Je'an-Paul Keller
Jul 9, 2023
Pure energy, speed, and catchy lyrics
Coming up August 19, 2023, Louisiana’s own metal masters VOID are set to perform at Rad Fest 2023 at PARC International in Lafayette, Louisiana, and they are the first in our installment of interviews with all the acts on the bill. These guys are the new face of heavy metal and if you’re not familiar with them yet, you soon will be.
The five-piece powerhouse of thrash metal goodness known as VOID formed in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2019 by the Davenport brothers, Jackson and Logan, who grew up loving bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Anthrax, to name a few. I truly went into the void when I listened to their debut album “Horrors of Reality.” It’s pure nostalgia and an excellent nod to the mid-to-late 80’s thrash metal days of the past—Jackson guitars and Marshall amps that punch through your ear drums straight to your brain.
The current line-up is Jackson Davenport (vocals), Gabe LeJeune (guitar), Logan Davenport (bass), Alex Bernard (guitar), and Aaron Landry (drums).
Everything about this band is pure energy and speed, with catchy screaming lyrics that will make you think, make you laugh, or make you get lost in your own mind; either way, VOID’s music will leave you wanting more. These guys almost incite a riot every single night they take the stage due to the intensity of their shows, and they love interacting with their fans. Ready to emerge from the Louisiana metal scene and take the world by storm, VOID is like a pack of hungry sharks and is quickly gaining local and national attention. Tearing up the Gulf Coast with their in-your-face riffs, ripping dueling leads, melodic harmonies, tasteful bass lines, and fast and precise drumming, VOID is a band you need to check out now. Not to mention, they have insanely visual music videos.
Currently on tour with Labyrinth and Life on Mars, I recently caught up with Jackson and Lily Shea, the band’s photographer and videographer, to rap about who they are, their live videos, and what the future holds for them. Here’s your chance to get to know a little more about VOID, then afterwards, be sure to catch them at Rad Fest 2023 in August.
MaM: I’ve been listening to your album for the last two days and I really like it. The thrash metal sound totally brings me back to my childhood and growing up in the eighties.
Jackson: Awesome, man, I appreciate that.
MaM: Who or what has inspired your sound?
Jackson: We formed back in 2019, and we were very driven by Black Sabbath, weirdly enough. We wanted to play stuff like Black Sabbath but heavier. Then, over the years, we [went] through a few different line-up changes, and we found thrash metal. You know, coming out of the big four, we found bands like Exodus, Testament, and Forbidden. I think those three bands are very big inspirations to us, and still are with the music that we write today.
MaM: Awesome. I actually thought you guys sounded a lot like Anthrax, MEGADETH, old school Metallica, and old school Slayer.
Jackson: Those are definitely sources of inspiration as well. Whenever we started playing thrash, we wanted to be Metallica so bad, and then we kind of just grew out of that and found the better stuff, I guess. I mean, I still got [sic] love for Metallica, but that’s basically where it all came from, I guess.
MaM: What would you say influences you to make music?
Jackson: Music is a way for me, and I speak for all the guys, and I say this, but it’s a way for us to basically escape from our problems and stress and get together and work on something as a team to make something awesome that we’re all proud of. So, we always look forward to writing new music, because it gives us an excuse to go out and work as a team and create something.
MaM: Can you tell us a little more about how your band initially came together?
Jackson: It started with me and two buddies. We were jamming some old Black Sabbath songs in the garage and were like, “DUDE, let’s start a band,” and we did. We all had musical differences, though, and kind of parted ways after that initial jam session, but the name VOID and the idea just kind of stuck with me and I ended up finding the people that had the same vision I had, and we just kind of started it from there.
MaM: Love the name for the band and was wondering if you could give us a little background info on it?
Jackson: So, it actually goes back to the whole Black Sabbath thing. We worshipped Black Sabbath and wanted to play music like that. We were playing at a party a long, long time ago, but we didn't have a name and decided on VOID because of “Into the Void” and the whole Black Sabbath imagery thing. It just kind of stuck.
MaM: I love your sound and your tone. What mic do you use? And whenever you generate your voice, what kind of vocal exercises do you do beforehand?
Jackson: I'm the worst person to ask about this, but usually I'm using a Shure SM 58 for vocals. For other shows that are more like DIY, I have this one vocal mic that belongs to our drummer that I like to use. I cannot think of the name right now. I make sure I drink a lot of water with honey in it, too, because that helps. I'll run through scales with my voice, too, before shows and usually it helps lubricate my throat.
MaM: I’ve noticed your fans like to join you on stage sometimes at shows. How does that make you feel?
Jackson: It's awesome, dude! It's so cool, man. Makes me feel like all our hard work is paying off when people sing our songs with us.
MaM: Your whole look and your music videos and images are quite unique. Will you shed a little light on the inspiration behind some of the videos you guys have done?
Lily Shea: It has become second nature to have my camera out all the time because I never know when I'm gonna strike gold, but the music videos are just such a blast and everything we do is impulsive.
MaM: Was the video for “Voodoo” shot at a real cemetery or on a studio set?
Jackson: It was shot at Fright Trail in Scott, Louisiana, which is almost like a haunted house attraction because it's all woods and creepy.
MaM: You guys did a bad-ass cover of Megadeth’s “Sweating Bullets.” Is there a particular reason you decided to cover that song?
Jackson: We've only played that song maybe two or three times and it was because at a jam practice one time, I started singing the words “sweating bullets” in a Dave Mustaine-sounding voice and then we discussed playing it. We initially ran through it as a joke, but it sounded kind of cool. We played it for the next few shows after that until we got tired of it.
MaM: Can I ask how tagging Snoop Dogg for the “Feeding Frenzy” video came about?
Jackson: We are so stupid and think that we're so funny. “Feeding Frenzy” was a brand-new song at the time, and when I was typing out the captions for the video, I asked the guys in the band what else should I put. ‘Is that all that I should put?’ Someone in the band mentioned tagging Snoop Dogg, so I put in the captions, “Everybody tag Snoop Dogg,” and I got so many comments tagging him because of it. Snoop never did see the video, but I’m sure he would have loved it.
MaM: What does the future hold for VOID?
Jackson: Right now, we are working on a new single. We want to put out new music by August or September as a refresh for our fans. We probably won't do another full length for about a year or so, but we are also in talks with some big-name bands to play shows, too, so we’ve got quite a bit coming up.
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To experience VOID for yourself, be sure to check out one of their links below, and don’t forget to catch them at Radfest in August!
• VOID • | Instagram, TikTok | Linktree
*cover photo courtesy of Chad Besse
Je’an Paul Keller is a member of the 501st Legion and a huge sci-fi nerd. He’s also a HUGE music lover and is very passionate about drawing, sketching, painting, and making cosplays and movie-accurate costumes. The force is strong with this one.