Meet Jerry Bennett: Artist and Audio Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jerry Bennett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jerry, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I decided on pursuing an artistic career because it felt necessary to me. I could never really see myself working in a field that didn’t involve creativity somehow. I work both as an artist and an engineer recording other artists. Doing both helps me practice the technical side of recording music while constantly being exposed to new ideas and creative thinking.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My music is very aggressive and is heavily inspired by genres like hardcore punk and metal. I think that the attitude of punk music can be expressed through any genre, but I happen to find electronic as my favorite genre to express the attitude of punk music through. I think I’m most proud of figuring out a way to express the ideas that I have for electronic music while simultaneously getting a decent sized audience that actually listens to my music. In terms of success, I’ve only recently transitioned from releasing music and getting zero reception to playing shows frequently (before COIVD) and getting some decent traction on certain projects online. It certainly wasn’t easy. I have found out that I love every bit of the music-making process except for advertising and promoting my music. Having to learn and adapt to the best strategies for promotion hasn’t been easy and certainly hasn’t been enjoyable. One lesson that I’ve learned is to be patient and don’t compare your success as an artist to others. Everyone takes their own path, and it’s more important to make sure you’re comfortable where you are rather than always wanting more.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I frequently record people from out of town and I always recommend little five points as a place to start exploring Atlanta. Before COVID I would recommend just about every food place there from the Vortex to Savage Pizza. There’s also plenty of record stores that have amazing inventory as well as clothing shops that are great if you don’t mind spending a lot of money. Other than that, Atlanta actually has some incredible parks or hiking spots if you want to explore the forests that surround the city. My personal favorite would be Cascade Nature Preserve. From what I’ve read on the signs there, I believe at one point during the entire trail was for transporting weapons and munitions for soldiers during the Civil War. It’s fantastic and it seems to get bigger every time I go back. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The person that stands out to me the most in terms of inspiration would be one of the teachers I had during middle school. His name is Aree and I had homeroom with him all throughout middle school. He had been in many bands before becoming a teacher and he was the one that exposed me to producing and recording music. He was into very interesting types of electronic music that I hadn’t been exposed to at the time and opened up a lot of possibilities for me.

Website: https://garbageforlust.bandcamp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garbageforlust/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOy2kzLSfUHGedTq8Zv6OBQ

Image Credits
Emily Hollis