Jordan Blake of Trances (A Skylit Drive / Watchout! Theres Ghosts) – The Highwire Daze Legacy Interviews

Jordan Blake of Trances

Jordan Blake of Trances (A Skylit Drive / Watchout! Theres Ghosts) – The Highwire Daze Legacy Interviews

Original Published at Highwire Daze Online: July 10th, 2010

Editor Ken Notes from May 1, 2023 – It was announced today that Jordan Blake from A Skylit Drive and Watchout! Theres Ghosts has passed away at the age of 36.  I had to honor of interviewing him when he was in Watchout! There’s Ghost and Trances. Was trying to set something up with him when he was in town last year with his version of A Skylit Drive at The Whisky. I wish I had gone to the show! Jordan was so massively talented, and I enjoyed covering his projects over the years. Jordan Blake RIP.

Here is an interview I did with Jordan Blake in 2010 when he was announcing his brand-new band Trances…

Tell me about your new project Trances and how everything got started.
Me and Dj have been writing music for Trances since last year off and on while we were on tour, we kinda just came across some recording gear and friend of ours Casey in Lodi, Ca lends us super sweet studio when we need to track new material, so I guess just getting into recording and making music fun kinda sparked the idea of making the band.

What do you find in Trances that you did not find in Watchout! Theres Ghosts?
It’s heavy and melodic. It’s the hardest thing I have been a part of so far.

Jordan Blake pic from his Facebook page

How would you describe the music of Trances, especially compared to your work in Watchout Theres Ghosts and A Skylit Drive?
I really enjoy the work I did with both of those bands and I think both bands had their strong sides of me and their weak sides.  As far as the music goes, it’s a mesh of both Watchout! Theres Ghosts and A Skylit Drive. All other members other than me are from a really sweet metal band www.myspace.com/returnfromexile so there is a taste of their meds in the music as well.

So far, you have one new song on your Myspace. Tell me about People Like Their Ugly and what inspired you to write the lyrics.
I guess the truth about the human race. This is by far the fakest point in history as far as people are concerned, that or I am just naive and let the shitty people too close to me.

Pick two other new Trances songs and tell me what inspired you to write the lyrics.
I been having a lot of dreams lately. with film grad vision. I am not sure if I am seeing the future or if I am seeing things how I want to see them. I guess I could be having nightmares. That is something I’ll figure out. I never know what to write about til I look down and its done.  I later in life will find out what my songs mean, I am guessing around the same time as the listener thinks they feel the same way.

What is the status Watchout! Theres Ghosts and will there be any more touring or shows?
Yeah, Watchout is still kicking. We are going to Japan and plan on putting some new tracks out sometime over the summer. Not sure about shows at this point. we are really just focusing on Trances.

How did your upcoming dates in Japan come about?
Our crazy friends over at Triple Vision Records hooked us up! I wanted nothing more for Watchout! to go to Japan and well what do you know!

Do you still keep in touch with the various members of A Skylit Drive or with Joshua Stotts?
I still have text convo’s and drunken phone calls with Joey and Nick from time to time, still waiting on that call back from Brian thou =)

Tell me about the split you did with Electric Valentine and how that came about.
Electric Valentine and WTG go way back we love writing music together and probably will never stop!

You recently started a Management Company. What is it you look for in bands before you agree to work with them?
Yeah, I started a management company to help out some bands that I really think deserve it.  I haven’t really had time to figure out what I want from a band.  I just want to help bands that need it, ya know.  After my touring career is done, I would love to take the management thing fulltime.

When could we expect an EP or CD from Trances?
Soon we hope.

Will Trances be released on Rise Records?
We haven’t heard anything about it.

Do you have any messages for people who have been following your career since the days of A Skylit Drive on through Watchout! Theres Ghosts?
Yeah i do.  Blows my mind, whenever I watch old videos and look at old pictures – I always wonder what happened to all those kids.  Hope I can find them again – we had good times =)

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!
No problem Ken.  I wanna thank you and Highwire Daze for interviewing us! You will always have our support!

(Interview by Ken Morton)