Jason Charles Miller – In-Depth Interview
Ralph Beauchamp
Jason Charles Miller He is a man of many talents. He began his music career as the lead singer and vocalist of the industrial metal band Godhead. He performed at Ozzfest with Godhead and toured the world with bands such as Rammstein and Disturbed. Nowadays, miller Focus on different audiences. He is currently a fairly accomplished singer/songwriter, spanning multiple genres including Americana, Southern rock, and blues to create something completely original and authentic. miller His new album will be released on 8/16, titled Knife in the dark Recorded through an opportunity. Talk about the new full length:
“This is the first album I’ve ever written where my only goal was to write the best songs I could without worrying about how they might be categorized,” Miller said. “By not writing specifically for a specific genre, I made without a doubt the best and most iconic album of my career.”
Knives Will millerA fifth full-length solo album, as well as multiple EPs and singles and a series of high-profile soundtracks and themed music for shows and games including Critical Role, Metal Gear Rising, Cyberpunk 2077 “, “Legend” Multiverse and AEW professional wrestler Brandon Cutler. He will also be touring later this month in support of Steel Panther.
miller Was kind enough to sit down with AMP to discuss his life-long musical journey.
AMP: What first made you a musician?
miller: Apparently, I used to sing around the house as a kid. I remember when I was about four or five years old, I took a train with my dad and there was an entertainment car in the back. There was a guy playing an acoustic guitar with a microphone. He was singing but got no response. Then he asked if anyone else wanted to come up and sing. I haven’t understood sarcasm since I was a kid, so I did it voluntarily. I sang “Take Me Home, Country Road,” which reportedly brought the house down. So at a very young age, I already understood how powerful and exciting music can be. This gave me a bug and I never looked back.
AMP: Who were your early inspirations?
miller: My first records were by John Denver and the Beatles. I grew up in rural Virginia, kind of in the woods. So, I only listened to what I was exposed to and heard on local radio stations. From there, my heroes became artists like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Also, coming from Virginia, I listened to a lot of country music, like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson. You can’t forget the kiss. They were another huge influence. So, you can see my inspiration is quite eclectic.
AMP: You are the lead singer of the industrial band Godhead. How was your experience?
miller: This is life changing. We travel the world on every possible level. From crappy vans to luxury RVs and buses. During the festival, we flew to the venue. We went to Ozzfest and supported Marilyn Manson and Slipknot. It was such a great time to be in the band. It certainly shaped everything that followed.
AMP: As a solo artist, your music spans a variety of genres and themes. How would you describe your sound?
miller: I usually say “Southern rock” or “rock and roll” to keep it as simple as possible. I’m inspired by a lot of Southern rock pioneers. Blues is my other favorite style of music, but I try to put my own stamp on both. Sometimes I say dark southern rock or gothic southern. Honestly, I don’t even know. I sometimes rely on other people’s opinions of me. Americana is another theme I connect with. The thing is I truly believe I don’t fit into any of those categories.
AMP: You recently signed with One Opportunity Records. How did that happen?
miller: This happened by accident. I toured with Faster Pussycat last November. The owner of the label came to visit one of their guitarists. They got there early enough to see my set. I had no idea I was showing to anyone, I was just performing my show. That prompted them to sign me. It actually took a while because I was still under contract with another label.
I really like One Opportunity’s attitude and their take on the music industry. They really are like patrons of the arts. It’s important to have a brand that truly cares about promoting the art rather than just focusing on profit. I’m sure they want to make a profit, but they’re just promoting artists they like. This is a breath of fresh air.
AMP: Speaking of your new album, Knife in the dark Dropped on 8/16. Can you tell us about these versions?
miller: It’s a tale of two times. I recorded four of the songs in February 2020. I sat on these songs until I finished the record, so I only put out a few albums of remaining tracks during the pandemic. I knew that if I released an album of new material, it wouldn’t get proper promotion. So I just stuck with the songs that I really believed in.
Actually, Knife in the dark is a project inspired by JR Tolkien. There is a chapter in The Lord of the Rings titled “The Knife in the Dark,” and I thought about it for a while. So the title track of the album is about being chased by your sins. The evil you commit will eventually stab you in the back. Your bad deeds will catch up to you sooner or later without you realizing it.
Enemies tells the story of a friend or romance you discover has manipulated you along the way. Eventually you see them or it as the enemy. “Digging Up” tells the story of a relationship that goes horribly wrong, and then things get even more complicated. It tries to resurrect a dead love, but it’s too late. These are just some insights. The rest is up to the listener.
AMP: You’ve worked with some high caliber artists. Is there an artist from the past or present that you would love to collaborate with?
miller: I think David Bowie would be great. I was close because I worked with his long-time guitarist Reeves Gabrels, who is currently in The Cure. The more popular choice at the moment is the player from 49 Winchester. I’m a big fan of it. It would be great to be in the studio with Blackberry Smoke. I did work with Charlie Starr.
People always ask me who my favorite artist to work with is, and I always say Billy Ray Cyrus. He is both funny and inspiring. In 2016, I co-produced one of his albums. He has so much charisma. You can see why he’s such a superstar. When he’s in the same room with you, he encourages you to do your best. He has an indescribable energy about him. If I had the chance to work with him again, I absolutely would.
AMP: Is there an album you wish you’d written?
miller: Maybe Pink Floyd dark side of the moon. Back to the issue of cooperation. Ronnie James Dio would be awesome to date. I’ve performed at his cancer fundraisers for the past two years. The documentary about his life, Dreamers Never Die, is also truly amazing. This is probably the greatest music file ever created. I’ve seen it.
AMP: What’s next for Jason Charles Miller?
miller: The next few months are going to be pretty crazy for me. I’ve had the privilege of singing on many video game soundtracks. There’s a game called Final Fantasy XIV, and it’s one of the most (if not the most) subscribed games in the world. I sang three songs on the soundtrack. Since it is a multiplayer game, it has a large number of players. I sang at the Tokyo Dome earlier this year. The creators sponsored these large soundtrack concerts.
So, in about two weeks, I’ll be in China playing four FF XIV concerts with a full orchestra. I’ve been home for two weeks and all my albums have fallen out. Then I went on the road with Steel Panther for a month. Three days after returning home, I’m going to Japan to do two more acoustic concerts. Go home for another two weeks and then head to Korea. Just a little busy!
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