STRATEJACKET – A COOL INTERVIEW WITH THE BAND

By Ralph Beauchamp

Jackson Roemers (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Fabian Angel (Bass/Vocals) and Nate Mangold (Drums) make up the exciting StrateJacket. Based out of Northern California, the youthful trio make music that is uniquely their own and write songs that reflect the times. StrateJacket delivers edgy but energetic tracks that instantly grabs their listeners’ attention.

The band has just released a second single entitled “Be My Drug” which followed their previous offering, “Bad Start”. Both songs exemplify StrateJacket’s dynamic songwriting and impressive musicianship. Dealing with the similarities between being in love and being on drugs, the band explains, “I don’t think a song of ours represents who we are better than ‘Be My Drug’ does. We really wanted a song that captured the [addictive, high and low] feelings of those two things together. It’s a theme we look forward to exploring more in the future.”

In addition, StrateJacket has recently signed with EDGEOUT records with a self-titled EP dropping soon. The band has also played SXSW and a series of West Coast tour dates. StrateJacket is most definitely a band with a huge future.

AMP: How did the band get together?

JACKSON: The band started in 2019. Fabian and I were playing music at my house. We had a different drummer at the time who we felt wasn’t cutting it. When the pandemic hit, we decided to rebuild the band. We reached out to Nate who was playing in another band and luckily he decided we were a better fit for him. We practiced for a whole year straight during Covid. In 2021, we had our first show at the old Blue Lagoon in Santa Cruz. From there we never looked back.

FABIAN: In 2020, when Nate joined, was the first time I really heard the music. The very first time we jammed is when I realized the full potential of StrateJacket.

JACKSON: That’s kind of crazy you said that because when Nate joined the band, it was the first time I heard the songs correctly. They actually sounded like we imagined them.

AMP: Dudes, you’re going to give Nate a fat head.

JACKSON/FABIAN: (In unison) – We’re trying!

AMP: What’s your creative process like?

NATE: A lot of it comes from us having different musical influences. We create our own interpretations of what the new songs should sound like and when we bring them to the studio we all work something out. Also, when we jam, cool stuff always comes out that we can expound upon.

JACKSON: We actually find things by accident when we riff. It’s also a great way to find our identity. It all works out naturally.

FABIAN: Exactly! I’ll play a bassline, Nate a drum progression or Jackson an awesome riff and we’ll jump on it and try to blow it up. We are always pushing each other to create that incredible track!

AMP: How would you describe your sound?

NATE: Someone told us we sounded like Green Day and Blink-182 having a lovechild that was raised by the Killers. I think that’s pretty accurate.

JACKSON: I also believe we have personal influences that come into play. Those influences definitely work their way into our sound. Our musical tastes are all different but that is what enhances our music. Someone commented that Nate is kind of a metal drummer with his double kick and Fabian’s bass is kind of all old-school rock while I have a punky side. That mixture defines how we play.

FABIAN: That musical stew hones our style and hopefully people enjoy our gumbo.

AMP: What are some of the themes you incorporate in your songs?

JACKSON: It’s usually about things we’ve experienced like self doubt and heartbreak. Those two themes seem to always run in our songs. Loss and struggling also have a huge place in our music since we feel those in our personal lives.

FABIAN: The band and our music serves as a good outlet for the things we experience on a daily basis.

AMP: How did your relationship with EDGEOUT Records come about?

FABIAN: That actually came from an Instagram post. We went to go see a band called The Jacks who are on EDGEOUT. They’re really cool guys. A day or two after, we decided to cover one of their songs. When we were done, we sent the video to the label saying “Sign Us'” as a goof. Soon we get a message that they will email us back. We were like, “WHAT!” We went back and forth for a while in order to hammer things out. It just continued to evolve positively from there.

JACKSON: This was all happening through the pandemic so it was actually a slow process. Because of Covid, we didn’t know how this was going to end. Anything was possible but the pandemic put us in a strange place. When we finally signed the deal, we spent 9 months writing the album. I wanted to write all new material and we did. Only one old song made the final cut. It was a great test for us to see if we could handle the pressure and I feel we did a great job.

AMP: Do you have a release date for the album?

JACKSON: We are first releasing a self-titled EP early next month (May 12th). it will have five songs. What we did is split up the album into 2 EPs which will drop as a full length at one point. We are really stoked about it.

AMP: If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?

NATE: The Clash because of their diversity. They blend reggae, punk and rock with ease. That’s how I want to be. I get bored just sticking to one thing. Change keeps it interesting.

FABIAN: I love “color” in music. To me, the more complex the arrangement, the more intriguing it is. I would really enjoy working with Damon Albarn from the Gorillaz. Just watching them working in the studio or writing songs would blow my “color’ spectrum way up. Their music is like magic.

JACKSON: Daft Punk would really be sick. Maybe Halsey. Working with a spoken word rapper would be cool. Pharrell or Travis Barker are other options.

AMP: Do you feel punk is making another big move in today’s music scene.

NATE: I don’t really consider us a punk band but I do think punk is making a big return. Everyone is trying to incorporate that punk sound into their own musical genres and understandably so. It has an enormous amount of energy. That punk aesthetic will never disappear. The music is too strong. In addition, I see hardcore making a huge comeback.

JACKSON: Now that you are mentioning it, we have played with a bunch of hardcore bands. Compared to us, those guys are truly punk. I feel those bands embody the true punk spirit.

AMP: What is your favorite song to play live?

JACKSON: “Be My Drug” but we also do a mix of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” with Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” which is really fun.

FABIAN: It’s an older one, “New York”, because it really showcases what we are like and it’s the first song we collectively wrote. Plus it’s a fun song and I get to hear Nate really slam his kit.

NATE: “I Don’t Know” but even though I shouldn’t mention it, here’s a new one, “Out Of Time” I get super tired playing it but it’s fun!

AMP: We recently interviewed another Bay area band called Tess & The Details. Are there any other bands from the area we should check out?

JACKSON: Not sure if i know that band but we will definitely check them out. There is this doom-stoner band from San Jose called Sombra. Their shows are real dope. Rat Bastard Radio are also a killer band. Plus they let us sleep on their floor when we are in town.

FABIAN: Those two for sure. We know so many bands that it’s overwhelming.

NATE: I do like Fistfight with Traffic. They’re kind of a sad emo band with math rock thrown in. I really enjoy their music.

JACKSON: Another one is Moms with Bangs. They’re kind of genreless and their stuff is great. They are currently working with Jello Biafra.

AMP: What’s next for StrateJacket?

JACKSON: The EP drops next month. We have Welcome To Rockville coming up. We are opening for The Offspring in Nebraska. Then, Aftershock at the end of the year. 2024 will be an exciting year for us.

FABIAN: Jackson laid it out pretty well. We like to stay busy and play as many shows as possible. It’s important that we stay on top of things. We practice 3 times a week to make sure we are as tight of a band as possible.

AMP: Any last words for your fans?

NATE: ROCK ON!!!! (everybody laughing).

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