Nickelback to acoustic Jack Johnson. Amanda: What’s your favorite song you have written? Jay: My favorite song that I have written is The Awakening which we haven’t released yet. Elements is definitely the funnest song for me to play. Amanda: Have you ever had anything go wrong when playing a show? Jay: Yes, we were playing at an outdoor show where we had to bring all of our own sound equipment. We didn’t have any cords, so the sound guy was behind us the whole time because we didn’t have our own equipment. Amanda: How well do you know your bandmates? Jay: Well the band started a couple years ago and we have reformed since then. Andy originally played guitar but after the band reformed we approached him to come back as a bassist and he had never played bass before. He had three weeks before our show, so he picked up a bass guitar and taught himself all of our songs in three weeks and he was amazing. He just has so much passion and he believes in this project, in Versions of You. Katie is our backup singer, she’s great. Karl is the new drummer he has taken the band to a whole new level. Kyle, or Super Dick, is like a brother to me. He really made Versions of You blossom into what it is today. Amanda: What made you start the band? Jay: Well about 5 years ago I got divorced. It was the highlight of my life. I met the love of my life and she encouraged me to do what I love. I picked up a guitar and started playing. She inspired me to start writing. I played acoustic sets and open mic nights. My brother in law introduced me to a couple guys that wanted to be in a band. That was the beginning. After 1 year the band broke up and reformed and is now Versions of You. Amanda: Any words of advice for someone else that wants to start a band? Jay: Anyone who really wants to do - has to do it without the hesitation of what others think. You have to be it before you do it. Be a rockstar no matter what happens. You have to believe it first. A quote I always use that keeps me going is, “I ride the waves of truth until I crash upon the shore of my destiny.” Amanda: Any last words? Jay: This is all our dreams, we all live it and breathe it.
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