Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Eversoul
EversouL is the “true solo” project of Jeff Randall, former lead guitarist of midwest-USA based, regionally-successful hard rock group Katella.
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I was surrounded by music at a very young age, albeit not rock music at first. My dad in his young adult years was a semi-pro saxophone player, so my first exposure to music was the various classical and jazz music that he liked and played. It wasn’t until a little later that I was exposed to rock music, and as they say the rest is history
How did your passion for creating music begin?
In high school I played guitar in the jazz band, and the band director – one of my main mentors – really drove home the importance of improvisation. This led me to start writing my own solos for the songs from the bands I was listening to at the time. I’m sure it sounded like shit to someone hearing two different solos playing at once, but that laid the foundation for me to want to start writing my own complete songs.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
After Katella disbanded I wanted to find another original music group to work with. However this was challenging as not only were original rock bands scarce in my market, they didn’t have the brotherhood/camaraderie I was used to. So I decided to move forward as a “true solo” project, meaning that I wrote, played, and recorded everything by myself. From bass to drums to guitars to vocals, it’s all me.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I would describe EversouL as modern melodic hard rock/heavy metal. Powerful music, but with melody, harmony, and hooks. If you’re a fan of 80’s metal like early Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Queensryche, or Scorpions, and a fan of modern rock like Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, and Bullet For My Valentine, your probably dig EversouL. Not saying that EversouL sounds like any of them, but you can hear the influences.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I’ve learned, now that I do everything by myself, to do things when the inspiration hits. The down side of playing with others is that I don’t have others to bounce ideas off of, but the plus side is that I’m not beholden to others and can work on my own schedule. This also affords me the life balance I desire at this stage. Quality over quantity!
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Well, guitars of course! I’m currently playing several different Michael Kelly and Paul Reed Smith axes. These go into a Boss ME-90 effects processor, which is looped into a Peavey JSX-212 amp. I’m not into the modern computer interface recording like Pro Tools, so my recording console is a Tascam DP-32 Portastudio, which gives me everything I need to record, mix, and master.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Too many to pick from, but if pressed I’d say Amerakin Overdose and Engines Of Aggression.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Not so much personal experiences, but the majority of EversouL’s subject matter comes from things I read or see on the news, along with SOME personal introspectives. A lot of what I write about is my observations about the world around me, and questioning various aspects of it.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope people who listen to EversouL really listen to it, and perhaps gather their own questions and thoughts about what they hear. I want people to think and form opinions, but I don’t want to tell them how or what to think.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That there’s a whole world out there, and while there are beautiful things in it, there’s also a lot of ugliness. Your reality is what you make of it, and to be happy you need to worry more about how you live your life and less about how others are living theirs.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
As EversouL is a “one man band”, playing out live isn’t in the cards at this point in time. However if the demand was there and the right pieces could be put in place, who knows?
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
There are too many to mention…all of my influences. But rather than collaborate, I’d rather observe them as they go through their respective creative processes and hopefully bring some of that inspiration to my creativity.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? EversouL can be found on most streaming music platforms, and direct interaction via:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeffrandallseversoul
X/Twitter: @therealeversoul
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/eversoul-1
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/eversoul1
BandCamp: www.jeffrandallseversoul.bandcamp.com
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Just to keep doing what I’m doing, and hopefully catch the right ears of someone who can partner with EversouL to bring my music to a wider audience!
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
Not so much about me, but I hope my music enables people to open their minds and die get more about themselves and the world that they live in.
