Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Owen.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jordan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Axis of Empires is a heavy metal/hard rock band formed in late 2017 in Marietta, GA. Our sound combines the melodic songcraft of legendary bands like Queen and Iron Maiden with more modern elements. But just as important as our songwriting and virtuosity is the ideas and stories that influence our music and lyrics. To understand that all of that, I need to tell you about myself.
In 2015 my life was a mess and that’s putting it lightly. My business and professional standing had been severely damaged by the actions of someone I now realize was a conman. After a lengthy legal battle to regain control of my life, I accepted the fact that I had hit rock bottom and would have to start over. It was a slow and difficult process that, at times, felt motionless. In early 2016 I took a position teaching guitar at School of Rock East Cobb. I’ve been a guitar instructor since 2003 but this was the first time I’d gotten to work in a classroom/ensemble setting. One of the great things about teaching at School of Rock is getting to see the positive effect learning music in a community environment has on young people- it gives them a sense of purpose, direction, and hope. And seeing those things develop in the kids I was teaching helped me start to have them in my life again as well. I felt like a human being again.
While teaching at School of Rock East Cobb, I met Corey Lowery whose daughter is one of our students. Corey is a producer and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame initially as the bassist for the rap metal band Stuck Mojo and now plays guitar for Seether. I was a little star struck to meet someone whose bands I had listened to in high school but that faded quickly- Corey is a very chill, relatable person. We became good friends and he expressed interest in producing my next recording project. At the time I was playing in a band that I’d been with for five years but was going nowhere. Corey was a great mentor to me and helped me see that I could accomplish a lot more starting a new project.
When it came time to assemble a new band I knew where to begin- my colleagues at School of Rock were all top-tier session players and touring musicians so why wouldn’t I pull from such a great talent pool? I first reached out to Chayse Pannell, a multi-talented musician with whom I had collaborated on numerous School of Rock related shows. He and I began writing songs for the project and soon enlisted the talents of our friend and keyboardist James Deveau. That became the initial stages of the group and we went into the studio with Corey in late 2017 to begin what would become the year-long process of recording our debut album.
Corey brought in some great session players for the rhythm section and then Nathan Covington and Wade Stephens joined the band on bass and drums, respectively, for live shows and future albums.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Once we got into the studio with Corey Lowery producing we had an amazing time. Corey knew how much drama there had been in my last band and he said “I don’t want you to look back on this and remember drama. I want you to remember how much fun it was.” He more than delivered on that promise. The studio process was laid back, productive, and enjoyable. The challenges we encountered were all positive- Corey would push us to achieve things we didn’t know we were capable of. I’ve always been a very technical guitarist but this is honestly the best guitar work I’ve done on an album. Every time one of us went into the studio to record we left feeling like we were better musicians. That’s an incredible feeling.
Axis of Empires – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The name “Axis of Empires” refers to the important individuals upon whose shoulders societies rest. In ancient times that would have Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great but their modern day equivalents would probably be the tech innovators like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. In other words, the people whose actions and ideas shape the world at large.
As I was working on getting my life back together, I was inspired by Jordan Peterson’s writings on personal development and how to achieve that goal in spirit, body, and mind. I knew that I wanted that push towards personal transcendence to be the underlying theme of Axis of Empires. The lyrics that Chayse and I crafted for these songs were all built around overcoming adversity. We didn’t want to follow the “life sucks and then you die” attitude of so many bands out there. Our lyrics are more like the surgeon pounding on a flatline patient’s open heart and screaming “LIVE DAMMIT!” Life is a dark, difficult journey but one that will always be worth taking if you never stop.
I knew that from a musical standpoint the best genre to capture this sentiment was power metal, a genre that’s less known here in the States but immensely popular in Europe and Asia. It uses all of the conventions of heavy metal- pounding machine gun drums, heavily distorted guitars, etc., along with symphonic and theatrical elements and a generally euphoric tone. It’s a tremendously fun style to play and write in and it forms the foundation of the Axis of Empires sound. On that groundwork, we’ve been able to add all of our unique personal influences. Chayse is a huge Beatles fan and loves great melodic songwriting. James is heavily influenced by blues and funk. It all goes together to create something that is immediately relatable. I’m continually amazed at how many people tell me they don’t normally like heavy metal but they love Axis of Empires.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I think for every band (whether they want to admit it or not) the objective measure of success is being able to make 100% of your income from playing your music. That’s certainly what we aspire to and with Axis of Empires, there’s a real, palpable feeling that we can achieve that.
Nevertheless, there’s another, deeper level of success that comes from knowing that you’ve truly made a difference in someone’s life. That might sound cliche but it’s true. Music is, at its most basic essence, changing people’s emotions by exerting pressure on air molecules. That’s magic.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/axisofempires
- Email: axisofempires@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/axisofempires
- Facebook: Facebook.com/axisofempires
- Twitter: Twitter.com/axisofempires
- Other: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/into-the-shadow/1455554067
Image Credit:
Katie Pannell
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