Jenix

The lovely boys of the up-and-coming band Jenix joined me for a chat after they rocked out The Scene on May 18th. Jenix is a local San Diego band, but you can bet they'll be playing soon in the LA area.

LAPunk: OK, can you guys tell us who you are and what your role is in the band?

Jenix: Charlie Knight and I play drums, Mark Gabriel and I play bass, Tylor Green, I’m lead singer and rhythm guitar, Bo Chen and I play guitar.

LAPunk: How did you guys think of the name Jenix?

Mark: Uh, EJ thought of it, I’m not quite sure.

Charlie: You guys were there, I wasn’t there

Tylor: Something like Jennifer’s ex-girlfriend or something like that.

Charlie: Somethin like that I guess.

All: We’re not really sure.

Tylor: Yea we’re not really sure, it just sounds really cool.

Mark: But if basically came about from some guy we know, who had an ex girlfriend named Jen, who was like Jen’s ex.

Tylor: So we put it together and it was like Jen’s ex except Jenix.

LAPunk: Ok, tell us about how the band formed.

Tylor: Umm, well me and Charlie were in One Step Further. And me and Mark were in another band. And Bo was just kinda like around. And he started playing guitar and I got kicked out of One Step Further, which I’m still kinda pissed about.

Mark: Yea Charlie!

Tylor: But ya know, nah Charlie had nothing to do with it. So its ok.

Mark: Tylor and me we kind of, we were kind of just in the notion to put together a band.

Tylor: Well it was at the ice cream social. We had a talent show at the ice cream social at our school and I was like ‘Mark you wanna do a little band thing?’ and he said yea. Then eventually I asked Charlie to play drums cause One Step Further had already broken up. And we made it where we are now and everything’s workin out.

LAPunk: So everything worked out. How would you describe the style of your music?

Bo: Its like alternative mixed with punkish.

Tylor: Its got that poppy punk aspect and then there are parts where its like harder. Definitely alternative.

LAPunk: How about if each one of you guys could name some of your musical influences.

Charlie: I’d defiantly say Finch, The Used, Taking Back Sunday and there’s this new band I like, My Chemical Romance.

Mark: New Found Glory, I’m an old school Blink fan and I listen to some hard stuff too, I like System of a Down, there’s a band called El Nino that’s really good. I listen to a bunch of different stuff. I’m all over the place with that.

Tylor: I’m pretty open minded when it comes to music. I like stuff like New Found Glory and I’m really into Slipknot like the hard stuff, El Nino like Mark said. The Used are one of my favorites, Finch.

Bo: Yea I’m kind a like Tylor, I like The Used and Finch.

(My cell phone starts to ring)

LAPunk: Ok who wants to answer it? Aw never mind they hung up.

Jenix: Aw! Weak!

LAPunk: As you were saying, your influences Bo?

Bo: Oh yea, Finch, The Used.

Mark: We’re all pretty much the same.

Bo: Yea we’re all the same and my good friend Jimmy Copa, he’s one of my musical influences. He’s gettin me in to rap, Fifty Cent, yeah!

LAPunk: OK, if you guys could go on tour with anyone who would you go with?

Tylor: Oh God, The Used, Finch.

Bo: Finch.

Mark: Actually, ya know what, for me at least... Anybody really, if they were asking us to tour, if we were going on tour I wouldn’t really care who it was

Tylor: Just as long as were playin show that’s all that matters.

Mark: We’re kinda feelin lonely down here, because we’ve played pretty much only down here in San Diego; we kinda want to move up. Go up to LA and check out those scenes.

LAPunk: Ha ha, well that brings me to my next question. Why haven’t you guys played any LA shows?

Charlie: Well we haven’t really sent any press packets up to LA. But soon to come. Very soon.

Bo: Yeah, and we’re all still in high school, so...

Mark: Not me! I’m the old guy, I’m in college!

Bo: So we gotta work on that.

LAPunk: Just pack up the car and head up to LA.

Jenix: Yeah!

LAPunk: Ok this one’s kinda deep... ready? At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted music to be a part of your life?

Charlie: I’d say my whole life, I’ve listened to music my whole life. I can’t live without it. I love playing drums, I used to play trumpet. I just love it, I can’t get enough of it.

Mark: Well it all goes back to elementary school, ya know like in fourth grade they ask you if you want to play an instrument. I was like ok that’d be pretty sick. So I played saxophone and I played saxophone all through school, grade school, middle school, high school. And I picked up the bass cause I wanted to start a band and no one was gonna do it. And I sucked then and I still suck now. But I just love it, I listen to music when I’m not doing anything else. I mean when I’m at school and I have time in between classes I just listen to music. Its just a part of my soul.

Tylor: My whole life, I mean music is the only thing that I’m good at

Charlie: Yeah, same here.

Tylor: I just want to stick with it. I’m not really into any sports, I’m not a big athlete or anything and I don’t really have any other hobbies or anything. Its just what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Bo: I love it, how I’m always last here.

Mark: Aww.

LAPunk: Ok, next question we’ll start with you Bo. We gotta be fair here.

Bo: haha ok.. I’m kinda like uh, me and Tylor, we’ve known each other all the way back since first grade and Tylor has influenced me in music a lot. Like everything that he listened to I listened to. And he picked up a guitar and I was like ‘sick I’m gonna play guitar’ and that’s it.

LAPunk: Aww how sweet.

Mark: Tylor I love you.

LAPunk: Ok well do you guys want to add anything else? You can start Bo.

Bo: Oh God, I get a hard one. Uhhhh, I’m gonna steal Charlie’s girl and music is everything.

Tylor: Pretty much that music is everything, you can have all the hobbies you want but when it comes down to it, you can have music for the rest of your life. That’s all you need to do ya know.

Mark: Yea, just music helps you so much. Music gets in you, once you’ve done it, its almost like a drug, you have to do it all the time. Its just a part of me, I hafta listen to music and I hafta play music, its just who I am.

Charlie: Alright well if I had three choices between uh sports, sex and music. I don’t know if I can say that but, I’d choose music.

All: Ooooh, that was good.

LAPunk: That’s a good virtue there Charlie. I commend you on that one. Ha ha. Is that it for you guys?

Bo: Katie rocks!

Mark: Katie rocks.

Tylor: Katie rocks applesauce.

Charlie: Yea, we love Katie.

LAPunk: OK well you can keep going but I’m gonna turn off the tape recorder now. Haha thanks guys, nothing but the best luck to you all.

Interview by Katie Plourd