Our Supernova interview series continues with newcomer Jar of Kings – a group that started as two friends making music together and has now expanded into an entire band. This year they’ve decided to take to one of the largest stages and opportunities in the Latvian music industry, with dreams of making it to the even bigger stage in Malmo, Sweden.
Hello there Jar of Kings , and welcome to ESCUnited for an interview! Why don’t we start by having you introduce yourselves and the band to our readers?
Hi there! To start off, a brief history of Jar of Kings. It was created when two friends Artis and Artūrs joined forces. Both had played in a band before, a progressive metal project “Legacy ID”, but had parted ways. After a long break, both decided to give the creative endeavour another go. Artūrs wanted to record his ideas in Artis’s studio, but both quickly came to realise the ideas had potential to be more than demos.
In 2022 the instrumental debut album Momentum was released, mixed and mastered in Artis’s studio. Currently, the band has grown to a complete lineup; Jānis Drēģeris on vocals, Juris Šenbergs on drums. On Guitars – Artis Apinis un Artūrs Patetko, supported by bass guitar master – Deniss Djakons.
And of course you will be participating in the Latvian national selection this year – congratulations! What was your reaction when you first got the news?
Surprised! We are well aware we are not the standard format for the Eurovision contest, so it was a pleasant surprise. News of making the top contestant list definitely made our day and for our listener’s as well.
Now for those who aren’t familiar with your music or discography, how would you describe your sound or musical style? Are there any genres, artists, or trends that influence you as an artist?
Jar of Kings began as an instrumental project in 2021. We tried not to stick to a certain genre or style, did a lot of experimentation and fusion, trying to create the best sound of what we’re feeling at the moment. I guess that’s what brought in listeners – the variety! We have poetic melodies as well as harsh riffs! Momentum as an album has a heavier feel to it, more so than our latest track Wildfire.
Which again proves we’re not trying to fit a certain mould. We are open minded guys, expressing ourselves via music. It’s safe to say our second album, which is no longer a duo guitar project but a complete band, will definitely surprise the listeners!
If we’re talking influences – this will be a very long interview! We each have different tastes and influences, with some in common; “Rage against the machine”, “Limp Bizkit”, “Alter Bridge”, etc. Funny thing is – many listeners have noted hearing the influence of these exact bands in our newest track “Wildfire”.
Surely you don’t spend all of your time on music, so how do each of you spend your free time? Any secret passions or hobbies our readers would be surprised to learn about?
Although our musical tastes and influences vary wildly, we couldn’t be more alike on our past time interests and hobbies – family, nature, travel and sports. We are all family men, free time spent with family in any form and shape is the best time ever!
Our readers may not know that “Wildfire” is your first song to feature vocals and lyrics, as prior to this you’d only released instrumental rock-metal music. What sparked this change in direction for the band?
For quite a while we had entertained the idea of adding vocals. Many different candidates were considered and approached, but nothing come of it right away. But once we approached Jānis Drēģeris, events started to unfold rapidly. Within a few days after sending our song drafts, Jānis responded with his vocal takes and showed such passion and interest, we just knew we had to search no longer!
Actually, after the release of our debut album, many listeners had commented it would be interesting to hear this music with vocals, so we kept wondering ourselves – what would it sound like? What we would love to hear?
You had also announced that you have news of a new album upcoming so I’m curious – was “Wildfire” originally composed as part of that album, or was it written specifically with Supernova in mind? What ultimately motivated you to submit it into the selection?
“Wildfire” was the first collaboration of a full band. It wasn’t written or intended to be a Eurovision song, but once we had it finished and mastered, we kept wondering why not send it in for evaluation? I guess it was the right decision on our part since we actually made it to the national semi-finals. But, you are correct – we are working on our second studio album, and Wildfire will be a part of it.
We’ve got a short wait until you will be on stage for the Supernova semi-final. Without giving too much away, what can our readers expect to see from you during your performance? Hopefully some pyro?
Actually, we did have a few pyro ideas, but they were shut down due to indoor safety restrictions. And we put aside our laser-lights ideas as well, it would bring too much focus on the visuals, drawing the attention away from the song itself. We believe Wildfire is a good song and this time we’re taking the “Less is more” approach.
Now of course we have to also talk about Eurovision while I have you! Do you remember your first memories or encounter with the song contest and can you tell us a bit about them?
We all remember when Latvia won the contest in 2002, represented by Maria Naumova! 😊 Also, how can you forget the Lordi victory in 2006! We like Måneskin, one of “Eurovision” artists that are super active and popular in the current music scene. Another Finnish surprise for us was Käärijä with his song Cha Cha Cha – both the live performance and the song it self are unforgettable.
Latvia is a small country, many artists know and support each other, so there’s always a reason to follow the Eurovision contest. All of us at Jar of Kings try to be open minded towards other artists, irrelevant of genres and styles, accepting the beauty in variety and contrasts. You can favor one song or artist more than the next, but the contest is never boring.
As we close out, if our readers want to connect with and support your musical career ahead of or after the selection – where can they find you?
We are happy for each new listener! You can find us on all major streaming platforms, and contacted on Facebook and Instagram.
Do you have any final words or a final message you’d like to send to the readers of ESCUnited?
Our final message is the message of “Wildfire” – live each day to the fullest, removing the self-built restrictions! Life is too short to live in constant fear and worry about the events we cannot control. Be truly alive and live! Thank you!
Thank you so much Jar of Kings and we wish you the best of luck in Supernova this weekend!
If #YOU want to support Jar of King’s pathway to Eurovision 2024 make sure you tune in to the Supernova semi-final on February 3rd and vote!
