Jay Berndt

  

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It started out innocent enough. The Beatles and Bob Dylan with his parents. His first AC/DC album bought for him by his grandfather. A Stooges album that almost frightened him. It wasn’t long before the obsession took hold on Jay Berndt’s soul and music became part of him.
    
Like a man possessed; he couldn’t listen to a song without needing to dissect it, study it, understand it completely. He started with drums. Learning to master all of his favorite albums. Then guitar. With each passing moment his obsession drove him to learn more, to make each note his own. Eventually he had no choice, he had to create his own music. He joined band after band:hard core, heavy metal, rock’n’roll, country....each one an attempt to give the obsession the voice it craved. For Jay to tell the tales that must be told. Each group gave him a taste of what he had sought, but not quite enough. Perhaps he needed to produce and record the music too...Perhaps than his voice would have it’s home. So he began to produce and record his bands projects.  As with everything Jay creates, each band was strong, charismatic, irresistible, and each better than the one before. Each one was a little bit of what he had in his soul. But not the whole thing.

Eventually it became clear that Jays obsession, the music that had taken possession of his soul  would never be truly his, and he would never be truly satisfied unless it was 100% pure undiluted him. Written by him, performed by him, recorded by him, produced by him. It was this revelation, along with a few devastating life experiences, and some uncanny good luck that led to the creation of Moto Destructo Studio, the dawn of Jay Berndt’s solo music project, and the birth of “Sad Bastard Songs”, a labor of love, heartbreak, anger, sadness, and peace.

At last the obsession that had taken possession of part of Jay’s soul has an outlet and an audience. Only time will tell us where the obsession with drive him next but if history is any indicator, one thing is certain: It will consist of some of the best damn songs you have ever heard.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Lyricist & Singer for Providence, RI metal band, Kilgore (Smudge): 1993-1999
•  Signed to Unsound/Warner Bros. – 1994
• “Blue Collar Solitude” (Unsound) Released – 1995
•  Top Five College Music Journal “Loud Rock” Charts  – 1996
•  Regional and National Opening act for: Clutch, Marilyn Manson, Judas Priest, Sublime, Life of Agony, Biohazard, DRI, The Misfits, Sheer Terror, Fear Factory, Nothingface, The Cro-Mags – 1995-1997
•  “A Search For Reason” (Unsound/Warner Bros.) released – 1998
•  Top Five College Music Journal “Loud Rock” Charts  – 1998
•  Featured touring band on “Ozzfest 98’” with: Ozzy Ozbourne, Tool, Megadeth, Limp Bizkit, Soulfly, Sevendust, Motorhead, The Melvins, Incubus, and System of A Down.
•  40 City national tour with: Slayer & Fear Factory – 1998
•  Winter European Tour with: Fear Factory & Spineshank – 1998

Singer/Songwriter for Providence, RI country band, The Revival Preachers: 2004 - 2006
•  Self-produced “Breathin’ Through A Bruise” releasedon Wet Floor Records - 2005
•  Regional and National Opening act for: Lucero, Deke Dickerson, The Raging Teens, Artimus Pyledriver, 3 Inches of Blood Darkbuster, The Gore-Gore Girls: 2004 - 2006    

Singer - Songwriter - Producer 2006 – 2010
•  Produced “Bury Your Problems” by The Wrong Reasons
•  Produced “The Last Temptation of The Brimstone Assembly”
•  Produced “Six Songs of Labor” by Christopher Fullerton
•  Produced “Jason Sings Waylon for Jessica” by Jay Berndt
•  Produced “Sad Bastard Songs” by Jay Berndt – 2009 - 2010