Surrender The Fall Singer Jared Cole On Memphis Roots, Ten or Ten Thousand Credo and His Band’s Passion
It is always worth it when I actually find a new band that really kicks my ass or gets me feeling hopeful about music again. The right mixture of old school fun and melody and new school approach. With their debut album “Burn In The Spotlight” rockers Surrender The Fall are laying claim, in a multitude of ways, to leading the pack and shooting a little adrenaline into the heart of rock and roll. Appropriately, the band hails from Memphis, Tennessee, a place which obviously has some fairly deep rock and roll roots to begin with. I recently interviewed lead singer Jared Cole on their current tour with NONPOINT and got a little more information on Surrender The Fall, read on….
Q: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us a bit Jared. For those who are unaware can you briefly recap how you came to be the lead singer for Surrender The Fall and how much your personal day to day life has changed as a result?
A: I wanted to play music. Period. It was the only thing I felt I was good at. I started writing songs & meeting different people in the local scene years ago. It took a while to piece the puzzle together correctly but this band is the band I’ve always wanted to front. Day to day? Not much is different. Other than doing interviews, (laughs)! We’ve always been consumed with music & we still are every singe day.
Q: Sometimes I feel like I am seeing or hearing the same band over and over…especially new bands. The same sound, the same looks, the same font on the logo, but the second I started playing your video it became clear there was a little something different. In my estimation it was the fun factor and a little mix of the music I grew up loving with everything that is viable on radio today..what do you think separates STF from so many of the bands out there trying to make a name for themselves?
A: We are a live band..live music..we are an on AND off stage band. We spend time with our fans. We connect with our audience. Surrender The Fall is 100% real, 100% US! We don’t hide behind tracks live, we don’t lip sync…if we’re sick, there’s a bucket side stage…We give it all onstage & offstage every night! “Ten Or Ten Thousand” is the statement that we live by…play the same show, whether there’s ten people or ten thousand in the crowd.
Q: Alice Cooper once said recently that rock was too safe, people shouldn’t get into a band unless they wanna rock. Too many are afraid to ruffle some feathers or speak their mind. When writing this album did it ever concern Surrender The Fall that what you were expressing didn’t fit neatly into a “metalcore”, “screamo”, or other “hard radio” format?
A: No concerns whatsoever. We’re the band that’s not afraid to say what everyone else is thinking but doesn’t have the rocks to say. Call us the bastard stepchild of Rock & Roll all you want, we’re gonna write what we wanna write & make it 100% HONEST. If you get offended then maybe you needed it.
Q: Do you think the stakes and competition for our collective minds and ears is so high that a lot of artists are scared of making a wrong move? Or….. do you think that being “rock and roll” is considered 70s or 80s and uncool?
A: Rock & Roll has gotten too safe. That’s why we don’t have the world by the balls anymore. When the right artists step up & make Rock music real again, we’ll see the tables turn back around.
Q: The one constant in your music is the melody in the songs themselves and the energy you present them with. I had heard that you guys spent tons of time refining your entire show and concept before you ever even played a gig, something KISS was famous for saying made them what they were. How confident were you all in the material before you entered the studio in Texas?
A: We had a catalog of songs written before we ever went to the studio. We wanted as much material as possible so we could have options. We spent so much time on this material, we were very optimistic when it came time to record.
Q: In your bio it states there were some crazy things going on around the recording of your debut “Burn In The Spotlight” including bullet holes, potential ghosts, drug cartel bust ups and other things. All this while also recording in the same studio Madonna and ZZ Top frequented……What was crazier the actual happenings or the thought that such legends had shared your workspace??
A: BOTH! Sonic Ranch has a vibe like no other! Completely unexpected. Inspiring. Motivating. We were very fortunate to have those experiences. It’s shaped who we are as artists, for sure!
Q: I like Memphis…especially Elvis’s TV room. How much do you think the spirit vibe and people of Memphis and the south central U.S. influenced the band that you guys are today?
A: Quite a bit. Although we never set out to be a specific sounding band, Memphis or NOLA, we just wanted to write good music & I believe that’s what we’ve done. There is a certain attitude that you get from the “M-TOWN” that definitely comes out in the music.
Surrender The Fall’s truly great album “Burn In the Spotlight” was one of the best records of 2012
Q: You guys are going to be playing a lot of shows this fall and in so many ways the road has become your home. Are you happy with that lifestyle and do the benefits and joy from it generally balance out in regards to the work and occasional boredom?
A: Everyday is different & has its own ups & downs. For me, i just keep reminding myself of the things that make it all worth it…the fans…the rush..the connection with the world outside us. It gives us opportunities to change the world in our own way.
Q: Surrender The Fall makes really fun videos with hot cars, hot girls and lots of visual cues. As a kid growing up how important was it for you to see a band live that was a true concert experience rather than just standing onstage and executing the material performance wise?
A: If you don’t have a disability & you’re onstage, there’s no reason you shouldn’t perform with passion. If you don’t move on stage then your art doesn’t drive you enough.
STF live, photo by Stacey Page
Q: Thank you so much for hanging with us. I urge people to check out “Burn In The Spotlight” and will probably get off my mid thirties ass to go see your live show. Is there anything you wanted to say to your fans, the people who are loyal to your band who make it worthwhile to do what you do??
A: Surrender The Fall LOVES YOU!! We will see you all very soon! 10 or 10 thousand!!!
https://www.facebook.com/Surrenderthefall
Category: Interviews
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