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"This Game Has No Rules": Jesse Daniel Edwards Isn't Here to Play Safe

A fiercely unfiltered conversation with Jesse Daniel Edwards on his new two-part record Requiem Mass / Catechism En Masse, how he’s stayed afloat without selling out, why he trusts instinct over industry, and what it means to make art when no one’s watching.

By Chris RoditisMusicngear Lead Editor

Jesse Daniel Edwards doesn't write background music. He writes to confront, to provoke, to wrestle with the chaos. His upcoming project, the two-part release Requiem Mass (out June 27) and Catechism En Masse (out July 25), isn’t designed to chase streams or make playlists. It’s a howl from the soul of a world unraveling, delivered with punk-folk defiance and a touch of manic poetry.

The Nashville-based songwriter loaded this new release with everything from vintage Steinways and Moog Theremins to saws, hammers, and hatchets. But tools are just the surface. Beneath them lies something much bigger: a deep and unflinching rejection of apathy, corporate control, and algorithm-approved mediocrity.

In this raw, impassioned interview, Jesse talks to us about trusting creative impulses, surviving capitalism as an artist, why he doesn’t want to trade lives with anyone, and the one thing that might still matter more than virality: meaning.

Chris Roditis, Musicngear: Your upcoming project is split into two parts, Requiem Mass and Catechism En Masse, and they'll be combined into a full-length LP for the physical release. Why did you decide to release it this way, and how does each part stand on its own?

Think about how difficult it can be making choices...Business or pleasure? Shave it off, or rock a cookie duster?  Play it aloof or let the fires of desperation rage? Chocolate, or sour watermelon?? And on it goes - each moment of our lives dictated by a compounding and cascading series of choices...actions and reactions that ultimately come to define us and our existence.

It's all too tempting to obsess over the minutiae, the cause & effect...the near infinite concatenations; and it doesn't take long to be overwhelmed, or driven completely mad by the sheer, breathtaking scale. Yet, we cannot be entirely ignorant of the details either; buffeted hither and thither by the vicissitudes of higher powers, society, history, trends, and a multitude of nigh invisible external forces.

Without embarking on a full dissertation regarding the problems presented by the trifling matter of free will, let's just say that when I don't "have to" make a decision, I choose, well, um, NOT to...no point choosing between one theme, or one anchor point, when both may live together, even if somewhat precariously side by side.

I don't reckon split personalities to be a "bad" thing necessarily, especially when it comes to art.  If it is in you, it IS you.

Musicngear: The gear list for the album is wild; from a 1920s Steinway and a Moog Theremini to literal saws and hatchets. What was the weirdest sound you captured with these tools, and how did that moment come about in the studio?

Björk said in an interview with Charlie Rose that she would die before ever being able to explore or record all the sounds inside her head. Well, while my sonic vocabulary may not be quite as extensive, or perhaps as manifest (at least heretofore), I will say that the weirdest sounds on a record invariably seem to be the ones that don't make it into the final cut, often by merit of being too weird, right?

In this day and age, and by this time in the history of modern music, basically everything has been synthesized, sampled, remixed, copied, and exploited to DEATH. This ain't the golden age of sound, where people were spinning speakers around on cables for effect, or "breaking" equipment for an unconventional tonal hue. Also, this ain't the age of wonder- hasn't everyone seen it all by now?

Whether it's people squirting sticks of butter out their bottoms, or eating laundry detergent, I don't think sticking a microphone into a bush to record a nightingale at 4 am is really gonna cause anyone to marvel, especially since computer programs can generate these sounds faster than we can request them.

And think on this: there is more music out there now than ever before in human history, and still it amasses. At some point, we will have covered every single possible combination of frequencies, perhaps we've already surpassed that point, and everything from here on out is a grainy facsimile copy of something that existed in the past.

Without going into a full treatise on originality, or nay, modern music, let's just say that the "right" sounds find their level, so to speak, driven by what serves- in one instance - a song, and thereby a recording, thereby an album (if you believe in that sort of thing).  

When we are finally able to see into people's dreams, I would like to be there with a field recorder on hand and record the color tangerine singing to periwinkle. Now THAT *might* be something new-ish.

And it's hard to determine where the impulse comes from, for a particular sound, beyond the obvious accompaniment building blocks, the rhythm sections, even often times the vocals. Why does a painter pick one shade darker on the palette? How do they KNOW when it is RIGHT?

Perhaps that latitude is where the freedom of expression becomes "art".  And learning to listen to that impulse, and more importantly, to trust it.  Perhaps the idea that there is no "wrong" answer opens up a realm of possibility, and confidence as that trust builds, as that relationship expands.

Perhaps when others view or listen to the art, that very margin is what enables them to slip their own interpretation, their own experience, their own vocabulary into the mix.  And perhaps that shared space is where we truly commune, and it is necessary for our survival.  

The largest living organism on this planet is an interconnected body of trees. Are we so different? Often, people are curious about an artist's influences, as if that explains away the choice of texture or tone.  Certainly, an artist's choices are filtered through this charcoal bedrock, but I have always believed- mainly because I didn't have the luxury of many quality influences in my formative stages- that the narrative is actually much broader: where did those early influences get THEIR influence? What was the first channel of inspiration?  

You know, music isn't that old, relatively speaking.  Apart from the purely perfunctory advantages to imbuing sound with meaning, why were we inspired to evolve further?  Can it be explained by an enlarged frontal lobe?  Was it gifted to us by god?  By extraterrestrials? Is it as completely random as everything else mostly appears, and therefore purely mathematical probability and coincidence, and THEREFORE inherently meaningless?

And does the fact that it has grown to become a big, gross, money business just negate any merit it has as "art"?  The reality is, it's corporations profiting from the creation of music, not musicians.

Not that the creation of art should be driven by profit at all, but the fact that these corporations exploit art, and now AI can effortlessly create it, I think that kinda begs again the earlier query: what's the point?

Let's face it, music gear is insanely expensive. I've been feeding the masses with a handful of stanky ass fish now for, like, two decades

Musicngear: For the gearheads out there: What's your setup for these EPs? Any favorite instruments, pedals, or tools you kept coming back to?

The only gear I actually own is a couple of slide whistles and harmonicas. I realize how cheeky and flippant that may sound (the comment, not the slide whistles themselves), but it is absolutely the truth. It's been that way for two decades.

I've had access to lots of gear that just lays about, leftover from people stopping in, or heading out...tours, former band members and other questionable liaisons...where I'm going with this is, anything I've been able to record or perform with has essentially been borrowed or just left where I happen to be living at the time. I'm sure this has sort of shaped the sound of things over the years.

One such piece that has stuck around is a somewhat busted and modded Tube Screamer, plugged into a second Tube Screamer (not busted). It was left in a guitar bag by a member of my brother's band one tour, after he suffered a nervous breakdown in the middle of the night after our first show, and then he left without telling anyone or even bringing his bag with him when he left. That's generally how it goes around here.

Let's face it, music gear is insanely expensive. I've been feeding the masses with a handful of stanky ass fish now for, like, two decades.

Musicngear: This is the first time you've invited outside musicians into your solo work. What were the biggest challenges or breakthroughs in giving up that control and embracing collaboration?

I've never been in one place long enough to drive the roots down with a band (and it was HELL on my dating life too, let me tell you...rather, let the former girlfriends tell you!). In fact, it's a habit I simply absorbed from my transient upbringing.

It wasn't until I came to terms with my own origin story that I was finally able to let go of the insatiable restlessness and embrace the beginnings of stability. Try picking up something you need/want, but in your hand, you're already holding something that takes up all your grip...it's impossible.

I've never been particular, or overtly peculiar - I've been civil enough, I've been open enough. But I've been madly uprooting myself and charging ever off into the sunset. It makes it hard to build on the type of chemistry and trust requisite in creative collaborations.

Isn't it funny how obvious I can make that sound to myself now, but how that was a blind spot in my life for three decades, holding me back in a sense? We've all got those blindspots, and if we're fortunate, trusted cohorts in our lives who can be our mirrors...

I wrote about it once:

Chameleon And Cloud (Venice, May 25)

Once I guessed, I yielded up, you,
I turned to the impulses of a hedonist in gallant retreat
a young'un who'd never been given anything in gold,
turns out I wasn't so green, as was supposed,
got that bubble deal, off the boardwalk,
ome head charge, very small coin again,
decide what I shall miss,
through a slightly obsolete, courting ritual,
of inextricable attachments,
and only know I have done such,
by the time it can not be otherwise,
the boxwood turning to piss,
a block later, then back,
I had a haircut in there,
as a chameleon cloud,
I always never, belong.

Musicngear: What are your goals for these releases - festival bookings, streaming milestones, blog coverage, and how do you plan to make that happen?

My dream for anything with which I am involved - including this very interview - is that I can represent one voice, albeit small, for critical thinking, and for personally inspired change. What I do, and who I AM, is meant to challenge the status quo, and encourage thoughtful, creative, and passionate dialogue around what matters most in our shared experience of being alive, and being human.

It's nothing very radical, it turns out, but entirely reasonable and empathetic. Yes, I'm taking on certain issues by name, and head-on: school shootings, drug addiction and substance abuse, the increased loss of privacy and personal accountability due to digital reliance, our government's laboriously obvious corruption, and the unmitigated onslaught of ads and corporation-driven manipulation.

May as well say something, right? If we can write one line in one song that makes a little tiny bit of difference and says something of substance, instead of the usual dull, predictable drivel, then why not put it out there? What is the alternative-ego, money? Even simple amusement/enjoyment- it's not enough anymore. The stakes are simply too high.

And it's not that we can't still have fun with it, and enjoy art and music- but we MUST also include the relevant issues of our time, and always -ALWAYS- challenge ourselves, as music lovers, music makers, conscientious members of our own communities, and members of this human race.

I mean, listen to the record, it's like Billy Joel moonlighting with System of a Down, right?? Very much an acquired taste - and acquired by very few. But that's ok, there's a lane for that sort of thing- that's the joy! There's a lane for ALL of us!! Me, you, everyone!!

And really, let's call a spade a spatula: very few people ever hear what I do, so it's not as if it's T. Swift releasing a DIY garage rock protest song and drawing the ire on Twitter ('X'- totally pretentious name, especially since everyone still says "tweeting") of an elected government official, or something, ya?

I had fun making the record, that is the part that may be unfathomable...even listening back myself, now, I'm like, hm, a bit manic sounding. Gotta trust the impulse though. When we try to align with what's acceptable or popular, that's when we lose the one thing that might be our own little spark to carry into the darkness.

Musicngear: What are your thoughts on the value of music blog coverage today and where it's heading, especially with platforms that connect artists with bloggers and curators, like SubmitHub, Groover, Musosoup, and Wallstream?

Never heard of them, but I believe in quality over quantity in this disgusting, fake age we live in, especially and mostly here in the West. Gimme a platform that's one inch wide, but one mile deep.

Look, if one person discovers something on their own, organically, and it inspires them, or makes them think for themself, that's doing more than these algorithm junkie, marketing team, corporate assholes will ever be able to furnish. A good litmus test these days is, and it's simple: if it's mostly about money, it probably sucks. And that's Apple, Amazon, Spotify, Google, Meta, and all the rest.

The fact that they are the gatekeepers to what people consume with their eyes and ears should have people throwing up in the street. I don't really care, because again, the music I make isn't even a drop in the ocean, but still, we all share a world- and all that crap breeds serious negativity, and it's making our minds, and our society ill. 

What's at stake? Only our human soul. Here's a new model for "doing music": gather in a home in your neighborhood, invite over some friends and family, everyone brings snacks, light some candles, sing some songs for each other, host a busker or a local musician- pay his rent for a month. That's where the magic lies- not in all this digital studio prankster shit, and wannabe ego trip culture. 

Let me tell you something about the people behind most of what you listen to, watch, buy, and consume: THEY ARE LYING TO YOU, AND STEALING YOUR TIME AND MONEY. Money comes and goes, but time...whew, boy...hang on to that one.

This game has no rules; no one can rent the oxygen back to you. You were born free, and only you can surrender that sacred birthright

Musicngear: Ηow do you navigate the challenges of making a living as a musician today? Is music your main source of income, or do you have other ways to sustain yourself financially?

Unless you're shaking your ass on TikTok or pretending you're another of these sad influencer celebrities on Instagram, you're probably just another kid with GarageBand being ass-gaped by the technocrats at Spotify and Apple, when it comes to music. Face it, accept it, make peace with it. 

There is still room to make lovely art, sing your heart out, have fun, and build community/connect in a meaningful way with yourself and others through the glorious art of sound bending! Just call it like it is, and carry on.

I did the thing for ages, playing gigs for 50 bucks, whatever, some farmer's market gig, some midnight set at a no-one-gives-a-shit dive bar: guess what, it never took off, no one cared. So I stopped and found another way forward. 

I scrape by how I can- buying and selling crap, working odd jobs, living cheap - whatever it takes to stay free, live differently, and get by. Here's the truth: you never want to have too much or too little- we're simply not meant to have an insane amount of money or power, it's not natural, and it poisons our minds. 

We are meant to give more, share more, live together more. That's how it works. Because we are so out of whack with that basic balance is why we're on the brink of destroying ourselves, and this beautiful blue-green marble floating around in the vast, cold darkness of space.

Respect the hustle. I mean, some bands and musicians are still doing it the hard way, gig to gig, sleeping in a van- it's fun, but not sustainable. And in the end, a lot of people right now would rather see someone they saw on TikTok dancing around on a stage singing some pointlessly shallow garbage to a backing track. It's like birth control in the water supply; it keeps people dumb. 

And that's what's booked in most of the clubs around here in my town, 8 days a week...and I live in Music City.

Look, don't be jaded, bitter, or overtly cynical- be realistic while you dream, be gracious and accepting of the world, even as it stands now. But don't be ignorant, don't delude yourself. And NEVER capitulate. Do your own thing, if you're gonna do anything at all. Even some small thing can make a difference.

This game has no rules; no one can rent the oxygen back to you. You were born free, and only you can surrender that sacred birthright.

The art should sustain itself, and the plastic pop crap shouldn't box out the real stuff

Musicngear: Given that Spotify pays musicians mere pennies while raking in billions, do you believe the music industry would be better or worse off if the platform disappeared overnight?

Artists are often in the exploited class throughout the historical record. Mozart died penniless and alone, for god's sake.

I spoke to my people about trying to organize, once: I said, I want to draft an email along the lines of "Greetings Spotify and Apple, etc, and so on, my name is Jesse, I'm a musician like so many who's out there putting music up on your platforms. I don't need to be rich or a rockstar- I don't want to be. BUT, the art should sustain itself, and the plastic pop crap shouldn't box out the real stuff. Unless you meet with a delegation of us to redraft the terms of our involvement, then me, and everyone who gets this letter and wants to hop on the ahem bandwagon is pulling all our shit off one year from today." 

And it goes on and on like that, stating some ambiguous statistics, making a bleeding heart plea, going for the jugular, threatening, cajoling, then closing with a rousing outpouring of compelling calls to decency and idealism, or something along those lines.

Doesn't matter if I take my music off, right? But imagine if one day someone hops on to go for their jog, or their drive to work, or they're going through a breakup- WHATEVER- and The Beatles are GONE, Willie Nelson, GONE, Neil Young, GONE. 

That's funny, they think. Oh well, they're always clamoring for something these greedy musicians, geez what a hassle, but I don't mind, there's a trillion other albums on here. 

But they keep going down the line, and 75% of it is just GONE. No Beastie Boys, no Radiohead- NOTHING. Do you think they'd still be paying the $9.99 a month? Probably not...

Of course, this wasn't a popular idea around here, as the people who are so good as to work to share my music on my behalf (and for which I am eternally grateful) are more in the business of convincing me to put my music UP, not having me convince them to take it DOWN.

Still, a rebel poet may dream...

Musicngear: Are there any artists you'd love to collaborate with, or dream venues and festivals you'd like to play?

No, not really.

Well, okay, if alive OR dead, I would have loved to have been in the room with Vivaldi and Bach for some of their conversations about transcribing and variations on theme. 

Live Aid '85 would have been intense, in any capacity - I would have been happy just sweeping up and taking out the trash, just to have been there, to feel like change is possible, to feel the power of unity.

Do you realize how rare that is these days? Do you realize how divided all this online shit aims to keep us? 

Dumb, isolated people with one tired out emotional neuron - that's how they like us, that's how they control us.

Wake up, people!  Wake up!

Musicngear: If you had to swap lives with any musician from history for a day, who would it be and why?

I believe it may sound contradictory, but I wouldn't want to swap this life of mine for anything.

At the risk of sounding too contrarian, or perhaps lacking in imagination, I have fought and worked so hard for many years to land here, in a GOOD place with art, inspiration, workflow, music, managing money, ALL of it.

I am satisfied every day to be in my own skin, and I'm very proud of the weird little albums I've been able to put out there.

It's not hubris, but I love to listen to my own albums every now and again- that's part of why I made them. 

There was a hole out there in the musical firmament of what I wanted to hear, couldn't find anything to scratch that itch (well maybe that time System of a Down had Billy Joel open up for them), so I just damn well went out and threw it together myself. 

Here's a secret: (I honestly didn't think anyone else would ever hear any of it).

Musicngear: If you could go back in time and give one piece of advice to your younger self before starting your music career, what would it be?

It hasn't really been a career, it's just been me jamming my whole life, that's it. 

I would say, "Keep it up, you're on a good path." Not an easy one necessarily, I think it's been harder than not, more sad and frustrating than happy in many ways - but that's not the point.

It was the RIGHT path for me.

I was fortunate to learn that very early on, I didn't have to fuck about - I've wasted very little time.

Musicngear: Aside from Requiem Mass and Catechism En Masse, are there any upcoming projects, collaborations, or unexpected ventures we should keep our eyes on?

Did a collective, all done live, out in the woods recently, a la Velvet Underground - bunch of crazy hippies getting crossed out in a cabin for a week, while the tape was rolling...it was so restorative, inspirational, productive, and most important, FUN.  

To have come this far, and lived the years I have already, and to still love playing and exploring music...that is success by any definition.

(Shoutout to Bandcamp for keeping it real, we love you):

https://foldingsound.bandcamp.com/album/folding-sound

Thank you for reading, for caring, for walking the talk.

Connect with Jesse Daniel Edwards
Instagram / Spotify / Website

About Chris Roditis

Chris Roditis has been an active musician since 1995 in various bands and projects across a variety of genres ranging from acoustic, electronic to nu metal, british rock and trip hop. He has extensive experience as a mixing engineer and producer and has built recording studios for most of the projects he has been involved with. His passion for music steered his entrepreneurial skills into founding MusicNGear in 2012.

Contact Chris Roditis at chrisroditis@musicngear.com

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