Photo: Frankie Cavone
Long Island based act Baked Shrimp is getting ready for their biggest year yet featuring plenty of tour dates in store and more antics to go along with it all. The act comprised of Jared Cowen(Guitar/Vocals), Jager Soss(Drums) and Scott Reill(Bass) have been moving up the ranks really receiving tons of exposure in 2019 and are now set to play Peach Music Festival and Summer Camp Music festival, two of the biggest jam-band festivals in the United States. Its been a few months since we seen the cats in the band and wanted to catch up with them about what they have in store for this year. Read the full interview below:
Happy New Years Fellas! 2022 was a big year for you guys, playing 120 shows in nearly over half the country. What were some of your favorite memories?
Jared Cowen: Happy New Year Frankie! 2022 was such a huge year for the band. It’s been a dream and goal of mine to perform over 100 shows in one year with one band and now I can finally say it happened. So many amazing memories. For me personally though a few that stick out would be the two-night run in Upstate we did with Aqueous, all of the after parties we did at Stella Blue’s in New Haven and the musicians that came up on stage those nights, playing late in into the night at Catskill Jubilee, our debut in Canada, Ardmore Music Hall in Philly with Pink Talking Fish, and of course our Spinal Tap Halloween show we did at The Hollow in Albany. That was wild. Too many to name in 2022!
Jager Soss: My favorite memories of tour have got to be The Nick in Birmingham, and Flat Iron in Greensboro. Both cities have very fruitful music scenes that have been nothing but receptive to our band.
Scott Reill: Louisville, Greensboro, and Big Water.
What goals is the group collectively trying to reach in 2023?
JC: Collectively we want to take the success from 2022 and build off of it in 2023. Also while taking some low points in 2022 and use them as learning lessons for 2023. We ultimately want to end every year being able to say it was our best year musically and in overall growth. We’re super thrilled to be getting back into the studio for the first two months of the year to get started on a new album. Our Summer schedule is also starting to take shape, and we’re so excited to already be able to cross off more bucket-list items such as Peach Music Festival and Summer Camp Music Festival.
JS: The group has our sights set on a more focused sound as a trio. Bringing that sound to all the shows coming in 2023, especially the big summer we have planned.
SR: Branching out. There are a lot of untapped markets we can still break into, its a never ending process. New states, new venues, new bands to play with, anything to get our name out there.
How excited are you guys to be opening up for The Disco Biscuits later this month at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA? How did it all come together?
JC: This will be a very very special night for the band and me personally. I grew up in a jamband/classic-rock household and my parents were and still are big fans of the Disco Biscuits. They took me to see shows countless times while I was growing up and I started to become known around the Biscuits scene as the “Bisco Baby”. I also used to record 15 second video clips with my Dad’s razor phone of me playing their songs on guitar. In 2007 I was in 3rd grade and really wanted to see the band’s “wheel show” in Sayreville, NJ. My dad was already going, but I wasn’t allowed to since it was a Thursday night and well .. I was 8. Last minute as he was walking out the door he grabbed me and let me go with him to the show. Long story short .. this happened:
So seeing this come full circle is something that I think both bands are really excited about. We’re so grateful to Marc, Jon, Aron, Allen and the Disco Biscuits organization for this opportunity and can’t wait to throw it down with them at Penn’s Peak.
JS: I’m sure I can speak for the band when I say we are BEYOND excited to be opening up for the Biscuits. For what they’ve done for the scene, and the way their music has been a major influence on us, it makes this a special moment for the band. Jared grew up heavily involved in the Biscuits community and secured his name as the “Bisco Baby”, which had already led some of those Biscuit fans to follow Baked Shrimp. It’s beautiful how full circle it’s come.
SR: Jared is the Bisco Baby, that’s how! But in all seriousness, to say we’re excited would be an understatement.
What keeps the band going? Seriously, to be able to play as many shows as you do is incredible. Especially where they are high energy rockers.
JC: To me it’s the passion and strongly believing in the material. We have over 100 original songs and cycle them night after night so it’s not only fresh for the audience but it’s always fresh to us. There’s something also just so incredible about setting up your gear every night in a new city hundreds of miles away from home and playing to fans across the country you’ve never met before, or revisiting fans from tours past! It really is an adrenaline rush. Even if it’s the tenth night in a row of playing a show after sitting in a van for hours and hours and feeling exhausted from lugging gear all tour, once we’re on the stage that all goes away. And we just feel lucky to be there, making music together, and making people dance.
JS: I think the mutual respect we have for one another that’s been formed the past 5 years we’ve been together makes the experience not only workable, but enjoyable. We’ve really created a brotherhood, they’re the brothers I’ve never had. The good and the bad that happens to us on the road all culminates into the show that night. That’s why we have spent a lot of our time together trying to understand and work within everyone’s comfort zones and sensibilities. Making the shows nothing but fun and exciting for us every night.
SR: Being able to see ourselves progressing in the scene helps a lot, but I think it all boils down to the love of the music. Life on the road isn’t always easy, but when all the hard work culminates in a great gig, we get motivated to keep going.
From the outside you guys seem to be like brothers. How does the bond between you all reflect into your live shows?
JC: After spending something like 300+ days out of a 365 day year together, there are things we hear in each other’s playing and even overall mood and tone of our instruments night to night that we couldn’t even describe. We know just about every move the other is going to make on stage. It’s like we all share one collective brain.
JS: With the brotherhood we have built, nothing makes me happier when one of us does something, whether that be on stage or just in the van, that either makes us cry laughing or jump for joy. The bulk of being a touring band is traveling, which gives us plenty of time to work out our best standup routines on each other. When that fun energy transfers to everything we do and play, it makes for a very successful family-like dynamic.
SR: As it typically goes with siblings, we have our highs, our lows, and everything in between. But with that comes a fundamental understanding of one another as people. A strong bond. And once a bond that strong is formed, a lot of what we do up on the stage feels like we’re reading each other’s minds. Every player is unique and has their own style. Getting to know a musician, the way we’ve all gotten to know each other, has a direct correlation with our musical chemistry.
Taking chances is something Baked Shrimp isn’t afraid of. From throwing your own music festivals to lengthy tours. How does the band continue to push the boundaries?
JC: Keeping three strong heads on our shoulders and sharing the same goals is very important to the three of us. Without that communication, none of this can really happen. We all collectively want to push the limits and not just follow the “formula” of what other bands are doing or did around our age. Sometimes we’ll be told no, but it makes the times we’re told yes even better. Baked Shrimp is a 24/7 job on and off the stage. There is always something to be doing to push the band’s career further and further. Success won’t find us, we have to go find IT. And part of doing that is taking on multiple jobs within the organization in order to ensure things are getting done and the wheels are spinning. Other bands have asked how we play 100+ shows a year, get on this or that festival, and the answer is you have to be hungry for it. You have to put all of your effort into this career choice. Every day I still believe there are things that I can be improving on, both personally and with the band. I’m really excited to see where 2023 takes us.
JS: The willingness to step out of our/the crowd’s comfort zone with the intention of finding a new musical moment is something that keeps us on our toes. This ever present searching, musically, is what has led us to a large collection of inspiration and direction.
SR: I feel we’re never satisfied with resting on our laurels. If we felt okay with stagnating, we’d be missing the whole point of this scene. Our fans love something new and exciting, and we have to be ready and willing to provide that for people.
What are some acts that you are hyped either coming up or touring nationally within the jam scene?
JC: Oh man there are too many to name! We’ve made such great lifelong friends through this journey I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out. I’ll give a fun example though. We recently did a show in Nashville in the middle of our tour. It was just a wild coincidence that the night before Eggy was in Nashville, and on the same night as us Twiddle and Neighbor were also there. Our show wrapped up earlier than the Twiddle/Neighbor show so we actually were able to book it down to the Brooklyn Bowl and catch the end of the show. Turns out Eggy stayed an extra day, and they were all there too. So it was such a fun experience of four east-coast bands hanging out in Nashville and catching up after the show when none of us really expected to see each other.
JS: Eggy, Gnarbot, and The Nth Power
SR: It’s really cool to me to see younger bands like Eggy or Dogs in a Pile absolutely crushing it in this scene right now. Its such a breath of fresh air to see people close to our age making such big waves.
Why not fried shrimp?
JC: Because “fried shrimp” was already the name of an English Honky-Tonk band in the 80’s. I think about that a lot though. Would’ve we sounded different?
JS: Baked is healthier!
SR: Who wouldn’t prefer to be baked?
Anything you would like to plug/share with the masses?
JC: If you’re not in it already, join our Facebook group, CrustNation! It’s such a great way to stay in touch with other Baked Shrimp fans. We’ll be releasing a Spring Tour soon, and be on the lookout for more Summer festival dates!
JS: 2022 was a beautiful year for the band. I know most of that thanks goes to all the fans and any listeners who have welcomed us with open arms. And my bandmates/family who I’m thankful to be on this ride with. Cheers to ’23 and come catch us at one of many shrimp shows coming up in the near future!
SR: I love this band, I love all my family and friends, and I love the fans that support us! 2023 is going to be exciting and I hope everyone comes along for the ride.
