Hump Day 10: About Joe

Last Wednesday we introduced a new blog series here called the “Hump Day 10″ where we answer 10 questions about the band. Eventually we want to open this up to get questions from you directly, but to kick this thing off we thought that we would have each band member interview themselves. So earlier today I got a chance to sit down with myself and ask a few probing questions…Enjoy.

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So Joe, I understand that you joined the Fundamental Elements in January of 2007. How did you get hooked up with these guys?

First off, I attended Greenville College at the same time as Luke DeJaynes and (former FE guitarist) Ben Kessler. They played in several bands together while we were in school and I could generally be found running sound. I always appreciated their talent and when I found out that they had started up Fundamental Elements with Russ and Mark I went to some shows and really enjoyed the music.

In December of 2006 I heard that Ben had left the band and saw on Facebook that the guys were looking for a new guitar player. I shot them a quick email, got together and jammed with them and soon enough had joined the band.

So you’ve been in the band for over two and a half years. What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you on stage in that time period?

Wow, good question. I would probably say that it was a show we played 2 years ago in Little Rock, AR. All the songs were still pretty new to me, and we were playing a longer set than normal on that particular night. We got to the song “Feel Alright” which starts with just guitar. I started playing but had forgotten the chords. I kept playing, but it was obvious that none of us knew what to do. Eventually I got it figured out, but it was a rough night.

If you weren’t playing with FE right now, what do you think you would be doing to fill up your time?

That’s tough because I really can’t think of anything else that I’d rather be doing with my life than what I’m doing right now, but I’d probably be spending a lot more time at home with my wife and 2 daughters. I also would probably be taking classes towards some sort of Masters degree…I really enjoy learning.

Speaking of your family, you posted on the blog a few weeks ago about the birth of your new daughter. How has your household been adjusting to the new baby?

We’re doing pretty well. My wife’s not getting a whole lot of sleep right now, but I’m doing ok. We set up a deal where she takes care of the “input” (i.e. feeding) and I take care of the “output” (i.e. diapers). It’s been really cute to see our 3 year old interact with her. She’s been a big help.

Switching gears here for a second, what advise would you give to someone who is just starting to pick up guitar that you wished someone had given you when you started?

I think the number one thing is to practice as much as you can, but do it in a way that is fun. I just started learning songs that I liked. You can learn a lot by trying to copy what other guitar players are doing. The other thing that I would suggest is to make sure that you’re listening to music that challenges you to be a better player. Most of the music that was on the radio in the 1990’s when I was learning to play guitar was pretty easy to figure out, so I thought I was a lot better that I actually was. I’ve since had to go back and re-educate myself on what is possible on guitar.

So what guitar players are you into right now?

John Mayer has been a big influence on me, so I would place him first. I think he probably bridged the gap for me between 90’s acoustic-pop and into some of the blues/jazz music that I listen to now. I’ve since gone back and gotten into Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and the Allman Brothers. Derek Trucks is pretty amazing. I also really enjoy listening to how guitar players in R&B and Hip Hop music fit into a style where guitar isn’t as present as in blues music.

What are the last 5 albums that you added to your iTunes library (and no cheating)?

1. Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3
2. Jordin Sparks: Battlefield (My wife wanted it for her birthday.)
3. A bootleg of a John Mayer show on July 28th in LA
4. Chris Botti in Boston (You HAVE to see the DVD to fully appreciate it. His band is KILLER.)
5. The Script: Self Titled (Their song “Breakeven” is amazing)

You guys are doing a contest this week where people can fill in the thought bubble of a duck in order to win passes to the PLAY:stl Festival. If you made one that described your life right now what would it look like?

Probably something like this:

What are five of your favorite blogs that you read on a regular basis

1. Seth Godin – Seth writes a great blog (not to mention several books that I’ve read) about marketing that I love.
2. Daring Fireball – The best written Mac related blog on the planet
3. Finding Rhythm – Zach Lind is not only the drummer for a great band (Jimmy Eat World), but a really thoughtful guy on the topics of Christianity and Politics. His blog challenges me to be a better thinker…not just a better believer.
4. Kottke.org – Jason Kottke’s blog about what he dubs “Liberal Arts 2.0″
5. Derek Sivers – Former CD Baby President writes about the music business and entrepreneurship.

Ok, last question…compare your band mates to characters from the TV show Full House

Haha…ok. Well Luke would be Uncle Jesse cause he’s the talented one with perfect hair. Mark would be Joey because he’s always goofing around. Dustin would be Danny Tanner because he likes things to be orderly, and Russ would probably be the Olsen Twins because at the end of the day he’s really the star of the show.

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Check back next Wednesday when our “Hump Day 10″ will feature Mark DeJaynes.