PETE DEVINE INTERVIEW WITH SKULL FUCKER JAY OF SKULL FUCKERS INCORPORATED
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
SFJ: Extreme Industrial Metal.
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
SFJ: I’m from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. My grandfather was in a prominent jazz/rock band called The Four Plaids back in the 60s and 70s. He gave all us grandkids (there’s like twenty of us) small acoustic guitars when we were all born. I was the one out of the grandkids who actually learned how to play the thing. My grandfather took my mom to the local music store when I was about six years old and bought me my first electric guitar and amp. It was a Fender Squire and a Peavey Rage. I dinked around with it for a while, but didn’t get serious until my freshman year in high school. A buddy of mine and I were skipping school one day. I took him to my house to hang out and smoke some pot. He saw my guitar and freaked. He loved it. He showed me the Power Chord and a few Metallica riffs. Ever since I’ve been hooked on playing guitar and making music.
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?
SFJ: Metallica was my gateway drug into metal music. I learned several songs off the Black Album, and went on an excellent roller coaster/time warp of going backwards and listening to their albums in reverse order. Every album got better and better, and I challenged myself to learn as many songs as I could. I thought Metallica was the toughest shit on the planet… Until I heard Slayer. My mind was fucking blown. I switched teams and started learning all of Slayer’s stuff. To this day Slayer is my favorite band. As far as what I like to write about…. It varies from song to song, and band to band. I’ve been in a few projects, so the music and lyrics need to be appropriate to the band that the song is released under. But for the most part, as long as it’s fast, heavy, and fun to play, I’m all over it.
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
SFJ: I think it would be super awesome to win a Grammy. We have Justin Vernon here in EC as the local celebrity. His project Bon Iver won a Grammy, and he was in high school with me. EC has a hipster star. Now it needs a metal star. I’d like to bring that trophy home. Other than that, I just want to make enough money to stay working. I can’t work normal jobs. I just can’t. I’m a musician and a film maker. That’s what I’m best at, it’s what I know, it’s what makes me happy. So as long as I’m able to live comfortably doing those things, I’m good.
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
SFJ: Two things – when I was a music promoter I was able to book Deicide Halloween night at the House of Rock in EC back in 06. That fucking ROCKED. Got to hang out with Glen Benton all day and provide a sold out show to my home town on Halloween night. That was amazing. The other moment is very recent. As a musician I’ve been reaching out to various celebrities and rock stars to be in the upcoming Nightmare music video. Several have agreed, which in itself is awesome, but Beefcake The Mighty from GWAR actually went above and beyond. He sent me a full two minute promo video to help
promote the album. Since I’ve been pushing that, awareness of Skull Fuckers Incorporated has skyrocketed. How many bands/musicians get to say that a main member of fucking GWAR straight up endorsed them? I do. And that rules.
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?
SFJ: It was a pain in the ass! Lol. No, in all seriousness, it’s next to impossible without a budget of at the very least $10,000. If you don’t have that kind of backing you’re not going to get heard. Even if you get a celebrity to back your shit, if you don’t have the money to promote it, no one sees it and no one gives a shit. I just happened to be selling my house at the time of the release, so I had some real capital to throw at promoting the album. The stars have really aligned themselves for me for this release.
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
SFJ: No live shows yet. Nothing booked at the moment. I’ll need to hire on a management company and a booking agency when the time is right. I’m too busy right now to do everything, and unfortunately the live aspect is going to be on the backburner until I get a couple of people/agencies working with me.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
SFJ: What’s there to think about? It’s the world we live in and it won’t change for the better anytime soon. Adapt with the times or perish. That’s it.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
SFJ: Odd question. Do you mean, like, out of the songs that I’ve heard in my life? If that’s what you mean, then Enter Sandman all the way. I don’t give a fuck about the Metallica haters. A lot of snobby people hate on the Black Album because it’s the album where Metallica changed from a metal band into a pop hard rock band. I’m not really a fan of anything Metallica put out after the Black Album, but the Black Album itself is an amazing piece of work. And Enter Sandman is THE song that hooked me into what I’m doing today. And it made Metallica an arena level band overnight. I’d like to have that song on my resume.
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
SFJ: Hmmm. Hard to say at the moment, since I’m doing everything independently. I own the record label that’s putting this album out, so I haven’t really had to deal with the BS of a corporation pushing me around yet. That said, booking shows as an indie band SUCKS. You get paid shit money, IF you even get paid at all. A lot of bars and clubs think they’re doing a band a favor by “allowing them the honor of playing at their club.” Fucking horseshit. There should be a minimum wage for bands that gig regularly.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
SFJ: Promoting this album, giving a lot of thought to a tour and the logistics behind that (like who am I going to hire to take the load off me), working a bit on the next SF Inc record, and gearing up for the live action SF Inc TV series that I’ll be filming at the end of the year.
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
SFJ: Check out the Satyrn Studios website! www.satyrnstudios.com
Skull Fuckers Incorporated links:
Band/Artist location – Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Facebook – Bandcamp –
Apple – Spotify – Deezer –
Check our page for Skull Fuckers Incorperated
