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Bekka Collins: Could you please state your name and your role in the band.

Jon Heisserer: I’m Jon Heisserer, and I sing, play guitar, and write songs for Building Rome.

Bekka: How did Building Rome get started?

Jon: I started writing songs during my senior year of high school, because I was so uninterested in school.  I brought my guitar to class every day, and played in the halls.  Looking back, I probably looked like an idiot.  So after high school, I put together four songs that I thought would be a good start for a band and started posting flyers everywhere, trying to find musicians to play with.  And that’s where all of this insane craziness begins…

Bekka: Is there a story or meaning behind the name Building Rome?

Jon: Yup!  I jammed with over 100 musicians in the course of 3 months and I was starting to think that I would never be able to put together a band that fit.  I was pretty depressed and complained to my friend about how hard the music business was.  He told me that “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and I immediately went home and changed all of the names on the demos I’d recorded on my computer to Building Rome.
Bekka: Is being a musician what you’ve always wanted to do?
Jon: I originally wanted to be an actor, and when I realized that I wasn’t very good at that, I wanted to become a professional hockey player. In high school, I tore my hamstring during a hockey breakaway.  I missed the shot, and was out for almost a year.  It got so bad that I couldn’t even walk.  So one day, I was in the car with my parents (listening to Marvelous 3) and I decided that I was going to be a rock star.  What was I thinking!?!!?
Bekka: Is there a main songwriter in the band or is it a group process?
Jon: I come up with the initial concept and structure of a song and write all of the lyrics.  I bring it to the band and we play what’s in my head and sometimes the band puts their own spin on it.
Bekka: How would you describe your sound to our readers?
Jon: Our early stuff was compared a lot to Weezer and Jimmy Eat World, while our new stuff is compared to a lot of punk rock and alternative rock bands like Alkaline Trio, Say Anything, and Green Day.  I get songwriting inspiration from a lot of places so we have a unique sound to our music.
Bekka: You guys recently released your new album Nightmare, how was the recording process for that?
Jon: It was a really interesting process.  I had a concept written, a few full band demos, and a ton of acoustic demos.  We went into the studio and I was the only one who really knew exactly how I wanted it to sound.  Because of that, our producer, Steve Haigler, was a little frustrated with me, and it made for some rough patches.  But, after 2 months of really hard work we somehow pulled it off.  I really started experimenting with weird keyboard sounds and put them all over the album to give it a different feel.  It was the first time I did anything like that, and I really like what came of it.
Bekka: What do you think Nightmare offers that your previous albums do not?
Jon: I think it offers a bit more depth, and it represents the struggle that Building Rome has been through.  I also wasn’t as hesitant to talk about more serious subjects as I was in previous years.  There is a definite story that the album tells, and it’s somewhat autobiographical.  I’m just not going to admit what parts…

Bekka: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals?
Jon: Not really.   Show days can be stressful, so lately I try to turn my phone off all day, and relax.  We are all best friends, so a lot of our time is spent joking around and staying loose before a show.
Bekka: What would you say people could expect from your live shows?
Jon: They can expect us to rock out as hard as humanly possible.  Also, we like to get the audience involved, but really we go with the flow and if a crowd wants something, we give it to them.
Bekka: What do you think the best things and worst things about touring are?
Jon: My mind is always all over the place, so I enjoy the scene change.  But, after a while, though, it can get a little tiring and sometimes I just want my own bed.  There is nothing better though, than coming into a town and being welcomed by fans who you haven’t met yet, who already know your music and can sing along to it.  The free beer is nice too.
Bekka: Speaking of touring, do you have any weird or funny tour stories?
Jon: While we were recording our EP in Chicago, one of us ate a bad cheeseburger.  On the way back to the hotel from the initial meeting with the producer, that person got so sick, that they had to make an “emergency stop” on the side of the highway.  It was hilarious.
Bekka: If making music wasn’t an option what career would you like to pursue and why?
Jon: Probably something in marketing or advertising.  It’s enjoyable to reach out and connect with people.  Nothing gives me the same thrill that music does.
Bekka: Have you got any upcoming plans for 2010 yet?
Jon: Yes!  Lots and lots of touring.
Bekka: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Jon: We’ll be doing a lot of touring over the winter, spring and summer.
If you want to know where we’ll be, you can check us out online at all these places:
http://www.buildingromerock.com
http://www.myspace.com/buildingrome
http://www.facebook.com/buildingrome
http://twitter.com/buildingrome
http://www.youtube.com/buildingromeofficial
http://buildingrome.fanbridge.com – sign up for our e-mail list!
All of our music, including our new album Nightmare, is available on iTunes and BestBuy.com
Thanks for the interview, and thanks for reading everyone!

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