In Corona Corner, we are asking musicians how the outbreak has effected them, how did they adapt to the situation, what did they learn. Grant MacKenzie (guitar, bass, synth) from Canadian Progressive Metal duo Jupiter Hollow speaks for Metal Jacket Magazine.
Hi! How are you doing during the corona outbreak?
Hey, this is Grant from Jupiter Hollow. Overall, we are doing fine during the corona outbreak. We (Kenny and I), our family, and friends are all healthy. As for professionally, digital marketing has always been a strong focus for our band, so when the lockdown was in place it was business as usual for us.
What have you cancelled/postponed due to coronavirus?
We had a tour booked across Canada (Ontario & Quebec) in June that we had to cancel and switch to a live-stream tour. We will reschedule the tour hopefully in the fall.
How the global coronavirus pandemic is directly impacting bands?
I haven’t directly spoken to other artists regarding the coronavirus, but I’ve heard of everyone’s tours being cancelled, which had financially impacted many bands. I am friends with a guy named Taylor Abram from James Barker Band on Universal Music; I see they have also switched to doing lots of live streams to continuously engage with their fans during these times.
How are you keeping your fans during this chaotic period?
We are keeping our fans engaged via social media and live streams. We’ve recently released a new record (Bereavement) so we’ve been pushing a lot of album reviews and new music. We are also planning on doing an isolation video series of us performing with a live band.
What will metal look like when we re-emerge from isolation?
Bigger and stronger than ever I hope.
Who will suffer the most after all: musicians, organizers promoters…?
I think it’s reasonable to say everyone has been impacted by this. Many businesses have closed, and many people were laid off or on temporary lay-off still (including myself from my day job).
What is your isolation soundtrack?
Bereavement.
Besides gigs, what/whom do you miss the most?
Going to live concerts, Canada’s Wonderland, seeing friends in larger groups, and knowing that a virus wasn’t killing thousands of innocent people every day.
Do you have any rehearsals during quarantine? If yes, how do they look like?
Yes, we did. Prior to our stream tour hosted in Kenny’s basement, I stayed with Kenny and his family for 2 weeks to ensure that I was isolated from others and that nobody got sick. This allowed us to create content together, live stream, and rehearse.
Thank you so much for your time. Stay safe!
