ZeroShip Interview

ZeroShip is Jimmy Peace, Aaron Keller, and Joel Tomaeno.


How did ZeroShip come to be?

Aaron: I came around in 2004 when I auditioned for Brave Last Days, a band with Jimmy, Joel and their bassist Mike when they were looking for a lead vocalist. Right afterwards, Mike took his life unexpectedly, and Joel decided to take some time off. Jimmy and I decided a month or so later to start another band under the name ZeroShip.

Jimmy: Through Internet ads, Joel had joined another band named Audio I’d that I was in back in 2001. Aaron answered an ad while Joel and I were still in a band we formed later called Brave Last Days with our bassist Mike. The original Brave Last Days imploded after much success in the late 90s and the band Oh My God!, which is still around, was created by some of the members. After Mike’s death in 2004, Aaron and I kept working together while Joel took a break to collect his thoughts.

Joel: I kept doing music to keep the sadness away from my friend leaving this planet. I was very torn in two. Music is my soul, music is something I have to do or I would just off myself too. I started playing right after I started walking. It's a huge part of my life; it's almost everything; music keeps me living.

How, if it did at all, did being in Chicago influence your music?

Aaron: Chicago is a big enough town that diversity is available. If I can see any influence at all that Chicago has on ZeroShip’s music, it stems from the fact that it’s a place where West Coast, Midwest and International culture and values can come together in the same room to produce art.

Joel: There’s a lot of pressure being from this town, ‘cause so many bands come from bigger cities that pump out a lot of music. When people hear "Chicago" they expect greatness.

Jimmy: It did influence us, but not our musical style. I have met everyone for the band here. I am from California and so is Joel. We both bounced back and forth growing up between here and California.

What bands influenced ZeroShip, and what drew you to the type of music you play?

Joel: Every band that’s ever existed influenced ZeroShip. The world always needs more music. I’m not sure how or what drew us to our sound; it’s more of a friendship thing that hones the sound. You must have a great understanding of the people you play with. The same way great players of the jazz era did. I just play and that’s what comes out.

Aaron: I think the type of music that we play is a combination of what we like, what we consider good quality and what naturally comes out of our heads from what we’ve absorbed. I’m drawn to it mostly because it’s a little new and also a little familiar and I think that helps to place it on the cutting edge.

Jimmy: Do you want me to write a novel? Here it goes: Jane’s Addiction, The Mars Volta, At the Drive In, Fugazi (after they stopped sounding like 311 or vice versa), Yes, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Pink Floyd, NIN, Miles Davis, The Door, The The, Radiohead, rock and roll, progressive rock, Blues, Jazz, world music, classical and ambient. Anything strange! I like a lot of music, but not too many artist’s whole CDs. The bands I mention I can listen to their full recordings, not just a few songs. They are timeless to me, and that is what I am trying to accomplish with our recordings in ZeroShip.

What are your current favorite bands?

Joel: Currently, my favorites are The Doors, Rush, Led Zeppelin, The Mars Volta, The Beach Boys, also two local acts The Syllable Section and Smallwire.

Jimmy: The Mars Volta, Muse, White Stripes, Radiohead. Anything strange or innovative.

Aaron: It’s honestly been a while since I even listened to a band, let alone had a favorite band. I mostly hear devotional chants, aka "weird Indian-sounding spiritual music." I can still dig some George Harrison or Kula Shaker once in a great while, maybe Rasa, more obscure stuff.

You’ve just finished your single "It's Safe to Say Goodbye"; what was it like recording this release?

Joel: Maddening! I did nearly two hundred takes on drums before we figured out we needed a new arrangement. I was exhausted because we record in our rehearsal space and would have to start and stop when other bands were practicing. Jimmy ran the session and we did it in two days.

Jimmy: Seemed like it took forever. We were a slave to whatever other bands were playing around us. At times I had to record guitar parts in between song breaks from other bands.

Aaron: It was definitely a rough experience having to track vocals at odd times of the day and in between outside noises. I’d run in before rehearsal without even warming up and throw in a line or two while it was quiet. Actually, we didn’t end up using most of the vocals when we got to the studio because of the sound quality. I had a good hour or so to record them again with the help of much better circumstances and equipment.

If it’s not too personal a question, is the song "It's Safe to Say Goodbye" at all related to the passing of your bassist Mike?

Joel: Who knows? Let it be what it is to you.

Aaron: The point behind it is to let go of things that we’re attached to. So, it doesn’t really matter who or what it was written about for someone to take deeper meaning from it.

Jimmy: I say goodbye often to Mike, but I never saw the song in that way.

Again, if it’s not too personal, how did the passing of Mike affect the band?

Aaron: Well, since Joel was gone on a year and a half hiatus it definitely had an impact.

Joel: I didn’t even play drums for a year after that. I was just sick of it all. I’ll never play with anyone like that again. Mike had the best ear of any musician I’ve heard. A true natural, he could play anything and do it with taste and style.

Jimmy: It really sucked. He was a great friend and in my opinion one of the best bass players ever! He was my dream bassist who was my friend! It still affects me every day of my life. I want Mike back because in my opinion he was my musical soul mate. I'll miss him and do every day of my life. It makes me sad to think about him, so I am sad every day at moments when I think of Mike.

Have you had any luck finding a new bassist?

Joel: No, just people sitting in, just jamming.

Aaron: A few prospects, but I’ve picked it up for the time being and collectively we’re getting the songs written and recorded.

Jimmy: Not sure yet, but at this moment no. It would be nice. Do you know anyone that is willing to channel or that can bring back the dead?

You also mention online that you "have been ripped off tens of thousands of dollars through shady producers and unscrupulous studios!" Care to elaborate on this?

Aaron: We were working with one small record label owner who at first had a nice idea of a homely artist development type situation. He was talking about a place where artists could grow and get support from the company and each other. It was actually working on a small level as long as things stayed simple.

Later on, this guy developed a very overly ambitious and unseemly side and could be quoted making statements like, "I saw that movie about Howard Hughes and it really reminds me of me." Unfortunately, somewhere in there was money Joel and I had invested and we didn’t get any music out before I learned that "Howard" had somehow squandered the rent money.

Joel: I’ll just say to bands out there, before you pay for anything, do your homework and research people you hire. There’s a lot of scum bags out there, and the better your music gets, the sleazier the people get. Never believe anyone’s promises but your own.

Jimmy: I didn't lose any money, but a so-called friend set me up for a crime once. That sucked a lot! As you can tell, I was innocent and didn't go to jail. It would have been a felony and I would still have another 5 years to go. Good thing I have a clean record and was not a criminal in my life or I might be behind bars. This so-called friend was trying to do an insurance scam.

The single is "exceeding even [your] producer's expectations." Could you describe what the single sounds like? Has your sound changed at all from song samples such as "FoH"?

Aaron: ZeroShip’s sound has really come together so that there’s not a leap from one song to the next stylistically. "It’s Safe to Say Goodbye" is really in a different mood than "FoH," but the same musicians are there composing. I guess the biggest difference is that this song represents more of my influences. I didn’t have a big hand in composing "FoH." Jimmy was the main composer of that one.

Joel: Every ZS song tells a story; I can only describe our sound as truthful.

Jimmy: Yes and no. We like the sound on "FoH" because it for the most part sounds like us. I think the newer songs have more of our original sound then "FoH," but I still love that song and can't wait to play it for people. Mike is playing bass on "FoH," so it will always mean a lot to me. Aaron came up with the idea for "Goodbye" and we spent hours making it everything we are and what we sound like. No song is really written by one person in this band. It’s always a group effort. No one is above another in this band. We all contribute.

What’s next in store for ZeroShip?

Joel: Who can say?

Aaron: That’s probably a good answer. But at least the usual scheduling shows, releasing more tracks. We’ll be recording more for an EP or LP to release in the very near future.

Jimmy: Playing shows, promotion, sponsorships and touring. We have to deal with reality like our leaders messing up the country and the crazy gas prices. We will tour and make it work even if gas becomes 5 dollars a gallon. Touring. Loving the fans and making more music.

What were the very early days of ZeroShip like? Lots of touring/shows or more locking yourselves away in a practice room?

Aaron: Since Jimmy and I were on our own, the very early days of ZeroShip included months of organizing business plans, searching for musicians and honing the painstaking process of co-writing. Our writing styles started out somewhat polarized, but with some friction we got to a point where we combined our heads and came up with something like what ZeroShip would eventually sound like. After that, it was mostly rehearsal, finding musicians, losing musicians and trying to get something recorded along the way. Since Joel got back in the mix we’ve spent a lot of time solidifying the full sound.

Jimmy: We have had a hard time finding the right people that get what we are trying to do. That is why we started playing bass and keys ourselves. Then Aaron took it upon himself to fill those roles so we could develop them live.

Which do you enjoy more: playing live or recording?

Joel: Yes.

Aaron: For me, the goal is distributing as much music as possible, so they’re both necessary and I enjoy them both for the part they play in reaching that goal. I really just like figuring out how to say what I want to say in the music, whether live or on recordings.

Jimmy: I like them both. I love playing live and I love recording. I just love playing with Joel and Aaron.

Which do you think is better in general, listening to music live or on a recording?

Jimmy: Both.

Joel: Apples and oranges. CD’s are great ‘cause you get the optimal feel the band was going for. But it’ll never replace the energy of a live band. Especially ZS.

Aaron: I think there are things on our recordings that I love that aren’t reproducible on stage, but then it’ll work the other way too. If we’re talking about ZeroShip, we’ll try to bring the same quality and impact into both performances, though there will be different elements.

How would you describe the music scene in Chicago?

Jimmy: I don't know, but it doesn't seem to be around at the moment.

Joel: Chicago feels a little stale right now. I think people are afraid of taking a chance playing new music. A lot of local acts try to do an LA thing or a British thing. Do your thing!

Are you close to any other bands?

Joel: Yeah, we hear them through the fuckin’ wall when we practice.

Aaron: Or record. We hear smoke detectors beeping in the hall too. Those should be fun bits for people who really listen closely to the tracks.

Jimmy: A Bird Song Valentine.

What hopes and goals do you have for ZeroShip?

Jimmy: Tour and keep touring loving all the fans and keeping everything going. And always having as much peace as we can have.

Aaron: I want people, many people, to hear the music, get a little interested by something they hear or something they see maybe and look a little deeper into what we’re all about. Music in my experience is most often an attempt to turn heads for one reason or another, and ZS music is trying to do the same thing.

Joel: I just hope the people love it. My only goal is to turn people on to this music, get ‘em to really listen, stop being in such a hurry. Enjoy life, enjoy the moment.

Where do you see ZeroShip in say 5 years?

Joel: That’s up to the fans. Five years is a long way away. If you think too much about yesterday or tomorrow you’ll miss today.

Aaron: Today does have plenty already. I believe though that barring unforeseen tragedies we’ll be doing what we want in the music world.

Jimmy: Touring around the globe and on our 3rd record. I like the ride and the process. I am happy being with these guys.

Why did you get into music? Why start a band?

Aaron: Music was always something I had an idea of how to do. With a little studying and practice, it just worked. So why do something else? I tried a lot of stuff. I ended up joining a band more or less to use my talents while trying to do something positive.

Joel: You don’t choose what you do, it chooses you. Sometimes that’s hard to accept, especially when people you love don’t. As far as starting a band goes, it’s either that or practice alone in your room! You don’t become a fireman and never fight a fire.

Jimmy: For the escape and pure joy of creating. Then it turned into the community and interaction, then it was about being famous and now it’s just because I love making music and just need to live music. Fame would be great, but at the end of it all I just want is to make great music that I can listen to and enjoy hearing years from now; that and tour.

It is also being creative and always learning something new. I'll never stop learning because there is so much to know. That is one of the coolest things about music, it is a never ending process and there is always something new to do no matter if it has been done or hasn't. What matters is how you put it together.

Can you see yourself doing this in 20, 30, 40 years?

Joel: God willing and the creek don’t rise.

Aaron: I’ve stopped predicting the future. It seems to have a direction of its own.

Jimmy: Forever! I hope I never have to die. I personally would like to live for the rest of eternity so I can keep playing and creating music. If I can remain functional I don't want to die, ever!

What has been your best/worst/funniest/favorite moment in ZeroShip?

Joel: Ask me again in 20, 30, 40 years.

Aaron: So far, having Joel rejoin and completing the new music have been the best. As far as the worst goes, I think I’ve learned valuable things from even those incidences that you might call "bad."

Jimmy: My best hasn't happened yet, but if I had to choose it would be meeting
the members of ZeroShip. The worst moment is when that so-called friend set me up for a crime. On top of that, I was living in Seattle and was thinking of coming back because my band out there were on heroin and I wanted no part in that.

Has it all been worth it up until now?

Joel: You gotta pay your dues if ya wanna sing the blues, and ya know it don’t come easy.

Aaron: If I didn’t think it was worth it I’m sure I would’ve turned back a while ago.

Jimmy: Every minute.

More information about ZeroShip can be found here.

(Published at ComfortComes.com)