Jacob Nelson : Ten Dark Years, Aberrance and Chaos

JN - After college I moved to Mankato for a year break from school. I ended up getting in a band called Travesty. I actually lived with a couple members of  the original version of Ten Dark Years. That version eventually disbanded, and shortly after, Travesty parted ways. The original vocalist, Tony Ticknor, was rebuilding the band, and offered the slot to me, and he movedto guitar. That was the beginning of THAT version of Ten Dark Years.

JN - We recorded probably around 12. As for writing, it always seemed to be a group effort. Usually the main guitarist at any given time (Tony or Joey) would bring in a riff or basic structure, and as a band, we would expound on that.It was a pretty organic process.

JN - We played a lot of shows, now that I think about it. Any show at the What’s Up Lounge in Mankato was good to us, and we played a couple shows at the Quest with Skywynd that were an absolute blast (one of which being the night Skywynd lit the ceiling on fire), but most of all, our best shows were probably at the Garage in Burnsville. That place was like our second home from Mankato. We always had a great response there, and the kids made us feel really incredible. I’m a huge supporter of that club, and I hope theycontinue to keep having shows there for years to come.

PK - It may not be fair to ask what are your favoride local Minnesota bands. But, what are some of your favoride songs that come to mind at the moment by localMinnesota bands?

JN - I think that’s a totally fair question to ask. With my involvement in the scene and with Chaos in the Country, I’ve had the opportunity to hear, see, and get to know a LOT of local bands. There is a lot of talent in this town, but I really get turned on by bands that are pushing envelopes, taking chances, but retain great songs. Skywynd is truly the top in town. These guys work harder, longer, and smarter than most bands in this country, let alone here in town. Staija is definitely the other one at the top. These guys manage to write extremely unique, heavy music, with great hooks, and phenomenal musicianship. On top of that, their live show is phenomenal. B!  is another example of a great band that floors me. A couple that are now defunct as of recently are Houston and Align. Two incredible bands that will be sorely missed in this city. Other than those, bands like Minus 3, Banehinge, QuietDrive, No Loving Place, and Serotone all are great examples of bands who simply write great music. There are so many, but in my eyes, those bands are the cream of the crop in town. I’ve especially enjoyed watching Minus 3 grow into an incredible band. Watch these guys in the next year. They’re going to explode. Same with all the bands I mentioned.

JN - Randomly. I had posted an ad looking for musicians to start a brand new project. Paul (Ludemann, lead vocals/guitar) sent me a random email not having a clue who I was. I listened to their two songs at garageband.com, and couldn’t stop listening to them. Even though I only sang prior to this in bands, I’ve actually been playing guitar and writing for almost 10 years now, and the thought of having that as a main focus was pretty exciting to  me. I tried out, and they offered the gig, and I can honestly say I’m having more fun than I have in 4 years of playing music prior to this. Needless to say, it’s a lot more fulfilling to be a part of all aspects of the writing process.

JN - Paul Ludemann handles lead vocals and guitar, Kris Haavig is our bassist, and Ian Wheeler is our drummer. In the past, Paul has been the main songwriter. He also had to bare that weight on his shoulders, but now that this lineup is solidified, it’s becoming a group process, and it’s yieldingsome great music.

JN -I’ve been a huge Ani DiFranco fan for years. I’ve seen her live several times, and she’s continuously exploring different aspects of herself musically and lyrically, never constraining herself, and always pushing boundaries. I’m also a big fan of Tori Amos. Both of these are extremely strong women who have done things their way and never let anyone tell them how they should look, act, write their music, etc. I find a lot of inspiration in this, and in them. Others that I’ve been listening to lately are Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Joss Stone, Erykah Badu, even Missy Elliot. All very strong women with incredible musical abilities. These are our Diva's.. We just don't have enough of them anymore. Everything is so cookie cutter and cheesy that we need all of these women..

JN - The Simpsons, hands down. For years I have
loved that show. But I have been cheating on them and became a big fan of the Family guy.. And as for comedians.. Dane Cook. He’s kind of new on the scene, but pretty well known. Maybe it’s the fact I truly believe he’s insane that I like him. But the guy puts me in tears every time I see him. Other than him, the old school guys. Richard Prior, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Dennis Leary, Sam Kinison, and most of all Bill Hicks. These are
the old school guys, and still, some of the funniest. The fact that they were pushing envelopes in their field and taking chances is why I like all of them. That's probably the most endearing thing any performer can do in my eyes, and something I respect most of all for performing artists.

JN - I’m pretty eclectic. In a given day, Ill go from Eric Johnson to Killswitch Engage to Justin Timberlake to Tool to Coldplay to the Doors and all over the place. I grew up on Sabbath, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Deep Purple, etc. All from my dad. And I really got into music thanks to Kurt Cobain. The Grunge era was my biggest inspiration, and I think how eclectic that scene was in Seattle in the early 90’s is what made me always listen to music with an open mind. The state of music right now is pretty horrid though. We’ve become so inundated with disposable shit.. I can smell a revolution in the air. Its about time for one. And I honestly can say that I think it may start right here in the Twin Cities. We’ve got something special brewing here, and I honestly think it’s about to blow wide open.

JN - Ahhh Chaos. Well. There’s really not much to say right now. We’re looking at the first weekend of August (August 6th and 7th) and it looks like its going to be up in the Cambridge/Isanti area. Everything else is kind of tentative. But I will garuntee this. We’re making it bigger & better, but keeping that independent festival vibe. It looks as though we’re bringing in a few national acts, and our outlook is at least 2000 people… My goal is to outdo Juliapalooza.. But that’s just me. I’ts been the best there is for 3 years, and I don’t plan on that changing this year. Just keep an eye out for announcements in the coming few weeks, and www.chaosinthecountry.com shouldbe up shortly.