Jason Bieler - Interview

R'n'R :   As a child did you live in a musical ambiance ?

JB : Music is my earliest memory, not that my parents were musicians but I remember finding 8tracks of Meet The Beatles and The Fifth Dimension and just falling in love with the sounds. I always felt like I understood music and in many ways that it understood me.

R'n'R :  What was your first band ?

JB : I really was never a part of an actual band other than Saigon Kick, I jammed with people here and there and mostly worked on music myself. I was never really in a cover band or a high school band etc. Around the same time as Saigon Kick was playing, I did a tour with Talisman, Jeff Scott Soto, and Marcel Jacob which was my first pro gig. 

R'n'R : How and when did Saigon Kick start ?

JB : We probably started in 88-89 and our first record came out in 91. We were really the only guys left in the scene who couldn’t get into other bands. It was either work together or not be in a band.

R'n'R : In Saigon Kick music we feel many influences. For example in Spanish Rain we feel spanish and some jazz and even jazz manouche influences. Are you fond of these kinds of music ?

JB : I am fond of all music, Jazz, Ambient, Classical, Rock, Pop and I always have been. If I like it and it makes me happy, I don’t care what genre it is.

Video of Spanish Rain by Saigon Kick

R'n'R : Everybody must talk to you about Love Is OnThe Way. Are you fed up or not ?

JB : Not at all, it is a wonderful thing to have a hit song that a large group of people love. 

Video of Love Is On The Way by Saigon Kick

R'n'R : Saigon Kick covered a very beautiful version of Space Oddity. How did the idea come to the band ?

JB : We were all massive Bowie fans and we just decided to take a crack at it. In hindsight, I would have preferred doing Life On Mars, but the nice thing is an engineer Bowie worked with in Switzerland played our version for him and he reportedly liked it. Whether he was just being kind or not…it was a MASSIVE moment to know that Bowie, even for a few seconds was aware of your existence.

Video of Space Oddity covered by Saigon Kick

R'n'R : In your opinion why Saigon Kick didn’t become bigger ?

JB : Great question, but I don’t ever think about things like that, it is not in my control. I focus on creating music beyond that what happens has to do with a lot of things that you can’t control. Making music is my goal and focus. The rest is not that important to me. It is nice that the new record is getting a lot of buzz, but I would still have made it if no once cared.

R'n'R : Can you talk about your project Owl Stretching ?

JB : It was a writing project, with no commercial aspirations, I wanted to write, produce, mix and release a song in 24 hours or so and just focus on sharpening my writing. I wound up releasing around 150 songs on bandcamp in about 2 years.

Video of Satellite by Owl Stertching

R'n'R :  In solo you release Houston, We Have A Problem in 1998. 23 years later what is your opinion about this record ?

JB : That is not really a solo record as much as a compilation of demos I was working on. I despise leaving songs on the shelf.

Video of Divine by Jason Bieler

R'n'R : Same question for Where Dreams Go to Die released in 2018.

JB : That is all part of the writing experiment, as it gained a bit of a cult following it was brought to my attention I should change the name to Jason so people could find it. 

R'n'R : You have a new album in 2021, Songs For The Apocalypse released as Jason Bieler and The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra. Is this Baron a part of your personality?

JB : I think so…he has always been there!

Video of Beyond Hope by Jason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra (ft. Benji Webbe, David Ellefson & Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal)

R'n'R : In this record i feel that you are free to make the music you want and you love. Am i right?

JB : I always have made music I love and find interesting. For better or for worse. 

Video of Apology by Jason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra

R'n'R : How did you compose this album?

JB : Just as I always do, I dive into a dark watery abyss and look for shiny musical objects that attract my attention, swim over and scoop them up into my bag of musical tricks.

Video of Crab Claw Dan by Jason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra

R'n'R : You have an impressive list of guests. How did they react when you invited them to participate to your project ?

JB  : Well, first they are all friends, secondly, they are all so amazingly talented and 3rd I was humbled as they all instantly said yes and wanted to participate. 

R'n'R :  Have you recorded other songs with some other guests and are you planning to release a volume 2?

JB : I will continue the process in the same manner with different guests and possibly a few recurring, the wonderful thing about the Orchestra is that it is free to morph into whatever it wants

R'n'R : Are you a collector of guitars and which one is your favorite?

JB : No, I am not, I think instruments should be played not collected, that is just me personally. I have the guitars and instruments I use, if I am not using them I sell them to make room for new things.

R'n'R : Is it more difficult today to be in the music business than in the 90’s ?

JB : I really don’t worry about it, I make music and roll with the punches…focusing on what is harder or what is better doesn’t make the music better. I still believe in the power of a good song…the rest is not as important.

R'n'R : What internet changed in the music business ?

JB : I think it is the best time ever to be creative, the tools, the technology, the ability to instantly have a song go from your studio to someone's ears in minutes. I can’t wait to see what happens next…I just want to make sure I have the music ready!

Video of The Lizard by Saigon Kick