Jason Mezilis is the musical jack of all trades. Learning classical piano at an early age, Jason transitioned to mastering the guitar after hearing Van Halen’s 1984 album, and has since worked with a number of artists in the LA scene. When not contributing his guitar or occasional piano skills, he’s in his studio helping other musicians record their work. In addition to his solo work, Jason has mostly recently worked with the outfits OWL and RBN artist Your Horrible Smile, and helped produce RBN artist Moving Picture Show and future RBN hopeful Noah Engh.

When not working on his numerous projects, I was able to track Jason down and ask him a few questions about himself, his stories in LA, and the Rock Band Network. Check it out!

RockBandAide: Tell us a little bit about your musical background and how you got to where you’re at right now.

Jason Mezilis: Where am I… ha that’s a damn good question. I began as a classically trained pianist, up til the age of 17 or so when I got my first guitar… and pretty much since then it’s been a consistent slave of music, and a love of rock guitar. I went to UC Berkeley, grabbed a music degree, got in a band and never looked back. Eventually moved to Los Angeles, worked in (and got fired from) various recording studios and live sound situations, including working as a guitar tech for a couple tours with Ken Andrews (Failure, Year of The Rabbit, etc). All of that eventually led to more successful bands, and building up an analog recording studio / production facility of my own called Organic Audio Recorders, here in Los Angeles.

RBA: What were some of the influential guitar players and albums you grew up with?

JM: Well there was a lot to listen to, but my favorite players were Eddie Van Halen, Steve Clark, Andy Summers… basically the guys in my favorite bands. I loved the music, so I learned to love them by default. If I had to pick one, if would definitely be Eddie.

RBA: I read in an interview that your first instrument was piano, and that you would play Satriani on the piano. What made you finally move over to guitar? And do you still play piano?

JM: I do still play, yeah. Just recorded some piano tracks for a record for a friend of mine, and also there is some piano featured on Noah Engh’s new release called “Take Yer Pants Off And Dance”, which should be out in a few months. In fact you’ll be able to play those songs on the game, probably before the record comes out. But yes, I make a point of sitting down at the piano and tearing it up for a bit, now and then, just to make sure I don’t start to suck…

I think what finally drew me to guitar was that feeling of freedom, not being physically tied down in one spot, as well as the ability to bend and shake the notes around. There’s a lot of room for expression with the guitar, just in terms of style, far beyond the actual notes you’re playing. With piano it’s tougher, and it’s there but it takes a lot longer to find.

RBA: How would you describe your style of play to people who have never heard it?

JM: Two words – dirt rock!

RBA: How did you end up with the name “Your Horrible Smile” for one of your bands?

JM: It came from a Charles Bukowski poem. We were sitting round in a circle, trying to come up with something, and our singer pulled a line from a poem that he misread as “your horrible smile.” For some reason it just clicked, and summed up alot of things about that band at the time. Definitely not pretty, but also not one you’d easily forget!

RBA: Recording or producing… which do you love more? Do you find that doing one makes you better at the other?

JM: I think my most natural talent is production, and that has definitely helped me with recording, not only with performance but also with nerves. Hearing things from the outside point of view and trusting the process is very helpful towards making adjustments in your approach and comfort towards the instrument, etc.

RBA: How often do you perform live?

JM: Not often enough! Sometimes once or twice a month, sometimes every day for weeks on end. It all depends… I love playing though, I can go every day for six months no problem. Guitar is easy!

RBA: What is your favorite song to perform live (originals or covers)?

JM: “Shot At The Title” by Your Horrible Smile was definitely a fun song to play live… and there are a few OWL tunes in particular that I think come across real strong as well. Sometimes it depends on the night, what’s hitting right for the band and working for the crowd.

Far as cover tunes, I’ve played “Panama” by Van Halen more than any other song ever, by far. And John Mayer’s version sucks, by the way.

RBA: What can an audience expect to see, or more importantly experience, when you perform live?

JM: The biggest thing I try to bring to any live situation, is an honest energy about the music. So whether it’s hard-hitting rock stuff, or maybe something more mellow (or even on piano, or bass) I make a point of being honest with the delivery and the energy I put across. I think people are inherently very sensitive to such things, and the audience knows when you’re faking it. At the same time, my favorite live situations are definitely the high-charged ones, where you get to a point where the audience is feeling that energy and giving back… that’s a powerful feeling, man.

RBA: What has been your favorite memory as a musician thus far?

JM: I once had the opportunity (through a friend of mine) to fill-in last minute for a band that was to play a sold-out show at the House of Blues, in Hollywood. The band was comprised of a number of famous musicians, and it was for a benefit of some sort so this was a big deal, celebrities in the crowd that sort of thing. Basically I had to learn the entire set in one night, get on stage with these guys the next day (half of whom I had never met before soundcheck, and were ‘certain’ this was gonna be a huge disaster) and overcome their expectations to play in front of a capacity crowd of eager fans singing along and loving every minute of it. It was scary as hell, and definitely a proud moment… we kicked ass.

RBA: Ron over at Alt-Strum told me to ask you about an interesting story involving the Scorpions… what was this about?

JM: Oh yeah, well basically a good friend of mine works as a manager over at the Guitar Center here in Hollywood…the Scorps recently came to town and needed a couple guitars for an outdoor photo shoot at a swanky hotel, with a swimming pool. So Rudolf checks out this ultra-expensive Jimi Hendrix Flying V or some such, asks if he can buy it… and immediately thereafter jumps into the swimming pool for a promo photo – with the guitar! I guess it’s good to be the king!

RBA: Is there any aspect of your musical history that you would change? Any advice for aspiring artists?

JM: I would just have gotten serious a lot sooner. But then again, I’m pretty happy with where I’m at now, so as long as things keep developing the way they have been, I’ll be a pretty happy guy.

Far as advice, be your own worst critic, but at the same time don’t ever let that paralyze you from getting yourself out there. The worst musician is the one who stays in the basement, no matter how good he/she is.

RBA: Any advice for guitar players who are starting out and what they should focus on if they want to be a successful guitar player?

JM: The simplest thing I could say would be focus on groove. A lot of young players spend a lot of time shredding on the notes and scales, learning their modes etc. But what makes a song ultimately work is the groove, it’s all in how you dig into the notes. I’ll spend an hour just playing a simple riff over and over again, finding exactly how to approach that f*cker so it feels just right.

That and play along with the radio, whatever comes on… just keep going. Anything that hits, find a melody to play along with, or try and figure out the riff as it’s coming at you in real time. That’s what will prepare you for stepping in front of a band and having to hit the ground running. You’ll be a step ahead of the game.

RBA: Where do you envision yourself 10 years from now, musically?

JM: Well, a fucking Grammy would be nice. Honestly if I can keep going the path I’m on now, and just step it up and up I’ll be in a good place. I love what I do, and I try to only involve myself with good people (frustrating though they may be, at times) and of course making good music and sharing it, that energy that gets created… that’s the brass ring, at the end of the day. Being able to pay the rent is nice, too.

RBA: How did the opportunity present itself for putting some of your music in the Rock Band Network?

JM: One of the bands I was producing, MOVING PICTURE SHOW, got their song placed through Alt-Strum, and following their lead I contacted the company and offered to send more music, the best of what I could come up with in the various bands I’ve produced or been a part of. Being that I’ve been very selective with what I send over, the guys at the company have in turn learned to trust my judgment and we’ve developed a good relationship together. To date, nothing I’ve sent over to them has been rejected… yet!

RBA: How did you decide on what songs you wanted to make available for Rock Band? Was it a long process, or a simple decision?

JM: Honestly I try and envision sitting in front of the game, what would work / sound best coming out of the speakers and through the game controls, what would translate most for the player, particularly if it’s a song they’ve never heard before. I have a lot of music at my disposal, through all the various acts I’ve worked with, but as far as what gets sent to the game developers, they tend to be the more rhythmic choices… at least that’s what inspires me the most. It’s similar to the process I use when producing a band… try and separate oneself from the creative aspect, listen more as a fan would and make decisions that way. When it comes down to it, though, it is a fairly simple decision and the choices are usually pretty obvious.

RBA: Since your band Your Horrible Smile is featured in the Rock Band Network, and the band who you produce, Moving Picture Show, is also in the Rock Band Network, can we possibly expect tracks from Owl or any other of your projects at some point?

JM: Yeah, absolutely. We’ve got 2 OWL tracks in the pipeline, and depending how they’re received possibly the whole album to follow. One in particular called “Violent Center” is my favorite album cut. Also look for a thick groove called “Buy You A House” and a sick guitar track called “Preacher & Devil”, both from a new artist named Noah Engh. It’s something a little different for Rock Band, more of a chicken pickin’ blues-on-steroids kinda vibe… but the guitar work is sick. There’s actually banjo all over the songs too, so I’m not sure how they’re gonna manage to encode it! But I’m really looking forward to that and a few other tracks of his… they’re gonna be fun.

RBA: What are some of the differences between making your tracks available for Rock Band versus more traditional music marketing?

JM: Really it’s just being sensitive to the medium, figuring out what’s wanted and what will work best. Something that is more melody-based might be a better release for radio, or a soundtrack, but something with a heavier groove behind it or more defined guitar work might make more sense for the game… it all depends on what’s right for the job, so to speak.

RBA: Do you feel that games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have an impact on a player’s interest in playing a real instrument at some point?

JM: Absolutely, I know they do because I’ve talked to the kids that have found that inspiration from it. At first I was skeptical like a lot of other ‘serious’ musicians, wondering if it was getting the right message across… but it’s definitely proved to be a big inspiration for young music lovers to not only want to play, but also rediscover some great music that they might have missed otherwise. I know kids who never heard of some great classic rock musicians until they played ‘em on the game… so that’s a great thing.

RBA: You’ve worked with a number of musicians throughout your career, and are have a pretty extensive network in LA. Based on what you’ve heard, what impact have these games had on the landscape of traditional rock bands?

JM: I think games like this ultimately are helping to bring back an interest in the musicality aspect of modern music… for a while there, particularly through the mid-late 90′s, it became rather uncool to actually be GOOD at your instrument, and virtuosity was looked down on as an untrusted medium of expressing emotion in a rock setting. I think that’s rounding the corner now, as all trends eventually do, and the timing of these games being released is working well in tandem with the best elements of the music of that era being incorporated into a renewed interest in people being good at their instrument again.

RBA: Being that your music is now featured in Rock Band, have you played the game? Would you play your own song in the game to see how it is?

JM: I haven’t yet! Next week is the plan… and I’m sure I’ll suck at it! I would like to play my own songs, but on a different instrument… maybe drums. I can’t play Rock Band guitar to save my life.

RBA: Is there anything else that you would like the Rock Band community to know about you while we have this opportunity?

JM: I had a solo record out end of last December, which was mostly cover tunes I’d recorded with friends of mine over the past few years. Due to licensing restrictions etc, we were unable to bring any of those tunes to the Rock Band Network… but one in particular, a pretty heavy version of PJ Harvey’s “ONE LINE”, just had a video shot for it and I hope to have that out on Youtube in the next month or so, so look for that. Other than that, I just wanted to thank everyone for supporting the artists I’ve been working with, there’s some really great new stuff out there. Noah [Engh] will have a documentary being shot while he’s out on tour this summer, and we hope to catch a few shots of him playing some of his tracks on the game in there… that’s gonna be fun, if not actually really funny, to see.

RBA: Awesome. Thanks, Jason!

For more info about Jason, check out his Facebook and Myspace pages, as well as his studio here. Below are YouTube videos of the tracks he has contributed to.

The first is “Shot at the Title” by Your Horrible Smile…

…followed by “Perfect World” by Moving Picture Show.

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