Jerry Gaskill 2004

Conducted 11/13/2004 by Dan Barkasi

During a meet and greet promoting his new solo album Come Somewhere, drummer of the legendary band King’s X was kind enough to sit down and talk to me about recent happenings and whatnot. We chatted about King’s X’s recently released live album, the details of Come Somewhere, among other things.

Dan: How’s the current King’s X tour going?

Jerry Gaskill: It’s going really good. People are coming out and having a good time.

Dan: How have the early responses to Live All Over The Place been?

Jerry: So far, those who have heard it, are just loving it! I don’t know if I understand, but people seem to love it and I think that’s good. I’m glad they like it.

Dan: I know for me, this album really shows what you guys are like live. It’s a good representation of your live show.

Jerry: Definitely. It’s raw; it’s live!

Dan: What motivated you to make a solo album?

Jerry: I think just the fact that I have all of this music inside of me and it had to be done. The other guys have been doing it and it was time for me to do it. I have to get this music out and do it the way I want to do it. That and there’s a naked girl on the cover! laughs

Dan: Definitely a positive!

Dan: Do you think that making a solo album was a rewarding experience?

Jerry: Absolutely. It was totally rewarding. I think it helped me feel in the same league now, as the other guys.

Dan: Do you think there’s a possibility of you doing any more solo albums?

Jerry: Absolutely! I plan on it. I’ve got a lot of music waiting to come out. Hopefully somebody will want to help me put it out!

Dan: What are your plans for after this King’s X tour is completed?

Jerry: Well, we’re going to go to Nashville and work on the next King’s X studio record with a guy named Michael Wagner, who was like the big 80s producer. He did everything with 80s bands like Dokken, Skid Row and all of that stuff.

Dan: What are some of your biggest musical influences?

Jerry: Well, probably my first biggest would be The Beatles. I remember when they came to America. I saw them on the Ed Sullivan show when I was like five, six years old, which changed my life. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Brad Funk, Led Zeppelin. Late 60s, early 70s stuff. It’s what I grew up with.

Dan: You displayed impressive vocal talents on your solo album. Is there any chance of you doing more vocals for King’s X?

Jerry: I have done some. I’ve had a couple songs on King’s X records. I’ve always sang here and there. So hopefully I get some more vocal action!

Dan: Is there a specific lyrical theme to Come Somewhere?

Jerry: I think it’s just about crazy women. That seems to be the theme laughs Crazy women situations. That seems to be a theme, but that’s just what came out of me at the time, and crazy women always seem to have a place in my life!

Dan: What do you think has been the most rewarding experience in your career as a musician?

Jerry: That’s a hard one! Hopefully they keep going on. Me, Ty and Doug; with all we’ve been through has helped me to be able to have a career to be able to do all the things I’m doing. So that’d probably be it.

Dan: What kind of music have you been listening to lately?

Jerry: I’ve been listening to a lot to a band called Muse. The Deftones, Glassjaw, The Mars Volta, I love. There’s a lot of good stuff out there.

Dan: Do you prefer touring or working in the studio?

Jerry: Well, they both have their place. They go hand in hand. I like making records, and then you go on tour. I really like to be on stage. I don’t know if I prefer one over the other. They just go hand in hand.

Dan: How did the recording of Live All Over The Place go?

Jerry: Well, we just recorded a live show. We went out there and played, recorded. We had to go home and listen to this stuff. “Oh man, this sucks! What are we gonna do? We’re going to put out a live record and everything sucks!” It was really hard. That’s just where we are right now. We hate everything we do! laughs That’s probably why it’s been so long since we made a live record, because we were never satisfied.

Dan: What’s your set list like for this tour?

Jerry: Very, very different. We decided to pull out some things we’ve never done before. Some old stuff, and some new stuff that isn’t even released yet and will be on the new record.

Dan: What do you think your favorite King’s X album is?

Jerry: Well, I don’t know. I guess they were all kind of my favorite at the time. Once they’re done, we get away from them and I don’t even listen to them. So I guess the one that sold the most is my favorite! laughs

Dan: It seems like the logical choice!

Dan: What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t involved in music?

Jerry: Hard to imagine. Maybe some kind of porn?! laughs I don’t know. “Jerry Gaskill: porn megastar!” I mean, hey, there is a naked girl on the cover!

Dan: What do you enjoy doing on your off time?

Jerry: I enjoy just hanging out with my girlfriend and my two sons. I like to play ping-pong. Write songs.

Dan: Is there a possibility of a new live DVD coming out?

Jerry: Yeah! We plan on doing that next year.

Dan: Is there a song that you most enjoy playing live?

Jerry: Not really. Once we come up with a set list, we try to come up with songs that we enjoy doing; all of us. It just depends on the night. Sometimes we feel like one thing, other nights we feel like something different. It just depends on the night; depends on how your mood feels. Sometimes nothing’s enjoyable.

Dan: Do you think you’re going to have any live dates for your solo record?

Jerry: Well, I would like to. I would really like to. I’ve talked to the record company about it. It’s just a matter of the timing, and the money, and all the things to make it happen. But I’d definitely love to.

Dan: Do you have any favorite movies or television shows?

Jerry: I’ve been watching this series called Dead Like Me. I love that show. I think that’s great. Da Ali G. I love Da Ali G.

Dan: Do you guys play any practical jokes on each other while on tour?

Jerry: Ahh, not too much. We don’t really do those things. We’ve been together for so long and we just kind of respect each other’s space.

Dan: Thank you very much for the interview, Jerry!

Jerry: You’re welcome! It was a pleasure.

Note: I have to say that it was indeed an honor to be able to have this chat with one of the musician’s whose music has been an inspiration to me for a lot of years. I’d like to thank Jerry Gaskill for kindly conducting this interview with me, and Eric Corbin from InsideOut for setting everything up. The King’s X show that night was amazing, by the way. Keep a lookout for the new album, too. I mean, hey. It’s King’s X. It’ll be worth your while!