A Dirty Dozen with HER LEATHER JACKET – October 2025

We get Manny & Wes from Her Leather Jacket  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 you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

“Death Train” is about recognizing the vulnerability that all of us can feel at some point in our lives. We’re all heading to the same place, and that’s what connects us. As for any nuggets, we’d say the feature. If you’re a fan of Sleeping With Sirens, then we’ve got a song for you.

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

Manny: I was an MMA fighter and sustained an injury. During that time, I picked up a guitar. The support and validation from friends and family, combined with my love for performing, is what made me dive fully into this.

Wes: I got my first drum kit when I was four and never looked back. At that age, music and drumming were my identity. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do and still is.

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

Manny: John Mayer definitely guided my musical taste. He made singing and playing guitar feel cool, so my musical exploration really took off from there.

Wes: Growing up, the sounds in my house were everything from the Beatles and the Replacements to Sublime and the Goo Goo Dolls. Playing these songs with my dad and his friends at an early age is where it all started.

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

Just one? It would be great to collaborate with Taylor Momsen, Lzzy Hale, or Yungblud.

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

Manny: I love to golf or play Madden.

Wes: I’m always down for a good beer at a dive bar, and I like to run.

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?

We’re a rock band that experiments with different influences and blurs the lines of how rock can sound. Before we started HLJ, we were already working together through Manny’s time as a country artist. People do make their comparisons there, but at the end of the day, Her Leather Jacket is a rock band.

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?

We go toe to toe for drinks. We love to talk loud and over each other. There aren’t really any singalongs, but lots of jokes and laughter.

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

We were at a rehearsal studio getting ready for a show and ended up being there the same time as Mötley Crüe. We had a few interactions with them which made for a fun story.

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 best part of being a musician is really all of it. There’s nothing better than the moments on the stage, being in the writing room when you create something from nothing, and being on the road with your friends.

Manny: If I couldn’t play music, I would be a tattoo artist.

Wes: If I had to do something other than music, I would have my own farm. 🙂

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?

Tell me about yourself is such a lazy question. Can I get you a beer? And, the answer is yes.

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?

Manny: When I first came to Nashville in 2018, I definitely tried to be more country (look, style). I kind of lost my way a bit in trying to fit in.

Wes: Honestly, no. All my situations, even the rough ones, led me here. I’m good with the journey so far.

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?

Manny: Continuum by John Mayer. I think it’s perfect and it made me excited about music.

Wes: Led Zeppelin I. I’d want to be in the room with them as they were making something that was going to change the face of music.

HER LEATHER JACKET LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

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INSTAGRAM

Category: Interviews