Friends, a good working relationship, and the music coming from this duo is heavy. The Dirt Fest veterans, Beast In The Field, are up next!
Jamie Jahr (Drums) and Jordan Pries (Guitar) make up the band that might be the most unique at Dirt Fest 2015, Beast In The Field. Old friends, that survived a former bands breakup to form a completely new group, that is signed with the Saw Her Ghost label, has barely stood still since.
One of the guys from Midland, MI, Jamie Jahr, had a few minutes to spare and he certainly made the most of it. Enjoy the interview and pay special attention to his sage like advice at the end.
NRR: What’s been going on with the band from Midland, MI in the last year?
Jamie Jahr: Playing some shows, writing new songs, for some 7″ [records] possibly, and our next full length. Some recording and planning more shows and small tours.
NRR: Hopefully you guys have a great time on stage this year. Are you looking forward to anything in particular at Dirt Fest 2015?
Jamie Jahr: We always look forward to Dirt Fest. We love playing outside, it gives us chance to use our amps and cabinets at full effect. We love Down also. Getting to see those guys is gonna be fun. We love the whole experience of the fest though. We would love to do something like Mayhem or whatever fest sometime.
NRR: Will we hear any new material at Dirt Fest this year, say from a new album?
Jamie Jahr: Yes, definitely. If we get to play five songs, four of them will be unrecorded or recently recorded, songs. We like to play songs out a little before we record them, most of the time.
NRR: Tell me about the band. How did you guys come together, anything special with the name, etc?
Beast In The Field-“Deep In The Caves”
Jamie Jahr: We came together in 2007 after our old band broke up. Our name was simple in the fact that I said it one time, although the context is disputed, and no one else had the name. Easy. We began writing right away and recorded within six months and have been active ever since. With little down time. We are always writing and recording.
NRR: How does the dynamic of only two people in the band work? Have you had more or thought of adding anyone or is two all you need?
Jamie Jahr: Works great for most things. We always seem to have enough ideas for riffs and song ideas and patterns and all that. Graphics for albums and ideas for albums come pretty easy as well. We have thought of working with people, and will, but not on a permanent basis. That is why you should come see us all the time. We have tons of songs, ideas, special one offs, different amp set ups. So each show can be different and each album and the way we record all will keep evolving always, no rules. An example was earlier this year at a venue, for whatever reason, we kept blowing breakers. We felt all momentum lost. So all we could do is perform with some improvements and give one of our now, elusive “sonic baptisms.” Â Hopefully, whoever we disappointed with a lack of songs, was never baptized before and had a chance to be.
NRR: What can we expect from Beast In The Field in the coming days after Dirt Fest is again an apocalyptic dream of a sleeping metal giant until 2016?
Jamie Jahr: We will keep playing shows. Recording some stuff. Releasing some at the end of the year and continuing to write for our new album, In The Name Of Hell, so we can get that out in 2016. Hopefully early on. We hope to tour more in 2016. Get to some places we haven’t been.
NRR: Is there a band or bands on this year’s Dirt Fest line-up that you are looking forward to seeing as fans?
Jamie Jahr: We are excited about Down and Child Bite. Really though, it is great to walk around and just catch some new bands and to be surprised by things. Always a great time.
NRR: How important is selling merch for a band like Beast In The Field at a festival like this, and how do you keep the table manned at all times, (laughing)?
Jamie Jahr: It helps as we are not paid for the actual performance. We are still pretty underground and most kids or people save up for their favorite artist that they came to see. Times are hard and money is hard to just throw around or to have any extra. It is great though when some one will see us for the first time and dig our merch and want to help support us. Most times it is how we make a little extra, to keep recording and getting more and cooler merch. As far as manning the table we have a great crew that always helps out. We have four times the crew as people in the band for Dirt Fest. We try to have someone help whenever we can. We have a few core people that are great at helping. My daughter, Ali, has been helping with merch for many a Dirt Fest. We have a great crew who bust their ass for little too nothing. We love them.
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NRR: For anyone that might not have heard your music before, what can they hope to get from your sound on stage?
Jamie Jahr: Volume, heaviness. Yet we hope they are inspired and are hearing something new to them. Many people hear more than they thought they would.
NRR: What would likely be the one item on tour that both of you would have a fight to the death to be the winner of? Beer, taco, baby wipes etc?
Jamie Jahr: Man, we get along great. We are kind of opposites for most things. Maybe fight over a cold water on a super hot day. That isn’t very cool though. Maybe what we play on the radio for the drive home. Thanks for the interview, we hope everyone checks us out and has a blast at Dirt Fest, like we do. Come say hello at our merch booth. Make sure to like our Facebook page. Like the National Rock Review and Dirt Fest pages on Facebook and other medias also. We hope to see everyone there, early, we play main stage first or second. See ya.
Beast In The Field
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Dirt Fest
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