What is your name and role within Barrasso?
I’m Jonathan, I play guitar and sing.
How did you start?
Just some friends getting together, with a case of beer, since we loved the same kind of music, same bands basically.
Where are you based?
Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Please give an example of your music writing process?
Nothing out of the ordinary I guess; One of us having 1 riff or 2, and building from there all together. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes, other times it’s more like 4 jams. If it takes more than that, we just start working on something new and/or we keep it as “spare parts” and move on.
What are you working on right now?
Writing our second album! Recording next fall.
What is your gear setup?
Fender Duo-Sonic 1964, 1980’s Carvin Head, Custom 2X12 cab.
What do you like to do outside of music and does it affect your music?
The question should be the other way around for me. Music is something I like to do outside of being a dad, a lover, owner of a small business etc. I used to play in different sports team and party all the time, and it didn’t affect my music at all.
How would you describe your music genre?
3 punk rock electric guitars with a growling bass and loud drums.
Do you know any music theory?
Nope. Some of us do know a little I think, but we never talked about it or used music theory. We have a board up on the wall in our practice space, and we just draw stupid shit to remember patterns and riffs. Like a song could literally look like: a foot (4), a broom (2), a pig (4), foot (2), a fork (4), broom… you get the picture. That’s how we do it!
What are your plans for the future?
No plans really, other than having fun recording our 2nd album by ourselves.. good shows now and then.
How did you get into music?
I used to order cassettes from Columbia House back in the days. 11 cassettes for 2$ I think. Then punk rock and pop punk came along. My dad bought me a nice baby yellow squier electric guitar and a tiny amp. I played over albums like “bark like a dog” from screeching weasel or “midwestern songs of the americas” from Dillinger Four until my fingers bled.
What are you listening to at the moment?
I listened to the new Dopamines album that came out last week on my way to work.
Who are your top 5 influences and icons?
Rick Froberg, John Reis, Gar Wood, Jason Kourkounis, Mario Rubalcaba.
When are you playing next?
We’re playing 77 Montreal on july 28th, an outdoor festival on an island next to Montreal, with Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, The Vandals, The Boucing Souls, Madball and many mores.
