Jason Charles Miller is an American musician, singer, voice actor and songwriter best known for his work with industrial rock band Godhead. He’s also one half of Rezodrone, a band that will be familiar to fans of Cyberpunk 2077. We caught up with him to learn more about his new project, Knives In The Dark.
STARBURST: How would you pitch Knives in the Dark to a time-travelling vampire cowboy?
Jason Charles Miller: Well, the first thing I’d do is say, “Hey, don’t suck my blood, partner.” Then I’d tell him about the song Darkest Horse that actually references vampires in the second verse! I’d also tell him about the song ‘Blood and Bone’ that mentions,,, well… blood!
And how would you pitch it to someone who loves playing D&D?
I’d tell them how the title track actually references several different chapters in The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, and how Along for the Ride is about a bank heist gone wrong – TTRPGers love a good heist!
What was your favourite moment when creating Knives in the Dark?
There were so many! One that comes to mind was when my two guitar players, Gary Joseph Potter Jr. and Allie Kay, worked on blazing duelling guitar solos on two different songs, Got Me on the Run and Along For the Ride. It was really quite fun seeing them come up with those different parts on the spot with producer Matt Hyde. Another time was with one of our guest vocalists, Ellis Hall [Tower of Power], and what he brought to the table with his powerful vocals and silky smooth keyboard playing. Another time was collaborating with Cristina Vee, who I know from my voice-over career but who I had yet to get to sing on one of my songs, even though we sang a video game theme song together previously.
How is Knives in the Dark different from your other projects?
It’s the most cohesive and representative album of my career. It’s a culmination of all my influences and experiences, combined with an amazing collection of musicians to really bring it home!
How has your work on Starter Kit influenced this project?
I’d say the creativity of working on different role-playing games and figuring out how to teach them to other people is always mind-expanding.
What was the most challenging part of the production?
Time coordination! Matt Hyde is an in-demand producer who often works out of town, so we had to find creative ways to get everything done on time.
You’ve worked on some very cool projects for amazing franchises. Do you still have a ‘holy grail’ project, a thing that you’d love to create music for but haven’t yet? And if so, what is it?
Anything Lord of the Rings related! That’s a bucket list item for sure!
What was it like to be a Killer Klown?
Haha, it was a lot of fun but also a lot of hard work! That game [Killer Klowns from Outer Space] has a ton of effort noises and weird klown noises that will really get you out of breath!
What’s next for you?
Next, I head to Saudi Arabia to sing in a series of orchestra concerts celebrating the music of Final Fantasy XIV. I sing four songs in the game, so I’m lucky enough to be asked to participate in these amazing concerts. So far, we’ve done them in England, China, South Korea, Vegas, and three in Japan.
Beholders or Beekeepers?
Beholders!
Dungeons or Dragons?
C’mon… you know the answer is BOTH!
Truth or Beauty?
In truth, there is beauty.
