It’s no secret the Atlanta music scene — any music scene, really — can be an incestuous place full of significant inbreeding, shared partners, and marriages built on convenience, if not always commitment. For this reason, it’s always been interesting to me to trace an artist’s family tree, to scan through the branches and follow each artery to determine where and how far the bloodlines stretch. Because sometimes the best way to fathom the direction a band will develop and evolve is to understand where they’ve come from.
Anyone who’s followed Big Jesus since their inception can hear whispers of members’ past projects buried in their songs — O’Brother’s textured atmospherics, Irreversible’s thunderous riffage, Isness’ psychedelic soundscapes. Like most bands, their aesthetic is composed of various bits and splinters of sounds they’ve individually collected and collaboratively stitched together. But while their music may harbor significant echoes that hint at the group’s background, their sound remains remarkably progressive and singular.
Today, the band is celebrating the release of Oneiric, their long-awaited label debut. Produced by Matt Hyde (Deftones, Slayer, No Doubt), it’s a record full of mountainous riffs and swirling, phased ambience that’s as majestic as it is aggressive. While the title sounds almost monolithic in nature, it’s actual meaning translates to “of or relating to dreams or dreaming,” which makes considerable sense when you start to factor in bassist/vocalist Spencer Ussery’s ethereal falsetto and the implied themes lurking in the album’s lyrics. It’s an approach that’s earned them favorable comparisons to the likes of ’90s alt-rock giants Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones, comparisons which the group understands and appreciates but doesn’t necessarily invite.
For Big Jesus, Oneiric also marks the culmination of what has sometimes been a tumultuous year for the group. Over the course of several months, they’ve gone from having their tour van and equipment stolen to touring Europe with pop-punk powerhouse Good Charlotte. To get a sense of what the experience has been like for the band, we spoke with Big Jesus guitarist and founding member CJ Ridings about a good many things including the process of putting together the new album, the fears of being creatively pigeonholed, and what it’s like to be mentored by the likes of Benji and Joel Madden.
A lot of the fans that you are earning right now see you guys as a new band that’s just starting out. Obviously those of us in Atlanta know different. What has been the most difficult part of getting to where you are?
It’s hard getting people to believe in you or the project when it’s at such a beginning stage, so it’s inevitable that at the start, members come and go. Getting over that hump of solidifying a lineup and getting everyone on the same page was a big moment for us, I think. We were able to finally fall into a regular rehearsal schedule and really go for it.
Has there ever been a time when you thought about quitting or leaving?
Yes and no, the thought has probably crossed all our minds at one point or another and we’ve questioned it, but always come to an answer easily. We’re supposed to be self-sufficient adults at our age and being in a small, local band with dreams of breaking out of your home state definitely makes that difficult to figure out. But at the end of the day, this band is what I’m most passionate about and there’s not much else I’d rather be doing with my life. I’d be writing and recording these songs even if no one was listening. I mean, that’s how this band started. In no way has our band “made it” or anything like that yet. This still isn’t a sustainable career for us and we’re still making sacrifices to see how far we can take it, but I can’t see us giving up on that anytime soon.
Describe to me what this year has been like for you guys. What has surprised you the most about everything that’s happened?
This year has gone well for us. It’s great watching things grow little by little and feeling like you’re on the right path. I think I’m most surprised by the support that has come to us from all different scenes and genres. I love that our audience isn’t limited to one world or another.
When you started crafting songs for Oneiric, did you have a particular aesthetic you were reaching for, or did the sound sort of fall into place over time?
I really wanted to strive for making something somewhat unique that couldn’t be stuffed into one box. So we definitely experimented with taking our core sound in different directions and ended up going with the songs that felt best to us playing them together in our space.
The songs are spread out over several years. Were there any specific themes you were working towards to unite the album?
It’s definitely not a concept album or anything, but there are themes that pop up often, like dreams or existentialism. I think that’s just because it’s what Spencer and I think about often so we always have something to say about it.
You got an opportunity to record with one of the true industry heavyweights in Matt Hyde. How did that relationship come about? Was he someone that you guys wanted to work with and actively fought for?
Just like bands have managers, most producers do as well. So we had sent out some demos to some management companies and had a few different producers come back with interest in working on the album with us. Matt seemed the most genuinely passionate about it and undoubtedly had the credentials to ensure us that we would be in good hands. It seemed like a no brainer for us.
How did Matt Hyde help you guys to shape this record?
He gave us some much needed outside perspective on the songs since we had spent so much time with some of the older ones. Everything was new to him, so his opinion was much less biased.
Some publications, Rolling Stone included, have cast you guys as ’90s alternative revivalists. Personally, I think your sound is more contemporary than that. How do you feel about that kind of niche digging and pigeonholing? Do you feel the alt-rock comparisons are accurate?
I have to admit, it can be a bit annoying, but I feel like I can’t complain too much. 100% the early ’90s are a huge inspiration on us and it obviously shows, so it’s an easy comparison to make, but so are the ’60s, and the ’70s, and so many new, active bands and genres. I don’t get to decide how people categorize or analyze our band, but I would hope it doesn’t get pigeonholed as some rehashed older genre worship, because it’s not what we’re aiming for. It’s hard to be a band in 2016 and not get compared to one band or another. At this point, how much further can we really take drums, bass and two guitars? I’ve seen comments on social media about our band being a “rip off” of bands I’ve never listened to in my life [laughs], so go figure… We just try to make songs that make us feel good and hopefully other people can enjoy them as well.
I don’t get to decide how people categorize or analyze our band, but I would hope it doesn’t get pigeonholed as some rehashed older genre worship, because it’s not what we’re aiming for.
A lot of people who follow your band know that you’ve been touring with Good Charlotte, but I think much fewer know that Benji and Joel Madden also manage and mentor you. How did that relationship come about?
They have a management company and were randomly sent some rough mixes from Oneiric. I guess they dug what they had heard, because they approached us out of nowhere with interest in managing us and after a few conversations and meetings, I think it was an easy decision on both ends. They’re amazing people and are extremely passionate about what they do.
Obviously you have differing musical approaches, have you ever felt out-of-place performing with Good Charlotte?
No more so than other shows that we’ve been a part of. We tend to always be put on bills of differing genres, so we’re used to it. We’ll play with anyone. No matter who we play with or who backs our band, we’ll always write the same songs and play like our band plays.
What was the European tour experience like for you? How do you think it will help shape the band moving forward?
Definitely a highlight of our band’s life so far. We want to continue having experiences like that, so I can say that it without a doubt has inspired us to continue down the path that we’re on.
You’re going to be on tour basically for all of October and November. Do you have any plans set for 2017?
We just want to play as many shows as we can and enjoy ourselves as much as humanly possible.
Big Jesus will celebrate the release of Oneiric on Sunday, October 2 at Aisle 5. Cinemechanica and Thousandaire will play in support. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance or $12 DOS.
More Info
Web: bigjesus.net
Bandcamp: bigjesus.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @bigassjesus
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Twitter: @bigassjesus