Steve: (laughing) It’s been a long time since I’ve done an interview, man. I’m not exactly sure how to start this @#$%.
Jordan: Well, my name is Jordan, I like juggling oranges, drowning kittens and my mom cut my ear off when I was 6 years old…I can blindfold you or sit in your lap or something if that’ll make you feel better.
SI: (both laughing) We’re good. I’ll just ask the first question I wrote down.
JE: Perfect
SI: Did your mom really cut off your ear?
JE: that’s the first question you had written down? You sure you didn’t mix up your Evander Holyfield interview with mine?
SI: (laughing) Sorry. That just caught me off guard.
JE: Yeah, my sister bit her while she was cutting my hair and she cut a chunk out of the top of my ear. It’s still there. Or not there, rather.
SI: Alright then. (both laughing) Let’s start with your name and what acts are you currently associated with.
JE: Okay. My name is Jordan Eastman. And as far as bands go, I guess what I consider my own principle project is Wasted Years. Right now it’s become more of a solo thing but I plan on pushing it really hard and trying to self-produce an album this year. I’m also playing guitar for Hot Riot out of LA and have some things in the works with that, I’ve worked in and out of shows at Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL) and play whatever other gigs help pay the bills and keep my truck from blowing up.
SI: What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you as a musician.
JE: You mean on stage or in life in general?
SI: On stage, sorry. Life would be pretty awesome too though.
JE: Wow man, that’s tough. I’ve had speakers catch on fire, broken a ton of stuff and have seen a bunch of weird crap but that’s tough. Um, okay here’s a good one. I was playing this Howl-O-Scream gig at Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL). It was the first night of on stage rehearsal and we’d been on this outdoor stage all night and were waiting for a film crew to arrive to shoot some promo stuff I guess. Anyway, there was this soft spot on the stage that I’d tried to avoid all night in fear of breaking through it. On our last run before we were supposed to film, I scissor kicked off the drum riser probably 137 feet in the air and landed right on that spot. I broke through the stage, slammed to the ground, snapped the jack of my cable off into my tele and ripped a 6 or 7 inch hole in the crotch of my jeans. There was this gnarley chunk taken out of my guitar and everything and it must have looked like I fell from an airplane because everybody freaked out. Anyway, it turns out that that was the last guitar cable we had out there so we had to spend the next 20 minutes running around trying to find another cable. I ended up having to borrow pants from costume to keep myself from hanging out the whole shoot and had to take the strings and pick guard off my tele to get the broken piece of the cable out. I guess we all got extra time on the clock but…yeah. (both laughing)
SI: I broke through a stage in Dublin probably ten years ago but not quite with such style.
JE: (laughing) thanks. I try.
SI: What made you want to start playing guitar?
JE: There weren’t enough gigs on bass. (laughs) I always wanted to play when I was a little kid but never had one. After learning piano and saxophone my grandma lent me this old Lotus bass she had and I loved it. It wasn’t until I started doing studio stuff that I really pursued the guitar though. I got paid more the more instruments I played so I learned everything I could and would record 5 or 6 instruments for a record but always felt most comfortable playing guitar and bass. I’m still way more of a bass player than a guitarist though.
SI: You’d play several instruments? What all can you play?
JE: (laughing) let’s not get into that. Bass, guitar, mandolin, piano, sax…I think I was at 15 or 16 last time I sat down and counted.
SI: That’s wicked. Who inspires you? Musically and in life.
JE: Wow. Musically I’d have to say anyone willing to stand up and make a sound for themselves. Guys like the Stones or the Clash who really put themselves out there and play with conviction and sincerity. I guess people who don’t feel the need to fit a certain sound or mold and do what they want to do and play the songs they want to hear for themselves and nobody else. I guess because that’s what I try to do myself I respect that when others are successful and make a living doing it. In life though I’d have to say my Dad. Everything he does he does as honestly and sincerely as possible. He’s incredible.
SI: Have you ever had any gear stolen?
JE: Nah man. Not sure how, but no. \
SI: What was the craziest crowd you’ve ever played for?
JE: (laughing) Ah man, I played this show at the Crowbar in Ybor City in probably 2008 or so and everybody there was insane. There was this crazy broad down front going completely nuts and screaming her head off the whole night. There was one point during another band when she had her dress pulled up over her head and was spinning around in circles really fast and flipped over this chair and landed on her head. It was pretty awesome. Anyway, during one of my solos toward the end of the set I went to jump off the stage and pretty much got eaten alive. My intention was to land on my knees on this table that was like 4 or 5 feet away but I didn’t take into consideration the overhead monitors so when I jumped I smacked my head on the rack and landed on my back on top of the wedge at the front of the stage right in front of this crazy dame. She started freaking out and grabbing my chest and legs and screaming that she wanted to take me home and all this ridiculous nonsense. By the time I got up she’d ripped this huge hole in my shirt, detuned my bass and taken every bandana and will to live I had on me. That broad’s nuts man. I’m pretty sure she was a hyena or something. There was a girl like that at Howl-O-Scream too but that’s another time.
SI: (laughing) alright then. If you could go back in time and punch anyone in history, who would it be?
JE: Either Brian Wilson for creating the Beachboys, Brian Wilson’s mom for not supporting abortion or the guy who invented Farmville on Facebook.
SI: Best new album, must anticipated album, best date movie and favorite color.
JE: You’d be a great asset to the Spanish Inquisition. The Gaslight Anthem’s “American Slang”, the new Social Distortion record, Un Homme et Une Femme and I’m colorblind so probably a nice shade of black.
SI: A dark black or kind of faded?
JE: Pastel.
SI: I see. Who is your tallest friend. You’re colorblind?
JE: Tallest what? Why would you even ask that? Are we almost done? I guess Jesus. He’s pretty tall considering that whole God thing. And yes.
SI: (laughing) okay, two more and I’ll let you go.
JE: Thank my tallest friend.
SI: If you could be buried with anything what would it be?
JE: Probably a shovel. Oh wait, maybe I’d take an oxygen tank strictly for hilarious appearance purposes as my funeral. These questions are really going downhill. (laughing)
SI: (laughing) Agreed. Last one. What is your typical song-writing process.
JE: Oh that’s a good one. Um, I don’t necessarily have a song wring process, per say, but I’ve definitely found repeated inspiration in certain activities. A lot of times when I’m driving or cooking or just something menial I’ll get a chorus or guitar line stuck in my head and sit down and write it out. If I’m somewhere where I can’t I’ll jot it down in my phone or notate the music on a napkin or something. One time I wrote out an entire chord chart above a notated melody line in the sand at the beach and texted a picture of it to myself to make sure I didn’t forget it. It happens so much now though that I never really think about how I do it. I guess if it’s a guitar line, I write out whatever vocal part comes when I play. But if it’s a melody or vocal part the music typically just falls into place. I usually know exactly where I want the song to be the second I start writing so I know the feel, flow, rhythm, emotion etc I want convey. I generally write out just about the whole thing in one sitting and then play it in my head over the next couple days to find the little nuances that didn’t come originally that I want to add throughout. That’s a good one, man. I’ve never really attempted to break down my writing into a process. Thanks
SI: Well thanks for sticking around and hopefully we’ll do it again someday.
JE: Definitely man, by far the most exhilarating 17 minutes of my life.
SI: Good luck with everything and I’ll be sure to keep my eye out for updates on shows and all.
JE: Take care.
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