Interview:Globalcountry.MediaHeidiDussFoto:MarcoDussInterviewwithTheChesapeakeSons,CMAFestNashville,09.06.17Whenwastheband“TheChesapeakeSons”founded?Jason:ChesapeakeSonswasfoundedtwoyearsago,inJuly2015.Howdidyouchoosethenamefortheband?Jason:Twoofus,MasonandIareoriginallyfromtheChesapeakeBayAreaofMaryland,

whenweoriginallyrelocatedtoNashville,westillwantedtohaveanamethatreflectedwhereweareproudtocomefromandthat’sexactlywhatwedid.AlotoftimeswhenabandrelocatesfromanotherspottoNashville,theycallNashvilletheirhomeandtheycompletelyforgetwheretheycamefrom,theyforgettheirfanbase.

Howwouldyoudescribeyourmusic?Mason:Iwoulddescribeourmusiclikeagoodvibe,agoodfeeling.Youhavetobethereto experienceit,wehaveallthesouthernRockinfluences,butwearedifferent.We bringalotofdifferentInfluencesintoourmusic,it’shardtoexplain,butwearea Rock‘nRollBand,youjusthavetocomeandcheckusout.Jason: ItislikeMasonsaid,itisathrowback60’s,70’sstyleRock‘nRoll.IfIhadto

sumupourmusicinoneword,Iwouldsayitishonest,thereisalotofsubstancethere.

DoyouhaveanyCD’savailablenow?

Jason:Notatthemoment,weareexpectingalatesummerrelease.Therehasbeensome

StuffsentouttotheRadiostationsandthatwillbetestedoutthroughoutthesummer.Thatisabouttheonlythingunfortunately,thatwecanprovideatthemoment.

Doyouhaveseveraltitlesavailable?Jason:ThiswillbeourDebutrecordofChesapeakeSons.Doyouwritethesongsyourself?Jason:Yes,thereisnotonesongontherecordthatwaswrittenbyanyoutsidesources.Wedohavealotofco-writers,weliketodothat,becauseasanartist,youtend togetstuckinarutwhenyouwritebyyourselfallthetime.Therearecertaintimes,

whenMasonandIstartedtowritestufftogetherwhenRickwasinthestudio.Orthethreeofuswouldwritetogether.Erichasjoinedusjustrecently,sohehasnotbeenintherecordprocessyet.

Howdoyouchooseyoursongs?Mason:Itisanemotionalthing,agutfeeling.Jason:Therearesomanydifferenttypesofsongs,somesongsarereallygoodbecause theyhavegreatlyricalcontent.Wewritesomesongswheretheremaybeonly threelinesinthewholesongthataredifferent.ButlikeMasonsaid,itgoesbackto

thatfeeling.Sometimesweteststuffoutandafterwerecorditwesay,wowwereally,reallylovethissong,butlyrically,whatdoesitmean.SometimesyouthinkIdon’treallyknowwhatitmeans,butIreallylikeit,anditmakesyoufeelacertainway.Wetestitoutonashowandwedon’tknowhowpeoplearegoingtoreact.Sometimesthereactionisthatitjustmakesthemmove,andtheyaresinginglyricstheydon’tknowwhattheymeanorwhythey’resingingthem,butthesongismakingyoudothat.Thereisnorightorwrongwaythatmakesuschooseacertainsong,itjustgoesbacktohowitmakesyoufeel.

Whatcanyourfansexpectwhentheycometoyourconcerts?Mason:Agoodtime,goodvibes.Tohavefun,youdon’tevenhavetowatchusthewhole

time,youcomewithyourFriendstogocrazy,getloose,haveagoodtime.It’saboutmusic,butitisalsoaboutPeoplehavingagoodtimeandwewanttoprovidethat.So,whenyoucometoourshow,expecttowatchusgetcrazyonstageandjusthavingaballandmakeeverybodyfeellikethey’repartofit.

Eric:ThisbandisforallthepeoplethatgrewupwithLedZeppelin,DeepPurpleandallthosebandstheyneverhadthechancetogosee.Ifthesebandsplaynow,thereismaybeonlyoneoriginalmemberleftintheband.

Jason:Ericisright,asforthevibesweputout,wecouldneversaywearethenext LynyrdSkynyrdorthenextLedZeppelin,wedon’twanttobequotedinthatinway. Buttheseinfluencesnaturallycomeoutinus.Itisnotaforcedthingwiththemusic

thatwecreate,buteverysongthatgoesonourrecord,everysongthatyouseeus

playlive,issomethingthatwetruly,naturallyenjoyplaying.Wedon’ttrytowritetimelessmusic.Wejusthadaconversationearlier,TheAllmanBrothers,LedZeppelin,LynyrdSkynyrdandbandslikethese,whentheywrotetheirmusicatthattime,theyhadnoidea,thatpeopleweregoingtolistentoitfiftyyearslater,butpeopleare.Becausethemusicisbelievableandisnaturallywhatpouredoutofthem.That’sourgoalwiththemusicthatwecreate.That’swhywearekindofinfluencedbythesekindsofartists.Oneofthebiggestcomplimentsisforsomebodytowalkuptous,andpeoplehavedoneso,andsay,manIhaveseenLedZeppelinorwhateverinseventy-fiveorsoandIhaven’tseenabandthatmademefeellikethatsincethen.Notsayingwearethemoranythinglikethat,butthatmakesusreallyfeelgood.

AsArtists,youhavesomanytaskssuchasRecording,Touring,Interviews,whatdoyouLikebest?Mason:Touringandplayingmusicforsure,atleastforme.Iloverecording,Ilovebeingin

thestudioandplaying,thesepeoplearereallyprofessionalsthere.Butmyfavoriteisgoingontheroadandplayingshowsforpeople,becausethat’swhatit’sallabout.IthinkIcanspeakforallofus,beingontheroad,playingshowsforpeople,puttingoutthosevibes,that’sthebest.

Rick: TheactualplayingmusicpartisreallyonlyasmallBenefit,especiallywhenyouare outontheroad.SodefinitelyplayingshowsistherealReward.Whatareyourplansforthefuture?Jason:Thebiggestthingfirstandforemostistocontinueandbringtheliveshowstothe

Fans.Butwhatmostimportantly,willhelpustoskyrocketourcareer,isgettingthisrecordout.Webelieveinitstrongenough,thatitreallyisgoingtobealifeachievingthingforus.Butwealsoknow,thatitwillbealong,sloworganicbuild.It’snumberonetogetthisrecordout,gettingthemusictothepeopleandperformingthesesongsonstage.Oneofthebiggestcomplimentstoabandis,whenpeoplewalkawaysayingmanIlovethisrecord,itsoundsincredible,butitwasevenbetterlive.

Whatmessagewouldyouliketogivethepeople?Eric: WhenIwasgoingtohighschool,therewasalotofBarsandClubsinmy

Hometown,butitwashardformeandmybandtogetgigsbecausetheywerealltakenoverbyDJ’sorelectronicmusicpeople,sowedidn’treallyhavethebestoutletforlivemusic.MyMessageis,livemusicisstillliveandpeoplearediggingit,keepsupportingliveMusic,buyrecords,buyticketsandmerchandise.

Mason:Formeitislivemusicmakespeoplefeelgood,youknowwhenyouareataconcert withyourbestfriend,yourbrotheroryourgirlfriendandyouarehavingagood time,youhavethisfeelingofgoodness,thisisawesome,Ithinkthisisthe ultimateforanyband,youjustwantthepeopleinthecrowdtofeelsomething, tofeelgood.

Rick:Mymessageis,comeoutandsupportlivebands,artistandmusiciansonanyandeverylevel.Everyonestartsoutasanobody.Thrutheirownconfidence,experienceandluckthegrow.Supportingtheartistcommunityisveryimportant.

Jason:Mybiggestmessagetoanybodyoutthere,whetheritismusicoranythingelse, justbetruetoyourself,itissomuchmorerewarding.Behonestwiththemusic youcreate.Youmaynoteverbeasuperstar,butatleastyou’llbehappy.