Jason Gonzalez is a man and artist who like bamboo in a storm, will bend, but not break. He strives to improve himself musically, spiritually, and personally through his own, his fans, and those he loves’ guidance. He seeks out challenge, and strives for success and fulfillment, accepting and moving around his limitations, at the same time offering himself to those who need him, and inspiring us to follow.
Jason’s music can be described as a combination of high-energy pop and adult contemporary, featuring ringing acoustic guitars, driving electric guitars, and moody atmospheric pads. This wall of sound is superimposed on a kick ass driving combination of loop based and live drums, and is influxed with pure and powerful vocals, and strong melodies and choruses. Each song has its own personality and story. The words allow the listener to at once look into a part of Jason’s life, and also intimately relate to their own experienced passions, triumphs, failures, and struggles.
Press Info
- See Amazon customers' who bought CDs, reviews by going to amazon.com and doing a pop music search on just Jay or Jason Gonzalez
Similar Artists
The Outfield, Goo Goo Dolls, Filter, Duncan Sheik
Influences
Filter, Nickelback, Finger 11, Switchfoot, Roland Orzabal, Jude Cole, Pink Floyd, Kenny Loggins, Paul McCartney Maroon 5, U2
Bio
Sitting in a Starbucks Coffee shop, amidst a stream of corporate yuppie types busily typing away on laptops, fiddling with their cell phones, talking about who knows what boring topic is their focus of the day and their pursuit of the "corporate ladder", I sit with Jason Gonzalez. He wears a very worn looking T-shirt, jeans, blue socks, and running sneakers. He looks out of place in this "Hot Spot". He is 33, and an insightful person can see a chip on his shoulder. He looks a bit moody, though still retains a hint of boyishness about him, as though he would "goose" you when you sit down.
His spark was ignited while he was a student at Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY) in 1990, hosting "Dorm Stairwell Acoustic Guitar Jams", and playing in original bands, slowly but steadily and stealthily building a following.
Breaking out on his own as a solo artist in 1998, his debut CD “Through My Eyes” sold over 10,000 copies making it one of the more successful independent releases in 1999. The more subdued “On The Edge Of The Edge” (2001), and the WA summer tour helped sell over 17,000 copies. Both CDs continue to sell weekly through CD Baby.com.
He has no need for a backing band after years (and two DIY tours) of dealing with unprofessional, self absorbed musicians. When playing live, he does a sophisticated Howie Day’ish “jam station”, pre-recording his backing vocals, keys, bass, and drums and then singing and playing guitar along live. He calls it “the middle ground between a band, a dj, and karaoke”, but my audiences don’t seem to care as long as the’re entertained, and the music is good. My mixes have never sounded better, and my setup time is amazingly quick.”
What has made Gonzalez stand out? For starters his voice, and open chorded multi fret “piano-style” guitar technique. His recording philosophy is another aspect. In the studio, Jason is not shy about using instruments to emulate other instruments. He’ll often use keyboards to emulate some electric guitar parts and riffs, achieving new and unique guitar sounds not possible with traditional guitar rigs or amp modeling techniques. He also uses guitars to emulate keyboard pads. “So you never know what’s really a keyboard vs. an electric guitar.” His use of only basic effects (delays, flanges, detunes and EQ), but used in many different ways allow him to achieve professional sounding, spacious sounds and productions on a limited budget. And he doesn’t use any sequencing or computer based recording. “I do it the old fashioned way. I track each instrument one part at a time.”
Jason Gonzalez is currently spearing a multi-faceted musical direction. He is working on a CD entitled "All You Need is a Guitar and a Dream", slated for summer 2005 release. He plans on using 9 other tunes in a collaborative original project he is playing keyboards on. In his "spare" time, he is writing soundtracks for local Seattle filmmakers. He is also producing local acts, and working with a team of investors to form an end to end local record label and production company.
When taking a breath from these activities, Gonzalez is producing other bands in his project studio, and has become an industry philanthropist, creating a Washington state and internet music community networking database aimed at helping DIY artists and bands achieve all that he has and more, "with a lot less pain than I have had to go through".