“When Dreams Unite”

Interview with Jason Williams

By Sergio Vilar

To begin Jason, I would like you to count us your musical trajectory and the projects in which you have intervened.
First, thank you so much the time to talk to you and explore Soulful Terrain with all your great readers.

I have been a part of Soulful Terrain since the mid 1990’s. It was a way to break free from mainstream music and to play the music that I felt in my heart.

I enjoy playing and writing and being involved with other artist as well as write and record my own music. I record bands in my own home studio. In the past I have also directed/edited a music video for my friend Devon Sharpe’.

How would you describe your music? Inside that am used the you would locate?
Soulful Terrain music is boundless. It is a cross between, Rock, Celtic, Jazz and Progressive Rock. Each song is a story and each story has its own soundtrack. I try to craft each song to be a complete idea from beginning to end, to take the listener on a musical journey.

Which are they the artists that more they influenced in your style?
I have been influenced by many artists, here are some of my favorites: Iona, Eric Johnson, Michael Hedges, Dream Theater, Joe Satriani, King’s X, Peter Gabriel, Spock’s Beard, Sting and many more.

Was my first contact with your music through the excellent “The Days of Truth and Hope”. Could you be which the main idea of the album is?
“The Days of Truth and Hope” is a mostly instrumental record that is very close to my heart. The CD is about the fact that during your life no matter what happens that there is always “The Days of Truth and Hope” to hold on to. It was the first record that I played almost all the parts and wrote all the music on it. It was very different because it had rock, Celtic, jazz; all on the same record.

Were you looking for some sound in particular when you began to write the material?
Sometime I will get an idea just from practicing and hearing a certain keyboard or guitar sound that I like, then that sparks the idea. The other day I was playing acoustic guitar and happen to play a few chords and I liked it so much that I begin to write a song from it. It poured out of me so fast that I didn’t have time to think about it. Those are always the best kind of songs, the one that come out fast and are inspired. Other times certain songs can take a long time to write and finish.

I don’t really have one particular sound that I aim for. Because I am influenced by many types of music, my material starts with a certain melody or sound that I create which inspires me to write.

How is the creative process in your music and poetry? What factors do they influence these areas?
Just like most artists I tend to write from what I am feeling at the moment. Maybe there is an emotion that I am feeling and I want to write a song to release it from my soul. Sometimes the music will come out and the lyrics are inspired from the music. Other times the lyrics will come out and I will write the music to match the mood of the lyrics.

What situations do they inspire you when writing your music?
This is a hard question! Hahaha, sometimes just picking up an instrument and playing can inspire me to write something, other times it could be a situation in my life that I am going through (pain, love, anger, happiness). Sometimes writing is so mysterious because I never know when the song will come out.

What is the project Christian Progressive Rock? Of what way was it born?
The purpose of the CD is two-fold: to introduce Progressive Rock into the Christian community, and to introduce Christian themes into the "Progrock" community, which is mostly an underground independent movement in America today. Progrock is still very much alive as a mainstream format in Europe, South America and Japan. As with so many people who grew up in the mainstream of Progrock music during the 70's, many still have a desire for music that reflects an age when musicians were about music, and creativity was colorful and abundant, as well as music with spiritual integrity that conveys a positive message.

Then, which are the ideas that unite the artists that integrate it? How was it to work in the project?
The main idea was for Christian based progressive bands to be able to support each other by uniting and helping all of the bands reach more people with music and a message. It was amazing to be able to work on this project. I am on a CD with other fabulous artists like, Neal Morse (Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater plays drums with Neal), Ajalon, and other great bands.

Which is the future of Christian Progressive Rock?
I think its just the beginning. CPR gives people a chance to tell stories and share the faith in a way that normal pop music may not be able to do. These are songs that can take listeners on a journey.

Jason, I know that at the moment you are working in “Astoria”, your second album. What can you be about the material that will integrate it?
Right now I have 5 songs recorded on the new record. Three of the songs are Celtic progressive, one is an acoustic vocal song and the other is a jamming acoustic instrumental.

When I had the idea for “Astoria” a long time ago I was planning on making it a concept album. But things have changed, it will not be totally a concept album from beginning to end. I have been writing a lot of music to record on “Astoria” but I am taking my time to make sure the album is magical. It will have many styles of music on it to guide you on the journey that “Astoria” is taking you on. I am really excited about this album!

Which is the point that unites them to both discs and which do you believe that the main differences that exist among them are?
“Astoria” will be more mature in its music and lyrics then “The Days of Truth and Hope” was. I am older now so my music has grown up and the music has matured with me.  “The Days of Truth and Hope” has a more rock-oriented feeling to it. In some ways, the albums are similar like brothers, but in other ways, they differ greatly.

Do you think that with “Astoria”  you have achieved a personal and own sound?
I believe so; each time I listen to the songs I have finished,  I can hear it’s own sound. Its taking music from the distant past and merging it with a modern production and rock feel to it.

When we observe the panorama of the progressive music, it is unavoidable to wonder about the artistic value reached in the last years. How do you see this that analysis makes of the present of the scene?
There are so many different versions of progressive music that’s around but one thing I wish progressive music would not do, is overplay in the mainstream industry.

Sometimes bands get caught up in how many notes they can play or how fast that they are losing the soul of the songs to make everything very complicated. Progressive music can tell such great deep stories but if you are doing nothing but soloing all the time what are you trying to say with your music?

And in the personal thing, toward where will Jason Williams behave from now on, artistically?
I will always follow where my heart leads me, right now it leads me to follow the world music of “Astoria”, but the next project could be a rock CD. Each song is a story of that moment that you lived it in. Each song unfolds itself like a puzzle. Some puzzles take a long time to finish, others you can do quickly. So as each song comes alive I will follow that.

Well Jason, thank you to respond our questions. What would you tell to our readers so that they are interested in listening Soulful Terrain?
I would love for readers to visit my website and feel free to download mp3s, listen to the songs and hopefully the music will touch you enough that you will want to purchase it. It inspires me so, hopefully, it will inspire you. Life is much more colorful when living an inspired life.

“The Days of Truth & Hope” is online and you can buy it directly from the website for 8.00. It is an online download only and you will get the CD artwork, etc in case you would like to print out a CD jacket. I would love to hear from your readers about what they liked about the music.
 

www.soulfulterrain.com

Nucleus interview: 21/09/05