Interview With Shawn Fisher & The Jukebox Gypsies



In March 2008, Shawn Fisher formed a band called The Jukebox Gypsies. The current members are Casey King and Robbie Vanasvol on guitar, Brad Moxey on drums and Scraggle on bass. Fisher was already doing solo gigs but the call to form a band really took over and The Jukebox Gypsies have been a solid act since their inception.

What really put them on the map was when the band entered a contest put on by WMXQ (102.9 FM). They really poured it on and won over 16 bands. This was a great start for the band in 2008 and in the summer of 2009 they signed with Universal Republic records for one record with hopes of more if all went well.

Universal Republic is the home of Mason Jennings, Colbie Caillat, Hinder, India Arie, and others, so they are in with some great company. This was an excellent opportunity for the band and they have really been working hard to take it to the next level.

In the meantime, the band has been out on regional tours in the Southeast, usually a week at a time about twice a month. CrankIt Entertainment had the opportunity to catch up with the band and this is what Fisher had to say.

CrankIt: How has your life changed since signing on to Universal Republic?

Shawn Fisher: To be honest man, I view every form of success we have had thus far as a door being opened which provides us with even more opportunities. When I signed my publishing deal with EMI on Valentine’s Day of 2009, it opened the door to labels being interested in us. With Universal now on our side, as of the summer of 2009, we’ve had the pleasure of working with producer John Fields for our debut record (something we could not have accomplished without our A&R over at Universal). Basically our signing with Universal was just another door being opened getting us another step closer to what we’ve been working hard towards for years now.

CrankIt: Are there any plans currently underway for a national or international tour now that you have been signed to a major label?

S F: Well now especially since we have finished recording in LA for our debut, we want to be on the road before, during, and after the release in Spring of 2010. So we are currently planning on starting to constantly be on the road in January. Our second home is the stage so we are itching to become “road dogs” as soon as possible.

CrankIt: Outside of Florida where are the places that you have enjoyed playing at the most, and what about those places produced the most memorable environments?

S F: We recently played some shows in Virginia and North Carolina. It was so awesome being in a van with 4 of your best friends and go through the mountains. Just a completely different environment for 5 Florida boys.

CrankIt: Out of all of your musical influences which artist or group would you most want to play with or alongside of if you could choose one?

S F: Man, it is a tie for me. It would have to be between Aerosmith or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Both of those bands had a significant impact on my songwriting and the band’s stage show.

CrankIt: What is the inspiration/story behind the name, Jukebox Gypsies?

S F: It was the night before we were going to record our self-funded EP and we needed to come up with a band name. I was reading some magazine with ads for Jukeboxes in them. We were all hanging out over at my place and were watching “Borat,” where the lead character has a severe disdain for Gypsies. So I decided to put 1 and 1 together and that is how the name “Jukebox Gypsies” came to be.

CrankIt: Is there any particular message that you try to put behind your songs, or a feeling that you would like for them to take away from your performances of them?

S F: I am not the kind of guy who writes a song on command. So whenever a song comes out, it is from a real place and not contrived in any un-natural manner. My goal in writing any song is 100 percent honesty in what I am saying. That way when we play live, I don’t need to do anything extra in the performance; since every song is tied to me somehow, the emotion and sentiment will come out without forcing it.

CrankIt: What things outside of the musical realm have given you the most guidance throughout your career (i.e.- artists, parents, god)?

S F: First, my parents have had a huge impact on my diligence, how I hold myself, and the importance on treating every fan you have with respect. I owe everything I am, personally speaking, to them. Second, as I mentioned earlier, I love to study other artists and see how they move, how they play, and learn little by little so I can put my own spin on what made them successful.

CrankIt: How long have you actively been pursuing your music career?

S F: I think it all started when I was 15. So 6 years now.

CrankIt: What is the biggest goal or dream you hope to realize with your music career becoming successful?

S F: I am not looking to become some super pop/rock star or anything like that. That’s what I love about the guys I am with; we all have a common goal. We would all just love to be able to play live every night in a different city and be able to pay our bills back home. Just making a living by doing what we are most passionate about is enough for us.

CrankIt: How much help and encouragement have the guys at SkinnyBoy entertainment provided you with since they started helping you?

S F: Extremely helpful. We are co-managed by Eddie O’Neal and Tim Hall. Eddie is the main reason the Jukebox Gypsies line-up came to be. He used to manage 5 other bands, who later broke up, and he chose the best players out of those bands to become the Jukebox Gypsies. Now, Tim Hall is the reason why we have a fan base here in Jacksonville. Any band that does not know who Tim Hall is needs to open their eyes and ears a little more. He has helped us get on so many amazing shows (such as Our Lady Peace ,Gavin DeGraw, and Third Eye Blind). Not only that, but he has taught us so much from the promoter side of the music industry. He is an extremely knowledgeable individual when it comes to that aspect. So we have a pretty amazing core team behind us.

CrankIt: What other current Jacksonville area artists and bands do you have a lot of admiration for, and think people should give a listen to?

S F: I wish more people would pay more attention to the amazing music scene here in Jacksonville. We just did a Christmas photo shoot with our good friends in “The Embraced” for our acoustic Christmas show at Jackrabbits. Some of my other favorite local bands are Society Red, Mark O’Quinn, Name:Bran, John Carver Band, Love Lies and Therapy, Hello Danger, Christina Wagner, and Marion Crane.

CrankIt: What is the longest amount of time you have been out on tour so far, and are you looking forward to that amount of time being exceeded in the near future?

S F: We are kind of new to touring, so the longest we have been on tour has been for about 9 days. But we simply cannot wait to make it a full time endeavor.

CrankIt: How long have you been playing with the people who make up Jukebox Gypsies?

S F: I have had the pleasure of playing with the Jukebox Gypsies (Casey King and Robbie Vanosdol on Guitar, Scraggle on Bass, and Brad Moxey on Drums) for almost 2 years now.

CrankIt: What brought you all together to play music as a group?

S F: Our manager Eddie O’Neal got us all together in one room and everything clicked from then on.

CrankIt: Is there any venue or place that you have always relished the thought of playing in, and if so what or where is it?

S F: I am huge fan of festivals. If I am on YouTube, I am probably watching videos of bands playing at Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza or overseas festivals such as Glastonbury or Reading. Playing one of those really well established festivals just seems like a surreal experience.

CrankIt: Are you all an extremely close-knit and like-minded group as a whole, or does everybody just kind of have their own peaceful directions they tend to go off into?

S F: Surprisingly we all get along really well. You hear stories of bands where the members cannot stand each other. But so far, we have been very close-knit. We make it a point to be respectful to each other during the writing process for new songs and everything.

CrankIt: Is everyone in the group from here in the Jacksonville area, or if not where is everyone originally from?

S F: Everyone except our guitar player Robbie, is from Jacksonville. He is from Gainesville but now calls himself a Jacksonville resident. Ha ha.

CrankIt: To date what has been your biggest thrill you have gotten from playing music live, and why was is it so exhilarating?

S F: Our last headlining show at Jackrabbits was amazing. The biggest rush I get as a singer/songwriter is to know that people can relate to what I write. I did one of our songs called “Radio” by myself with an acoustic guitar and no microphone and the crowd was singing the words louder than I could. That was probably one of my favorite “live moments” so far.

CrankIt: Out of the venues around town is there any one in particular that really have a blast playing at every time you get the chance to play there? What is it that makes it such a special experience to play there?

S F: Jackrabbits is MY second home. I have been playing there ever since I was 16 years old. I remember how excited I was the first time I got to play there for a crowd of 5 people. I thought I had made it, you know? And to now be playing in front of 200+ fans there is such a rush. My history as a performing musician will always be tied to Jackrabbits. Whenever we are in there setting up for a show there is always a good vibe.

You can find more on this band at their website. Go to www.myspace.com/shawnfisher to find more information, tour dates and pictures.