Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
JOM: Weird? Is that acceptable? We love to mix genres or styles or techniques to create new sounds or sounds that we can groove to!
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
JOM: I was born in California and ended up in Pennsylvania where I met the rest of the guys. We all have a pretty similar experience with playing music in that we’ve all been doing it from an early age, and all somehow ended up in the same area and liking the same kinds of music, it was very much chance.
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
JOM: People who work their ass off, musicians who are able to bring themselves up into the world from nothing. We often write about human struggles and the conflicts that people have between themselves and their environment.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
JOM: To play stadium tours, or make a lot of albums that people enjoy or are able to connect with on some level.
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
JOM: Putting together the album we have coming out on 4/20/23, it’s taken a long time and has more effort jam packed into it than I could ever begin to explain.
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new artists emerging from bedrooms
in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
JOM: So far so good, not everything in life is given or guaranteed, so I can only do so much with the resources that I have! I’m just going to be so annoying I can’t be avoided!
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
JOM: By calling venues or promoters! Nothing yet, but looking to change that in the near future.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
JOM: I love the idea of digital music, not so much the illegal downloading end because we’re not with a huge label and we definitely will feel the pain there! I love Spotify though, we made a whole $15 one time
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
JOM: There are no songs that I wish I wrote, I respect the process too much to try and take away from the songs I could list. It’s really hard to write music sometimes!
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
JOM: How hard it is to find funding when you’re a small artist or label, how much talent has been lost because of no resources? It must be a lot.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
JOM: More music for Jon of Mars, and more music for my other band, Neuroticism.
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
https://jonofmars.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Marsjonmusicman
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEN47A5SSR5GK9ClEG4IPDw
Jon Of Mars links:
Band/Artist location – Oil City, Pennsylvania
Facebook – You Tube – Bandcamp – Merch –
Twitter – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – DistroKid – Last Fm
Check our page for Jon Of Mars
