Metal Psalter Sons of Liberty's Jon Schaffer Interview

The Stream: Thanks for taking the time for this interview. I am a big Iced Earth fan and also find my political views aligned with yours. That being said, was there one recent event in particular that drove you to put together Sons of Liberty?

Jon Schaffer: I heard about the MIAC Report while I was on vacation and that raised serious flags. From that point on I really started looking closely at what was happening, and my research led me to learning about the true history of the Federal Reserve System. They hold the real power in our society, and are a group of robber barons that control both parties’ agendas.

The Stream: How do you feel about Dave Mustaine tackling issues of big government on the last 2 Megadeth albums? Has his work been an influence on the Sons of Liberty? I know that the topics you tackle in your music are totally different (Federal Reserve, etc.) but could you say that it was an encouragement?

Jon Schaffer: I like Dave, but I have not followed his career close enough to know what he’s been doing, so I wouldn’t say it’s an influence. I think there’s an awakening happening right now the likes we’ve never seen before.

The Stream: It’s good to hear you singing again! Would you say your vocal style on Brush-Fires of the Mind has changed since your earlier work with IE?

Jon Schaffer: Well, this is really the first time I’ve tried to sing. With the exception of Stormrider, and I wouldn’t call that singing, God of Thunder, and A Gift or A Curse, I’ve never really been motivated to sing. I’ve always been very involved in the vocal melodies and vocal arrangements in IE, but I was not very motivated to sing before my awakening. For some reason, I felt like I had to do this. It’s not about me, it’s about the message, and I’ve done the research, I know how serious this is and I think I can inspire people to stand up and resist tyranny.

The Stream: Let’s talk about guitar. Has your setup changed at all for Brush-Fires of the Mind? I really enjoyed the solos, especially in “Don’t Tread on Me”.

Jon Schaffer: The biggest difference in the guitar setup is that we’re tuned to standard 440 pitch. Troy Seele and Jim Morris played the solos. “Don’t Tread on Me” is one of Troy’s solos and it does kick some serious ass!

The Stream: I know there are certain guest musicians on Brush-Fires of the Mind but I can’t find a formal list at the moment. I’m sure that will change when the CD comes out, obviously, but are there any guest musicians you want to point out? Who drums on the album?

Jon Schaffer: I programmed the drums, with some help from Jim Morris. Drums are the most expensive part of a production, and since I gave this away for free online I needed to keep the costs down. Ruben Drake played bass guitar and as I stated before Jim and Troy did the solos.

The Stream: Did you produce Brush-Fires on your own? What platform did you use?

Jon Schaffer: Yes, for the most part. Jim helped me with a few things and then he mixed it at Morrisound. I used ProTools.

The Stream: I really enjoy the quotations that you frame the tracks with. Did you choose them because they are particularly meaningful to you? I can see how each one has a connection to the song that it follows. Do you have a favorite quotation?

Jon Schaffer: I have many favorites, you’ll see several in the layout of the physical CD release. I felt like the ones that are on the CD were right in context of the songs.

The Stream: How has Ayn Rand’s objectivist philosophy influenced your writing? She’s one of my favorite authors and I was very excited to see Atlas Shrugged on the Sons of Liberty reading list!

Jon Schaffer: She was a genius, everyone should read her books. She’s influenced my life, and that always comes through in the songwriting.

The Stream: Were you a Ron Paul supporter in 2008? Are you supporting his son Rand in KY? Bottom line, do you envision Sons of Liberty promoting liberty-minded politicians in the future? Would you endorse candidates?

Jon Schaffer: I liked Ron Paul but am a far bigger supporter now that I’m awake to the FED and what that means to our society. We need many more like him in DC.
I do support his son Rand as well, but not because he’s a republican, because he’s really a Libertarian. Yes, I will certainly endorse Libertarian candidates.

The Stream: Do you see the Liberty movement increasing in the future? Ron Paul really made a splash in 2008 and with the Tea Party movement rising to prominence, as well as the midterm elections like the governors races in VA and NJ, there has been more and more press attention. Do you think people will wake up from the status quo eventually?

Jon Schaffer: I do see it getting bigger and bigger all the time. I don’t like the fact that establishment Republicans are trying to hijack the movement. But I believe as things continue to decay, more people will see through the corporate controlled media’s lies about the Tea Party and people will see it for what it truly is. The establishment is scared right now, and they damn well should be. We’ve been deceived by both parties for far too long, it’s time we wake up.

The Stream: Is there anything in the works for SOL besides the brief tour this fall? A sequel album maybe?

Jon Schaffer: SOL is a movement that I will be involved in ‘til the end of my days. There will definitely be more records.