Unsigned Spotlight: Dying Oath
Dying Oath may be new to the scene, but it has been in the works for quite some time… through many iterations, time and tryouts, they put together the right musicians with the right amount of heart, drive, and dedication to push the project to new heights.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
1. Mindy Jackson - Harsh and clean vocals / Lyricist
2. Jeb Baxley - Clean vocals / Lyricist
3. Josh Hagee - Lead Guitar / Primary Composer
4. Ryan Endicott - Rhythm Guitar
5. Ryan Matney - Bass Guitar
6. Gage Freeman - Drums / Pre-Production.
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Dying Oath? How long has the band been
around?
Josh - Back in high school, I goofed off in a rock cover band. We were terrible but partied like
rock stars. Great times. Later on I joined up with some local dudes who had all previously
been in bands. Hung out, wrote a couple tunes, but didn’t last. The band itself was started
awhile ago but the lineup wasn’t actually completed until around mid 2019. Finding the right
people in a small town is next to fucking impossible. Either they need a ride back and forth,
don’t have any gear, cant stay sober for 2 hours etc. It finally worked out though.
Mindy - Lucky 65, Murder Maiden, Endless Season, 18 Days to name a few.
Jeb - This is actually my first band ever. Its closing in on 2 years.
Whats the origin of that name and have you changed the bands name before?
Josh - I wanted something more than just the typical. Something that actually meant
something more than just a logo. A motto of sorts. Honour, Integrity, honesty. As in “We will
bring forth the best possible music we can, such is our Dying Oath.” Plus, it just fuckin rolls well.
Mindy - For me, its honor, respect, and staying true to who your are.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you thing
these topics will change over time?
Josh - Usually Ill start a new track off in my home studio. Ill write some riffs, find some that
vibe well together and give the sort of movement and emotion I’m looking for. Ill program a
rum track to it and shoot it over to the band. From there, we each take some time to learn the
music and make edits at practice. If it sticks, Mindy and Jeb will begin writing lyrics.
Once finished, we just jam the fuck out of it until we find the spots that seem weak or underwhelming.
We make the necessary edits, record the stems in Gages studio, and shoot it out for mixing.
Mostly, they revolve around empowerment. A soundtrack to pull your ass out of the dirt and
make a difference. I would imagine we will move away at some point but not totally. We
write what we enjoy listening to.
Jeb - Lyrically, Mindy and I handle the words of the song. Josh handles the instrumental
foundation.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Josh - Oh fuck, too many to list but if you have listened to us, you can immediately hear a hint at
what I call the “Golden Age of Metal-core” Roughly 2005 to 2015. Bands like Trivium, All that Remains, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying as well as other styles like Linkin Park and BreakingBenjamin. There’s so many different elements from songs that left such a lasting impression on me that it influences my writing.
Mindy - In Flames, Trivium, Lamb of God
Jeb - Thats so vast. Each member has a different taste.
Was there a particular band?artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Josh - To play music? Absolutely! But to start a band just for shits n giggles? Nah.
Mindy - Joan Jett, Pat Benetar, and Morgan Lander.
Jeb - Warped Tour as a whole. Seeing he whole days worth of music and crowds was enough to
know I wanted it.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc.?
Josh - I have a weird fucking ritual of eating 3 hot dogs topped with Jalapenos, Bacon, and Swiss
cheese. Its MANDATORY. Then I hit the bar and get pretty well shit-housed leaving just
enough time to partly sober up just before showtime. It’s pure magic.
Mindy - I don’t eat any red meats, sugars, or dairy. Lots of rest the night before. Stretching and
vocal warm ups.
Jeb - Hype talk with Mindy. Stretch out, vocal warm up, shot of whiskey.
What has been the biggest highlight of the bands career so far?
Josh - At this point? Standing on some of the same stages that I’ve seen some of my heroes
perform on previously. Like, wow…so this is it huh? Dope.
Mindy - It’s probably different for everyone but for me, playing a sold our show with a national
act our first year.
Jeb - For me personally, its having a full crowd singing our songs back to us.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Josh - I going with Black Sabbath back in their day. Can you Imagine the fucking parties?
Mindy - Joan Jett most definately. She was a pioneer and toured through the 80’s. True Rockn’ Roll.
Jeb - Linkin Park, Baby Metal, Upon a Burning Body.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Mindy - Thank you everyone for reading and listening to our new single!
Josh - I just want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Because of
your support, we are able to create this music, release these videos, and do these interviews.
Strap in because the best is yet to come.