Jacob Carter

Name: Jacob Carter

Age: Confidential

Instrument: Face-melting Bass guitar!

Band/Former Bands: Signal the Revolution, current band. The first rock band I ever had the privilege of being a part of was the very first band I joined with my older brother Joshua Carter, lead singer of Signal the Revolution. I was 13 or 14 years old, fresh to high school and living the dream, playing bass in a rock band. If I'm not mistaken, the band was called Mada; named after Joshua's middle name spelled backwards, based of the band's belief that his voice made the sound. After this project fell apart, I eventually started a band with my best friend Nate Stevens and we really had a lot of fun together. Not lasting long at all, Nate and I simply enjoyed playing bass and guitar together just for the sake of getting better. However, September 11, 2001 changed my life, the world, and the clear calling that I knew I was supposed to serve my country as a soldier in the United States Army. During my service of 8 years in the Army, I simply worked on my personal bass playing skills and began learning true music theory, finger-tapping and whatever else I could challenge myself with. During my second combat deployment, serving fifteen months in Afghanistan, I made a phone call home to my brother Joshua and we enjoyed a conversation about memories of our childhood and playing music together as kids. It was always a blessing to me to be able to share my passion with Josh, and he feels the same about me. Like I said, during this pleasant phone call, we had great conversation, but all good things came to an end, and the phone call was shortened due to a Taliban soldier launching an R.P.G. at the base. Rocket propelled grenades are no joke and one of the biggest means of attacking American soldiers in combat. I told Josh I loved him and that I had to go. Months passed and I was stationed in places where there was no electricity, no phones, and no running water. This was the most humbling experience I have ever had the honor of living. I eventually made it back to an Air Force base that had phones to call my brother once again. During this phone call he proposed that upon coming home we should start a real rock 'n' roll band to push to the highest level of achievable opportunity. Once I got out the Army in 2009, I came home, met up with Josh and our drummer Robert Lewellen, and together we started working immediately on the music that is now know as Signal the Revolution.

How long on instrument: I started playing bass guitar shortly after Joshua started playing guitar. We were inspired by growing up around rock musicians our entire life. Our dad always had a music room full of instruments for us to explore and I found my place in the universe on the bass. I started playing bass like a guitar with scales and writing capabilities because the only jamming I was learning from was jamming with Josh in the music room. All through my younger years, Josh would always advertise me to his friends about how his little brother ruled the bass. It always made me feel good that he had that much respect for my skills. As I grew with my skills and writing, my different styles starting developing and continuously motivating me to do better. I started to learn how to thump and pop, play classical style, finger-tapping all the way up and down the fret board and always playing with my fingers. After I started to learn Pantera songs and other fast metal bands like Cannibal Corps, I really took playing fast to the next level and learned how to use all 10 of my fingers to handle the bass business. Now, 20 years later, I find myself performing among the most talented rockers around! I am honored to call myself an original Louisville Rocker.

Equipment: 1600 Watt SVT Pro Ampeg amp, Sansamp preamp, Ibanez soundgear bass guitars, Fender Acoustic bass guitars, DR strings, DiMarzio strap locks, and my ability to play without my fingers sticking to my strings receives the biggest appreciation award!!!! The one and only fast fret, ladies and gentlemen.

Influences: Cliff Burton, Victor Wooten, Fieldy, Les Claypool, Pantera, Metallica, Korn, Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana, Alice n Chains, Deftones, August Burns Red, Pearl Jam, America, and my older brother Joshua for motivating me to want to play music forever.

My first gig: My first gig was played with my first band ever formed with my older brother Joshua. We played at a talent show competition at his high school, Meade County High. It was the most incredible experience and I remember the looks on everyone's faces when we started playing Pantera songs at the highest volume our amps could crank out. The feeling that performing on stage gives is a feeling like no other, and from that moment on, I knew I was supposed to be a performer. The first money-making real gig that I played was with Signal the Revolution at Uncle Pleasants, performing as the original three-piece band. Also that night our guitar player, Chris Marple, was playing with his old band, and the guitar player Zach Bandy was checking out the project seeking a new position in STR that night as well. Funny to look back on it now. We are building an empire known as Signal the Revolution full of family, friends and fans that believe in real purpose-driven hard rock 'n' roll music. We have had the privilege of sharing the stage with Skid Row, Seven Marry Three, Black Stone Cherry, Adema, Otherwise, Flaw, 10 Years, Hurt, Smile Empty Soul, Saving Able, Powerman 5K, and every sick-ass local band that holds their own.

Hobbies: Loving Jesus. Promoting Signal the Revolution in every means possible. Spending time with my love, Mallory Kornrumpf, obviously playing bass guitar and regular guitars, rappelling and camping at the Red River Gorge, and everything else good in the world.

Favorite movies: Pulp Fiction, Good Fellas, The Godfather, Underworld movies, Matrix movies, Django, Natural Born Killers, and many more.

Favorite food: Italian food. considering my blood carries Sicilian ancestors.

Favorite place: On stage, letting out the pain and aggressions of my life through playing music and connecting with our fans, creating an unbelievable energy and experience that simply can not be expressed by words alone. Signal the Revolution's music is written about the traumatic but persevering life experiences that the band members have personally faced. We write such meaningful songs in hopes to help others and encourage people that when life gets you down, get stronger and pull yourself out of it. The songs express many types of pain from abusive parents, broken hearts, addictions, and the state of our country. How ever on the other hand, our music also speaks of perseverance, strength in belief, the victory won at the end of the battles in life, and the existence of STR on this earth to spread this message to our fans forever. Perseverance, and never give up friends; life is too short to live in pain. Lastly and most importantly, every single meaning that our fans feel when they hear our tunes!

Favorite sports or team: Louisville Cardinals, Green Bay Packers.

What I'm listening to nowadays: Flaw, Otherwise, Periphery, August Burns Red, Lamb of God, all of the 1990's favorites, e.g. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Love and Death, 10 Years, Hurt, Three Days Grace, Seether, Shinedown, 5FDP, and everything else killing it these days and keeping rock music alive.

Coolest thing I've done: Served my country all over the world in the United States Army. I remember my biggest accomplishment during my combat deployment to Afghanistan as a vertical engineer, I created a new blueprint for all the guard towers in Afghanistan that up-armored them and made them safer for soldiers fighting the enemy on the perimeter of the bases. My commander had requested a Non Commissioned Officer to design a way to take left-over bullet-proof glass 110 lbs. windows and use them as reinforced – and safer - windows for the guard towers. Once I perfected my design, I sent it up the chain of command, taught my entire company how to build them, and set the standard for the entire country of Afghanistan from 2008-2009.

Most embarrassing moment: Probably when I had hemorrhoid surgery and the doctor didn't even put me under. So he calls in the cutest nurse in the entire hospital to assist him on spreading my cheeks so he could slice and dice. I remember when she walked in the room thinking no way, not in a million years is the hottest nurse in the hospital about to help cut my butt open! This was terrible, man-hood crushing, and the reason why I couldn't stick around the hospital any more while stationed at Ft. Sill Oklahoma.

Bad Habits: Stressing out and having anxiety over life. Maybe perhaps my stern way of communicating could throw some off. However, I was a sergeant in the United States Army for fur years. My communicating skills were perfected to a very precise tone and manner which makes some think I'm a punk. I used to smoke cigarettes and have very bad addictions to everything party-mode growing up, and every kind of alcohol you can think of. But now I am clean and sober and pleased to play songs like the tune “Circumstance” by Signal the Revolution that gives encouragement to fight against all addictions, no matter what and at all costs. I want my bad habits and experiences to be witness to kids these days, thinking about ruining their lives by messing with addictive garbage, and I want to be able to spread this message across the globe. I served as a United States soldier for eight years, and now for the rest of my life I wanna serve the people with the music of Signal the Revolution.

When/where did you first get some: Well if I gotta respond, I would have to say my memory tells me it was right before high school and I finally had a real girlfriend. I remember being drunk at a party down the street at the neighbor's house, and finding my girlfriend and I up in the woods like wild animals. Becoming a man Kentucky style, down and dirty to the core! From that moment on I have been cursed with the love of women. Joke joke, I support relationship love 100%.

If you could meet a rock star (past or present), who would it be, and why: I would hands down need to meet Metallica. I say this for one main reason; the empire they have built will never be touched by any competitor in rock music. Metallica, I must say, has done it all and will remain on top forever. From a countless number of albums, to being the first band to play in all the continents in the world in one year, to producing their very own movie filled with 3-D action. My hat goes off to Metallica and I would love a business meeting with James Hetfield, the front man of Metallica to teach me how to build an empire like theirs.

Who do you love: God and my lord and savior Jesus Christ. My family, Mallory, Signal the Revolution, and every single fan out there that has helped us achieve our dream by supporting the music they believe in. To our fans and friends, I thank you most for making my life make sense. I got out the Army to serve my country as a face-melting bass player in Signal the Revolution, and all of you let me know it is definitely the right decision that I had to make in life. Being a soldier was always in my patriotic heart, but music has always resided deep, deep down in every ounce of my soul. Now I work my butt off harder then ever to push Signal the Revolution to the max. As soon as our brand new 2014 EP CD becomes available in just a few weeks, STR will hit the road touring in support of the new music. Revolution 2014 involves everyone that believes in Signal the Revolution and everyone that is a part of this big growing supportive STR family. Fans equal everything, and with out Signal the Revolution fans we are nothing. Spread the word and always support the music you believe in, its our personal responsibility to keep it alive. STR4LIFE{S.T.R. ME} Soldiers stand up.