Interview with Jesse Clasen of Harvard 2/2/10

I had a chance to sit down with one of the gentlemen behind Harvard to find out more about their major debut, The Inevitable and I. So please, enjoy a short interview with Jesse Clasen, lead singer of the band.

http://myspace.com/harvard

Praise For Wallflower: How long have you been together?
Jesse Clasen of Harvard: 4 years.

PFW: Did you form in school? And, does “Harvard” hold any significance as a name?
JC: Most of us were in school at the time; however, all different schools. I was at Appalachian State, Jason was at a private college, Lee was doing graphic design at a community college. [As for the name,] honestly, I don’t think about it too seriously.

PFW: Are there any past bands that our readers might recognize that you’ve been a part of - if so, what bands. Where did you guys come from musically speaking?
JC: We have all been in bands growing up. I was playing in a band called Defending Brooklyn and our drummer Tim was in a band called Ten Missing Days. Personally, I’m into a lot of different music. Oddly enough, not a lot of it is rockn’roll anymore. I’m getting older and finding love in new places/music. I’ve always been into female
vocalists and experimental music. Harvard’s music is still basically post hardcore but our other influences chime in at times (those are sometimes our best moments). I have faith that our music will get smarter as time progresses.

PFW: How did you get involved with Circa Survive’s producer, Brian McTernan?
JC: When we were brainstorming what producers we’d like to work with Brian wasn’t even really on our list. Not because we didn’t like his stuff (we did), but simply because we thought he was way over our budget. We sent him a message on myspace just for the hell of it and he was genuinely into our music enough that he made it work. Brian was a sweet dude and we owe him for sure.

PFW: How are the public liking Inevitable - what are you doing to get the word out? Any new recordings on the horizon? How about tours?
JC: All the reviews so far have been phenomenal; however, I don’t think enough people know about [the album]. The label has got us some magazine articles and things but in the grand scheme of things it isn’t much. We are currently discussing more creative and less expensive ways to get our music out there.

We do have a new song just about finished. I think our new music will be more technical and focused. Smarter music more focused on rhythm. We have a small tour in March that will put us in New York. Keep your eyes on the myspace for dates.

PFW: Anything weird happen lately that you want to mention?
JC: On the last tour we did I had to cut myself out of a seatbelt in the middle of nowhere in Texas at 3am.

There you have it. Do yourself and the band a favor. Head over to http://myspace.com/harvard for more information on the band’s first release, The Inevitable and I - and if you need more convincing, check out our review of the record. -Joe