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 An exclusive interview with Jerry
Gaskill of King’s X
By Josh Turner
JT:
Hello
Jerry:
Hello Josh.
JT: Yeah.
Jerry:
This is Jerry Gaskill.
JT: Hey, how’s it going?
Jerry:
Good, man. How you doing?
JT: I was looking forward to talking with you.
Jerry:
Yeah, now’s the time.
JT: Okay. {we laugh} I’ve got a number of questions to ask you. I wanted to find out
whether or not you are involved in any tours or concerts at this time or if have any
planned?
Jerry:
King’s X is going out, uh, around the middle of September and we will be out for
about ten weeks coast to coast and throughout Canada and I would like to tour with
my solo thing, but I don’t have anything together yet. I have to get a band and all
that stuff and I am working on it, but King’s X is definitely going out September.
JT: Starting with King’s X, I heard King’s X is working on another album at this
time.
Jerry:
Yeah, we are actually, uh, as a matter of fact we’ve got a live CD coming out. I
think around October it is planned, a double live CD, and, uh, we were just in
Nashville recently, uh, working with a guy named Michael Wagner, who did all the big
eighties stuff like Ozzy, Skid Row, Dokken, White Lion, and all that stuff and what
he does is put on these workshops where he has people come out and ask questions and
learn about, you know, engineering and all, and he asked us if he would be willing
to come up and be the band and record some songs with him. So, we said, oh thanks,
Michael Wagner we’ll do that and, uh, it just ended up being a match made in heaven
and we’re hoping to, uh, finish a record with him.
JT: I’ve always wondered how you came up with King’s X for the name of your band.
Jerry:
Well, we were, uh, we were just sitting around a room one day with our old manager
Sam Taylor and, uh, we didn’t like the name that we had at that point and, uh, he
just threw that name out to us. He just said King’s X and I’m not even sure if I
remember why or I remember it meaning nothing to me. It didn’t have any real
meaning. I said, well, that’s kind of cool, I guess. I couldn’t really attach a
meaning to it and, uh, as time went on, we were in the studio I remember recording
some demo stuff and, uh, we just decide are we King’s X or what. I guess I just
said, yeah, I guess we’re King’s X and that’s kind of how it came about.
JT: Ok, I’m wondering how did you meet your bandmates?
Jerry:
Well, uh, actually we had all moved from different parts of the country in
Springfield, Missouri. I met Doug, cause he was moving down there to join a band and
I was joining at the time and, uh, Ty was going to school there and, uh, he was the
guitar player on some, uh, recording album done with this other artist. That’s how I
met Ty. We decided to be a band. How’s that? {he laughs, I chuckle}
 JT: I recently started listening to this solo album that you came out with. It
really exceeded my expectations. I didn’t know a drummer could put something like
this together. This is kind of a modern day thing, because, you know, Nick D’ Virgilio is doing some solo work, now you’re doing it, and I guess both you guys
have proven that drummers can put together some very good solo work. It really
exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was and it’s very
good.
Jerry:
Thank you very much.
JT: So, congratulations for putting something like this together. Just kind of
starting with the album, where does the title Come Somewhere come from? Does that
have any meaning?
Jerry:
Like most things that I do, you can attach anything to anything that I do, but I’ll
tell you how it came about.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
I was talking to Wally Farkas, who was the guitar player from the Galactic Cowboys,
about a song and he was, he asked so what are you going to call the record, do you
have a title yet and I said, well, I’m not sure I’m thinking about it. I’m sure it
will come somewhere. There you go. That’s your title Come Somewhere and I thought,
oh, yeah, I like that. He goes you can put whatever you want onto that. I like the
word come, you know. {he laughs} I like the fact there is a naked girl on the cover
and, uh, it can mean anything you want, Come Somewhere. It just seemed to be the
perfect title.
JT: Ok, what instruments are you actually playing on the album?
Jerry:
Well, I’m doing all the drums, all the vocals, and I’m doing the majority of the
acoustic guitar, and I play the electric guitar, the softer electric guitar I think
on one song, I think on Crazy, I play the soft electric parts and, uh, Ty did
basically everything else as far as the instrumentation.
JT: You’re saying all the singing is you or is some of it Ty?
Jerry:
Every bit of singing is me.
JT: Wow! That’s one of the strengths of the album.
Jerry:
Well, thanks.
JT: That’s kind of impressive to hear that you are doing the singing.
Jerry:
Well, thanks. That’s what it was all about for me, the melody.
JT: You cover a range of genres on the album from pop to rock to grunge, there is
even a little punk in one of the tracks. Who are your influences? Where do you draw
some of these ideas?
Jerry:
Well, um, I guess when I actually think about it, I normally don’t think about those
things, you know, cause as a songwriter, an artist, or whatever that it is that you
are or I am, whatever, you know, you just do what you do. It just comes out of me
the way it does, but then I think about it, I know that The Beatles are a great big
influence as far as songwriting and just how I hear music. Bob Dylan is a great big
influence and Led Zeppelin was a great big influence. Grand Funk, uh, a lot of the
sixties, some early seventies stuff is definitely what I grew up with and I think
even earlier than that, some of the, uh, like that, cool, uh, almost, not
necessarily Motown, but that cool, you know, early sixties kind of rock stuff too,
you know, I guess I’ve just always been into catchy little melodies stuff.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Is that alright?
JT: Yeah. Talking to a lot of artists, it seems everybody has their own way of
putting music together whether it’s sitting in a rehearsal room, just jamming on the
guitar or just playing the piano to come up with some ideas, to singing in the
shower, to collaborating with other people. What is your songwriting process?
Jerry:
Uh, it just varies, you know, I can be, uh, there’s this song that was written when
I walking through a park and the melody came into my head, so therefore, I had that
and so I had to write a song, or I’d wake up in the morning making breakfast for my
son cause I went to school with him and the melody would come into my head and
therefore I’d have to write a song, or I’d just be sitting down with the guitar
playing some chords and I’d, so, oh, I like that chord and a thought would come into
my head, well, I’d want to take it from there, so it just happens however it happens
for me.
JT: One thing about this album that jumps out at me is that you put fifteen tracks
on it. That’s a lot of music to pack into there. There’s a lot of ideas, a lot of
different songs. What motivated that kind of approach to put a lot of different
songs on there rather than putting some longer songs on there? How did you decide
upon that format?
Jerry:
Uh, they just happened to be the songs that seemed right for the record. Some of
them are pretty short, so it seems like a lot of songs, but some of them are very
short. {he laughs} I had to take up some time. These songs just seemed to be the
ones out of the whole stack of songs I have that were right for this record.
JT: Right.
Jerry:
That’s pretty much how it came about. There’s many more coming and there’s, you
know, this just seemed to be the way the record flowed.
JT: That’s the one thing that I noticed. The songs really worked well together. The
order really worked well. It really kept a listener’s attention. Just kind of kept
moving. You do have a lot of songs in there, but I wanted to get a brief synopsis on
some of the tracks. Starting with The Kids, who are the kids? Who are you singing
about?
Jerry:
Well, um, I mean, usually I like to keep things a little bit serious, so you can put
your own meaning into them. I’ll give you an idea of what I was thinking. When I was
talking about the kids, I’m talking about my kids, and I was also talking about the
kids of a woman of another relationship I was in, you know, if that makes any sense.
It might be derived from what I just said, the situation, you know, my kids and her
kids and the situation and two women and craziness. How’s that? You put them all
together and maybe it will make sense.
JT: So, that’s kind of the theme of the album like when you get to She’s Cool?
Jerry:
Girls and craziness. {we laugh} Maybe that was the name of the record.
JT: I see you’ve got She’s Cool and then you get to LA Flight and you’re singing
about a women there, right?
Jerry:
Yeah.
JT: So, those are part of the theme and then you do have a track called Crazy, so I
guess that’s the craziness then.
Jerry:
There you go, that’s all about girls.
JT: I guess we don’t need to go through all the tracks. I can kind of see a pattern
here. Garden Stroll, Walk Alone, Hello Mrs. {I laugh} I Saw You Yesterday.
Jerry:
Yeah, pretty much girls and craziness. That’s just where I was at. {he laughs}
JT: Ok, you also mentioned that you had a stack of songs and then you chose these
songs. Does that mean you already have a basis for another solo album?
Jerry:
Yeah, I’m ready now. I’m ready for another one.
JT: Wow!
Jerry:
Yeah, I’ve written some new songs and I have some old songs that I could use. Yeah,
I’m ready man.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
I could keep going.
JT: That’s cool. Also, how did you learn to play the drums? How did that all begin?
 Jerry:
You know, I actually don’t even know. It’s just something I’ve always done. As long
as I can remember, I’ve played the drums. Now I remember when I was, uh, you know,
four years old, I got my first real drum. I had a toy set before that. All that
mattered to me was music, making music as long as I can remember and, uh, my dad I
remember went to get to the store so that, for me to get this real drum and I was
just so unbelievably excited and then he comes back from the store and says, Jerry
I’m sorry, but I wasn’t able to get the drum and I just remember profusely crying
and tears are just pouring out of my eyes. I said, Nooooooooo {he laughs} and then
he says, well, I left something in the car, can you just go get it for me, I’m sorry
and I went out there to get whatever he asked me to get and there it was just
sitting right there on the front seat. {we laugh}
JT: That’s cool.
Jerry:
Yeah. I actually want to cry every time I talk about it.
JT: Yeah, I guess the thing is if that never happened, who knows what would have
happened.
Jerry:
Yeah, really.
JT: When I was growing up, I actually did want to play the drums myself. I was in a
big family and I was told it would just make too much noise. My brother gave me his
trumpet and I played that for a little bit and lost interest. Finally, about four
years ago I got back into music again. {I laugh}
Jerry:
Aww. I actually had a band with my dad and my brother.
JT: Really?
Jerry:
Yeah, my family was always totally supportive. I think they always knew that’s what
I was going to do and they backed me the whole way.
JT: What kind of instruments does everybody else in your family play?
Jerry:
Well, my dad played guitar and my brother played the guitar.
JT: Does everybody sing a little bit?
Jerry:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. {He says this same way The Beatles sing the chorus in She Loves
You) Everybody sang too. I know, I mean, I never sang in the band we were at, well,
none of us sang in that band. We were an instrumental band.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Yeah, we all sang throughout the house, played the guitar, whatever. My brother
would play Led Zeppelin songs. I was five. They could play Led Zeppelin songs, I
would sing them when I was a kid, {he laughs} things like that. There was actually a
song on the record that I wrote with my brother.
JT: Really?
Jerry:
Yeah, it’s called Johnny’s Song.
JT: Okay.l
Jerry:
That was not about girls necessarily. {I laugh} I guess it is in some non-direct
sort of crazy way. I don’t think I even mentioned a girl in that song. {we both
laugh}
JT: So I don’t have to ask where you get your inspiration from. Seems like its
women, basically.
Jerry:
Well, I mean, that has been some of the inspiration, yeah. They have inspired me to
come up with craziness, {we laugh} but, uh, nah, inspiration comes from everywhere.
Just waking up in the morning or going to bed or happy holding my kids, watching TV.
Whatever it is I’m doing, you know, just being alive is the inspiration, you know,
but I have to have something to write about. Girls are easy to write about.
JT: To get an idea of your current musical tastes, what is the last CD that you
purchased?
Jerry:
Woo, what was the last CD that I purchased, good grief. I don’t even know if I
remember the last time I was buying a CD, uh, I don’t even remember the last CD that
I bought.
JT: What’s the last CD that you had in rotation, that you played a lot?
Jerry:
Well here’s what I, oh, I know the last CD I bought. I actually bought this CD, the
new Deftones.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
I actually bought that CD and I love Deftones and I love Glassjaw, um, there is this
new record out by, uh, well the guitar player for the band called Sailor. I don’t
know if you’ve ever heard of them or not, but I love Sailor and there’s this record
out called Year of the Rabbit, which I love that record, uh, yeah, that’s pretty
much what I’ve been listening to.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Glassjaw, Deftones, Year of the Rabbit. The Mars Volta. Loved The Mars Volta.
JT: Ok, what is the last concert that you attended as a fan?
Jerry:
As a fan?
JT: Yeah.
Jerry:
Geez. {he laughs} As a fan? Hey, I’m going to see Crosby, Stills, and Nash tomorrow.
JT: Oh, you are?
Jerry:
Yeah, I’m doing that as a fan, uh, let me think, let me think. I can’t think of the
last show I went to as a fan, maybe Sailor.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Maybe Deftones, Deftones, probably Deftones.
JT: Ok, I’m wondering, can you recall any Spinal Tap moments?
Jerry:
Oh, absolutely. I mean, did you see the, uh, remember the scene where they went to
the, uh, the, uh, what is it, the naval academy or army academy or whatever.
JT: Yeah.
Jerry:
We did that, that could have been us. {he laughs} We had experienced that scene,
absolutely.
JT: Ok and then just some personal interest questions here to find some of your
favorites, to find out the kind of person that you are, what would you say is your
favorite movie?
Jerry:
The what?
JT: What would you say is your favorite movie?
Jerry:
Oh, my favorite movie, geez. It is hard to pick just one. When I, phew, let me see,
I love comedies. I love, I just love movies. The Graduate I thought was just a great
classic movie and that might be way up there on my list, um, I love Jim Carey
movies. Dumb and Dumber was a great movie, uh, so many great movies. American
Beauty, the first time I saw that, I thought wow, that’s an incredible movie, uh, I
love movies. I’ve got all the movie channels, so I watch movies as often as I can.
JT: Here’s another one along the same lines, but what is your favorite book?
Jerry:
My favorite book? These are impossible questions to answer. You know that?
JT: I know.
Jerry:
Because there are so damn many of them.
JT: Yeah.
Jerry:
As a teenager I was really, really, really into Hermann Hesse. That’s Steppenwolf
and Siddhartha, and all that, all that stuff, Narcissus and Goldmund. I don’t know
if you’re familiar with him or not, but I loved Hermann Hesse, uh, I’ve read a lot
of C.S. Lewis. I liked George MacDonald, uh, oh, and I love Anne Rice. I love Anne
Rice. She is probably my favorite contemporary writer.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
So how ‘bout that?
JT: That’s good.
Jerry:
Anne Rice and the other ones I mentioned.
JT: Did you ever see Interview with the Vampire?
Jerry:
Oh, yeah, I saw the movie. I read the book. I’ve read all the vampire books. Every
single one of them and many of her other books as well. I thought the movie was
good. Yeah, I thought it was a good movie. Did you see it?
JT: Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. I haven’t read the book,
probably need to.
Jerry:
Yeah, you do. If you read at all, you should read it. You should read them all.
JT: Ok, what would you say is your favorite band?
Jerry:
The band that I’m going to put together. {we laugh} I don’t know. Choose your
favorite band. Good grief. Impossible questions, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Grand
Funk, uh, Glassjaw definitely.
JT: That’s good. What are some of your favorite albums then?
Jerry:
Let’s see. Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan, one of my favorite records, uh, all The
Beatles records, most Dylan records, and uh, most Grand Funk records, the early
Grand Funk stuff. Glassjaw, Deftones, {he laughs} yeah. My record.
JT: I’ve got a quirky question here.
Jerry:
Oh, these haven’t been quirky?
JT: What?
Jerry:
Nah, I’m just joking.
JT: Quirkier then... Do you have any pets?
Jerry:
Uh, actually at this moment, I don’t have any pets. I’ve never been a big pet
person. My son wants a pet. I will get him a pet.
JT: I ask that to identify with the artist.
 Jerry:
No, I have no pets and I have no real desire to have pets, but I will tell you this.
We were just in Nashville when we were recording with Michael Wagner and actually
outside of Nashville. It was just this open land space that was just beautiful with
horses running around and I thought, now I could do that. If I had a lot of land
with animals running around, that could be cool.
JT: Yeah, that would be.
Jerry:
Other than that, I have no pets.
JT: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans at this time?
Jerry:
Thank you for all your support and please continue to buy the records. How’s that?
JT: That sounds great.
Jerry:
All my love.
JT: I’ve talked to a lot of progressive rock artists and people along those lines
and most of the time, most people, you know, I talk to other people, music
aficionados, whatever, who listen to a lot of mainstream music and they have no idea
who some of these people are that I’m talking to, but it is funny, I mention your
name, I mention your band King’s X, and people instantly know who you are.
Jerry:
Yeah.
JT: Especially with some of the hits in the eighties and you guys have been around
producing a lot of great music all this time. I’ve been telling everybody that this
new album is really going to exceed their expectations. They are not going to
believe that a drummer put together something that’s put together so well.
Jerry:
Oh, thank you man.
JT: Yeah, I mean, I think you really put together a great record here. I’d really be
interested in seeing another solo album. I’d be excited to see that.
Jerry:
The next one is going to have me naked on the cover too.
JT: There’s a what?
Jerry:
Maybe the next one will have me on the cover naked too.
JT: Oh no, I don’t want that.
Jerry:
Okay, I won’t do that. I won’t do that. {we laugh}
JT: Congratulations putting that together. You did a great job.
Jerry:
Thanks man. Thanks a lot.
JT: That’s pretty much all the questions I have now. I appreciate you taking the
time to talk with me.
Jerry:
Sure, no problem at all man.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Thanks for your support.
JT: Your welcome.
Jerry:
Alright.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
And, my record makes a great gift.
JT: Definitely.
Jerry:
Yeah, Christmas is coming up. {we laughs} Alright man.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Where are you located?
JT: I’m in the Midwest.
Jerry:
Midwest?
JT: Yeah.
Jerry:
Okay, that’s pretty broad.
JT: I saw you guys perform when you came to Madison.
Jerry:
Wisconsin?
JT: Yeah, that was a few years back.
Jerry:
Okay. We’re coming back on tour, so maybe you can come see us.
JT: I’ll definitely go see you guys.
Jerry:
Okay.
JT: Okay.
Jerry:
Alright.
JT: Thank you.
Jerry:
Thank you.
JT: Bye now.
Jerry:
Alright, bye now.
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