In Conversation with JAGER HENRY

JAGER HENRY specializes in creative genre-blending across his forthcoming EP, Heart of Thorns.

It’s a trip through the younger singer/songwriter’s emotional interior, told in confessional and vulnerable lyrics and soaring melodic hooks.

His dad, Jason Bonham, is on the road with Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony. His grandfather was John Bonham, the iconic drummer in Led Zeppelin, who died in 1980 at just 32 years old. Jager is his own man, carving his own path, a kindred creative spirit with bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Falling In Reverse, and Static Dress.

As I told the guys in Vended a few years ago, there was a time when Miley Cyrus was simply Billy Ray’s daughter. 

The EP’s title track, out now, features Lil Lotus. I caught up with Jager recently via Zoom. That conversation is below. 

RYAN J. DOWNEY: I love asking people how they got turned on to music and at what point you realized, ‘Okay, this isn’t just something I love. This is something I want to participate in.’

JAGER HENRY: Going to school with my dad on the days when he was in town and him playing Limp Bizkit’s Chocolate Starfish… in the car. At nine years old, I sang it word-for-word, with the windows down, pulling up to the carpool lane as the other parents looked at us, like, ‘There’s those guys.’ I listened to bands like that growing up. Daughtry was another one. That’s what put me into music. I always heard music around the house but was scared to commit to it because everyone would always be like, ‘[You’ve got big] shoes to fill!’ I always wanted to do it, but that fear held me back.

One day, I made some music that started to get some buzz – which, for me, was more than 100 plays. People commenting and dueting the song? That’s when the fear left me. It was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do this.’ I remember putting my foot forward and chasing it for a few years back in Florida. After I felt comfortable and kind of found myself, I looked at my parents and said, ‘Hey, I broke my lease on my apartment. And I’ve got a one-way ticket to California. I’ll see y’all.’

No parachute, no backup plan.

JAGER: My mom’s heart dropped. She was terrified. I asked her recently, ‘How did you feel when I did that?’ She said, ‘I was scared.’ And I was like, ‘How do you feel now?’ She’s like, ‘I’m proud.’ That was the coolest moment. There’s always going to be negative people in the world. I’ve played shows where I’ve had people try to attack me because I’m not behind a [drum] kit. It’s just always something, you know?

You could be running the family restaurant, and you’ll get Yelp reviews.  

Yeah, that’s what it kind of took, just coming to that state of mind where it doesn’t matter what I do, where I do it, or how I do it. Everyone will always have something to say. I realized that what makes me happy is what’s important. It could get 100 plays or a million plays. But did I enjoy putting that music together?

That’s the Metallica lesson. They were the first band I remember saying, ‘We just wanted to make stuff that we liked, that we weren’t hearing. If other people like it, that’s great, but that’s not the point. I remember growing up, every band I ever saw interviewed before that was always like, ‘We do it all for the fans. We just want to make the fans happy.’

I get that saying. But I want to make the fans happy in a way that they appreciate what I’m doing to make myself happy. If that means putting on shows, putting out more music, designing cool merch, and letting them vote on merch designs. But I never understood saying, ‘I want to make a song they like.’

 You must love it for them to love it anyway.

I went through a time in my life when I was trying to make something for a trend, and I realized it. Finding yourself is the coolest feeling in the world. You’re like, ‘Wow, this is what I actually sound like.’

I just interviewed with the band Vended, which features two guys whose dads are in Slipknot. As they pointed out, sometimes that association hurts as much as it helps. The idea that you have some cheat code or extra leg up with a famous parent isn’t always accurate.

That is the funniest thing because people would always say to me, ‘Oh, you’re going to blow up because of this because of that.’ I’ve been making music since I was 13. If it was handed down like that, don’t you think I’d be somewhere a little more than here? Sometimes, you have the disadvantage of people who won’t even give it the time of day because they feel like you’re just this person. Anyone can make beautiful music in their way. If you have the talent, you have the talent, right?

Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides moved from Ohio to California at age 18 to make this happen. What drove you to make that similar one-way ticket leap?

I went through college. I was always making music. I had a mic set up with the interface in my dorm room and always dabbled. And then I finally realized it was just what I wanted to do. I said to myself, ‘You’ve always had this little safety net.’ I was grateful. I’m very blessed for the parents I grew up with. My mom was very caring. My dad was very caring. He was traveling a lot but was there when he needed to be. I just was like, ‘You need to do something for yourself. Scare yourself a little bit to find out who you are.’ That’s why I did it. I told my dad I wanted to get a job as a kid.

I got a job at a fast food chain and then a gas station. My friends were like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ I want to get my own stake. You know, live life. I became a personal trainer. I did all these things and saved up some money. That stuff was fun, but it wasn’t what put a smile on my face. The only time I feel free is when I’m in my room alone with a computer open and the microphone turned on. I was like, whether or not the world loves it, I will try it. I just want to do this for me. Some people have tried to make it for years, and their bands aren’t doing as great as they’d hoped. But I watch their local shows, and I’ll tell you one thing: they next smile. They’re happier than ever because they’re doing something they enjoy.

It gets back to defining success on your terms.

The social media game blinds a lot of people. I’ve seen people with significant social media followings put on a show, but only a couple hundred people come. My friends in Beauty School Dropout, an amazing band on the rise right now, don’t have the biggest following, but they are playing in 1000-capacity rooms. As you said, you must define success for yourself because much of the world has been tricked.

Of course, that process of finding yourself continues as an artist. Where do you think you’re right now regarding the types of songs you make? How would you describe it to someone else?

I’ve taken a couple of genres and thrown them in a blender. I might have a corner of alternative, this little metal crumb, and link them with a tiny piece of rap. I like to experiment with sound. And I think that was the cool thing about finding my friend Noah, the producer for this album. One of my big influences is Bring Me The Horizon. They’re doing something that many people aren’t, like Static Dress, an up-and-coming band from the UK. So, when I explain what it is, I just say it’s genre-blended.

Falling In Reverse fits in that category, as well.

Ronnie Radke is such an influence and an inspiration. He just takes it and runs with it. It’s like he doesn’t stop. He’s like, ‘Cool. This is something I can do.’ But he still puts his twist on it. Like that song, he just did with Jelly Roll. It’s like you’re watching the video and like, ‘What’s next?’ The same thing happened with Kim Dracula. I love their music. I love the constant switch. I call it ‘attention span’ music. It makes everyone look up every few seconds, like, ‘What’s happening?’

What can you tell me about “Heart of Thorns,” the title track of your EP?

I was dealing with something mentally. I was having trouble in relationships, blaming myself and everyone else. It felt like whenever someone got too close to my heart, they would get stung. I drew a heart with spikes on it. I was in my car one day, pretty upset with myself, just screaming. I realized my heart is made of thorns. Noah Thomas started playing this chord progression. At Lil Lotus‘ house, on his couch, which had no legs – I’m 6’ 3” with my knees in my chest, sitting next to Noah. Lotus put his headphones on and knocked something out for the second verse in the first take. My friend Beepus Burdett, who is in Beauty School Dropout, designed the cover artwork. I tell people to listen to the EP in order.

Sequencing is a bit of a lost art in our playlist culture.

The EP tells my story. I can’t wait for the world to hear all the songs. We were already playing them live on the last tour, unreleased. The coolest video my friend sent me was him sitting behind a group of people who all had their phones out on Shazam—trying to find the songs. I’ve worked up that ladder by putting out a single here and there. I got in the studio and created this album. I just wanted this album to connect to people so they could feel my feelings. Or if they can just enjoy the music. There are songs out there that you listen to and cry and songs you listen to and dance to. We all secretly, deep down, want to go platinum. But it’s more than just me wanting the world to enjoy it. This is the proudest I’ve ever been of my music. I just hope everyone understands and sees that, too.

A record is tangible evidence of things you felt, made, and expressed.

The coolest thing is that it came so naturally. We couldn’t stop. I surrounded myself, and I got so lucky. I made it with my friend group. I was surrounded by these beautiful souls who helped me find myself and bring out my best self. Noah is so talented, and he makes great music of his own. Lotus is a great friend and a great writer.

Having a circle of people who can inspire you daily is a great dopamine kick. #