Supercell Interview
By: John-Floyd
with Jason Wheelington of Supercell

Well, let's start things off by saying wow!  You guys have sort of blasted on the scene over the past few years and have really gotten some heads turning.  What would you say has been the toughest part of your journey thus far?

Jason: Staying the course, not giving up and trying to make it down this road another day.   We love doing this, and its great fun of course, but I wouldn't wish this adventure on anyone.  Trying to “make it” in the entertainment industry is like playing the lottery.  You piss away a lot of money and the odds of winning are astronomical.  But if its what you do...if its all you know...that's just what you do everyday.  That having been said, I wouldn't change my life for anything.  I love writing music, I love performing for people and it fills the great void/chasm I was born with, as only music can do.

How did the band start ?

Jason: I met Shannon in the summer of 2001, through a want-ad listing I was running.  Version 1 of SUPERCELL was pretty failed, so we broke up later that November.  But in December, I got call to play a New Year's Show in Dallas , so I hastily reformed with some old friends ( Shannon included) so we could all make some quick cash.  Nick and I played together previously, in another band, so I called him in desperate need.  Unfortunately for him, it was not to play guitar as he had all his life, it was to play Bass.  He agreed…the show went great and here we are.  After a couple years of working our way up, we re-tooled again; this time adding Moonshine and Mark who were introduced to us by Joey Otto of Forty Percent.

Where did the name come from?

Jason: I have an intense fear of tornados and, as you may know, they are formed from a weather pattern called a supercell.  I always liked the name because it sounded big; kinda like a wall of sound or something.  Plus I knew we'd get some free press, on the news, every tornado season.

You have recently added two new members, originally from the band Dollybraid.  How was the transition for the band as a whole?  Would you say there has been musical growth or diversity added with the new members?

Jason: Like any change the transition was a challenge, but one that we knew would pay dividends in the end; and it has.  As a result, our new sound has now become more mature, polished, bigger, louder and more defined.  Mark and Moonshine are the long-lost brothers we have been searching for that will push us over the top.  Anyone who has seen us previously, needs to see this new and improved version…it will knock you out, plain and simple.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?

Jason: Okay, this is kinda like answering Barbara Walters' tree question, but here goes.  To me, its like a sonic freightrain of melody and emotion.  We visualize our songs as a pyramid of sound; with low-end heaviness, from Moonshine and Nick, as a firm foundation.  Then Mark and Shannon bring fill in the middle with great rhythms and guitar tones that sit neatly on top of that booming bottom end.  Finally you add the last layer…the vocals.  I choose to bring harmony and memorable melodies into the formula; ultimately rounded out the elements we think a great song should have.  Sorry if this answer was puzzling…I kinda got carried away with how WE visualize our music as writers vs. just saying something like “Umm…we rock.”  These days, I don't like saying we are a specific genre.  We're songwriters/entertainers and we appeal to many different listeners because we write music that is emotionally driven and we perform it with the utmost of our being and that translates through the radio and from the stage.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Jason: Before I list some bands that we like, I'd like to add that we are fans of most all musical styles; be it Rock, Pop, Top 40, Country, Classical, etc.  Anyone who limits themselves to only being one particular thing is losing out on musical growth.  BUT…in no particular order, here's a list of popular bands we grew up listening to and still like today; U2, Soundgarden, Linkin Park, Michael Jackson, Butch Walker, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Blue October, Duran Duran, Pearl Jam, Motley Crue and Guns N' Roses...just to name a few.

What is your favorite song to play live?

Jason: Right now, its our newest addition to the set called “The Perfect Part”.  Truthfully, I don't see how this won't be the 1 st single off our next record.  This song is something special.  And not just because it's the 1 st written completely by the new line-up.  It's just got that certain intangible something about it.  The music, the melodies, the lyrics…it's all there and its a very powerful and memorable song.  Lyrically, the song is about me and my 2 yr old son and how I think he's the best part of who I am as a person.  It delves down into my despairs, challenges and failures as a person, as a father, etc. and how no matter how short I may come up or how often I fall on my face, I have this beautiful person who literally is the perfect parts of me.  When I sing those words I feel such joy about my life and I have renewed hope that deep down in me somewhere are these great possibilities and that even if I never fully realize them, I have passed them onto my son.  Hopefully, he will be able to actualize those positive traits that I have passed down to him because, God love him, I swear he is perfect.

Who (if anyone) would you most want to tour with in the future?

Jason: U2, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, even legends like Aerosmith might be cool.

If you were the one conducting the interview right now, what would you ask yourself?

Jason: What do you expect/want people to get from SUPERCELL's music?

And the answer?

Jason: I hope that our live shows allow people to escape the reality of everyday life, by losing themselves in that shared moment.  I want them to be 100% fully entertained, at all times.  But at the same time I want them to be reminded that we are all just trying to make it through this life together.  I want our songs to bring a feeling of elation and joy; and possibly even hope or understanding through some of the deeper I write too.  I want people to totally “connect” with us, through our songs, as if we are writing the soundtrack to their lives.

And finally, the Bandchat.org tradition, if you could be any flavor of jello what kind would you be and why?

Jason: Cherry, baby…cherry!  Because to me the word Cherry makes me think “new” and “fresh”; like what I want our band to be to a sometimes over-hyped, under-delivered and over-copied music world.  I want SUPERCELL to be the 1 st to break open a new scene and usher in a new era of rock music.

For more information on Supercell, visit their website at http://www.supercellonline.com.