Jason “Gong” Jones is exorcising his demons the only way he knows how... in gut-wrenching, eardrum-shattering rock music. His band of brothers, known as AM Conspiracy, have assembled a self-titled collection of hard-wrought tunes due to shake foundations January 12, 2010.
Never quite satisfied to be a follower, Gong exited situations like his lead vocal role in the band Drowning Pool to steer his own ship. He met up with Dean Andrews (drums) and Kenny Harrelson (bass) who had played together for over 10 years and the like-minded trio formed the core of the band. “They are locked in together and wired tight,” says Gong of the rhythm section. The addition of the disciplined, technical guitarist Drew Burke and the re-grouping with guitarist Rob DeHaven were the final pieces to the current AM Conspiracy puzzle.
Putting the music together is a collaboration. Drew and Gong have a comfortable push-and-pull going on that creates some intense and varied tracks. From rock ballads like “Down” to hard-chargers like “Welt,” AM Conspiracy’s songs truly run the gamut. Drew explains “One minute Gong's a little vulnerable and the next he's kicking your teeth in. One minute Dean and Kenny are laying down light melodic ideas and the next they're driving a mosh pit. That is how it works.” The first single off the album, “Pictures” was mixed by Randy Staub (Metallica, Stone Sour, Hinder) and is due to hit Active Rock airwaves in 2010.
The lyric writing process is one of free association for Gong. “It's me, subconsciously, sorting out the wreckage in my brain,” he explains. “I freestyle the lyrics and usually just keep them the way they came out. I figure out what the song is about afterward.” Retrospect tells him quite a bit about himself. “It's all pretty black, but I get it out in the songs and on stage. The songs take you somewhere - through different emotions.”
“AM Conspiracy has never been afraid to go all in,” says Drew. “Conversely, we've had no qualms destroying what we built to improve,” he adds. The band set out to create an album that was more versatile than anything else out there... something that didn't just feature 13 versions of the same song. They lived with their creations, playing them, changing them, throwing them away... After letting them sit for a little bit, they broke them back out and repeated the process until they developed diverse tracks, each with its own signature grit and character.
The plan, according to Gong, is to “tour as much as we can and win the people over,” to back up the Burnhill Union Records release. The rest is up to rock fans worldwide.
Call and request AM Conspiracy's "Welt" on these programs and stations!
Drew, I might need to take you up on the sweep picking lessons if your still available. I'm having trouble with a song called Angels of Debauchery by Winds of Plague.
Online Now!
