Download - RAG Magazine

we are so excited for this album,since we are all happy with allparts. And since we are allhappy, it has built a betterrelationship between all of us.RAG: You have been on thelocal scene for a while andare drawing some of the largercrowds, how are you going totake it to the next level?Gonzalez: The next level is goingto come with our album that willhopefully help us get a bookingagent. This will get us intobigger shows with bigger bandsin venues like Culture Room andRevolution. Basically its justband net working.JACOBS LADDERBy Emmi WeinerJacobs Ladder has been around the local music scene since the early2000s. Since then its members, Sammy Gonzalez, Oren Maisner, andBrian Hernandez have grown up and become one of South Florida’smost popular local bands. But they aren’t stopping there. With 5 DIYtours in the past year under their belt, these guys are determined totake it to the next level. They were signed to JMB Records in early2007 and are currently working on their third album.They are hoping it is this album that will take it to the next level forthem, as it is a more mature straight to the point record. It is set forrelease sometime next year, as Jacobs Ladder fans eagerly wait. Butthey won’t be sitting idle while they are working on their album, theyreturned August 16 from their In-Tents Tour on the east coast. Theywill also be doing another tour, with various local dates as well.Gonzalez took the time to talk to RAG’s Emmi Weiner about whatthey have coming up in the near future.RAG: How did the In-Tents tour go?Sammy Gonzalez: It was amazing, it was the best ever. We did 20shows in 25 days. We sold all our Cds (500) and all our t-shirts (200).The shows we played were great and the crowds were awesome. Therewere a lot of people coming out to see us specifically.RAG: Now that you are back, what are you working on?Gonzalez: We are focusing on our next record which is going to be a6 song EP and it is currently in pre-production right now. We are stilltalking to some producers with some big names. The goal of thisalbum is to put us more onto the radar and to start being able to tour10 months a year.RAG: Jacobs Ladder has a specific sound, how did this develop?Gonzalez: We all play guitar and write songs, then we rip them upand break them down and don’t stop till we are all happy with everypart. Then Oren and I write the lyrics, more Oren then me. That’s whyRAG: How is the new albumgoing to be different form theolder stuff?Gonzalez: Its more mature. Ourlast album was written when wewere 16 and 17, we are older andmore mature now. We are bettersong writers, keeping it straightto the point but not generic. Itsmain frame but still verytechnical. A lot of it is just vibingyou know? There are fewer riffs but we are proud of the production ofthem. Also I will be doing more singing instead of just background.RAG: Is it going to be a singing conversation? Or just takingturns?Gonzalez: It’s all about communication, and this has allowed us to allhave our own presence. The songs range from going on tour and leavingthe people you care about behind to politics. Basically they are allabout relationships with other people.RAG: How is this album more mature?Gonzalez: We are trying hard to get straight to the point 100%. Orenand I are checking each other to make this happen. Our lyrics are stilloff the wall, but they are more focused. But since we are older, this iscoming naturally. We are making each song a story and an experience.RAG: Since you are spending so much time on tour, what do youdue with all that down time?Gonzalez: We spend a lot of time listening to music, on our last tourwe brought 20 new Cds, and learned about other bands. This alsogives us time to update everything like our online journals and ourMySpace. We also take time to brainstorm and figure out the nextstep. I also spend a lot of the time reading. It gives me a chance to getinto my own space and my own little world.RAG: What did you read?Gonzalez: I read Trainspotting, and I learned a whole new vocabularyof curse words. I also read the last Dune book which is my favorite ofthe politics and sci-fi books. It was like 600 pages, so I read a lot.RAG: You said that the new album is about relationships, howdoes touring affect your relationships?Gonzalez: My mom is busy with my sister so she is fine, and so arefamily and friends. You can leave and come back, but with girlfriends,it strains the relationship. I can’t imagine that. I guess if you did havea girlfriend, it can’t be something new. But I guess that is good forsong writing, we actually have a song about that. My last girlfriendcheated on me while I was gone, but my new was a sweetheart when Icame back.44| DEC RAG MAGAZINE