Jay Weinberg, the acclaimed drummer formerly of Slipknot and currently with Suicidal Tendencies, has provided an extensive update on his long-gestating solo musical endeavor. In a new interview with the Podioslave Podcast, Weinberg shed light on the collaborative nature and ambitious scope of the project he’s been crafting for over a decade.
Weinberg clarified that while it’s referred to as a “solo album,” it’s far from being a singular effort. “I’m playing all the instruments on it and I’m collaborating with many different vocalists who I’ve been inspired by,” he explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). The approach allows him to work with musicians he’s always wanted to, without the complexities of forming a traditional band. He envisions himself writing a song and then pitching it to a vocalist friend, suggesting: “Vocally this direction, it could be really great with this guy, this girl on it,” to see what they think.
This year has seen significant progress on the material, with Weinberg expressing immense excitement. He anticipates a soft debut of some songs at Colorado’s Field Of Vision festival in August, presented through a collaboration with his friend Conner Sullivan, also known as Argus. The full release is tentatively planned for the fall.
The drummer described the project as a “huge undertaking” and an “incredible creative endeavor.” He revealed a personal commitment he made to himself: to finally release the music he’s been writing and refining for years. This includes tracks with origins dating back as far as 2011.
Notably, Weinberg is expanding his musical skillset, teaching himself to be a “recorded guitar player and bass player and keyboard player and all this.” He believes this holistic involvement enhances his drumming: “I’m listening to what I’m making, not just from wearing my drummer’s hat… Myself, the guitar player, has to respect myself as the drummer and vice versa.”
Despite the slow pace, he shared: “I’m very proud of it and I’m hoping that some of that stuff starts to see the light of day hopefully this fall, is kind of like the deal that I’ve made with myself. So we’ll see. Knock on wood. We’ll see what happens.”
Regarding the musical direction, Jay explained it allows him to delve into influences that haven’t been as prominent in his previous work. “Sonically, it’s all stuff that I’ve always wanted to dive into. I think my influences from Neurosis and Interpol and My Bloody Valentine show their face in this kind of material more so than it has in other music that I’ve been a part of writing or recording in the past. So I’m very thrilled to get this stuff out, for sure.”
Weinberg first publicly hinted at these solo aspirations in January, sharing on social media that he had initially assembled a group in 2017 to perform his original music during a break from touring. He had put those songs aside until recently feeling a renewed inspiration to return to them, expressing satisfaction with their current trajectory and his intention to release them within the coming year.
Weinberg joined Suicidal Tendencies less than two months after being announced as the new drummer for Infectious Grooves, the long-running project founded over 30 years ago by Robert Trujillo and his then-Suicidal Tendencies bandmate, Mike Muir.
