Recently I was invited to see the nationally signed band Crossbreed by their drummer Jay "Diesel" Soldano. I first ran into Jay while covering a drum clinic by Ray Luzier and after a brief introduction we began small talk about drums and such. Turns out that Jay is a good friend of Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose, and he also played with the band Sister Kill Cycle from my home town back in WV... it's a small world after all. After a few more "do you know so and so" questions he mentioned that since leaving SKC he's just sharpening his chops while playing at home. A few weeks goes by and I get a phone call from Jay inviting me to see him play with Crossbreed here in Orlando! Guess he got bored at home.

 

If you've ever been to a Crossbreed show the first thing you'll notice is that they're all about stage presence. You definitely won't catch these guys staring at the floor or the neck of their guitar for that matter, EVERYONE MOVES! Diesel pounds the drums with a commanding authority to provide the pulse for this metal machine while the fog rolls, strobes flicker, sparks fly and the backlights produce an eerie effect on the face of every musician on stage. Here's a pic of Jay right before he heads out for the sound check.

 

 

Afterwards an exhausted Diesel still had some room left in the tank to sit down and talk about joining Crossbreed and discusses the release of KE 101 and their upcoming Australian tour.

 

DC: Drummer Connection

JS: Jay "Diesel" Soldano

DC: So how did you get the audition for the Crossbreed gig?

JS: I actually got lucky this year, I was playing for this band called Sister Kill Cycle for about 8 months and James Breed the singer/front man for Crossbreed came to see me play and was actually interested in looking for a drummer. He looked me up-came to see me play, liked what he saw and was like "Try and come out and play a few shows with us and eventually it could be a permanent gig." So after a couple auditions and a couple of shows they finally gave me the word that I was their guy. They just welcomed me into the band a couple of weeks ago and here we are.

DC: Since Crossbreed was formed in 96' they've had several drummers behind the kit. What do you think was unique about your image and playing style that landed you the position above the others who auditioned?

JS: I think it's just the look-big guy, bald, tattoos, it's just an intimidating look and I like to pound the drums.

DC: So what made you want to become a drummer and who were some of your influences growing up?

JS: I started playing when I was little, about seven years old. I come from a musical family, my Dad and my brothers played and my grandfather Buddy Greco was a famous pianist and jazz singer. Gotta give props to my boy Morgan Rose the "Alien Freak" who is one of my idols and biggest influences, I get a lot of my style from him. But I played throughout elementary and high school, jazz band and just played with friends. I think it's kinda the same story for everybody: You play for school, jam with friends, and one day you decide you want to be a professional musician. God blessed me and then these guys picked me out and now I'm in the band, that's it.

DC: Coming into the situation with an established band was it a bit overwhelming to learn all their material or were you already familiar with it as a fan?

JS: I actually didn't know much about the guys at all. After they came to see me play I looked them up on-line to find out about them. After doing some background work and checking out the other drummers I was kinda nervous because I had 3 weeks to learn the set list. I was actually on a cruise for a week of that so I really only had 2 weeks to get the set list so yeah I was nervous.

DC: So what's coming up next for Crossbreed?

JS: We actually have an Australian tour coming up in April and then Canada after that. We have the new album release of KE 101 on May 19th.

DC: Is there going to be any type of release party or will you guys still be on the road when the album comes out?

JS: It's going to be released worldwide but as far as a local release party they're still planning everything out.

DC: So where are some of the places you'll be playing in Australia?

JS: We're playing a couple festivals with a lot of different bands. For a month straight we play every weekend so for me it's really exciting because it's my first time going out.

DC: There are a lot unsigned musicians out that are working hard and paying their dues to make it as a professional musician. What advice could you offer to those people out there still struggling for a chance to become a professional drummer?

JS: If you go to my MySpace it says "Always keep chasing your dreams cause you'll never know when they will come true. This time last year I was sitting in my room playing to CD's, and now I'm playing for a national and going on a worldwide tour. Just keep at it, never give up, and keep your dream alive and one day it will happen.

 

Make sure to check out Crossbreed's website to find out more about the upcoming tour and if they're coming to a town near you. To see all the pics from the show visit the gallery by clicking HERE.