Tommy Vext - catches up with Joe to talk about his music!!!

Tommy Vext has had a great career who's cv looks like a who's who of Metal. Now releasing music with his own band Vext and fronting the re-united Snot.

Music Trespass: How are you Today?

Tommy: Amazing, long night at work but I'm very fortunate to work for one of the bar restaurants in NYC called Beauty and Essex. One of my closest friends from the food network show 'Chopped' Chris Santos is the owner and executive chef of the place. The food is amazing, You should come down to eat if you're ever in town. We just had Gojira, Deftones and Devin Townsend Project in last month.

Music Trespass: The photo you posted on Instagram the other day of you on stage with Sevendust, I got to say you looked a little too comfortable in that dress!!!

Tommy: Ha, Ha that was a last day of tour prank on the 2001 'Music as a Weapon' tour featuring Korn, Disturbed, Sevendust and In this Moment. Sevendust was expecting Maria Brink to come out to do a song but instead they got her cousin Tammy... Ha, Ha, Ha. It was a hilarious prank.

Music Trespass: As you can see from the picture it was a lot of fun... Ha, Ha, Ha!!!

Music Trespass: Your new material with Vext is the best stuff you have done. It feels everything you've done thoughout your career has come together in one place. Can you tell us how the new line-up came together and possibly a sneak peak at where the newer material is going?

Tommy: Thanks man. That's what I was aiming for. Although I love the songs on the last EP Impermanence I was definitely missing the more Extreme Metal stuff. I started working with Billy DiNapoli in December and the chemistry was instant. We like a lot of the same music and introduce each other to a lot of other music. Makes for good song writing. Bill Fore is amazing as usual and the new bassist / guiarist auditions have been going amazing. I think this next record you can expect to hear a little of everything we like about modern and traditional Metal.

Music Trespass: The first album released as Vext 'Cast the first Stone'. Is this new band a continuation of that? Will you still be playing material from that album live? 

Tommy: Ha, Ha, No 'Cast the first Stone' was written when I was in HS with a bunch of kids I grew up with. I've been playing shows in and around NYC since I was 13 - 14 years old. I think I was 19 - 20 when we did that album. It was a great learning experience as a young musician but musically that stuff to me is like garage band days, if that makes sense. Still learning out loud how to hone my skills. Which at that time were seriously limited... Ha, Ha, Ha!!!

Snot (Pictured Above)

Music Trespass: It's been announced you will be doing dates with Snot again, hows it feel to be back with those guys?

Tommy: Snot is an amazing band of brothers and I am as honored now as much as I was in 2008 to be asked to continue carrying on Lynn Strait's legacy.

Music Trespass: Can you tell us how the original reunion came around, what went wrong and how it came around again?

Tommy: The original reunion was just a bunch of guys that loved each other that missed playing together. They started jamming, I auditioned and the rest is history. My experience is that nothing really "Went Wrong". Since we last performed in 2009, three of the guys in the band got married and / or had kids. I need some much deserved time away from the music industry and moved to Venice Ca. So everyone kind of went there separate ways for a while.

Divine Heresy (Pictured Above)

Music Trespass: Any plans for new material?

Tommy: With Snot? Not that I know of, but I'm open to wherever the guys wanna bring to the table.

Music Trespass: What's your take on the state of the music industry?

Tommy: What industry? Music is free how do you industrialize free?

Music Trespass: You've got a lot under your belt now, you have work with a lot of different people in different styles of Metal, How do you feel looking back at your career so far?

Tommy: I feel very blessed to have learned so much from such accomplished artists over the years. Sometimes I look back to when I was a kid and I trip. If I met my fifteen year old self I would just smile and say if you only knew... Ha, Ha, Ha. Your life is going to be incredible kid.

Music Trespass: What's the best advise you would pass on to someone trying to make their way in a band?

Tommy: Do it for the love of playing and try to be devoid of any expectations of fame, notoriety or monetary compensation. "The thing a Jedi does not crave!".

Music Trespass; What else is in store for you this year?

Tommy: Going to establish a kickstarter in April to help finish the LP and get the band out on the road this summer!

Music Trespass: What have you been listening too lately?

Tommy: The Deftones 'Koi no Yokan'. I went out for a couple of days on tour with the Deftones and Periphery earlier this month. Chino even brought me on stage to perform '7 Words' in NJ. I've been listening to the new record non stop it's f**King amazing. That band is god damn incredible. And the new Sevendust record 'Black out the Sun' is ducking great too!!!.

Music Trespass: What's your top five desert island discs?

Tommy: Meshuggah 'Destroy. Erase. Improve.', Tool 'Lateralus', City and Colour 'Bring me your Love', Deftones 'Diamond Eyes' and of course Pantera 'Far beyond Driven'.
Vext's 'Impermanence' EP is availible now!!!

Interview and Questions by Joe Denby