Hot on the heels of a strong sophomore release, Jayden Hebbard’s eclectic alter ego Joe Terror has delved deep into his own unrest to procure a third outing of animalistic energy and twisted rock bliss. Warmly welcoming us into his new Brunswick abode with a couple of quiet Carlton’s, Jayden talks us through the story behind ‘Stinky Soul’.
After first penning his own music at the tender age of 14, it wasn’t until he encountered his future bandmates that things really started to click; “I was always serious about it and was always gonna do something with it but it took me a while to find my feet. After I met Dan/ The Stained Daises guys I started playing gigs and things started to take shape. I started to work out what I wanted to do as I was learning”. Using the project as a means by which to express and hone his writing and recording skills, Hebbard’s 2015 debut ‘Blame It’ evoked a strong rearing in rock; “My mum was pretty young, as were my aunties, and they drove grunge down my throat. I’m pretty grateful for having that upbringing”.
After moving down to Melbourne, Hebbard found himself invested in other projects before his friends rallied around to spur the release of his second record; “The encouragement everyone gave really pushed me to start releasing music again”. ‘An Urgent Release’ extended on its predecessor, incorporating harmonies whilst doubling down on raw energy; “The original concept for it was doin’ a real harmony focused album. I nearly wasn’t gonna put any instruments other than vocals on it but when I was recording I flipped back. I think over time I’ve just figured I enjoy doing those harmonic pieces”.
Whilst Terror’s music has always been rooted in personal themes, the recording of his latest 8 track LP, ‘Stinky Soul’, was borne from overcoming post-pop depression after 3 straight months of touring the East Coast; “When I got back in December I was just in a really strange state. I was partying a lot and doin’ a lot of weird shit. I didn’t really know what to do after being away and so I just made some music and that’s what came of it.” The process helped Hebbard through a confronting state of mind; “I guess it’s got a lot of built up anger that I was holding back from at the time. There’s a lot in there that I didn’t want anyone to know, including myself, what was coming out”.
In harnessing his angst and flipping it into his artform, Hebbard appreciates how music can serve as a medicine; “It was almost like music was keeping me in a state that was very far away from what was actually going on. Once I had no music happening, it all sorta came crashing down. I was in a state where I didn’t care about anything, where your soul starts to stink. But when I finished writing the album and playing some shows everything was great again.”
With an upcoming spate of shows for ‘Stinky Soul’, Hebbard offers a philosophical perspective when preparing to play these personal tracks live; “Times moved on and the situations are probably no more or less deep. They’re just different”. His ever-rotating live line-up, often consisting of close-knit mates, offers a strong source of incentive to keep playing and keep writing; “I had a live band in northern NSW with a lovely farmer couple that were freak musicians. Everyone’s energy in a live scenario is always gonna be different. Having the right people on board always helps”.
Joe Terror will be having an album launch party at Yah Yahs Friday June 7 with support from The Rollercanes and Barefoot Bowls Club. ‘Stinky Soul’ is available now through all streaming services.
Comments