Graphic artist by day, rock-n-roller by night, Jesse Grisham, 23, leads an exciting life in art and music. And he's one smart arty musician —graduating cum laude from Murray State University! Check out his band, Reset Red, 7 p.m., Wednesday, October 15, at the Faith Center!
Jesse Grisham, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! And you're in a band! Life must be good!
Life is good! It's very good!
Are you related to John Grisham?
No.
Do people ask you that all the time?
Yes, and I always say I wish we were related so he could teach me to write!
And do people sing "Jesse's Girl" to you all the time.
(Sigh) Yes, I get that a lot.
I love that song. But I promise not to sing it to you. Tell us about Reset Red! How long have you all been together?Over a year now. Derek Rothrock plays bass, Aaron Goodman plays guitar, Adam Driver is our drummer and I play guitar and am the lead singer. Aaron, Derek and I have been friends since elementary school, but we just formed the band near the end of college.
Are you from Paducah?
I've lived in Paducah since 1995, but I grew up in La Center.
I see from your résumé that you graduated from Murray State in 2007—cum laude! Jesse, that means you've got some brains under all that cute hair!
Ha! I don’t know about that, but I did earn a B.S. in Graphic Communications Management focusing on Graphic Design. I enjoyed every minute of my time at Murray State (except Civ) and consider it extremely valuable.
So you're a graphic designer.
Yes, I am a freelancer. You can check me out at JesseGrishamDesign.com. I do corporate identity design, logos, ads, branding, Web sites, etc., and I love to design posters. So that's my freelance business. But I also work at Hultman full time and design a lot of the screen-printed apparel and their Web site.
I love your portfolio — very elegant!
Thanks! I place a strong emphasis on using type cleanly and love to use type in some unorthodox ways. I draw heavily from the influence of early Swiss design and the designs of Joseph Muller Brockmann and Armin Hoffman in particular. Several other graphic designers such as David Carson, Michael Schwab and Matteo Bologna have influenced me over the years, but my current favorite is Si Scott. Graphic design is not just a job to me — it is something I very much enjoy doing.
So artist by day and musician by night! Do you write all your own songs?Yes, I usually bring in a basic idea and structure and then the guys and I just flesh it out from there. I am usually the initial force behind the music, but the other guys really make the music what it is. We practice together about twice a week. I really like the interaction and getting the other guys' opinions. That opens itself up to improvisation and spontaneity — two things we thrive on. The way we write is really special.
And you have a gig coming up!
Yes, on Wednesday, October 15, at the Faith Center, which is off Exit 4 by the mall. It's at 7 p.m. The address is 5121 Charter Oak Dr. Google it, or check our Facebook event for a map.
It's free?
It's free. We want everyone to come out and enjoy our music! We're also performing at the Kevil Fall Festival, 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25.
In downtown Kevil?
In downtown Kevil.
How would you describe your band?
Three parts ADD, one part OCD, 10 parts in your face-ness. Add some "flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" and stir. Consume immediately. Haha. Seriously though, we try to take the best parts of rock and grunge, throw in some ambience and blend them with our own experimental flair.
Do you love to play in front of an audience?When I am on stage playing, I know at that moment I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. There is nothing better in life than knowing your purpose. Music is something I can enjoy in private, but I want other people to enjoy it with me. When we take the stage, our purpose is to create something amazing, so much so that the audience feels compelled to join in. We want to be approachable. We are just normal guys doing what we love.
Rock on! When did you realize you were a musician?
Ever since I was a kid. I remember I wanted to be a drummer. I used to bring out all the pots and pans — that sort of thing. I began taking piano lessons at age 6 and playing the trumpet at age 10. When I was 12, I picked up a guitar. Actually, all the guys were picking up the guitar to pick up chicks.
Including you?
No, no, I just sat in my room and played. I wanted to get really good first before I went out and played.
And then you picked up chicks?
Ha! No, no. Not really!
Jesse, you must have tons of gals hanging out after concerts!
Well, sometimes we do. But they're usually…
Overserved?No, 15.
Oh! Too young then!
Haha! Yeah, way too young!
Well, what kind of gal are you looking for? What does it take to be Jesse's girl?
Ha, again with the reference. Well, I don’t have a checklist or anything; I just know that when the right one comes, I will know. I guess I am looking for someone who is smart, flexible, likes spontaneity, yet likes to have their space sometimes and at the same time is willing to let me have mine too.
Does she have to be a music lover?
It helps. Music is such a huge chunk of my life. So someone who'll come to shows, or go to shows with me would be great, but I do like other things than music.
Like what?
I'm always up for new things. I love to go camping and hunting. I just love being out there in the morning when the sun comes up.
So I can tell from your MySpace that you have a very strong faith. How does that relate to your art and music?Well, I am a Christian, and that affects everything I do, obviously. It makes me very different. I do not believe that that has to make you overly dogmatic and bigoted, however, though I do tend to see things in black and white much of the time.
I know what I believe and I live my convictions to the best of my ability, and that comes out in my music. I try not to preach at people too much in my music. Instead I try to really connect with them and pour out my heart to them. It's so much more personal that way.
Well Jesse Grisham, I think you are dar-ling, no doubt about it! I'm predicting lots of great Jesse girls at your October 15 and 25 gigs! Rock on, young Jesse Grisham!
