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Jarvis Leatherby (NIGHT DEMON) Interview – Capital Chaos TV

By capitalchaostv on March 15, 2023 • ( 0 )

Ventura, California’s heavy metal institution Night Demon return with their third full-length album, OUTSIDER, via Century Media Records on March 17, 2023.

For more than a decade, Night Demon have defiantly flown the flag of traditional heavy metal, unwavering in the face of shifting industry trends and unscarred by global calamities. On release day (Mar. 17th), Night Demon will kick off the “Hell’s Decibels Tour 2023”, hitting cities across the USA alongside Satan and Haunt – with the trek concluding in Philly as the official Decibel Metal & Beer Fest pre-party!

Capital Chaos TV
You’re down there in Ventura, have you, uh, been experienced some extreme weather? We’ve heard about it on the news?

Jarvis Leatherby
Absolutely. Um, yeah, you know, uh it’s okay. I’m a traveler so it’s been a bit cold though, man. It’s crazy, but what can you do? You know? It’s all good.So we’re like in Ventura kind of where the beach meets the mountains. So we get a little bit of everything here, you know.

Capital Chaos TV
The new album “Outsider” comes out March 17 the same day as the tour with Satan and Haunt. It’s gonna be, it’s an exciting time for you.

Jarvis Leatherby
Well, let’s hope.

Capital Chaos TV
Do you get updates on, ticket sales on tours and stuff like that?

Jarvis Leatherby
Not really. I try not to, but no, it’s, the people seem to be pretty excited about it based on some fan responses and social media response and what have you.

Capital Chaos TV
Your first show is at the Whiskey a Go Go. How do you like that place? And that whole, the whole scene there with the block and the bars up to see up the street?

Jarvis Leatherby
Yeah, it’s all right. It’s a legendary venue in its own, right. You know. So, it’s got that going for it, you know.

Capital Chaos TV
The artwork for Outsider is that in house Century Media, is that somebody that you’ve reached out to on your own?

Jarvis Leatherby
No, that’s the same, same artist that we have for all of our records.

Capital Chaos TV
Are there any covers recorded or bonus tracks for this album?

Jarvis Leatherby
There’s a bonus track on the CD version. Only a song called “The Last Day” that came out as an exclusive for Decibel Magazine for their Flexi series last year. So it’s kind of been released already. But that’s the one

Capital Chaos TV
One song that reached out to me, right away was Beyond the Grave How great of a song is that and how did that come about?

Jarvis Leatherby
Well, I’m glad you think so. Just trying to expand stuff here, right. You know, trying to, think outside the box if you will a bit, you know. That’s really it, you know, we weren’t in a position where we really wanted to repeat ourselves at all. So, that’s the idea just getting a little experimental here. And that’s, that’s how we came out with something like that.

Capital Chaos TV
And you can sing. So, why not?

Jarvis Leatherby
Thank you. Yeah, I try, you know, I definitely have enjoyed singing a lot more of these days. During the pandemic, I was really working hard on my vocals. So, it was really cool, you know, to be able to do that.

Capital Chaos TV
Do you have a teacher or coach?

Jarvis Leatherby
I’ve studied with a lot of different vocal coaches throughout the years. And so it was just another thing I just wanted to get in with some more people, you know, and I kind of found a new vocal coach that helped me learn some new things and some new tricks and it’s really just working on it. It’s just practicing it and you gotta stay in vocal shape too. So, we’ve been rehearsing a lot lately for this tour. Um, it’s not like riding a bike, you know?

Capital Chaos TV
Absolutely. And what about bass? Have you, brushed up on your bass skills do you do any sort of lessons or any of that kind of stuff still or ever?

Jarvis Leatherby
No, I never really did lessons with that, but I play a lot. So, um, so that helps a lot for sure.

Capital Chaos TV
What about warming up? Are you warming up your vocals? I know I played a gig, last weekend and I didn’t warm up. I never really thought about it and when I played my hands hurt a little bit.

Jarvis Leatherby
I warm up more on the bass end than the vocal. And, you know, I used to warm up my vocals a lot, but I just kind of, I don’t know, it’s kinda weird, like, I don’t know how to really explain it. I do a little bit of warm up for the vocals but very simple ones. I used to do way too much and it just kind of ruined the show. So more the the bass playing is more where I focus on the warm ups for. Gotta have my dexterity when I get out there because it’s kind of some intricate shit that I play and it’s kinda, it’s pretty tough.

Capital Chaos TV
Did you write this uh new one, “Outsider” in a particular time frame or is it a collection of riffs over time?

Jarvis Leatherby
No, it was all written during the pandemic and it was written all in order. Most of the other albums were like that, collection of riffs over time. This was not.

Capital Chaos TV
So you can call this the pandemic sessions?

Jarvis Leatherby
Pretty much, man. Yeah, that’s the best way to put it really.

Capital Chaos TV
The first single is “Escape from Beyond” its a good mixture of classic heavy metal and good production. The whole album is really sounding really good.

Jarvis Leatherby
Thank you. I appreciate that.

Capital Chaos TV
How is the recording process changed since Darkness Remains?

Jarvis Leatherby
Oh, it’s the same, you know, it’s the same thing, man. We just recorded live really.

Capital Chaos TV
How do you determine uh when the song is finished?

Jarvis Leatherby
I don’t know, man. Like, it’s, it’s hard to say really. I mean, it’s done when it’s done. Uh You just get a good feeling.

Capital Chaos TV
It appears that Night Demon has put something out every year since, 2017. Uh, a lot of bands do that. I think that’s a good, it’s a good marketing thing.

Jarvis Leatherby
We just, we just, whatever our output is, you know, if we have the ability to do it, we just do it.

Capital Chaos TV
And what are the three most important records in heavy metal that has shaped you as a musician?

Jarvis Leatherby
I would say Metallica, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath are the bands.

Capital Chaos TV
How do you manage to stay consistent with writing and performing as the years go by?

Jarvis Leatherby
I don’t write a whole lot really. Um, I just write when we have something when we’re, we’re in the mode to do something like that, you know. Otherwise I just, I’m not a guy who writes every day or anything like that, you know, I just, write when there’s a deadline or there’s inspiration, you know.

Capital Chaos TV
You have a, a stable lineup, uh, and a solid work ethic. How do you make that happen?

Jarvis Leatherby
Out of necessity. I mean, we do it as a job. So, I mean, we have to go out and do it. You know, that’s the only way to really be consistent with it. It’s hard to be motivated all the time. So we just kind of put ourselves in a position where we have to do it.

Capital Chaos TV
What’s the plan for the next 12 months to support the new record?

Jarvis Leatherby
We’re gonna go out on this, U.S. tour and then after that, we’re going to Germany, Japan, U K and then we’ll do some more Europe stuff in the summer and the fall. Then in October we do a couple of one offs in the States and then we’re gonna head to South America and Mexico in November and back to the UK, early December. So we got a pretty busy schedule.

“Hell’s Decibels Tour 2023”

w/ Satan, Night Demon, Haunt

Mar. 17 – West Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go Go

Mar. 18 – Oakland, CA @ Eli’s Mile High Club

Mar. 19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Dive Bar

Mar. 21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High Saloon

Mar. 22 – Denver, CO @ HQ

Mar. 24 – Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live

Mar. 25 – Houston, TX @ White Oak (Hell’s Heroes)

Mar. 26 – Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live

Mar. 27 – Wichita, KS – @ Barleycorns

Mar. 29 – St Paul, MN @ Turf Club