We're back with another "Mosher Matters" column, this time with Jessie Sanchez. Jessie's a busy man, playing in bands like Bonded by Blood, Warbringer, Others and even Fear Factory. It also has to be said he was one of the first guys in international bands to wear a Mosher shirt on stage - thanks, Jessie! Let's get to know him a little better...
Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, and where did you grow up? When did you start playing the bass? Was that your first instrument?
I was born and raised in the North East Los Angeles area. Raised in Glassel Park, went to school in Eagle Rock, but now I live in Highland Park. When I was a kid I always wanted to take up guitar lessons, but my parents instead enrolled me in trumpet lessons. When I finally went to high school most my friends were already musicians, so they were the first to teach my how a guitar neck works. Fast forward to me at 16 years old: a group of friends needed a bass player for their band at the time, so i was taught a few covers on the bass and it came very natural. I think partially a reason is that I was raised on a lot of bass heavy music (Motown classics, Earth Wind and Fire, James Brown, etc) thanks to my dad.
We used to get in a lot of trouble at shows for dousing our drummers cymbals with gasoline then setting them on fire, as well as breaking as much gear we could afford with our part time jobs at the time.
When and how was your first contact with the metal culture?
I grew up listening to the radio, so my first exposure to any rock subgenre came from whatever was on. Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Rob Zombie, Rammstein, Alice in Chains, etc. whatever was on the radio at the time. One day in highschool a buddy asked me if I wanted a CD he was about to throw out. This kid wasn't much a metal head, so throwing out this CD was nothing to him. That CD turned out to be Megadeth's "Countdown to Extinction". I didn't know anything about the band, but once I listened to that CD it changed my life forever. Soon after, I bought every Megadeth CD, which in turn became a gateway to a lot of other great thrash bands.
When did you decide to have your first band? How did that happen?
It all came pretty quickly. My friends needed a bass player when I was 16, so they taught me covers. I soon grew bored with that and started writing my own stuff. My first real personal band was called Shock Hazard, and I played bass and lead vocals. We used to get in a lot of trouble at shows for dousing our drummers cymbals with gasoline then setting them on fire as, well as breaking as much gear we could afford with our part time jobs at the time. We entered a handful of battle of the bands and won every single one of them. That was a proud moment of my teenage years.
One day while we were in India, Dino and I stepped out for a quick walk outside the hotel. Within the first minute a bird took a fat shit on my chest. I remember the feeling of the wet shit fluids seeping through my shirt onto my chest. Those Indian birds don't fuck around.
What have been the highlights of your career, so far?
Getting the opportunity to travel because of my instrument is one of my biggest personal accomplishments. I don't come from a lot of money, so I wouldn't be able to travel as much as I have without the help from my instrument. Having my first tour at 23 and going from playing the Sunset Strip for 50 people on a good night to Wacken Open Air festival to 50,000+ people is a highlight. Every tour is a learning experience and every traveling musician I've met has a story behind them and wisdom to offer if you're willing to listen and learn.
Ever had an embarassing moment on stage? What’s the worst (in a funny way)?
Thankfully I don't have too many of embarrassing moments on stage. Only one that comes to mind is I once fell on our third song at a show somewhere in France with Bonded by Blood. I somehow missed my footing on the monitor, slipped and fell to the ground, but got up real fast so most people didn't notice.
Other than metal, what do you like to listen to? Any “guilty pleasures”?
I try to stay pretty well rounded musically, so I listen to a wide range of stuff. Everyone who travels with me knows I like oldies, funk, reggae, spanish music, country, old hip-hop, you name it. I also like to listen to a lot of stand up comedy.
How do you live off of music, nowadays?
I try to stay busy with as many bands as possible, but if I ever have downtime I try to find side work. I'm also a ongoing film student, so I plan to do a lot more film related work in the near future.
How was landing the gig with Fear Factory? You travelled with them on tour, must have been a blast! Got cool stories to share?
It was definitely one of the best highlights of my career so far. Dino and I met several years back at a Bonded by Blood show, and we always kept in touch, so when they needed a fill in for some dates he kept in mind. I auditioned and got the part which was one of my proudest days. When it comes to the shows I gotta say getting to travel to China and India with them was quiet the experience. They have some really great fans all over the world and they always made the band feel at home. Here's a quick story: One day while we were in India, Dino and I stepped out for a quick walk outside the hotel. Within the first minute a bird took a fat shit on my chest. I remember the feeling of the wet shit fluids seeping through my shirt onto my chest. Those Indian birds don't fuck around.
We know you’re in a rock n’ roll band called Others, and you’ve played Motorboat. Tell us about that experience!
All these rock cruises always feel like a modern day pirate ship. Just a bunch of long haired criminals drinking, raising some hell and having a good time. How can you not love it? Sharing the same boat and stage with Motörhead was a massive honor along with all the other great bands on the bill. Motörhead was another one of those bands that ended up playing a huge role in my influence when I took up music and I never thought I'd get the opportunity to work so closely with that camp. Truly exciting and humbling.
Others has been picking up a lot of momentum recently and it's really cool to watch it slowly grow a fan base. People have compared our sound to Motörhead meets Iggy and the Stooges meets The Doors meets Nirvana. It's hard to describe. It's a project where there are no boundaries when exploring musically.
Bonded by Blood is currently on hold, and you’ve stepped up as bassist for Warbringer. How was the last tour (with dates with Enforcer, Cauldron, Exmortus, etc)?
It was great to get back out on the road. I've been friends with the guys in Warbringer since around 2010 and we always got along well. Playing bass and traveling with them has turned out to be a lot of fun. All the bands on the recent tour brought something musically unique to the table which made for a great traveling package. It was also a nice reunion to tour along side those whacky shred heads in Exmortus again who I've also gigged with in the past alongside Bonded by Blood.
Any plans for now? What about the future?
More jamming, more gigging, more writing, more living, more seeing, more eating, more laughing, more being. Thanks!