Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
In 2008, A Skylit Drive dropped the emo-heavy post-hardcore record Wires and the Concept of Breathing. 15 years later that record is still influencing an entire subgenre. The Lodi, CA outfit recently announced a return to stages across the country to celebrate the record’s 15th anniversary. The first leg of this anniversary tour begins next week with Scarlett O’Hara and Sunsleep in support. Before the shows kick off, we had a chance to catch up with vocalist Michael “Jag” Jagmin to discuss their expectations for the tour, the hard lessons learned over the last 15 years and what A Skylit Drive has planned for 2023 and beyond.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! Congrats on the 15 year anniversary of “Wires…and The Concept of Breathing” and the upcoming tour in support of that milestone. What has everyone been up to lately and what brought the current roster of A Skylit Drive together?
Thank you as well for having me! We all came together in different ways and at different times. Jon and I were in Odd Project together, which was the last group I was in before joining A Skylit Drive. Louie reached out to me personally and we really hit it off. Lastly, our manager knew KC, connected us, and the rest is history. Before we knew it I was flying everyone out to my house for a weekend to jam and to get acquainted.
It’s been 15 years since “Wires…”. What has changed the most in the scene and industry from your perspective? What’s been the hardest thing to adapt to and what change have you found to be the most positive?
The social media side would have to be the biggest change, which has its pros and cons. The age of TikTok, quick fixes and honestly a real “on to the next” mentality makes it difficult for any artist to keep up. The days of slaving away on a full-length record seems to fall below the listener’s wants, whereas more frequent releases, such as singles, features etc. appear to cater to more of the music listener’s tastes in today’s world.
You’ve been at this all for a while, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
I regret not putting my foot down sooner. As a whole, our group got taken advantage of A LOT, and because of that, we lost out on a lot of opportunities.
When you joined A Skylit Drive you were pretty young, looking back now, what advice would you have for the young, up-and-coming acts today?
Stand up for yourself and your band. Be genuine. Be real. Work hard. You can’t get back time wasted.
ASD are such an influential band and means so much to so many. How has that high standard within the band’s history with them playing into the writing and/touring process? Does the high bar you’ve set for yourself help, hinder or affect your creativity and to what extent?
I always push myself to extremes with writing and performing. I don’t like failing or letting anyone down, so I put a whole lot of myself into all aspects of the band. I wouldn’t say any of that hinders or negatively impacts the outcome though.
We are living in a “just deal with COVID” world and everything about this timeline is some level of completely fucked. What’s the state of the scene from your point of view in light of the last few years?
It’s all a big bummer really. The lives that were lost are absolutely devastating and awful. We could talk in circles regarding who did what wrong, and this or that could’ve been handled better. I’m just glad there’s a sense of more normalcy now though, so us artists can get back to doing what we love.
Which songs are you most excited to perform in a live setting?
“My Disease” has always been one of my favorite tracks off Wires, and I only recall ever playing it live once before. I remember recording it like it was yesterday. Most days while recording vocals for Wires it was just myself and the producer, Kit Walters. That day in particular I went in with my melodies/lyrics for “My Disease” and “This Isn’t the End.” The bulk of the album’s vocals were written that way in two’s. I’d sit in front of my laptop in the motel room, pick two songs, listen over and over, sing the ideas in falsetto to myself, write down the lyrics on a pad of paper and hope to remember the melodies when I woke up the next morning.
Speaking of live shows, after having played a few festivals in the last couple of years, are you finding the new fans meshing well with the ones who’ve been around a while? Has the post-pandemic world/mindset affected your attitudes or habits for live performances?
My mindset has remained consistent really. I’m just going out there trying to put on the best show possible. The same as I did 15 years ago. Only now my back and knees don’t bounce back like they used to, ha!
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should?
Honestly, my wife gets on to me for this all the time, but I’m not much of a music seeker. Sometimes I even drive with nothing playing if I’m just burnt out on music. Typically, if I’m listening to music it’s a song I’m working on. Creating music is where my passion sits with music.
Beyond the anniversary tour, what’s next for the members of A Skylit Drive?
2023 is all about the Wires 15-Year Anniversary Tour however we are actively writing new music that we have plans for in 2024 and beyond.
Thank you for joining us for this interview, before we say our goodbyes, was there anything I missed that you’d like to share or dive deeper into with our readers?
Keep your eyes peeled for the multiple “Phases” of the “Wires 15-Year Anniversary Tour” that we’ll be announcing throughout 2023. Each Phase is focused on a different region of the U.S. Our big hope is to get out and perform Wires in its entirety in as many cities as we can.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
