name: Jason Crispe

date of birth: 02-05-1987

place of birth: Chatham, Kent

star sign: Taurus

current age: 21

other info:

Where do you live? How long have you lived there?
Maidstone, 3 Months

Where did you go to school?
Rainham Mark Grammar School

When did you start playing Guitar?
I started playing when I was 15. My Dad already played guitar and my music teacher at school wanted the class to learn Oasis- Wonderwall on glockenspiel and I remembered seeing an Oasis chord book at home so decided to learn it on the guitar instead and surprise my teacher.

Do you play any other instruments?
I played the piano for 7 years before I learnt the guitar and reached grade 4 but I just didn't enjoy it. A combination of lessons, set practice times and exams made it feel more like a chore than something fun so I decided to focus my attentions on the guitar. Being older now I wish I'd carried on.

Who were / are your Influences?
My biggest influence has been my Dad. Being brought up on the same music that inspired him to play and also regularly working with him had meant my style of playing has some similarities. Other influences are mainly blues guitarists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Angus Young and also bands like The Faces, Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and Cream. I listen to a lot of Rolling Stones as well and also more recent artists such as John Mayer, Primal Scream and Kula Shaker.

When did you join the Lovedays?
I joined in September '07 when the band was formed. Sam and myself had previously been in bands together for pretty much all our playing lives so were very familiar with each others playing styles. I had never met or played with Ned before but luckily we gelled really well. I had met Ben previously when I played at one of his open mic nights but only really got to know him when the band was formed.

Please name a couple of other bands that you have played with and would like to still be associated with:
The first band that I played with were called "Cheap Thrills" which consisted of Sam on Vocals and Drums, Theo (now with Aliquot Flow) and myself on guitar. We mainly did covers and played at various open mic nights. The band I was in before The Lovedays was "Under the Thumb". We were an original band but also threw in a few recent covers depending on the gig. Bands that we've played with that would like to be associated with are Aliquot Flow, Lupen Crook, Maker and Len Price 3.

How would you describe your playing style?
Very blues-based lead guitar. Quite raw and simple rhythm playing but I also like playing quiet, laid-back songs with a lot of feeling and improvisation.

Please describe a few experiences during the recording of the Lovedays album:
This is the first time I have been in a studio so it was a very fun experience. The main thing that worried me was having to play solos exactly right and making sure every chord sounded good but thankfully it seemed that the pressure made it easier for some reason! There were moments when it came to recording and it felt like you were never going to get it.
All in all though it was a lot of fun and well worth all of the stresses that came with it.