On Play to Kill, The Jet City Fix mix rock, pop, punk, glam and emo and blend it into undeniably catchy riff driven songs. Vocalist Shane Flauding’s voice stands above a wall of rock that leaves listeners playing the record again and again until their friends steal it or break their CD player. The Jet City Fix have only been a band for a short time but have immediately become a Northwest favorite and are currently on a full US tour supporting living legend Link Wray. When choosing a young rock band to support his tour, Link Wray was so impressed he decided not only to invite The Jet City Fix but hired their rhythm section to play with him for the tour as well. As the old saying goes “this record has more hooks than a tacklebox”. Be assured, one listen and you’ll be hooked.
THE JET CITY FIX
Shane Flauding- vocals
Ty McDonald- guitar
John Wokas- guitar
Justin McDonald- bass
Dana Sims- drums
“Have a good time, all the time.” Those words may have been immortalized by Spinal Tap keyboardist Viv Savage, but they embody the underlying philosophy of The Jet City Fix.
In early 2002, the members of TJCF individually reached one conclusion: they weren’t exactly having a good time in their current situations. Drummer Dana Sims quit the band he was playing in (“Don’t ask me the name it’s completely irrelevant,” he says sardonically) because he was tired of playing in someone else’s band. Singer Shane Flauding left his up-and-coming emo band and moved back to his parents’ house in Sedro Wooley. Brothers Ty and Justin McDonald realized they wanted to play in a band together and guitarist John Wokas decided to leave New Orleans in favor of the Pacific Northwest.
Faced with the opportunity to start something from scratch, Dana decided two things: he wanted to start a high-energy rock and roll band and he wanted to make sure he did it with people he wanted to hang out with.
A call to a longtime friend yielded Justin’s number which got Dana more than he’d bargained for since Justin and brother Ty had decided they wanted to play together. The three musicians clicked instantly: in fact, the first several TJCF songs were written as the result of the first few jam sessions.
John Wokas responded to an ad placed by the fledgling band. Only one problem he was still living in New Orleans. “He said he was moving in a month, but we just sort of went, ‘Yeah, right give us a call when you move out here and we’ll see,’” says Dana.
As fate would have it, none of the other guitarists the band talked to worked out. As promised, Wokas called the minute he got back to Seattle. “The four of us hung out at the Queens of the Stone Age show the night he got into town and it was great,” explains Dana. “Then we got together to play and halfway through the first song, we knew he was in.”
With the band itself firmly in place, the only missing piece was a singer. Dana groans. “We had every sort of horrific nightmare audition possible,” he laughs. “We’re talking fodder for at least three Spinal Tap-type comedies!”
Throughout the ordeal, the band kept hearing about a mythical “kid in Tacoma.” “This went on for about three weeks,” says Dana. “Everyone knew who he was but no one knew his name or number. Then finally a friend of Justin’s who works at a coffee stand figured it out and got us in touch except that when we called his number, we found out that he’d moved back up to his parents’ two days before.”
Undeterred, they continued to track down the mysterious singer. They finally made contact with Shane, who promptly hitched a ride back down to Seattle with a friend. The band sent him back with a tape of their songs. The rest, as they say, is history. “He came back a week later and blew us away,” Dana still marvels.
With a dream line-up firmly in place, things moved quickly. Less than two months after Shane joined, the band played its first show. Their debut album, Play to Kill, was finished only a couple months later. In less than six months, the band had over 80 shows including high profile slots opening for Motorhead, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Dwarves, High On Fire, Zeke, Zen Guerrilla, Turbonegro, the Makers, Authority Zero, 1208, Redfield and Dr. Know under its belt. The band also did a full US tour supporting guitar legend Link Wray. Wray was so impressed by the band he also recruited the rhythm section of The Jet City Fix to back him up on tour.
“We really enjoy spending time together I mean, we probably spend six out of seven nights each week with each other. That’s why we’ve accomplished this much this soon,” explains Dana.
That chemistry and the commitment to having a great time is especially obvious in the band’s live show. “It’s a lot of fun,” says Shane. “We really do have a lot of fun. I look at our shows as a time to forget about work, your job, school, homework, whatever, and just rock out and have a good time.”
While TJCF has built a substantial Northwest following in a very short time (mostly based on their knock-out performances) the release of Play To Kill will finally give the rest of the country the chance to experience the band’s particular brand of ferociously catchy rock and roll.
“We’re a little glam, a little punk, pop, hard rock, all just kinda smashed together,” says Shane.
“I think what ties it all together is our love of 80s guitar rock,” laughs Dana.
“I love to rock!” agrees Shane.
Whatever you call it or however you want to describe it, you won’t be able to get Play To KIll out of your head once you hear it. Songs like “Dumb Luck” and “Drowning” are as catchy as anything currently riding the Warp Tour train, while “The Life” and “Jet City’s Rockin” simply rip.
In fact, “The Life” might provide the ultimate insight into TJCF. “Give me rhythm, a catchy little hook/A bass line so hot it makes the strings cook/You know thatMe and the boys we love to rock.”
It shows.
We have played over 160 shows since forming in August of 2002. We live to play live! Special Moments include playing the Bilbao Accion Rock Festival in Spain in front of 8000 people, opening for Motorhead in Seattle, a sold out show in Tempe, AZ on Halloween 2003 and playing to a sold out Village Underground in NYC on or first time in NYC.
Wildhearts, Guns N' Roses, Backyard Babies, Buckcherry, Thrice, Hellacopters, Foo Fighters, Faster Pussycat, Thursday, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Sponge
Guitars: Gibson Guitars & Marshall Heads & Cabs
Bass: GK Head and Mesa Boogie Cab
Drums: DW Drums, Yamaha Hardware, Zildjian Cymbals
Vocals: Sm-58
Check Us Out at www.thejetcityfix.com
