by John Kindred
– Publisher —
MACH22 is here to rock! hailed as “Zeppelin meets Kravitz,” the bands sound is steeped in classic rock influences and captures that classic feel with a modern rock edge. Bassist Jaron Gulino, picked up his father’s bass guitar at the age of 15 and has not put it down since. Heavily influenced by 70’s and 80’s rock and metal music, he went from being a music fan, to musician in no time. Gulino takes time out from the band and talks about the new album, Sweet Talk Introduction, working with producer Jeff LaBar (Cinderella), his band On Top, his influences, gear and more …
Hardrock Haven: Jaron thanks for taking the time to talk with me today.
Jaron: Hey John, thanks again for having me. Always a pleasure to chat.
Hardrock Haven: MACH22 just released your debut CD Sweet Talk Introduction. Can tell me more about the band and chosen style of music that you guys perform?
Jaron: The band is a special blend of personalities, all from different musical backgrounds that somehow comes together to create a unique classic rock n roll sound. We have been labeled with having the sounds of bands like Lenny Kravitz, to Guns ‘N’ Roses, to Led Zeppelin. Our hard rock feel is driven by the soulful vocals of Lamont Caldwell which I personally think is a refreshing approach. Lamont has been crafting this band for about ten years and has finally found the right group of guys to support him over the last year.
Hardrock Haven: Jeff LaBar produced the album. How did you guys get involved with him and what did he bring to the recording process?
Jaron: Jeff is actually Sebastian’s Dad. He invited us down to Nashville to record with him and his buddy Ronnie Honeycutt (Original Jackyl Vocalist). Jeff spent about three or four days with us in the studio and really drove us to our fullest capacity. He was very enthusiastic and full of excellent suggestions. It was cool to watch Jeff and Sebastian have some awesome father/son moments while cutting guitar takes. Their styles are work well together and translated nicely on the recordings. He had a lot of cool ideas for some of the guitar parts and even some bass stuff. He actually helped me come up with a bass line for the break in “Dont You Give Me.” We wanted to change it up from the original and Jeff was on it instantly. It was an overall blast working with Jeff and Ronnie and I would love to go back and do it all again. They are a great team.
Hardrock Haven: Do you play a part in the song writing process?
Jaron: Yes, absolutely. We all contribute to just about everything we write. Our drummer Damian is actually an excellent song writer and quite good on guitar, he brought our single “Go Ahead” to the table. Ted and I joined the band halfway throughout the writing process for the songs that appeared on “Sweet Talk Intervention.” We added our own flavor to the tracks that we picked up and rerecorded.
Hardrock Haven: This isn’t the first band you played in, tell me about On Top, Hardrock Haven reviewed you’re CD Top Heavy (http://hardrockhaven.net/online/ 2012/01/on-top-top-heavy/), and whether the group is still together …
Jaron: On Top is my baby. I have been playing with Danny Piselli (drums) for about five years now. We are a power trio that specializes in a hard rock/heavy metal sound. Prior to joining Mach22, Alex Kulick (guitars) left the group, so Danny and I began to record some tracks for an EP with our good friend and session guitarist Brian Davis early last year. About halfway through the process, I got the call for Mach22 and became to busy to continue the On Top recordings. After things died down nearly a year later, I resumed work with Danny and Brian and completed the EP. It is entitled “Top to Bottom” and will be released on HPGD Productions on June 6th. The tracks came out killer and Brian actually loved working with us so much that he wanted to join the band. We are currently revamping and booking shows in support of the new EP and plan on doing a second EP before the end of the year.
Hardrock Haven: What inspired you to become a musician?
Jaron: After years of worshiping my idols and being a huge music lover, I thought that it would be fun to follow in those footsteps. I found that I was coming up with cool ideas in my head that were similar to the music I loved, but not being executed by any of the bands I listened to. I decided to take it upon myself to write/perform these ideas and bring them to life so that other music fans out there have something different to listen to. I try and write things that I would like to listen to, and hopefully people dig it.
Hardrock Haven: What bass players are you influenced by?
Jaron: I mean, Glenn Hughes is my favorite all time package deal… but I am actually into guitarists rather than bassists. I grew up worshipping EVH, Lynch, Yngwie, Blackmore, etc… over the years I have tried to bring that kind of style and attitude to my bass playing. I feel it gives my music a unique feel. Of course it is a constant work in progress but I feel that my sound is starting to come alive on the new Mach22 and On Top releases.
Hardrock Haven: What is primary gear, amps, basses, etc.?
Jaron: I use Fender Precision basses and Ampeg SVT amps. I currently run a Ampeg SVT II Pro with an SVT-AV 810 cab for my Mach22 rig. For On Top, I use the SVT II Pro head through a 115 and 410 cab setup linked with a 60‘s Fender Bassman head and cab for a nice, deep, crunchy blend of tones.
Hardrock Haven: The band is shopping the new CD to labels, has there been any interest yet?
Jaron: We have shopped it quite a bit, and haven’t heard anything from any labels. Our plan is to sell the crap out of it and hopefully generate some attention that way. It has been pretty well received by reviewers so far, so hopefully the word gets out and we can generate a nice little buzz.
Hardrock Haven: Any tours upcoming?
Jaron: We are hitting the road in a couple of weeks to head out to Rocklahoma. We will heading back out for some weekends in July as well. Plans for later this year are still in the works but we hope to head out west in the late summer/early fall.
Hardrock Haven: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, is there anything you want to say fans that might not have asked?
Jaron: Be sure to check out “Sweet Talk Intervention” from Mach22 and “Top to Bottom” from On Top… both of which will be released over the next month or so. I do this for the love and personal satisfaction of playing my instrument and creating music. Hopefully it shows in my work and people are inspired for the same reasons instead of money and fame, because this is the wrong business for any of that.
Hardrock Haven: Best of luck with MACH22, I wish the band continued success.
Jaron: Thank you very much for having me John. I hope we can speak again soon!
Visit the band online: http://www.mach22music.com/
Jaron is a great dude, a true musician. On Top and Mach22 are absolutely worth checking out.