John Doe is the founder of the seminal Los Angeles punk group X, a solo artist and actor. John answers questions from our community members in the WWJDD? blog. Photo by Autumn de Wilde.

A Question from Jen in Atlanta

Hello John,

I was thrilled to finally get to see X on tour this year. The band was incredibly tight and the energy of the show was "off the hook"! I'm in the process of forming a new band and wanted to get your take on what to look for in bandmates. Everyone in the last band I was in shared an interest in the same type of music, had similar favorite bands etc. But once we started playing together regularly it became clear we all couldn't be more different in our approach, work ethic, songwriting and so on. Needless to say it didn't work out well in the end. What's the best way to find out if new potential bandmates might be a fit? A friend suggested I put together a list of questions to ask but I'm afraid the "vibe" of that process could be a real turnoff for people who might be a great fit.

I would love to hear what you think.

Thanks,

Jen

hey Jen,
  Yeah a questionnaire might be way too much like a job interview or some Harmony.com dating service, so . . . NO.  How about dinner & drinks?  How about just hanging out for several evenings & see if you actually do see things similarly?  how about playing cover songs in yr living room? Always trust yr intuition.  Be sure you're in a big enough city to have a "talent pool" that's large enough. There are always exceptions but it's rare that you find everyone all at once. Most bands that I know have grown over a period of time.  A gtr player here, a singer there, a drummer etc, you get my point.  There is something to be said for fate & it seems that the best combinations & meetings have that as an element.
best of luck, hope this helps
& as always, thanks for writing 
JD

 PS: Make sure to vote on November 4^th. It’s important.

If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.

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