Review Fix Exclusive: Jack Berry Talks ‘Mean Machine’ And More

June 9, 2016 Patrick Hickey Jr. Music 0

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Jack Berry who chats about his new LP, “Mean Machine.”

About Jack Berry:

Originally from Reno, Nevada, Berry created his first album for a school project while studying in Los Angeles. After performing along the West Coast in a duo, Berry decided that he was meant for a career in music and relocated to Nashville. After several months of sleeping on a couch and working to catch the attention of the local press, Berry’s “ample supply of good hooks and riffs” (Nashville Scene) eventually gained the praise of critics throughout Nashville and beyond, earning him spots at well-known festivals, including North by Northeast in Toronto, New York City’s CMJ Music Marathon and SXSW’s Red Gorilla Festival.

Since then, Berry has logged dozens of shows from Nashville to New York City. He most recently appeared at No Country For New Nashville’s December showcase in 2015 and earned the runner-up spot in Hard Rock Rising’s Battle of the Bands. Mean Machine is poised to serve as Jack Berry’s breakthrough record

Review Fix: What are your goals for this LP?

Jack Berry: Mean Machine is a statement. I’d hope it would reach enough ears to provide me the opportunity to reiterate and solidify myself. 

Review Fix: How was “Bad Dog written? Is there a story behind it?

Berry: Bad Dog derives its name from the fictional character Slevin Kelevra in the movie Lucky Number Slevin. Throughout the film the character plots and manipulates his revenge on a higher authority, one that’s actions altered his life substantially and not for the better. The song takes on the vibe of rebellion and refute while also accepting the notions of being labeled a miscreant. “You might say/that I was built for a cage/ and I had been all along / but Ima keep drinking and playing my games / I’m good when I’m gone.” It’s that expressed sentiment of responding to a persecution by simply saying, “Yeah, well who the hell asked you?” That metaphorical middle finger. 

Review Fix: Is there another standout song on the LP?

Berry: That’s a tough question. Probably just all of them. 

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you?

Berry:I like to say it sounds like a fistfight in a church. If I was to compare previous inspirations I suppose it’s Elvis and Ozzy trading the punches. 

Review Fix: What makes this album a special one?

Berry: This is my first record since moving to Nashville years ago with the specific intent to make it here. These songs were born here and I damn near died in the meantime. It’s like my Frankenstein monster — it’s alive. It’s alive.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14263 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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