Jaded Past

Rocking New Jersey and Beyond

Interview by Ken Morton

Lead Vocalist, front man, songwriter and founder of Jaded Past.

Jaded Past is a high energy melodic rock and roll band through and through, presenting absolutely timeless songs that will remain in your head for ages. Based out of the legendary New Jersey music scene, Jaded Past has unleashed Live And On Edge, available worldwide via MR Records. A perfect audio documentation of their much revered live shows, Live And On Edge presents Jaded Past in their finest hour on stages all across the USA. Highwire Daze recently interviewed Jaded Past front man and founding member George Becker to find out more about the making of Live And On Edge, signing to MR Records out of Australia, opening for the likes of Eric Martin and Tokyo Motor Fist, and a whole lot more! Read on...

Introduce yourself; tell me what you do in Jaded Past, and how long the band has been together.

Good Morning. My name is George Becker and I am the

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?

Jaded Past started as a project for me in 2011 and based out of New Jersey. The music scene in our area comes and goes and with the recent pandemic situation it nose dived! Now in 2021 venues and opportunities are opening back up.

How did you wind up signing to MR Records out of Australia?

In 2016, I wrote and recorded my second album “Believe” and was searching for a label mainly for distribution. My producer introduced me to a few reps and Andrew McNeice and I sparked a deal between Jaded Past and Melodic Rock Records…. And released Believe. Since that time Melodic Rock Records has been taken over by new management and I have re-signed with them as well to release “Live And On

Edge” this past February.

How did the Live And On Edge album come about and where was it recorded?

I have always wanted to release a “live” album! I approached my reps at MR and pitched my idea and they immediately said yes given the buzz about our live shows. Jaded Past is a performance band, we love to be on the stage and nothing shows that more than this record! The recordings were done in multiple locations.

One of the cover songs on the live album was Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie. What made you decide to cover that song and what kind of influence has Bowie had on your music career?

Well, all my influences certainly come through in my performances as well as my approach to my career. I always list Bowie as a high influence but also Aerosmith, Kiss, Elton John, T-Rex, Stones and so many more but you can certainly see the picture I’m sure. I have been performing Ziggy in many ways, many times as a cover but I believe that we definitely capture the essence and memory of Mr. Bowie in our performance.

Overall, what could one expect from a live Jaded Past show?

A Jaded Past show is a raw, in your face, no holds barred rock show. You see four seasoned performers who love what they do and love doing it for you! From opening note to the final good night, the stage is filled with adrenaline, high end rock n roll, melodies, crowd participation and all in all a fun time. Old School if I may use that term. One thing I will guarantee is that you will not be disappointed and if you don’t know us at the beginning, you will know us by the end.

How did Pete Fry and Leo Sabatino from Far Cry become involved with Jaded Past? And have both bands ever played

shows together? Second part of the question first. Not really. Jaded Past and Far Cry both played at Melodic Rock Fest in 2018 but on two separate nights. on every stage, in every city that we perform; it is an honor to play with these three gentlemen.

Jaded Past was supposed to tour with Bonfire in Europe and then the pandemic happened. Did any of those shows happen and/or will the tour be rebooked in the near future?

We were supposed to depart for Europe on April 2 and the announcement to close this country was made on March 11. Jaded Past was coming off a buzz that we started by playing some local shows and then in Miami at Kruisefest with Ace Frehley and Sebastian Bach. We had the European Tour ready and some other shows after our return with Kix and then BOOM, everything was halted.

I have talked with the promoters and management about rescheduling but at this point it’s becoming more of a rebirth then reschedule. We shall see……

Now, the first part of the question. Jaded Past up to 2017 was simply a project run by me with musicians that I knew or would hire to play shows along the way both locally and on the road.

In 2018 after “Believe” started to really show promise all over social media, Spotify and more and I was asked to play MRR Fest in Chicago by my label. I wanted to put together an actual band not just treat it as project anymore. I did an interview with Pete Fry for his radio show and then when it was done, we spoke off air, and I asked him if he would be interested in playing in Jaded Past! Long story short, we agreed to start in Chicago and see if things clicked…. He has been my right hand man since that Chicago gig! Leo was brought in a little later in 2019 but once again, now a solid entity in the Jaded Past crew. Last but certainly not least, later that year in 2019 I recruited drummer Pete Giordano and the lineup was complete. This is now the lineup that tears it up at every gig,

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming show with Eric Martin?

On August 21 we will hit the stage for the first time since March 8 of 2020. What we are looking forward to most about the gig is reconnecting with our fans and also gaining new ones. We are not strangers nor are we newcomers so no matter whom we play with or share the stage with we come with 150% raw energy.

How did your show with Tokyo Motor Fist go and did you get to meet or hang out with them at all?

That was a while ago, but as in all our shows it went fantastic! I have been friends with Steve and the guys for a long time so meeting and hanging with them is a mute point. I always enjoy performing with musicians that bring it to the table; it makes for an all around ass kicking night of rock n roll.

Since 2011 when I started this project I have opened for so many acts in so many venues across the U.S.A such as Ace Frehley, Sebastian Bach, Cherie Currie, Trixter, Y & T and so many more.

If Jaded Past could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?

Well, I will stay in the now; I would love for Jaded Past to be in direct support of bands like Tesla, Skid Row, Warrant and those types of shows.

Neither I, nor my management seeks out shows because of the star power or star struck thoughts, we seek out shows so that Jaded Past can display its talent, songs and energy and grab our seat at the table. Especially to the crowds who appreciate our genre of melodic rock n roll. ie’s in Frenchtown, NJ with Eric Martin, Trixter and Ted Poley. Then…. We are seeking out a stream of live shows across the United States for the remainder of 2021 and all of 2022.

This train is about to leave the station and embark on its journey. Get on board, you will love the ride! Jaded Past is a rock band, through and through, no nonsense, and no bullshit. We love to perform at it shows at every show. We need all of your support to get us to the next level, join us.

Any final words of wisdom?

We appreciate all the support we get from our fans. I personally am humbled every day that you all take the time to listen to my music, come to our shows and believe in what we do. Thank You!

How close is Jaded Past to recording and releasing an allnew studio album and if close, is there a working title for it yet?

At this point in time I am writing and recording demos for the new record. It would be realistic to say that a 2022 release is in sight. We do have a working title and it is “Mission”.

What’s up next for Jaded Past?

Well, we will begin with our first show on August 21st at ArtIf you are reading this and do not know about Jaded Past, please visit our official website, take a listen on Spotify and all the other streaming platforms, order the albums, and of course come to see us live!

www.jadedpast.com