INTERVIEW WITH JERRY GASKILL (italian version)
by Giancarlo Bolther

Can you tell us your artistic history (to help the ones that may not known your past very well)?
I have been playing drums as long as I can remember. I don't recall a time when I actually decided to play. It's as though I just always have. From there I played in bands with friends and even auditioned for a Kool Aid commercial in New York when I was 7. Then I played in a band with my Dad and brother Herb doing instrumental music, anything from waltzes to Beatle tunes. I also played in local bands. I met Doug when he moved to Springfield Missouri to join a band I was joining. We met Ty along the way. I was doing a demo for this certain artist named Tracy Zinn and Ty was the guitar player. And I thought he was amazing. He was only 18 at the time. Then Doug heard him at a college function and told me he had this great guitar player. So we got in touch with him and the rest is history. Of course there is a lot more that went on. But that's it in a nutshell.

How much time did you take to realize Come Somewhere?
The songs on Come Somewhere date back to as early as 1995 up to around 2001. I've been writing songs for a number of years and it just came time for me to do this record. I imagine it's been lurking somewhere for all my life. And now the music continues on.

Would you like to tell us about the new songs?
I say come up with your own conclusions. I would answer specific questions though.

Did some of the songs of your album were made to be played by King’s X or all of them were composed right for the album?
I don't think I presented any of these songs to King's X. I might have but I don't remember. I know some of the songs on my demos I have presented to them but I don't think any of them are on this record.

Where have you found the ispiration to write this album?
Inspiration comes from everywhere. The music I grew up on with, relationships, family, TV, movies, books. Inspiration comes from just being alive.

Does this album mark a new step into your career?
Making a record of only my music definitely adds a new possible direction. It's something that had to be done and I'm ready to run with it. I would love to tour on this record and anything else that could bring this music to as many people as possible. I'm ready to rule the world...

Which are the musicians involved in it?
Ty and I did the entire record together. Everything you hear on it is Ty and I.

Which are the artists that have inspired you most?
A lot of the sixties and seventies music is my first inspiration. When I heard The Beatles it was all over. There was nothing else to do but make music at that point. From there Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Grand Funk. The list goes on and on.

King’s X, Tabor and you have signed with Inside Out, how it was to work with this label?
I love the people at InsideOut. They have all been very kind to me and have done wonderful work. I think Thomas Ewerhard did a wonderful job on the cover and the whole package. All my love to Thomas Waber and everyone else at InsideOut.

How did you get in touch with Inside Out?
I believe Ty had done some work with them on some side projects. I would see Thomas occasionally when we were in Europe. We had discussed doing a solo record. Then King's X began working with InsideOut. I got an e-mail from Thomas to welcome me to the fold. He asked about the solo record. I told him I'd been working on it a bit and asked if he had any suggestions. He got back with me and said "What do you need?" So we corresponded and decided to do a record together.

You have 20 years of experience, what is changed in the music world?
Of course a lot has changed with technology. As time goes on we learn more and more how to get things to more people. MTV changed things. I believe it's a natural cycle that has been good and in some ways maybe not so good. There was a certain innocence in the sixties and early seventies that might not exist in the same way now. But life goes on and we can only try to do our best with what we have.

And how much are you changed as an artist and as a person?
I have changed as all people change the older we get. I've been through a lot and it all affects how I see things and conduct myself. Hopefully for the better.

Sometime drummers seem to play a secondary role into a band, but your record seems to shows that you are involved in the composing process of the band…
Thank you...

Which is your fave album with King’s X and why?
I think at the time of making each record that one is my favorite. It's hard to pick one because I think of making the records and how I felt at the time and all that crap. I like them all for what they are.

And there is one that you don’t like for some reasons?
Like I said, I like them for what they are. Those records have kept me alive and moving on for quite some time now.

How do you feel about the new bands and the new genres, are you interested in today's music?
I love music in general. There are many new bands I love. I love Deftones and Glassjaw. I recently heard Fiction Plane and I loved that. I appreciate good music and that comes in all genres.

11 September changed everything in the world, what's your opinion about? What's your opinion about the war in Irak?
I think that was a tragic manifestation of how things have always been and always will be. When it gets to all the politics of things it seems that there is so much more going on than meets the eye. I will do what I can to take care of my own. Life is full of change and I take things on as they come to me.

Do you have a philosophy? Your vision of the world is...
My vision of the world is.. there is good and bad and we have to work out that balance within ourselves.

Are you (with King’s X) planning to play in our country in the future?
I would love to come to Italy. We played there once back in 2000 I believe. I had a wonderful time and the place was beautiful. We played in Biella I believe it was called. A wonderful memory.

A salute to your italian fans…
Salute to all the Italian fans. I hope to see you all soon. In the meantime keep buying the records and maybe we'll get there sooner. All my love...

GB

reviews (in italian): Come Somewhere

Related Artists: King's X, Supershine