Jen Militia

ROCKED: On The Road with JEN MILITIA
By BD Marie Hughes

Orginally submitted to TAMBOURINE Magazine www.TambourineMagazine.ca – APRIL 2008

JEN MILITIA
Mike Dainjah – Vocals, E-von – vocals (not on current tour)
Kyle Nova – bass, GP – noize & synth
Seamus Carling – guitar, Stevie OK – drums (out – not on the call),
Holla – vocals

The call – catch up with the band Jen Militia, touring western Canada, laid over in Edmonton, AB, for a kickass interview. Not one to turn down an intriguing adventure…..

Rock/soul/hip hop band Jen Militia calls Kitchener/Waterloo home although Mike Dainjah enthusiastically shouts out, “Berlin!” when asked. Together for 4 years, they’ve received major play on EDGE 102.1, 91.5 The Beat (Kitchener), Y108 – Hamilton, and Live 88.5 – Ottawa, to name but a few.

BD/Tambourine: Nice to catch up with you again, Mike! Gentlemen – whoever is awake! (It’s 12 noon Toronto time, 10 am Edmonton time.) Happy New Year! Jen Militia has been really active since the new year. Let’s keep it simple to start – what are the highlights? And while you’re at it, gimme the lowlights… (laughing)

Mike: We have a new guitar player – Seamus Carling! He’s been with us since early December, so that’s new. Many lowlights! (laughing) A LOT of great shows! Kimberley, BC was great! New Year’s we played with Sweat Shop Union, a hip hop band out of Vancouver. Pandemonium! Chaos! A lot of fun!

T: You describe your music as “rock/soul/hip hop” – it’s an interesting mix. As a fan, all I know is that you sound very original, I’m a slave to “Commie Kid Shuffle”, and have met many a deadline on, “This is Not a Test”. (laughing)

Seamus: Rock/soul/hip hop – it’s all the same to us! I find it funny that people can’t grasp their heads around that concept!

T: Do you have any strategies for radio play? How tough is it to get? Do you see radio play equating to sales or factoring into Jen Militia at all? Where is your focus?

Mike: Radio play is nice. It hits the most people in the shortest amount of time. We’re lucky that we have songs that are “radio ready”. We don’t write for radio. It’s great, you know? It means more people are coming to the shows. It means more people are interested in what we’re doing and checking out our website.

T: What was it like when you heard yourself for the first time on the radio?

Holla: Our songs get played just randomly. When I heard our music on the radio for the first time – I got pumped up. It was a great sound!

T: How do you find booking gigs in Toronto? I mean, it’s a big city and there are more choices for music appreciation – it seems you’re immensely popular here in Toronto yet also have a ton of fans outside of the city, including across the country as your recent touring attests. How would you explain the draw?

Holla: Shit, Toronto is the hardest town to play in. (laughter erupts)

GP: Toronto has twice as many bands than people in the city…..

Mike: It’s a big city. You can’t hate on everyone and every thing. We have great fans in Toronto that come out and support us. Some places are better. In Toronto, we gotta deal with promoters that don’t always have your best interests at heart, other bands that think they’re amazing and aren’t. It’s the select clubs when we play Toronto. When the situation is right, and it’s close to us – nowhere in the country is it like that (in appreciating tone). People are a little less pretentious and more into it for the fun of it rather than the fashion of it. Jen Militia will take fun over fashion any day.

T: Let’s talk about Jen Militia’s songwriting. Do you feel you are testing boundaries with your music? (Interviewer attempts to “get serious” – this question is a tough answer to pull from them.)

Over the phone: (a lot of anonymous rumbling, there is a long pause)…..

T: Are you still there? Hello? (starting to laugh) Look it, I only do first class! I don’t want to ask you the cheap questions like, (high pitched & mockingly) “What are your music influences?” and “What’s your favourite fucking colour?” ok?? (Too late. Everyone is laughing. Again.)

Mike: Jen Militia is about testing the boundaries of how many girls can get on the dance floor! Songwriting includes a Berlin or Hamilton bar – alcohol is involved, and as many ladies as possible. The moment of clarity will sneak up on us, we write it down, and, next rehearsal, we set it to music. That’s the Jen Militia engineering process – alcohol and girls are involved. (laughing)

T: What happens when you’re just jamming? Any creative gems come of it? Do you end up finding your “true place” in that kind of process?

Kyle: Yes, even when we’re sober. (deadpan) (Then everyone laughs.)

Mike: It’s instant mingling of musical vibes. We don’t plan anything. We get together, you know, book some time, get into the bat cave, turn the power on and communicate. On tour, we spend most of our time waiting. Waiting to play. Waiting to go on stage. Waiting to get there. Waiting to get to the next gig. We spend our time intermingling with everybody, we laugh, we joke and have a great time together. When we get in a room to jam, it’s the same thing (as songwriting sessions) instead we do it with instruments. We communicate with instruments.

T: What would you say are the elements or combination of elements in your music that allow you to really “bring it” when you’re performing? What “ups” the adrenalin factor on stage?

Mike: Girls, girls, girls – and booze! (everyone laughs) Generally when we see people shouting and carrying on and having a good time like us, we have a great time. We have a better time than most people watchin’ us. It’s like when a preacher delivers a real nice sermon. The choir is singing just perfectly. It’s about movement and power. At a Jen Militia show, it’s the same thing. Like Jesus said, you’re sowing seeds. Some are sown on thorny ground, some fall on rocks. Some fall on fertile ground and it will be nourished by the beauty of music and it will grow strong.

Mike continues: That’s when people are feelin’ what we’re dealin’, and sweatin’ and yellin’ and boyfriends are getting jealous – the match is struck and the hand grenade pin is pulled.

T: Congrats on your win for “Best Urban” at the TIMAs this past October. What was that experience like? Did you garner more industry attention and fan appreciation as a result of that? I’m pretty confident for you on the fan side. (smiles)

Mike: There’s no “twinkle in the eye” (with that experience). There were ladies with drinks and we raided all the Jagermeister swag. It’s great to get recognized. Really, we’re doing what we’re doing before and now doing it after (the TIMA awards). Now when they see it, they take notice. Like a sign post. You’re walking, walking, walking and suddenly the sign post tells you you’ve gone this far, you’ve got this further to go, and you’re going in the right direction.

T: Using 3 words, what makes Jen Militia worth the price of admission to see live? Hype it up for Tambourine’s readership, ok, because you already know I’m showing up!

(There’s a long pause and then everyone on the other end of the phone starts to laugh. Then the interviewer laughs.)

Mike: We’re chargin’ $57.95, and, with your friend, you get in for $40! You’re taxing Kyle’s brain too much! I like the word “pandemonium”. Pandemonium!

Holla: Ass shakin’ rock!

Kyle: Come see our shit, buy our shit, see Jen Militia!

Mike: As I said, Seamus has been with us for a bit now. He’s got some great stuff. We intend to give him a chance to shine.

REFS/Sources:
www.myspace.com/JenMilitia
www.JenMlitia.com
www.TorontoIMA.com