, Led Zeppelin and Johnny Cash samples. It was just such a grand album and for my 15 year old mind it all just made sense. I hoped to be falling over laughing recording our pandemic punk song going into the studio and I pretty much was.

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

Jackson: Hmmm, probably Halsey.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

Nate: To unwind most times I like to take a walk or skate while listening to music. I can’t do tricks though I just cruise. I have been meaning to read more books because it seems like a good pastime to have. But, instead I watch a bunch of brain rotting memes in the meantime.

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?

Nate: A wise friend of ours once said we sound like Green Day and Blink-182 had a child that later went on to get it on with The Killers. Which I think is pretty well put. Hearing the Green Day comparison makes me cringe sometimes. Just because I’ve heard that from people so much.

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?

Nate: When we stayed together recording in Canada, we all sorta cooked for ourselves. Jackson definitely puts brewskis down most times. Jackson also takes out the acoustic guitar first. But, I do take it when it’s up for grabs.

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

Fabian: The last I was starstruck was when I attended Summer NAMM 2023. I wasn’t nervous to meet anyone, in fact I was pretty confident that I wouldn’t be too scared to meet anyone until I saw Tim Pierce walk right beside me. I was going to say hi but completely froze up haha, I’m a huge fan of his YouTube channel and obviously all the session work he’s done. Maybe next year I’ll actually say hi lmao.

Nate: Honestly, anytime I watch live performances from bands I listen to, I guess I would say I get starstruck watching them. I have a whole playlist of live performances that I watch frequently. There’s some Third Eye Blind, Smashing Pumpkins, and Radiohead to name a few artists. It’s a mix of everything.

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?

Fabian: The best part about being a musician is meeting all the talented individuals that come your way. When it comes to recording music, filming videos, or meeting fans. They all are passionate about something. I love talking to them about their craft or what they love, it only motivates me more to keep trying my best.

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?

Fabian: Hmm, I guess maybe they could ask me what helps motivate me! What motivates me are the people that have helped me get to this point. Every musician knows that it can get really overwhelming and in my lowest points I just try to remember those who have sacrificed and helped me. I hate when interviewers ask me what my influences are lmao. I really do listen to everything, my music can jump from Laufey to Gojira then to Kid Cudi, and all the other artists that influence me.

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?

Fabian: If I was able to change any situation that has happened in my past I would have liked to have released more songs in our early days as a band. As our career progressed there came a point where we could not release music independently. But we now have a lot of great songs waiting to be released! We’re super stoked for everyone to check them out.

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?

Fabian: If I were able to go back in time and be a part of a recording session it would be Led Zeppelin’s first album. That album helped shape me into the musician I am today. Every now and then we cover rock n roll at our shows and it’s always a fun time.

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Category: Interviews